So, you are at home, reading a book or watching old movies that you have already seen. This, you already know. What you don’t know is you can make the best use of this time and upgrade your chess skills, while you are not under pressure to win the next game or study for your weekly quizzes. Beginners generally have this habit of going by the book. Like you must have at least read one blog for Beginners tricks or strategies that you need to know and develop. Which is an absolutely great idea if you know the use of those in your game. Mugging theoretical concepts applied and used by millions across the globe won’t make you better in chess. It would just walk you through the same path.
So, better late than never, we decided we would help you out with some chess advice this quarantine. Let’s get started.
Chess Openings- Everyone knows you need to keep your opening strong to march ahead in the rest of the game. True, but learning chess openings is not enough if you don’t know when to use what? Thus, research and practical use is essential before you apply it. It is just like reasoning, chess openings help you strategize the rest of your game. If you can’t see ahead of your opponent, you must be doing some background checks on how to exercise your plan.
Chess theories- Chess can be called a complex game. There are strategies that can make you win but applying those in your game could only yield results, a few times. You might have had experiences where you could see ahead of your opponent but the game completely changed with your opponent’s move that you didn’t expect. So, sometimes basic theories like first move your pawns and attack in the middlegame do not help if your opponent can anticipate your next move. It is an abstract game of mind and beings.
Major Mistakes- Mistakes are good till you learn from them. Only if you make mistakes and later analyse your game, you would find where you missed the point or simultaneously think of an alternative that could change the course of the game. If you feel silly, know that even Grandmasters have agreed over the fact that everything is uncertain in chess, till you win. So, mistakes have been and are still a part of their game.
Train your mind- No we are not talking about mind controlling. Training your mind to read the actions of your opponent. Only with precision and practise can you make your mind pick up hints that would help you later in the game. Some may argue that reading the previous game of your opponents helps in understanding their gameplay, but you can only gain some insights. Rather try concentrating on his game while you play and you would find mistakes that you can rule out.
An alternative strategy- If you think you can win with just one strategy and you would never have to stick in between what to do next, you might not have played enough games yet. Getting to start with a specific plan and changing during the middle of the game is a usual scenario. Thus, it is always better to have an alternative plan, just in case you see your plan ‘A’ failing. Why do you need to prepare two plans when you know you can win with the first? It’s simple, chess is a mind game and your opponent is as much prepared as you, so never underestimate their capabilities. Keeping a proxy plan handy is always a good option.
The rating system- How do you recognise a good player? Just by the knowledge that he/she has about their strategies and moves? No, you check their rating. Elo rating is a measuring standard that calculates the skill of chess players and ranks them accordingly. Why is this relevant to you? You are too naive if you think this is useless. Know how the calculation works and gather some good ratings for yourself. This would help you challenge yourself in the future and tell you what needs a little more practise, and where do you stand in the place with others.
Analyse your opponent- This is a grave mistake which people do during a game. They get self involved in their game and forget that they have an opponent. Underestimating your opponent can cost you your king. Analyse him/her but don’t make conclusions very early in the game. Just like you can change the course of your plan, your opponent might have a plan B and put tha to use in difficult times. So, it is always advisable to keep a close eye at the moves of your opponent after he/she has already acted twice or thrice. Along with understanding your next move, you have to decode your opponent’s game plan.
Don’t be comfortable- Being comfortable will only make you slow. Keep experimenting and rearrange your idea of right. What you think is the least popular move can also make you win the game. If you keep on repeating your moves, your opponents would know your moves even before you act so being predictable is the least favourite action to choose.
These are the things that you must consider before you jump into believing you know all. Remember, you can never know everything about chess and that’s what makes it interesting. If you feel the same and still are unsure where to start from, take the help from the best professional chess instructors at Mind Mentorz. Enrol your name and take the online classes to know more.