CHESS

BECOME A CHESS MASTER

Peter Kaplan
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 Table of Contents
Introduction
How to Play Chess
The Rules of Chess
Chess Openings
Chess Strategy
Chess Tactics
The Endgame – Principles and Strategies
How to Actually Study Chess and How to Exit Stagnancy Play
Philosophies, Theories, Protection and Skill
Pre Game Routine for Best Performance
Chess Intermediate Chess for Serious Players Only!
Chess and the Psychology Within, Dr. Gobet
Famous Chess Quotations
Website Recommendations
Your Free Bonus
Conclusion
Preview of the Book: Stress
My Other Books
 INTRODUCTION

Introduction

C hess is a game of skill. It is a board game played between two

people. A game that really puts your brain to work. It is a game
that tests your creativity, your forward thinking, and your planning
skills. It is a game that can last five minutes or five hours, depending on
how well you plan your moves.

The game of chess can be dated back to around the 6th Century AD,
when it was known as Chaturanga. It originated in India and the word,
“chaturanga” means “four military divisions,” which denote the elephant,
the chariot, the infantry and the cavalry. Today, those four are the rook,
pawn, bishop and knight.

Another empire that had a large influence on the game was the Persian
Empire. They renamed the game, “Shatranj,” and the rules were refined
mostly into what is played today. After the capture of Persia by the
Muslims, the game of chess was taken to Europe and spread with the help
of the Moors, who later captured Spain, many hundreds of years later.

The Medieval ages saw the history of chess start in Europe and that can
still be seen today in some components of the board. The Bishop is a
representation of the influence the Church had on palace decisions, the
knight is a representation of the palace cavalry, and the rook is a
representation of the castle that was erected for purposes of defense.

The modern history of the game; the rules, began development in the
Renaissance period. The 15th Century saw the move of the pieces defined
fully, with rules that determined how the queen and the bishops moved. The
queen became the most powerful piece, the most versatile. This was also
the time when the Pawn’s opening moves were determined and solidified.

By the turn of the 19th Century, the game was becoming more and more
popular and began to be played by formal organizations. A victory in the
game could only be recognized when it was documented officially by one
of these organizations. It wasn’t long before clubs began to pop up all over
the cities of England, these were followed by books and other publications,
they wanted to delve into the game.

The very first modern tournament was held in 1895 and was won by
Adolf Anderssen, considered to be the, “underdog” in the tournament. After
a few more successful official tournaments, the World Chess Championship
was born. The victor of the first game in this new championship was a man
named Wilhelm Steinitz. The chess grandmasters that you hear about today,
first came about when Tsar Nicholas II bestowed the honor on five players,
all of whom were renowned for their game across the world. That tradition
continued with the Word Chess Federation; they are the organization that is
responsible for setting the rules and for awarding the title of Grandmaster.

Today, the game of chess is played across the world. It is a complex

structure, a structure that is highly organized; it is a firm part of modern
global culture.

All chess players have to begin somewhere and for you, that somewhere
is here. I am going to tell you how to play chess, not just the layout of the
board and the moves of each piece, but also by opening strategies and end
game targets.

Make sure to read to the very end of the book, because there will be
your free bonus waiting for you. I decided to include this bonus as a way of
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 CHAPTER 1

How to Play Chess

T he very first thing that you have to learn is how the board is laid
out. There is one rule to remember – “white is right”. As you sit at
the board, the bottom rightmost square must always be white. If the
board you are playing on is of the folding kind, you should always play
your game with the fold horizontally across the board, not vertically.

Both the white and black pieces are set up exactly the same:
• Starting from the bottom row, the rooks, or castles as they are
often known, are situated on the corner squares.
• The knights are seated directly beside the rooks on the next
squares
• Beside the knights stand the bishops
• The queen stands on her own color square; the white queen is
on the white square, and the black queen goes on the black
square. The king stands in the remaining square.
This is the first row, known as a “rank,” in chess terminology. The
pawns line up in front of these pieces on the next rank or row up.

The Movements of Each Piece

The next part of the game that you must learn is how each piece can
move. They all have their own set moves, which plays a part in how you
defend your own pieces or attack your opponent’s. The following are things
you must remember:
• None of the pieces can move through another piece, but the
knight can jump over other pieces
 • None of the pieces can move to a square that has one of their
own pieces on it
• The only time you can place a piece onto a square that is
occupied is when it has one of your opponent’s pieces on it; this
is called making a capture. Your piece will take the place of the
piece you captured, and then it will be removed off of the board
and out of play.
• Each of the pieces has its own role to play, defend your
pieces and defend certain parts of the board.
Let’s look at the moves that each individual piece can make, and how it
fits into the game:

The King
Despite the fact that the king cannot move far, it is the most important
piece on the board. The king is the point of chess, because the idea of the
game is to win by placing your opponent’s king into checkmate so that they
cannot get out of it. This also makes the king the weakest piece because it is
only able to move one square at a time, although it can move in any
direction. One rule to remember – it is illegal in chess to place your king in
a position of check or checkmate. The idea is to keep your king safe, don’t
place him in direct danger.

The Queen
The queen is the most powerful player on the board. She can move
anywhere, in any direction, as far as she possibly can. The above rules stand
– she cannot move through another piece and can only land on a square that
is occupied by the opponent when she makes the capture. At that point, her
move is finished. Be careful not to place your queen in a position where she
can be taken, especially if you do not get anything in return.

The Rook
The rook is another piece that can move any distance, but only
sideways, forwards, or backwards – rooks cannot be moved diagonally. The
rooks are powerful pieces and should, if possible, be used together – to
present a strong united front and to provide protection for one another.

The Bishop
 The bishop is also able to move long distances but only in a diagonal
direction. You have two bishops – one will start the game on a black square,
the other on a white square. They can only move on that color throughout
the game. Again, use your bishops together as they can provide protection
for one another.

The Pawn
The pawn is a highly unusual chess piece; many people see pawns as
pointless, and in the way. In fact, if you use your pawns properly, they are
the strongest part of your army. With the exception of their first move, the
pawn is only able to move one square at a time in a forward motion. On
their first move, they are able to move two squares. In order to make a
capture, a pawn can only do so diagonally, and if there is another pawn in
front, it cannot capture it nor can it move past it.

Here are the basics of a chessboard and how each piece moves. In the
next chapter, we will look at rules of a chess game, and some of the special
moves that your pieces can make.
 CHAPTER 2

The Rules of Chess

T he idea of the game chess is to place your opponent’s king into

checkmate. This is a position whereby the king cannot be moved
anywhere to safety nor can any other piece be used to defend him.
If you were to move in such a way that your opponent’s king could be
captured next time, this would be called, “check”. At this point, your
opponent has no choice but to save their king on their next move. Later on,
I will talk about some tactics that you can use in this position, this will give
your opponent some real trouble.

Bear in mind that the king is never physically captured; only placed into
a position that they cannot get out of it. It is your responsibility, and that of
your opponents, to ensure that your respective kings are never in a position
where they can be put into check or checkmate. When you put a king into
check, you must say the word, “check”. This gives your opponent fair
warning that their king is in a dangerous position; the king, must wither, be
moved to safety, or bring in another piece, brought in to defend him. If the
king is put into checkmate, you must say the word “checkmate”. I will say
this again – you must never ever put your own king into a position where
the king can be placed into check or checkmate, this is the entire point of
the game. This is considered an illegal move in the game of chess. In a
tournament, this may result in disqualification; if it doesn’t it will certainly
mean a loss for you. However, in an unofficial game, there is something
that you should bear in mind – it is both player’s responsibility to ensure
that no illegal moves are made. If your opponent moves his king into a
position where it can be checked, you cannot take that king. First, you must
tell your opponent what he or she has done and ask them if they want to
retract the move and make one that is legal.

As you play the game of chess, you are looking to attack your
opponent’s pieces and defend your own, this is the key. You should try to
capture their pieces to remove them from play, and from the board; thus
clearing a straight path to your opponent’s king, with little opposition and
force to stop you.

The first move in a game of chess is always made by white and, it is

then played on a turn-by-turn basis. You must move a piece every turn,
there is no option to pass a turn unless you are castling, I will tell you what
this is shortly.

Not all games of chess end in a win/loss situation – Some will be drawn,
other games can sometimes be known as stalemate. Stalemate occurs when
neither of the kings are in check, and neither player is able to make a legal
move without placing their king into a position of check. Remember that
you are not allowed to put your king into a position of check, and if that is
the only move that is available to you, the game will end in stalemate.

Special Moves
There are a number of special moves that would do any chess player
well, in this sense, it’s about learning and memorizing. Use them wherever
it is appropriate to give you an edge in the game.

Promotion
This is specific to pawns. Remember I said earlier, that if the pawn is
used correctly, it could be one of your strongest players? If you are able to
move one or more of your pawns across the board and unto the other side,
you may be promoting it. This means that it can remain in play and will
become any other piece that you want it to be. Most people opt to promote
their pawns to a queen as it gives them the best advantage. The pawn cannot
be promoted until it has landed on a square, it needs to reside on the 8th
rank; or row, and it must be promoted to the same move as it landed on the
square. Most people promote their pawn to a queen because it has the
advantage of being the most versatile piece on the board. However, you can
choose to promote your pawn to a knight, bishop or rook as well, once you
pass the 8th rank, you choose.

En Passant
This is another move that is only applicable to the pawn. En Passant
translates to, “in passing”. If you were to move your pawn two squares
forward in its first move, it will land you directly beside an opponent’s
pawn, the opponent can then capture your pawn. Normally, a pawn can only
capture diagonally; this is the only exception to that rule. Your opponent
must capture your pawn on his next turn. If he doesn’t, you may continue to
move and their opportunity has been lost.

Castling
I mentioned this earlier. Castling is the only move that lets you move
two pieces at once. First, keep in mind that this is a move that is designed to
defend your king and keep him safe. Secondly, it is a move that lets you
bring your rook out of the corner and into play. Should you choose to castle
on your move, there is a way to do it. First, move your king two squares
sideways, either way that is clear. Second, the rook is moved to the opposite
side of the king. For example, you would move your king from e1 to g1 and
the rook from h1 to f1. Before you can castle, there are set rules that must
be abided by:
• It must be the king’s first move of the game
• It must be the first move that particular rook makes in the
game
• You cannot castle if another piece is in between the king and
the rook

Check and Checkmate

As we know, the main concept of chess is to put your opponent’s king
into check or checkmate. This is a position in which the king cannot be
defended by another piece, nor can he be moved to safety. There are only
three ways that you can move your king out of check or a checkmate
position:
• Without castling, move your king to another square that is
out of danger
• Bring in another piece to defend your king
 • Capture the piece that is threatening the king

Draws
We talked a little earlier about games ending in draws or ties, and one of
the reasons I mentioned is stalemate. There are four more reasons why a
chess game may end in a draw:
• Because both players agree that neither can win and that the
game should be drawn
• There are not enough pieces on the board for a checkmate to
occur
• If the same move is made three times or the same position
occurs three times in a game, a draw may be declared
• There have been 50 consecutive moves without a pawn being
moved or a single capture being made

Chess Notation
In the course of learning how to play chess, you will likely come across
many different notations. What you see will depend on whether you are
playing a real person or a computer, also what language is being spoken.
The one you will most likely come across is algebraic as this is a universal
notation language and is easily understood by the computer as well. With
algebra, we use one number and one letter to denote a square and a letter for
each of the pieces.

Numbering the board squares starts on the white side as the white is the
player to make the first move every time:
• We start at the bottom left corner of the board and work
horizontally across. Each square is given a letter from, “a” to “h”,
and these rows are called “files”
• From the same square, working vertically up the board, each
row of squares is given a number from “1” through “8” and these
are called “ranks”

We also give an identifying letter to each chess piece:

• Pawn – no identifier
• Rook - R
• Knight – N
 • Bishop – B
• Queen – Q
• King – K

In chess notation, you will see that we use uppercase letters for the chess
pieces and lowercase letters for the squares to avoid any confusion.

In the event that one piece captures another, the notation would show an,
“x” before the letter of the captured square. So, let’s say a bishop took a
piece on square e5, the notation would say “Bxe5”. If a pawn makes a
capture, the notation would give the file letter, for example, if a pawn from
file 2 captured another piece on d5, the notation would read “exd5”.
Notation and mathematics play a big role for players who are intermediate,
as players who enjoy logics mostly seek this particular game out as pure
hobby and mind exercise.
 CHAPTER 3

Chess Openings

T he first moves in a chess game are called the opening moves. In

theory, provided it is a legal move, you can move any piece. Your
opening can go a long way in determining the outcome of the
entire game, so the better it is, the better chance you have for playing a
more dominating game, rather than a defensive one. Good openings protect
your king. They open up the board for your pieces and they give you a good
chance to take control of important regions on the board.

There has been a lot of research; opening moves in chess, many of the
famous ones, have been given a name, sometimes after the person who
created them. I am going to give you an overview of some of these more
popular openings; I would suggest that before you move on, you set up a
board, so that you can follow along with the moves. It will help you
understand them easier and see the effect that they have on the overall
game.

There are three main types of openings that I will talk about here:
• White moves, their king’s pawn to square e4. Not only does
this give you access to the center, it also opens the board up for
the bishop and the queen. Black has two choices here – make
exactly the same move or something completely different.
• White can move their queens pawn to square d4
• White can begin with another move

Ruy Lopez
 This also goes by the name of the “Spanish Opening,” and it begins with
these moves:
• e4 e5
• Nf3 Nc6
• Bb5
The Ruy Lopez was originally named after a clergyman from 16th
Century Spain who was really enthusiastic about the game. He had a
notebook full of chess openings that he had studied, but although the move
had his name, it actually came from the Göttingen manuscript from 1490. It
wasn’t a popular opening until it was brought back in the mid-1800’s, by a
Russian theoretician named Jaenisch. It is still used today, especially by
some of the grandmaster players.

If you have your chessboard set up by now, you will see that the white
side has created the potential for something that we call a “pin” – I’ll
explain this in another chapter. With a knight and the d pawn, as well as
starting the game with an attack, and preparing way for castling, can put an
enormous amount of pressure onto the black, specifically on the e pawn.

Giucco Piano
Sometimes known as the “Quiet Game”, this involves a somewhat mild
attack with white using the bishop. This is an easy opening for black as they
can even things up quickly. An opening like this doesn’t tend to determine
the course of the game. The moves are:
• e4 e5
• Nf3 Nc6
• Bc4 Bc5

If white were to move to d3 on the next move, we would call this,

“Giucco Pianissimo”, meaning, a very passive game. However, if the
response were to be b4, it’s called, “Evans Gambit,” and involves white
trading a pawn to take center control, while opening up the queen’s bishop.

King’s Gambit
Back in the 1800’s the King’s Gambit was the most popular opening
game in use. White is trading a pawn for a quick development lead. It isn’t
used too much these days, especially not at the grandmaster level, as it is
very easy for black to move into a strong position without the loss of any
pieces. The opening moves are:
• e4 e5
• f4
In order to accept the gambit, the next move would be exf4.
 Sicilian Defense
This is one of the most popular moves in the grandmaster level, the
beginning moves are:
• e4 c5
Black will fight to gain control of the center, but instead of mirroring the
move that white has made, the c-file is used instead. By doing this, an
asymmetrical pattern is being created, and that opens up a number of
positions. Many of these are quite complicated to get the hang of at first.
Black will be attacking the white e4 pawn with his knight on f6 and a
bishop on b7. In an ideal world, black would want to move to d5 without
encountering any kind of retribution.

Because this is one of the more popular ones, there are a few variations
to it. The “dragon” variation begins:
• e4 c5
• Nf3 d6
• d4 cxd4
• Nxcd4 NF6
• Nc3 g6
While the “Najdorf”avariation begins:
• e4 c5
• Nf3 d6
• d4 cxd4
• Nxcd4 NF6
• Nc3 a6
French Defense

White takes early control of the center in this opening, and in exchange
for that, black will be able to build what should be a safe pawn wall. The
opening moves are:
• e4 e6
• d4 d5
The opening will continue with quite a bit of jockeying for the position,
with the center closing down, and two chains of pawns competing to
outflank each other. White tends to go for e5 and black will aim for f6 or
c5. Usually white will trap the black queen’s bishop. This renders the
bishop pretty much useless and it has earned the term, “French Bishop”.

Caro-Kann
This is somewhat similar to the French Defense. Black is letting white
take early center control while trying to get their pawn to d5. The opening
moves are:
• e4 c6
• d4 d5
• Nc3 dxe4

One major advantage for black, over the French Defense, is that they
can take a white pawn from the center, and then develop their own pieces.
They will play a passive game; hopefully more defensive, but black will
hope that white makes some kind of mistake, no matter how minor it is.
Each player is always looking for an upper hand, an advantage.
 Center Counter
Also called the “Scandinavian Opening”, the opening moves are:
• e4 e5
This is usually followed with exd5 Qxd5.

Pirc/Modern
This can be called by either name. The Pirc version starts with one of
these two openings:
• e4 d6
OR
• e4 g6

While the Modern Defense begins:

• e4 g6
• d4 Bg7

This lets white take early control of the center, but since this is not a
nice gesture, the black may not allow it. Instead, black is looking to
undermine that control.

Queen’s Gambit
The opening moves for Queen’s Gambit are:
• d4 d5
• c4
White offers up a pawn in trade for a quick development lead and black
can respond in one of the following ways:
• dxc4 – “Queen’s Gambit Accepted”
• Nc6 – “Tchigoran Defense”
• e6 – leads to the “Tarrasch Defense”
• e6 – “Orthodox Defense”

Kings Indian Defense

This is another opening where black allows white to gain quick control
over the center while planning their downfall later on in the game. It is a bit
risky in the opening and is generally used by grandmasters. The opening
moves are:
• d4 Nf6
• c4 g6
• Nc3 Bg7
Black may respond by moving to c5, white to d5 and then e6 b5.

Queen’s Indian Defense, Nimzo-Indian, Bogo-Indian

All of these start in the same way:
• d4 Nf6
• c4 e6
The Nimzo variation continued with Nc3 Bb4.
White tries to control the center, using the pawns and sets up an attack
army to rear them.

Dutch Defense
The opening moves for this are:
• d4 f5
Black’s move is a very aggressive counter play. You will see that black
is heading straight for white kingside, to try and get an early attack in on
white’s army, but it does tend to open up a lot of weak points in black’s
position very early in the game. Moving the f pawn opens up black’s
defense and shuts off their development space.

English Opening
The last opening, I want to cover is the one that is somewhat different
from all of the others. It is more commonly called a, “flank maneuver,” it
starts with:
• c4
White is aiming straight for center control by building up support and
black will usually respond with c5.

If you are a beginner at chess and want to reach an intermediate level or

perhaps a Grandmaster level, using these notations and moves can ensure
you’ll play better than your opponent, if he or she is not using these trick
strategy moves too.
 Study these openings, learn them, and practice them. Figure out whether
using one of these opening strategies will give you an advantage; a leg up,
and learn when to use each piece at the right time. Learn the consequences
of the moves you choose for your pieces, and learn what you can expect to
see in response from your opponent. Try to predict and strategize before
and after the game. Practice and actually participating in a chess game is the
only way for a player to improve. Above all, if you are playing black and
your opponent makes one of these openings against you, learn how to deal
with it and how to respond appropriately. Otherwise lack of knowledge
could simply compromise a well-played game.
 CHAPTER 4

Chess Strategy

C hess strategy; words you often hear when mentioning the, ‘so
called,’ logical game of chess. Strategy is about formulating your
plan. Working out how you are going to play your game, and
determining which pieces you are going to use in order to maximize each
position you have, each piece. If you play your opening game right, you can
gain control over the board early on in the game, but that doesn’t mean that
you can hold onto control. Control in the game of chess, can easily slip
away and fall into your opponent’s hands, if you happen to make one wrong
move. It all depends on you; on your plan, and how good and strong it is. It
will depend on how you rise to the challenge that your opponent presents.

It just isn’t enough for you to simply know how the pieces move. What
else you need to know is how to play them. I am going to give you some
guidelines to follow, but keep in mind that this is all they are – guidelines.
As you become more experienced and practiced at chess, you will find your
own ways of playing, and you will also be able to ignore some guidelines
and play around with others to suit your game. For a true beginner though,
it is really best if you learn first. When embarking upon chess as a new
hobby, an individual must learn the foundation first. Once the beginner is
equipped with well-rounded knowledge regarding chess, the player will be
able to start a real match and will be able thrive and pass into different
playing levels. Knowing more will only guide you to the top of the game, it
will lead you to Grandmaster status. Let’s learn more about the pieces
below.

What Value Does Each Piece Hold?

 Each chess piece has a set value and this represents the power that it
holds in the game. In technical terms, these values don’t have any influence
on the game; they are just there to teach you more about the pieces:
• Pawn – 1 point
• Knight – 3 points
• Bishop – 3 points
• Rook – 5 points
• Queen – 9 points
Did you spot that the King didn’t appear in that list? That’s because it
doesn’t have a value, simply because it cannot be captured.

Use these values as a way of determining your game status, and when
you are thinking about trading one of your pieces for one of your
opponent’s. After all, you don’t want to be giving a rook worth 5 points
away, if all you can take in return is a 1-point pawn. On the other hand, it
would make great sense to trade that 5-point rook, for a pair of bishops,
totaling 6 points. Not only do you gain that extra point, your opponent is
losing two of their most important pieces.

Before you commit those values to memory, you need to be aware of

other influencing factors that have an effect on piece values:
• Doubled-pawns do not give you double the value of a single; instead,
they are actually worth less
• Double bishop combos are more powerful than double knights or a
combination of a knight and bishop
• Bishops and knights that work as a pair have more power than the
queen or a rook combo.

How to Win at Chess – 10 Top Tips

The game of chess is played in three phases – the opening, the middle,
and the end game. The opening is where you get your pieces into the game,
prepared for the battle ahead. The middle game is where you start to attack
with your pieces, counter attack, and move in for position. The end game is
the final stage; the scene should already be set for your kings to come into
the battle.
 Sometimes, there will be several moves without any captures, other
times, there will be a number of captures in quick succession. Make sure
that you take more pieces than your opponent does. Sometimes you will put
a piece where it can be captured, maybe by mistake, or maybe intentionally
– strategically. The capture of this piece is known as, “En Prise”ror, “In
Take”. Beware – your opponent may do this to trick you. If you see that
they have intentionally placed a piece where you can take it, have a good
look at the board; they may have done this to tempt you, so that they have
an opening to attack you.

The following ten tips will help you to make it past the opening in a
game of chess, with luck resulting in a win for you:

1. Never make your move before seeing what your opponent has
done.
When your opponent has moved, take a bit of time, and ask yourself
some questions.
• Why was that piece moved?
• Has it put any of my pieces in any danger?
• What other threats should I look for?
• What plan does my opponent have?
Once you can answer those questions satisfactorily, it is time to consider
your own move and make it. Your move needs to be one that will have a
detrimental effect on your opponent’s plan, your move needs to give you
something in return, a.k.a capturing a piece or positioning yourself in the
right spot on the board for an advantage.

2. Question your own moves

Before you make your move, ask these questions:
• Is there a better place on the board for the piece? Is there a better spot
than where it already is?
• Can I make another piece more effective? What will that do to my
position?
• Will this piece be in safety if I move it?
If you have opted to move a pawn, you need to consider whether it will
be attacked or not. If you opt to move one of the other pieces, consider
whether your opponent can drive it out, in which case, you will be wasting
your time moving it.
Even if your move has some good points within, always consider the
downside as well. It won’t always be the right move to make at that time. If
you see what you consider to be a good move, hold on to it, and then look
for something better. Remember that chess is a game of patience, and good
things are known to come around for those who practice patience.

3. Never play chess without a plan

If you do, your game will lack direction and it will lack meaning. It is
easy to stumble through a game. Don’t threaten all of your pieces, and don’t
give your opponent an easy game. They will be able to defend their own
pieces while attacking yours, without worrying, being that you are posing
no threat, pose threat to your opponent, it’s chess. All of your pieces must
work together, like a well-oiled piece of machinery. Having a good plan in
place means that all of your pieces are in harmony, will defend each other,
and will provide back- up at all times, especially during the important
points in the game. You should also have a plan in place that involves
taking control of a certain part of the board, like the center. Always keep in
mind, if there is a plan a, there is always a plan b, a plan, c, and so on. In
the game of chess, one has many choices. Use your choices wisely just like
in the game of life.
 4. Know the value of your pieces
We talked about the value placed on each piece earlier in this chapter,
and it is important that you learn them more in depth, especially when you
are thinking of trading piece for piece. Many people tend to look at how
many pieces their opponent has but it is better to consider the combined
value of those pieces instead. If your pieces have a higher value than your
opponent’s then you have the advantage, and vice versa. When you make
your decisions about your move, consider the material value.

The pawn is of the lowest value and it can only move one square at a
time, it can only move forward. The knight and the bishop are pretty equal
in terms of value; the value of three pawns each. The knight is the only
piece that can jump, while the bishop can move faster, although they are
somewhat limited. The rook is a fast moving piece and can land on any
square on the board. Their value is 5 pawns. The queen has a value of nine
pawns, and nearly as much as a pair of rooks. They are the most versatile
piece on the board with the greatest range of movement with each move.

The king is obviously the highest valued piece, but has no material value
because it cannot be captured.

5. Develop quickly and well

Time is the most important part of a game of chess. If you can develop
your pieces for action quickly then you will be in a good position to control
the rest of the game. Lots of beginning chess players stick to moving all of
their pawns early in the game because they think it gives them the
advantage of controlling space. Don’t make this mistake. A game of chess
has never been won with the sole use of pawns, and it likely that it never
will be. The idea is to get your bigger pieces into play as soon as possible,
after you do, move one or two pawns to open up the squares. This will
mean that your bigger pieces will not be forced into retreat because they are
under attack. As soon as the strong pieces have been properly developed,
you can concentrate on positioning the pawns.
 It is always very tempting to get the queen into play as soon as possible
because the queen is so powerful and versatile. However, you can easily put
her in a position where she can be attacked, if you are not careful,
especially with pieces that are nowhere near as valuable as she is. If your
opponent can take her, your opponent will, and that will be a massive point
in their favor, as well as a big loss to you. Do not move a piece just because
it is there. Work out the best move, the best position for each piece and then
work toward getting them into that position as quickly and as safely as
possible.

6. Gain control of the center – and then keep it

The center four squares on the chessboard are important. Gaining
control of them will give you a better chance of controlling the game – but
only if you can keep that control. Firstly, the piece that is in the center of
the board is controlling a lot more squares than it would if it were in another
position. If the knight were in the center, it can move to no less than eight
different squares, whereas if you placed it where it could be cornered, it can
only move two squares. Second, controlling the center enables you to open
the board in order to let your pieces get across the board. You have to go
through the center to get to the other side and the quicker you can do this,
the more control you have and the quicker you can attack your opponent,
who is planning on attacking you.

7. Keep your king safe at all times

Checkmate is the point and it is your responsibility to stop your
opponent from checkmating your king. Never get so involved in one
particular part of the game that you forget all about your king. I repeat,
never! This advice is absolutely imperative, I can’t stress this enough. A
good player will spot if you have left your king undefended and will move
in for the kill, they will do this quicker than you can imagine. If you can,
castle early in the game, then don’t move the protecting pawns until it is
absolutely necessary – these are his bodyguards, if you do move them
forwards, you are leaving him with little to no protection at all.

8. Know when it is right to trade pieces

If you can take a piece that has a higher value than the one you will lose
in exchange, then go for it; quality over quantity is a good mindset to adopt
in some cases. However, you won’t always get this type of chance,
especially if you are playing a very careful opponent. You will likely get
plenty of opportunities to trade for even values, but you shouldn’t always
do it. If you are in a developmental lead and you are in control, do not trade
piece for piece, unless doing so gives you a very clear advantage in the
whole entity of the entire game. The fewer pieces there are on each side, the
weaker the attacks become and the stronger the defenders. You should also
avoid trading if your opponent has lots of pieces in a small area and has
little space.

9. Think about the endgame all of the time and work towards it
Even before the first move is made, you should be thinking about the
endgame. Every single move that you make is going to play a part in the
result of the endgame. By the time you get to that stage, the endgame, there
will not be many pieces left on the board, you want to make sure that what
you have left is actually worth it though.

Knights and bishops are fairly even at the start of a game, but when it
comes down to the wire, the bishop can move much faster than the knight
can. If you find yourself having to think about trading off a bishop for a
knight, consider the endgame before you make your decision.

Pawn structure is vital to the endgame. Using a pawn to make a capture

will open up a file. That file will allow your rooks and queen to get out and
move to the opposite side of the board much quicker. On the other hand,
you do run a risk of doubled pawns – these cannot defend each other and
they become a liability instead of an asset. If your opponent makes it
through to the middle game in this situation, you should prepare to move
forward with a stronger army, and into the endgame resulting in,
checkmate!
 10. Keep your wits about you and be alert at all times.
I really can’t add much more to this, it is simple, maintain your
concentration; losing it even for even just a second can cost you big time in
chess. Don’t make it a quick game, strive to become a Grandmaster. Chess
is not only a game, chess can be looked at in a philosophical sense. Chess
can be compared to life and the politics in which we choose to inhabit
ourselves around. Chess is an ancient type of game, there are many
philosophies behind the game of chess, which we will get into before we hit
an ending note. Many individuals have quoted many analogies that relate to
chess, this fact is not only interesting, but definitely relevant to this book
about chess. As mentioned before, if an individual studies the entirety of
chess, he or she shall learn the simple skill of keeping their wits alert and in
check at all times; this notion can also correlate to life, but we will dive into
that very shortly.

Principles and Strategies to Learn

Before we move on, I want to give you a short list of principles and
strategies that you need to learn:
• Never move a particular piece more than once in the opening
• Get your knights developed before you develop the bishops
• Both knights should be developed before you target your
queen’s bishop
• Develop your pieces across the board, not just in one area
• Don’t play a piece that can move across the center of the
board in the opening
• If you castle, make sure that your opponent doesn't up a file
directly to your king
• Don’t use a pin on the opposing knight before he has castled,
especially if you have castled
• Don’t trade if it will mean an opposition piece is able to be
developed
• Keep your bishops and knights for as long as you can
Don’t launch a full on attack too early in the game.
 CHAPTER 5

Chess Tactics

A s well as strategy, you need to learn some of the more popular

tactics in chess. Before you make any move in your game,
consider the tactics that you are going to employ in order to help
you gain the advantage over your opponent. Tactics will also determine the
winner of a game, the loser will obviously be a lower level than the
Grandmaster. So, what are tactics? They are a sequential set of movements
that include attacking and/or capturing a piece, and results in a solid gain or
advantage right and straight away. The following are more popular tactics,
and I have already mentioned one or two of these, but you must know these
like the ‘back of your hand’, if you want to proceed into the Grandmaster
title.

En Prise
This is one I talked about earlier and it will serve you well to learn it and
remember it. The biggest mistake that a player can make is to move a piece
to a square that it is not defended. En Prise, is the capture of that particular
piece. So, if this is a mistake, why have I included it in the tactics section?

For two reasons – one is to tell you to be aware of what you are doing at
all times and the second reason is because you can do this deliberately. You
will bait your opponent with an apparently undefended piece, and when
they move in for the capture, it will become clear that you have another
move in mind entirely. When opponents leave a vital piece undefended or
they leave an opening to their king, it is fair game to move right in and take
the piece for a personal advantage, rules are rules.
 Forks
A fork is two or more attacks with one piece at the same time. The
knight is the best piece to use for this. First, the way it moves, means that it
can attack two squares or more with one move. That means it can launch an
attack on the enemy without any fear of retribution. Because the knight can
jump, this enables them to launch a surprise attack as well. Second, the
knight and the bishop are roughly equal in value and are lower in value than
the queen and the rooks. The knight can easily be used to attack a loose or
undefended piece, it can be traded for a piece that has more value.

Pins
The pin is a very common tactic in chess and it involves hemming in
your opponent’s pieces so that way it restricts their movement. To create a
pin, you have to attack one of your opponent’s pieces in such a way, that
when they move that piece out of your way, you move in for the kill on an
infinitely more valuable piece, a piece that your opponent has just given
you free access to, reign in. Keep in mind that you cannot use just any piece
for a pin – it has to be a piece that has a long range movement – the
bishops, rooks and the queen are sufficient.

If you pin a piece that is protecting a king, your opponent cannot move
that piece, as he is not allowed to put his own king into a position of check
or checkmate. In this situation, all he can do is move another piece in order
to attack the pinning piece, defending the pinned piece or move his king
away to safety, thus sacrificing the piece that was protecting him. If one
thinks in correlation terms, this same type of action is comparable to real
life politics, as our army is the first to protect our nation.

Skewers
The last tactic I want to talk about is the skewer. This is a little similar to
the pin with one exception – it is the reverse. When you create a skewer,
you attack a very valuable piece. This forces your opponent to move it out
of the way or it will be captured. This opens up a piece, but isn’t as valuable
for capture on the next move. Again, the skewer can only be created by the
long-range movement pieces – bishops, rooks, and the queen.
 CHAPTER 6

The Endgame – Principles and Strategies

The endgame in chess is reached when there are few pieces left on the
board and the king can safely be brought into play. Many players do really
well in the opening game and continue that through to the middle game.
When they enter the endgame they fall apart, mainly because their plan
didn’t take them this far and they don’t have a clue what to do.

The main principles of the endgame in chess are:

Bring your king out to play

The endgame is where you bring your king out front and into the center.
Try to get him to the center because from there he can move anywhere, and
he can also restrict the movement of the opposing king. Try and get him in
front of your pawns – the king is the ideal piece to attack and to defend. The
player whose king is most central and the most active is likely to win. Do
look carefully at the board first though – too many pieces will harm him
and pose serious threats. If this is case, do not bring your king into play.

Calculate your moves carefully

So many players keep the calculations and the tactics to the opening and
middle games solely. In the endgame, especially with minor pieces, you
must be very accurate when calculating your moves. Attacks can be more
difficult to see on an empty board, and it is therefore vital that you consider
everything, before you even touch a piece to move it.

Exchange your rooks carefully

 The rook is good at leading a game into a draw. If your position looks
hopeless and you have considered everything, stop, look at the board again,
and consider it all one more time, before you go down the route of
exchanging your rooks.

Keep your pawns tight

Try not to have pawns that are doubled or on their own on the
chessboard. They cannot be protected very easily and are fair game for an
attack from the opposition. A pawn position, in the endgame is going to
take a great deal of consideration and calculation in the middle game,
sometimes even at the opening.

Be careful when you push your pawns

Be very careful in your planning when you are looking to push a pawn
to the 8th rank. Allow you king to lead your pawn and get him as far as you
can up the board; with the pawns.
 Know when to exchange your pieces
If you have an advantage in the game, particularly a material one, good
tactics would be to trade the pieces. However, do hang on to those pawns,
because later in the game, pawns do become more important, as they are
considered the king’s army. Losing pawns early and trading them too soon,
could spell disaster for your entire game.

Play on both sides of the board

When you get to the endgame, take a look at how many pieces your
opponent has left. Does he have enough to create a defense on both sides of
the board? If not, use this to your advantage. Position your pawns on both
sides – not only is this a good attack strategy, it also gives you more chance
of being able to push a pawn for promotion – and that is a definite
advantage at this stage

Use your rook as a support piece

Think about holding your rook back, keep it to the rear of a passing
pawn, this will provide good support for the pawn as it goes on the advance
forward. There is an exception to this – if your pawn is blocked by the
opponent’s king, the rook may need to be moved to the side in order to
provide that type of support instead.

Knights and Bishops

Come the endgame, there is a rule of thumb for open positions – the
bishop is the stronger piece. However, with a closed position, the knight is
stronger. This comes down to the fact that bishops can move on open
diagonals and can go long range distance, while the knight is able to jump
over any pieces that are in his way. Keep both as you go into the endgame,
these are vital pieces to keep handy.

The Goals of the End Game

There are three distinct goals that you should bear in mind when you go
into the endgame, and if you can achieve these, you will stand a much
better chance at winning the complicated game of chess.
 • Make sure you move your king into active play
• Create passed pawns
• Play a dominant game
• And practice patience, as it’s always a virtue

Moving Your King into Active Play

Although I mentioned this at the beginning of the chapter, I feel that it
deserves further mention. For the first two thirds of your game, you have
gotten used to keeping your king back near you, to protect and defend him,
keeping him out of the way of your opponent, is your first priority as you
should know by now. Now it is time to play the king, use him to his full
advantage, your full advantage. An attacking king has quite a high value,
and when your opponent is down on the number of pieces and can not fight
back, it is time to take advantage of that. It is essential that your king is
played in the best possible position, so plan for this before you reach the
endgame. In terms of attack, the king has a value of around 4 points, which
is higher than that of a bishop or a knight, but not quite as high as a rook.
While you do need to take the combined value of your remaining pieces
into account, it is important that your king is actively used to help with the
defense of the pawns and the other pieces during the endgame.

Create Passed Pawns

In many chess games the promotion of a pawn to a queen, ends in the
opposing player resigning. So, even if you cannot immediately promote a
passed pawn, you can use it to good effect within tying an enemy piece
down. Your opponent will be too busy trying to stop that pawn from
gaining a promotion, it won’t have time to do anything else, and that leaves
you with a nice weak spot on the board. If you plan well, you can exploit
this and gain another advantage. More often than not, your opponent will
end up sacrificing a piece to stop a passed pawn from gaining a promotion.
This gives you the edge with an extra piece on the board, and provided you
play it right, it should result in a complete win for you.

Playing a Dominant Game

One of the most important things you can do in the middle of a game, is
to dominate and restrict the mobility of your opponent’s pieces. This is also
an important strategy in the endgame. There will be few pieces left on the
board so each one is going to have an important part to play – there won’t
be too much left in the way of supporting pieces. If you are able to gain the
upper hand and if you are able stop your opponent from being able to move
too far, you can gain the advantage; if you box them in, clever; you can
covert that advantage into a win.
 CHAPTER 7

How to Actually Study Chess and How to

Exit Stagnancy Play

I t is true, there are many players who have played chess since the
beginning of time, yet they still remain stagnant. Being stagnant is
never a good thing, in the game of chess and especially in the reality of
life. Learning how to correctly study the essentials and the foundation of
chess, surely can be tricky. It is best recommended that if an individual
wants to exit their stand still position, they must study hard. Studying up
consists of more than playing. Studying is a combination of tasks. Some of
the tasks include: reading, practicing, playing in person, and playing online.
Don’t necessarily think of these as tasks, as this is not the right word when
you are immersing yourself in this intellectual, mind twisting game of
knowledge and memorization. Some goof techniques involve, learning off
of a mentor who is well trained and well learned. Usually if you want to be
the best, you must surround yourself with the best in order to propel into the
next level. So keep an open mind when it comes to the game of strategy.

The strategy everyone should take away from this book includes self-
independence and openness. If you are closed to new ideas and
implementations, it will be harder to not only learn new things, but it will
be harder to adapt. Adapting is a learned behavior, through experience,
time, and trial. Set some hours aside each night and plan your week. Once
you plan your week, you will be able to move forward. Even chess players,
need some type of followed routine and regime in order to move along and
out of still waters. Set a schedule, write it down, and look at it often. Once
you have decided on your schedule, you should make sure that you are not
just concentrating on playing, but actual reading, memorizing, and studying.
Of course, we all know that book smarts is simply not enough, experience is
the only skill that will lead us into success. Below are 10 things to know
regarding chess and stagnancy. Perhaps you are an all-star player; but
remember, some things on the ‘real’ board sometimes won’t suit your style.

Stagnancy can soon set in and the game play goes absolutely nowhere at
times! There are many ways to solve the problem of stagnancy. There are
also many reasons why this may happen, but you may not notice when
you’re in the actual play of chess; we are about to mention these top reasons
why stagnancy might occur. Take this advice not so lightly, this advice is
bound to help you take yourself outside of yourself and will help you
understand your mistakes.
Tips and construction criticism below:
 • Disorganized study
When you begin to crack your chess book open, you need to make sure
that you stay organized in order to maximize your future knowledge about
this game. Keep your notes in an organized binder, keep your writing neat,
and your goals entirely clear; this will enable you to move to the next steps
that you will soon need. In order to succeed, you will need to know
memorization. This skill will not be taken lightly, as it is, this skill has been
mentioned many times throughout this book, simply because if an
individual doesn’t inhabit this skill it can be detrimental to one’s ability to
become good at this complicated game. Organization of: thoughts, ideas,
and plans needs to be every player’s utmost concern.

• Too much play

Perhaps you are one of those players who thinks too much about the
outcome of your decisions and how it will affect the board itself? If you
happen to be this type of player, keep in mind that honing this trait can also
cause a player to fall into pure stagnancy. Falling into pure stagnancy will
be harder to get out of once you are there. So instead of picking yourself up
and crawling out of stagnancy when you are playing a game, it is always
best not to fall into the trap of stagnancy in the first place. Think of it this
way; we have all taken standardized tests, sometimes we think too hard
about a certain answer; this extra thinking can then turn into uncertainty, so
instead of changing your first answer (your decision), it is always safer to
keep your first answer as the first answer is most likely the right answer.
Listen to your gut, and if you made a decision in the first place, don’t go
back on it, stick with your decision with pure confidence and conviction.

• You need quality lesson books

How can anyone be good at chess if they’re learning all the wrong
techniques? If you do want to seriously improve your game on and off of
the board, then it will be an incredibly wise decision to invest in quality
lesson books rather than low quality. Just because something is more pricey
than the next book, does not give the lesson book more value. In order to
find more value regarding quality lesson books, then it is important to brush
up on your own online research. Determine what lesson book is meant for
you. A good plan; if you follow a celebrity chess player who has proven
results, what bad would it be learning from a chess master’s technique
book? Chess celebrities usually offer books in order to share their chess
knowledge and special moves, take advantage of this perk. Learning off of
other successors who are proven is and will prevail. Another approach to
finding quality lesson books, involves reading online reviews, most likely if
the book is online, there will be valid customer reviews who in fact bought
the book that they are mentioning. Doing your diligent research will keep
you at an advantage of staying clear from stagnancy and its downfalls that
come along with it. Research, research, research, don’t get stuck reading
the same material, go ahead, and venture out. Think outside of the box after
you learn the foundation of this skill.

• Are you being a passive learner?

Being a passive learner is the worst thing every player can do. Take this
for instance, you have finally found an incredible mentor, but every word
your mentor says happens to go in one ear and out the other ear. To finally
grab the title of Grandmaster, you need to stay clear, focused, and keen.
This game is not a passive type of game, this game is a direct game and if
you’re passive you will see future problems arise in your chess playing
days. Sooner or later, being passive will soon allow other competitors to
pass you up. Don’t make this simple yet major mistake as it will destroy
any hierarchy. When an individual hones passive skills in the game of
chess, there is more of a chance that the player will exemplify these same
traits outside of the game. Having passive skills in life and not speaking up
will ultimately repress an individual, which will result in a complete
whirlwind of stagnancy. This true in real life and chess, so make sure to not
fall victim of being a passive learner when you are a chess player. You want
to make sure you are a complete sponge. Acting like a sponge will increase
your brain and comprehension power, be enthusiastic if you have a good
chess teacher, as you have the board at your fingertips.

• Are you not practicing any exercises at home or on your free

time?
When learning anything, if you don’t practice how will you know? The
same goes, if you don’t ask you won’t get. Make sure you use all of your
resources in order to maximize your learning experience. If you are learning
how to ride a bike, how will you ever be able to do so, if you only read
about it and study it? It just won’t simply happen. There comes a point in
time where we have to escape the books, we need to venture into real life.
The real chess board can be an exhilarating yet fearful experience, as with
anything new. Learn that if you are serious about actually becoming a good
chess player that you absolutely need to set aside time to practice the
intriguing yet complicated game of chess.

• The computer
So you think you are a stagnant player huh? Well, some players deal
with this most of the time. But keep in mind to not be offended when you
are on a losing streak via the computer. The computer has set certain
algorithms from algebraic notations, loosing chess on a computer game is
not unheard of, unless you are a numbers genius. The computer is able to
physically calculate quicker and more accurately than an actual human
beings brain. Sure robots are practically taking over so it may seem, but this
is not the current truth. The current truth is, is that since chess is a
complicated game to begin with, stagnancy will continue to occur unless
you venture away from the chess board and learn some new and hot
strategies. Don’t get entirely offended, a human brain can not compete with
the ultimate speed a programmed computer can. Don’t let this fact weigh
heavy on you. Get out, unfold the board, gather your pieces, find an
opponent, and learn. Maybe you’ll end with a checkmate outside of the
computer, we all need a little vitamin D here and there.

• You Are Simply Not Grasping The Material

It is important to know that all individuals are different and unique, this
is an obvious and a given. Chess is not only intimidating, but the fact that
mathematics can somewhat be intertwined when it comes to notations and
planning in chess, this can scare any individual quickly away. People who
are creative will have the ability to achieve great successes within this
game, because looking outside of the box is completely relative when
thinking about the various outcomes and possibilities that are involved
when playing the game of chess. What it comes down to is that some
individuals will have a hard time grasping the entirety of chess. Chess is a
game that not only requires grasping the material, but remembering
everything that comes along with the game. When learning mathematics the
mathematician must remember the formulas when taking a test, mostly in
college, there are no notes that are able to be used; requiring the individual
to remember the information, leading them to implement their new learned
formulas. The same goes for chess, a memorization and a strong grasp of
the information needs to be understood and employed otherwise, it is likely
that you, the chess player, will become checked by your opponent. Here is
some true advice, don’t rush your learning experience when you are
learning the game of chess. What many players fail to realize is that if they
don’t give themselves enough time to learn and study the game of chess in a
complete intricate manner, then they will be cutting themselves short.

Don’t cut yourself short when it comes to study, research, practice, and
playing. Cutting yourself short will cause stagnancy most definitely. It will
take years and years to become the player in which you may dream of.
Remember that all of the great players, didn’t become great overnight, it
took the great players time, concentration, focus, motivation, and long
nights of study and practice to get to the point they are currently at. Pay
special and close attention to your mistakes, ask your mentor to watch you
and guide you through any mistakes that may not be noticeable to your
human eye. An extra set of eyes are very valuable to new and learning chess
players; every intermediate player knows this, as learning chess can be a
collaborative effort between strategic human minds.

• Chess is a hard game to learn

It is simple, chess is just like college, if it were so easy than everyone
would be playing it. Chess can be a secret conundrum to some, simply
because individuals who don’t employ logics will eventually fail and
become bored with the game. Being stagnant is something every player and
individual comes into contact at one point or another. It is a hard game that
is no lie

• Is your chess knowledge incomplete?

A lot of the times, we can think we study topics and ideas to their full
entire nature, but in some cases, we don’t study quite enough. Making sure
that our chess knowledge is well-rounded will ensure that we use our
knowledge and memorized strategies to our full capacity to win the game.
If we simply don’t employ memorization and common sense, then how are
we ever going to get to the point of checking the king? Chess is hard, this
fact won’t change, even for a second. One wrong move and you can mess
up your entire game. By gaining full knowledge about the topic of chess,
from the history of the board, to the knowledge about the game in the
present, you will qualify at succeeding far more beyond your other
opponents.

• Were you trained too much, and you are overthinking?

It is never a good idea to rethink your decisions constantly. This means
that you are insecure within your decision making skills. In the game of
chess, certainty, logics, and confidence go a very long way.

Stagnancy in any form is never a great idea as it is bound to create

disharmony on any chess board. Prolonging a bad game is not fun, it is in
fact tortuous to continue a game that is clearly not moving anywhere.
Learning every concept there is to know about chess will equip you to
become the Grandmaster that you have always dreamed of becoming. There
are many internal and external factors that can limit us when we are on a
chess board. In order to limit the internal and external factors that can have
a detrimental effect on your game, each individual who is learning chess
needs to be completely aware of his or her actions off of the board and on
the board. Make sure to use this ebook as a complete guide when it comes
to: tactics and strategies; use this as a full guide and as a teacher. Just
reading this ebook is not enough when it comes to being a good player.
Make sure to inhabit many of the skills and characteristics that were
mentioned in the above texts. Not only will this ebook help you in the most
challenging of circumstances during an actual game, but this ebook is
meant to teach all readers, to be able to step off of the chess board, to
actually see what they’re doing. Don’t literally step away from the chess
board, but you need to be mentally ready to take your mind away from the
board as pure immersion will only create some mistakes. Don’t rush in this
game, if you do in fact rush there is probably no chance that you are ever
going to succeed in the game of chess.

Always remember to treat chess with patience, it is a virtue in this sense.

 CHAPTER 8

Philosophies, Theories, Protection and

Skill

S pace deals with a lot of notions, from personal space, to the chess
board, we want to always make sure that our space is protected with
the right pieces in order to triumph and win the chess match. So
now you are thinking, how do I protect my pieces in order to avoid a check
mate? Well, there are in fact many things an individual can do in order to
protect their beloved king. Below I will mention some important moves in
order to avoid a possible future king capture. When it comes to chess
awareness, sacrifice is everything. Pay attention to the pieces in which you
have, and hold the valuable ones tight, make solid and logical decisions
when it comes to using your pieces on the board. Make sure to utilize your
pawns with specialized intermediate chess moves.

• Pawn Storm
A pawn storm is simply moving in on your opponent’s king.
When pawns move in on a parallel line forward motion towards the king,
your opponent’s king is then weakened throughout the play. Once pawns
storm in on the king, it makes it more possible for other valuable pieces to
take the place of a sacrificed pawns, leaving a greater challenge for your
opponent. Carefully use your valuable pieces with precision, as valuable
pieces offer more versatility which give the piece not only an advantage,
but a greater and more powerful attack. Most intermediate players know
that moving forward and caving in on the opposing king rather than
diverting the opposition is the best move one can do. Complete confidence,
and straight forward force will place any player in a more dominating
position.

• Overloading
When an opponent overloads, the term means that the
intermediate player has placed most of their pieces in front, on the side, or
in back of the opposition pieces. This strategy traps your competitor as
your, ‘too many’ pieces overwhelm their overloaded piece, in turn giving
you a complete upper hand when it comes to offensive strategy. You should
always play with sole strategy, if this is the strategy works best for you, use
it.

• Fool’s Mate
Since we are covering spatial areas on a chess board, it is also a
vital fact to mention a ‘Fool’s Mate’ again, a popular chess move that isn’t
used often. If you are wondering just exactly what this is, then you are not
quite an intermediate player just yet. Also know that this move is rarely
used, but when it is used, this is the fastest way to obtain the desired
position, in which you prefer. This type of strategic move has a reputation
of being a, ‘two-move’ checkmate. If you are really wanting to finish a
chess game fast, it is recommended that you use this rarely used strategy in
your favor. The ‘Fool’s Mate’, in notation is considered as f3, and e5 on a
chess board. This position can only be played if an opponent makes a weak
move in the opening play. If the opposition does in fact follow suit to this
mistake, then it is highly recommended that you use this ‘two move’
method, as it will save you time playing against a weak and non-
experienced player. Make sure to scope your competition out with a keen
eye, as chess is a game of strategy; this added task can also add to your
chess strategy win.

The Philosophy Behind Chess

Chess has literally been around for a very long time, it dates back to the
6th century A.D. according to Wikipedia. Chess has been given a reputation
in the Western world as being a logics type of game. There are many
philosophers and individuals who state many analogies about chess. These
analogies bear true, because, I can think of many myself. We live in a world
of politics, and a chess board does in fact behave like a society or hierarchy
in some type of way. Although this fact is true, chess can also correlate and
be perceived as logic for the mere fact that chess moves are implemented in
notation form, algebraic lettering, and numbering. Following directions
once a set formula is known, is key. An individual who becomes really
good at chess is most likely the individual who not only plays the game of
chess, but one of whom studies it with complete curiosity. In other words, a
chess player will always be a student their whole entire life. Chess is a
game and it can be precarious depending on your opponent’s moves and
your very own choices. Careful what you choose.
 Skills & Logic= Triumph
Chess becomes a skill, and in this case the skill is to use: strategy, logic,
patience, and then you will triumph. In reality there are many countries that
operate off of a hierarchy system, which does operate as a king or queen in
the ruling. Take Great Britain and King Charles for instance, the pawns
would then be correlated to an army, theoretically speaking. The king and
queen obviously have bishops and knights that monitor their safety, so this
game happens to be extremely political if looked at in a more scrutinized
tone. Philosophy constitutes, ‘the study of what is,’ when we look at the
game of chess, we can begin to see further into the game, other than the fact
that it is just a tangible game. Chess is a game for intellectuals, chess has
such a large alikeness to the way our government infrastructure has been set
up. In an attack, it is true, the army, or in this case; the pawns, would do
anything and everything to keep their king and or country alive, even if it
means sacrificing themselves.

When studying this game in further depth, one can see that vast and
various regions have taken a liking to this complicated yet simplistic game.
Chess allows an individual to use their brain power to the maximum. Chess
also aides an individual to think and ponder about various consequences
that might occur; when and if you make a right or wrong choice within the
game. Regular players of chess will most likely gain a higher momentum of
logics, which can be used and implemented into the individual’s life. Being
able to step back and think about things before a move is taken place, trains
the individual to think and assess, before they act on their own actions in
real life. This great historical game can be a teaching for all seekers. The
game of chess is a wise person’s game in my opinion. It takes a special type
of student to become a Grandmaster.

Playing and succeeding at chess, will also ultimately require an

individual who has a good memory, an individual without keen memory is
bound to slip up any second, perhaps without even noticing. Memory has a
lot to do with this game, as rules are rules, and in politics, laws are laws.
Each player must always stick to the rules, or an immediate disqualifying
factor will be given to the offending opposer, which will compromise the
entire game. As in real life, if the citizen doesn’t follow along with the rules
their hierarchy has set into place, he or she will be fined and or jailed. It is a
harsh world, and chess is a game that shall be up for many interruptions.
The interpretations are variant, as the game is also subjective. Many moves
can be explored, and each time a choice is made, a new outcome will
contrive.

Chess, A Game That Requires Patience

Since chess is a game that requires pure patience, the game has proven
to be physically calming to some individuals. The game is always mentally
challenging, but once you get acquainted with the moves, the positions, and
once you mentally feel up to par on your chess playing skills; with pure
confidence, you will not need as much mental capacity as you once did in
the beginning of learning the intelligent game of chess. Chess can be fun, it
is a game played by simply two players. There are chess tournaments that
do occur in this day and age, which do in fact give away assets; money, to
the grand prize winner, there is a niche for everything. In this case, if your
niche is chess, learn it well and strive for the top.

Chess is a game that requires zero physicality, except for simply placing
the pieces in different squares on a board. The physical exercise exists
within the mind, which is in turn, is healthy for any individual’s brain. Our
human brain needs to constantly be worked out, it needs to constantly be
ready and in motion, we need to continue to be quick on our feet as healthy
chess players. In reality chess is a skill that takes a lot of time to learn,
practice is the only way someone will improve in this skillful game. In life,
we make many mistakes and then have to experience trials and tribulations,
thereafter. We learn from our mistakes that we currently make and then we
move on and into the future. Life and chess have a great correlation, as they
both deal with: hierarchy, social class, strategy, tactics, challenges, hard
decisions; you name it, there are a lot of similarities when mentioning the
two subjects; life and chess. Of course it is not unheard of to hear.

Westerner’s View's
Westerner’s describe chess as a logical person’s game rather than a
creative person’s game, this implication should not be looked at by face
value simply because we have not mentioned that creativity also faces a
wide role when it comes to achieving the goal of becoming a Grandmaster
at chess. Of course Grandmaster’s need to hone the skill of creative thought
too. The ultimate player needs to think of various circumstances and
various ways an opponent can attack them, especially within the task of
survival.
I will delve into more intermediate tactics, strategies, and thoughts in
future ebooks provided. But as for now, know that creativity is in fact one
major necessity in order to be completely well-rounded when it comes to
chess. Logic and creativity usually don’t go hand in hand, making the two
subjects a complete contrary. Wise chess players who practice are able to
harmonize these two qualities, creativity and logic. Utilizing internal
characteristics and qualities, will also aid any chess player in any game. Just
make sure to focus and concentrate deeply in order to end the game with a
complete check on your opponent’s king! Sit in a comfortable playing area,
relax, and let you mind do all of the work, play chess.

Theories and Opinions

There are many theories and opinions when it comes to chess, some
people say that you can win a match if you move your pieces appropriately
in the opening play. While other individuals state that the game is won
according to how well you play in the ending game. While others state that
winning a game is completely only possible if the right moves are used in
the middle of the game. This is exactly what makes chess so popular and
intriguing. The fact that chess is a game where speculators can only guess,
and results are the truth. Luck or strategy, the answer is easy as strategy is
the ultimate survivor when it comes to the game of chess. The reasons
behind why some players fail at chess constantly is because they simply
don’t pay attention to every single possible scenario that could actually
sweep the rug of power underneath their feet. Playing chess and succeeding
at it, is not only an accomplishment, but the skill takes a certain level of
experience and wisdom in order to constantly progress. Each day new
strategies come to fruition as intermediate players continue to win, they
begin to name their strategic moves.

Strategic Tactics for All Players

 All chess players need to realize that in the game of chess, strategy is
based off of reality. Every player needs to constantly analyze their positions
before they make an ultimate move. Making a wrong move will be harmful
to anyone’s piece, in turn calling for a change of position. It is not so
difficult to see who is actually winning on a chess board, first look at how
many pieces each player has left, next look at the value of the pieces each
player has, once this has been diagnosed, it is easy to determine what moves
need to be made next and what attacks need to be implemented in order to
save your pieces that are worth more value. Always remember that there are
dynamic elements to pay attention to in the intellectual game of chess.

Powerful Elements:
• Weak squares (on board)
• King Protection
• Piece by piece coordination
• Controlling the board diagonally and horizontally (board rows)
• Your pawn structures are pertinent

By using these imperative chess strategy implementations you’ll prevail.

It is important to realize that in the game of chess, vast possibilities exist
and will always exist, as long as two players are within a game. In order to
win the match, adding in all of these elements will provide you with
ultimate succession. Know every single piece and maintain a memory of
their attack moves and possibilities. Aimlessly moving is not a
characteristic any Grandmaster would take, each move should be carefully
planned, then thought over, and over, and then executed. Once this process
is complete, greater potentials of winning will be highly possible.

Weak Squares vs. Strong Squares (On Board)

So, what are weak squares in the game of chess? Weak squares are
basically a square that cannot be defended by a pawn, therefore coining the
square on the board weak. One square can be considered weak, but it is
crucial to realize that a whole section of squares can also be labeled as
weak. Know what to look out for when you encounter a weak set of
squares, usually they will be empty. What are strong squares in the game of
chess? Determining both of these questions will maximize your game play
and your offensive mode in the game of chess.
 So how should you structure your pawns? Well, there are many
strategies and many ways to structure your army of pawns on a chess board.
Some will say this advice works, while others swear on their own strategies;
it all depends on your own unique style and strategies. One thing can work
for one individual, while it doesn’t work for the next individual, why is
this? Because chess is precarious due to the nature of each player’s final
decisions. As with the game of life, our life choices always tend to change
the track in which we initially set out for ourselves, due to external factors
that tend to always change the course; with the decisions that we make.
Always keep in mind that when you are playing chess to always concentrate
on, not just the opening game, but the middle, and end games too. Each
session is crucial for successive plays in chess. Chess has been around for
centuries beyond centuries, it is a game thought of for pure intellectual
individuals of society.

Intricacy, Chess, & Political Affairs

Chess is an intricate game. Chess is a game that is meant for individuals
who prefer strategy and thinking beyond the actual moment. When we
finally reach a middle game in a chess match, it is absolutely imperative
that the king is secure at all costs! If this measure is not taken, a game; or
worse, a tournament could be forever lost. Pay close attention to movement
and mobility when reaching middle game. In the end game, it is preferred to
have checked your opponent, by reaching his or her king. Using sole
strategy and keen clear decisions will place any beginner into a higher
position. Use your pawns wisely and never let your pieces become
vulnerable to an attack. When any player hits the middle of a game,
protecting your king with utmost care should be the only thought. Also
when you reach mid game, it is important to determine and maintain a level
of material. It is always better to have more positions and more chess pieces
than your opponent, so play them rightfully so, and you will check your
opponents king in no time! Remember, just because pawns are of a lower
classification, it doesn’t make them obsolete. Every piece is needed in
order to protect the king; the superior hierarchy.
 CHAPTER 9

Pre-Game Routine for Best Performance

A fter learning all of this information, I’m sure your brain is stuffed
with knowledge. Being that your brain is stuffed with all of this
chess knowledge, because we took this book to the maximum and
wanted to provide you with extra bonus chapters. As stated previously, we
aim to help you survive the game of chess. We think it is appropriate to
guide you through a stress relief method or as we call it, a pre-game
workout. After all, this book is full of chess crammed information, your
brain needs some recuperation in order to retain the information being
presented. The methods below have been known to calm chess players and
focus one’s mind before embarking on a long drawn out and intellectual
game of chess. Follow the steps below in order to get yourself into the right
mental and physical space before seating yourself across from your attacker,
your opponent.
Pre-Game Routine
1. Take 5 deep breathes, close your eyes
2. Don’t think of logic, creativity, etc.; in fact, don’t think of
anything
3. Make sure to calm your thoughts
4. Think of a paradise, your paradise
5. Imagine yourself winning the game of chess (The law of
attraction does work).
6. Make sure to watch how you breathe while playing the game of
stress, calm breathing will help more oxygen flow through your
body and your brain, causing you to make more well informed
decisions throughout the game. Don’t take this step lightly, as the
 game of chess has been known to create stress for some players,
being that the game is mind boggling.
7. Stay calm
8. Stay mentally alert at all times
9. Rehearse flashcards that have your special strategies written on
them
10. Drink some coffee and stay hydrated with water throughout the
entire game
11. Eat a healthy and nutritious meal before embarking on a long
play of chess.
The advice that we have given to you is an ebook full of wealthy
knowledge regarding the fascinating game of chess. Use the notation
strategies, along with the valuation methods, your own common sense, the
advice within this ebook, and soon you shall be ready to play the ultimate
chess game. Don’t ever think for a second you need to be intimated by
chess and that only people with high I.Q.’s play this game, because this is a
wrong misconception. There is a wide array of personalities that are drawn
to chess, individuals seeking a complicated mind challenge seek out this
game. Learn all that you possibly can and become the best you can be.
Don’t forget, just because the king is the main character in the game of
chess, the king is not the strongest player. Keep in mind that the queen is
the strongest player, as she is most versatile. By knowing this particular
fact, we can move into a whole new topic of chess; the topic being, chess is
a feministic type of game, being that the queen initially does have more
power than the king on the board, but this kind of topic calls for a brand
new ebook version.

Let these wise words saturate your brain and again we would like to
thank you for taking time reading this helpful ebook. Maximize your ability
to learn more chess strategies by reading future and newer chess strategy
books. After all, chess has been around since the 6th century AD, there is
copious amounts of research that any person wishing to study this game
will benefit from. Be sure that once you delve into the whole entire study
of chess, that you organize your thoughts, and your plays as this will help
you keep a cool, organized, and a calm demeanor on and off of the board.
 Use these chess strategies not only on the chess board, but also in the
game of life. Once you become a master at chess, chances are, your life
decisions will become smarter and smarter as you will probably carry the
skills into your own personal and work life. Once we obtain skills and
practice, practice, practice, losing the skill we’ve obtained becomes harder
and harder to lose as long as the player continues to strive to learn. Being a
student never stops in the game of chess and in the game of life. So be sure
to make every attempt in life and on the chess board, your greatest attempt.
Always strive for 110%.
 CHAPTER 10

Chess Intermediate Chess for Serious

Players Only!

S o now that the basics of chess have been covered, you now know
about the entire foundation of chess, the pieces, the movements, the
value, the spaces in between, and on the board. We shall now skip to
the teachings of intermediate chess. So many questions will come up along
the way and this is why our commentary will remain to exist. Now let’s get
into the logical nitty gritty of chess, the decision making skills. Yes, by now
we know that decision making skills are incredibly imperative when it
comes to winning a game of chess. There are many in’s and out’s when it
comes to chess and this whimsical intermediate game. Remember though,
when it comes to decision making skills, there is an entire process. Not only
will we cover the process, we will make sure to cover every aspect that
pertains to the decision making process. Before we begin to divulge any
information, it is relevant to say that we must first cover the theory of the
decision making process. Be ready to use your problem solving skills and
be willing to exhaust your mind with pure conglomerations and variants of
different outcomes, all composed from your actions and your decisions, no
one else’s, but yours.

This chess section is meant to teach intermediate chess via online and in
person, we want to make sure to make the information easily available to all
readers wanting to learn this wondrous and logical skill, chess. We think
it’s only fair to share valuable and life changing knowledge.
 Not only do we want you to learn the foundations of chess, we want to
make sure you have a full understanding about the internal skills that are
necessary, let’s study them in depth.

Theories Within The Decision Making Thought Process

Everything in the world always starts with a thought, theories are what
give any idea tangibility.

Understanding Different Approaches:

• Analyzations of Threats
• Evaluate All Sorts of Different Tactics
• Never Fail to Evaluate the Position That You Are In

Once we build on the entire structure in which this is put together, it is

important to build off of this very matter. As we all are here to perfect the
intellectual skill of chess.

After reading this book, you are bound to come face to face with the
wisdom that it takes to be an intermediate player of chess. Not only have we
covered the ground basics of chess, we are now delving into the entirety of
chess, down to the very last pawn, we will begin to divulge at a more in
depth level.

Step 1:

• Analyzations of Threats
Before we begin to trust our gut, we must think of defense first and
foremost, we must be able to see all threats that are going to come our way.
We must also analyze everything coming our way, as this will set up our
stage for pure safety. We need to make sure our pieces and decisions are
sound, in order to proceed with safety and precautions to protect our very
own future. Begin to think of a plan in order to move forward, remember,
and always think before you act. There is no ‘real’ waiting around when it
comes to the game of chess, keep your mind constantly on its feet, if that
makes sense.
 Now we must get into the habit of dividing two major things, far way
threats and immediate threats. Keep these two threats always at the center
of your brain, but don’t let them harm you in any manner. As the saying
always goes, ‘keep your friends close, but your enemies closer’, this
concept can correlate closely.

Our entire goal as a chess player is to find urgent threats. Instead of

making our move on a whimsical act, you need to sit back and stare the
threats that your opponent poses deep within its face, otherwise you will
risk your opponent acting more aggressive than you. Think passive
aggressive in a sense. Move forward, but with satisfying grace. Look out
and see what positions your opponent has, if you move your positions, look
and scout all of the possibilities. Since there is a precarious nature to this
game, looking at all possibilities helps us eliminate bad and weak decisions
that could potentially harm our positions in the near future.

Always think of solutions when it comes to chess, if there is a solution,

there is a way out, a way ahead of your opponent. Make sure to have a
mindset where you consider chess like a game of war. When doing so, this
puts you on the more defensive side, enabling you to finally take over. You
want to be on this side.

Analyzing Variations of Threats

Okay, so now here is the tricky part, we need to be able to analyze
variations. This skill is very noteworthy, as there are always too many
variations and possibilities to think of. Chess is precarious and then moves
vary in difference each and every way depending on the day. Actually
grasping literal knowledge about how to analyze variations will put you on
a level to excel in the big leagues, the intermediate levels. What are tactical
variations? That is the question. When it comes to chess, tactical variations
are moves and strategies that are used in order to compensate your material;
your chess pieces. Don’t ever make it easy for your opponent to simply
take away your pieces without a proper fight. Always keep in mind your
opponent has many opportunities and variations of an actual recapture.
Being a chess professional, you need to be sure to learn the pin-point
calculation within. There are ways at using calculation to figure out the best
moves; to take or not to take. Analyzing movements and instances takes
time, thought, and an in depth thinking process. So make sure to analyze
every potential threat in order to minimize your opponents taking, don’t
become the victim from unknowing negligence.

When we stop thinking about the calculations and formulas that we have
memorized; the next step is our opponents are going to take our material
from our very own eyes. It is important to realize that we are still in step
one of the process, thinking is the very first step, so start thinking for
yourself for a change! Your next step, number two is actually waiting until
the time is right to strike at your opponent’s material. Thinking in step one
is first then waiting is the next step. Waiting and patience are the first keys
that we must adhere to in order to prevail.

• Evaluate All Sorts of Different Tactics On the Board

• Never Fail to Evaluate the Position That You Are In (Currently)

Far Away Threats (Distant Threats)

It is true, not all of your opponent’s moves will be immediate, nor will
they be easily seen, right away. Since you now realize that your eyes and
mind needs to be consistently open at all times, it is important to know that
you must always stay on guard in the game of chess. In the game of chess,
we need to be able to try and predict the future, this is what will give any
Grandmaster an advantage point.

After you begin to recognize the immediate threats that pertain to your
pieces; your valuable material, it is important to think about the distant and
far away threats that may also occur in the near future, you must always
think to protect your pieces! Now let us enter the dream position. Some of
you are now questioning our reference to the ‘dream position,’ what is it?
Well, a dream position in chess allows an individual to determine what they
want to accomplish, this is basically an envisioned futuristic thought. When
we mentioned the ‘the law of attraction,’ this concept can also correlate to
the idea of ‘the dream position. We all want to enter this stage in chess
because it is the stage in which we actually envision for ourselves, it is our
dream. If we want to enter the dream position we must make sure to use
vision, we need our own vision as a major source to reach our goal, ‘a
dream position’.

Before moving forward, envision possible attacks that your opponent

may pose to you, also look at pieces he can mobilize in his or her favor,
there are many variations when it comes to strategies and tactics.
Envisioning and planning our futures in life and in the game of chess will
enable us to look at terms in the long-term future, which will help us
determine more logical circumstances for ourselves, and our chess
materials.

Threat Analyzation
Now that you have a rounded concept as to how to step back and
analyze before making a complete move and action, you can now advance
to stage two, intermediate chess play. Immediate action is never the answer,
analyzation, and deep analytical thought will always prevail against any and
every opponent.

Evaluating Positions When Approaching An Opportunity

• Determine Threats, Scout, and Intricately Analyze
• Find a solution
• Reach a point of no activity, wait for tranquility within the game
• Choose a solution that suits your future positioning

Studying positioning and internal depth on a chess board will ultimately

be more useful rather than making a hasty move, anyone and everyone
knows this. Using a short-cut method is never the answer as this will prove
to ruin any player in the mid-run of the game. Always settle for an in depth
and analyzation experience.

Special Positional Evaluation

The criteria that meets the first criteria on this list is, space. Learn your
surrounding space and analyze it well on the chess board. Let this help you
with an advantage mark.
Always make sure to count the number of pieces you have and add
value to them, this way you can predict exactly where you stand in the
game. Always take special care when it comes to the status of the squares,
value is everything in chess, and in life. Keep this thought in the front of
your mind at all times. And remember, attack, or be attacked, tis the game
of chess!

We have mentioned the value of the pieces, but what we haven’t

mentioned is the status and value of the squares, below we recommend that
intermediate players follow the criterion below to get a better
understanding.

The status of the squares on the chess board:

1.) Challenged- Both players fight for these squares.
2.) Guarded- One player maintains control over a certain square or
squares. Gaining position of a square comes when a player attacks and
compensates material!

As stated, not only should intermediate players attach value to their

pieces, but they must also attach value to the space that surrounds each of
their pieces. It is important to determine a value, and attach it to the squares
(space), as it can make every chess player value and respect their special
existence in a better light. We want to attack our opponents for the most
valuable squares, if we can gain balance and an equilibrium with the space
around the entire board, we will hold a higher advantage on the board and
in the game. Make sure to use evaluation to gain the maximum potential of
each square.

When giving your squares a value, make sure to label them as: high,
medium, or low; this strategy will help you determine what solution you
must take in order to attack and conquer.

Square Valuation and Evaluation:

High Value= 4/4
Medium Value= 2/4
Low Value=0/4

The Value of Each Square Can Be Determined By Four Factors:

1. The location- Is the square central in location on the board? If the
square is central, its valuation becomes higher, the farther away it is
 from the center, the depreciation begins to attach a decrease in value.
The center is completely valued, because a center square allows for
pieces to have more flexibility and a maximum ability for future attacks.

2. The type of control- What is the control over the current square?
What piece has control over the current space? These are the questions that
you must ask yourself. In this evaluation method, if a pawn occupies the
space, the squares space increases in valuation and decreases in valuation, if
another piece inhabits the space. Use squares for valuable space- Ask
yourself in depth questions before you begin to proceed with an actual
action.

1. Can you use the potential square in the future? Does it look
like an advantage to you?
2. Is it at all possible to prevent your opponent from obtaining
the square?
3. Square use, pawn occupants- As it is, we never want to lose
our material.
Losing precious material, means losing value, which
then leads to losing the entire game. Keep this in mind at all times.

Pay special and close attention to these areas on a board:

1. The location
2. The type of control
3. Using the square for valuable pieces
4. Square use, pawn occupancy

Being able to put together and learn proper space and equilibrium is
crucial for intermediate play. Adding up the valuation of squares and being
able to determine who has the highest valuation of squares enables the
analyzer to see who has the most advantage, when it comes to special
concepts, collaboration, and the game of chess.

Once you are able to figure out who has a special advantage, you can
then move on to the next steps that will allow you to beat your opponent.
Use the steps below to gain a special advantage in greater value than your
opponent.
 1. Make sure to attack and maintain control over the squares
in the center that give you a higher advantage. Fight and attack
your opponent.
2. Control the squares in your own camp with many pieces.

Fight for the most valuable squares, don’t just sit back and let your
opponent take over, make sure to take what is most valuable, as you are
soon to be the ultimate Grandmaster of chess.

Now since we now know the whole concept of valuation and space, we
must now ask ourselves, which types of squares exactly do we want to
target?

Which squares shall we attack? Well, this answer is quite simple, we

must always attack the squares that are the most easily accessible to us, and
then we shall move on from there and attack the squares that hold the
ultimate valuation upon the pieces. We need to make sure that we have an
actual influence over the particular square or squares that we want to attack.
Using Two Criteria Method’s below, we are able to determine what
squares we should attack:

1. Entire Pawn Structure- Do not forget, that the strongest control is a

square inhabited by a pawn. This particular fact gives an entire cue that the
pawn is a valuable steal, especially if the space is within the center of the
board, maintain and sustain your pawns, but if the perfect opportunity to
arctic your pawn comes, don’t let it pass you by.

2. Piece Coordination and Positioning- This is true, we are all playing

a game, and the games name is, chess. Each piece needs special placing
and collaboration in order to survive. If you are in a mid-game crisis, your
best bet is to control the center of the board as this will ensure that you are
in a higher stance when it comes to position breakdown. Controlling the
center or even a section on the board is always a safe move when it comes
to protecting your valuable pieces and positions.

American Chess Can Drive Us Nuts!

 It is also true to say that the game of chess can merely drive some of us
crazy. There are many instances when a chess player simply comes up with
an answer, and the answer happens to be, ‘I do not know’. These types of
answers can create a game full of mystery, defeat, and strife. But let’s
remember not to let conundrum’s get us down, we need to be able to
completely strategize and overcome any challenges that seek to come our
way, don’t let fear infiltrate, let knowledge and education bring power!
Never let the game of chess let you down in this manner, if this happens,
you need to step back and make sure that you start to take control of the
game, otherwise the game is surely to take control over you. In this section
we will cover things you should do if your opponent happens to use certain
defense mechanisms on you. With this knowledge, we will be able to
conquer our opponents completely, by minimizing their tact. In order to
win at anything in life, we must all intricately study and practice to learn.
In this section, not only will we present you with chess problems, but we
will make sure to present you with end game tactics that are sure to create
an ultimate advantage for you as a Grandmaster at chess.

Let’s Exit an Amateur’s Mindset

We all sometimes fall travesty to having an amateur’s mindset at some
point in our lifetimes. Either we become lazy or simply just do not know the
answer or the solution, whichever the problem may be, we as chess players
need to think strictly coherent as we never want to follow suit when it
comes to amateur thinking. This is type of thinking we want you to veer
away from at all costs. In order to find the signs that you need to exit an
amateur’s mindset, it is relative that you make sure to see first telltale signs
that lead you into an amateur’s mindset. Before this type of thinking
becomes a habitual pattern, we want to firstly recognize it, and then cut out
the negative behavior from the very start. First recognize the immediate
signs that lead you to this mindset, perhaps you are being lazy, and just
don’t want to use your brain? Yes, instances like this can happen as well.
Let’s get rid of any stereotypes and misconceptions chess may be able to
cause.

1st- Misconceptions, Throw These Away!

There are plenty of misconceptions when it comes to the complicated
and in depth game of chess. We think you should know these
misconceptions being that you want to learn about chess in a well-rounded
and up close and personal sense. So we ask ourselves, what are these simple
misconceptions when it comes to chess and what answer will solve them?
There is no fix all solution even when it comes to misconceptions, as
everything is entirely subjective to individual scrutiny at its utmost.

Chess Misconceptions Include:

1. Chess players are smarter than the average individual
2. Chess players are not as social as their peers
3. Memory is a strong characteristic in all chess players
4. Chess players take it too hard if they end up losing
5. Chess players are not as athletic as people who don’t play chess
6. All chess players are nerds
7. Chess players are normally rich old white men

These misconceptions above are all ideas that are generalized and
associated with chess for some odd reason. Take number 6 for example, not
all chess player are nerds, chess players and Grandmaster’s come from all
different walks of life on an extreme and vast level. Everyone will always
remain unique and different and to state otherwise is absurd. The
misconceptions above are relative to know, as any individual who is in fact
lacking knowledge about this mental sport should be ousted out of the club
to begin with.

Now to analyze yet in further detail.

1. Chess players are smarter than the average individual- This isn’t
necessarily true as anyone and everyone who simply loves the mind
game of chess can become good at it. There are a wide range of
professionals who enter this sport and enjoy it. From doctors, writers,
scientists, to actors; chess players will always very far and beyond.
Although an average mindset is needed to understand the basic concepts
of chess.
2. Chess players are not as social as their peers- This misconception can
be diminished right off the bat. Everyone and anyone is unique, it all
depends.
3. Memory is a strong characteristic in all chess players- Yes this
misconception actually holds some truth, as memory, learning, and
sticking to similar chess formulas will help any individual prevail when
participating on a chess board. Once an individual repetitiously plays
certain moves on a constant basis, the memory and move somehow
embeds itself into our daily habitual routines, we become better the more
we play.
4. Chess player’s take it too hard if they end up losing- Again these
misconceptions are getting out of hand, although this may be true among
some chess players, it is certainly not true for other players, it just
simply varies according to each and every individual.
5. Chess players are not as athletic as people who don’t play chess- Well, if
one thing is true, the truth is that chess requires player’s to sit for
excruciatingly long periods of time. Be sure to have water present as this
logistical game can pose threat to our physicality, for long and dreary
hours can begin to take over, do not fall victim to non-movement. If you
are playing another like-minded intermediate player, they too will get
your drift.
6. All chess players are nerds- Well if you consider logics, learning tactful
future strategies to minimize threats, memorization, and sitting for long
hours nerdy, consider this lifestyle nerdy. As this lifestyle is proven to
actually help and aide a person when it comes to their everyday life.
Planning ahead and logistically thinking are some qualities a chess
player will begin to take with them when they are off of the chess
board. Chess player’s make sure to always think before they act. The
external skills this game presents and has the ability to cause can be
rolled into a whole new entire section.
Chess players are normally rich old white men- Now let’s not get this
fact misconstrued, because as we had already mentioned, chess
originated in India. There are various countries and individuals within,
who practice chess on an everyday basis, and they’re not solely rich old
white men! There is a whole community of diversification when it
comes to this mental sport, chess. This sport is not limited to a certain
racial group, there are no boundaries when it comes to chess. From the
New York City streets to the Philippines, there are myriads of people
who have decided to take a hobby in this calculative and analytical
game. There are millions beyond millions of individuals around the
globe who participate in this game, to say otherwise would be too
restrictive.
 CHAPTER 11

Chess and the Psychology Within, Dr.

Gobet

A s we already know, chess is a very mental game. The game can

take many decades to perfect. The game not only takes a lot of
pure concentration and focus, but the game takes a lot more out of
the player than meets the eye. In fact, the game of chess can become
mentally exhausting. Over a period of long hours a chess player can become
warn and mentally tired. There has been valid research done by a reputable
doctor who studied cognitive psychology and the subject of chess. Dr.
Gobet, according to his research article found online, states that people who
spend longer hours playing chess actually turn out to be better players. This
is great news when it comes to players who play all of the time, but what is
this factor doing to our health? Make sure to get enough hours of sleep to
maintain a normal and productive day each and every day, that’s the just
when mentioning this topic; chess and long hours. The notion that practice
makes perfect has never appeared so clearly. The doctor also found in his
research phase that stronger players actually owned more strategy books
and they also make sure to read these strategy books often. In no way do
the strong player’s rest their mind, the stronger player’s seem to inhibit
continuing curiousness. It is typical for an average master to only have
around seven years of practice, yes seven years of practice! The doctor also
found that having a coach and studying database’s [1] and notes always
empowered the individual, causing them to be ahead when it came to
winning on the chess board. Dr. Gobet was able to test these individuals
with group practice, he was also able to see the individual master’s and their
opponents.

One major ability that the doctor wrote about was the ability to point out
special and valuable advice and prompts. He was able to determine that
these skills help us problem solve immediate space; in turn, minimizing our
future threats on the chess board. Another factor that Dr. Gobet came
across, is that players who are at a mastery level do in fact dig deeper,
opposed to their counterparts who don’t. Placing a major emphasis on
analytical thought and knowledge will ensure proper defensive threat
security based toward your opponent. Although plenty of logical thought is
necessary, it is also important to regain similar patterns as they are bound to
always occur at one point or another.

Apparently Dr. Gobet thinks, the younger a player starts learning the
skill of chess, the better they will become. This is always true in any sport,
but on a parental side, what could you have to lose when it comes to
introducing your child to this skillful game? As with a sport like football,
entering a child into such a physical sport at a young age could harm the
child and could also prove to be fatal in the physical nature. This is nowhere
near the case when it comes to chess, in fact, a child who learns chess at a
very young age, is actually improving their mind and the way in which their
brain is growing. Chess does not involve physicality other than a mental
stronghold. Stronger players not only study more on an everyday basis, but
the stronger players have more intuition and follow their gut more when it
comes to the decision making thought process. Intuition is a big skill inside
of this game. This skill is able to give players a complete advantage, as
some and most players have been taught to use the process of elimination
method when it comes to making choices about what happens on the board.
The masters of this game have been known to memorize certain moves and
certain notations, as these certain moves can be correlated to a
mathematician who is trying to learn and memorize math formulas to pass a
test. Either way, whether people would like to admit it or not,
memorization plays a large role when it comes to the skill and mastery of
this logical game, called chess.
 Dr. Gobet did find that becoming a true mastered and skillful player is
deeper than learning repetitious study and it is deeper than getting trained
by a mentor who sits back and takes notes about your current mistakes; sure
chess is deeper than that, it sure does take more than the old saying,
practice, practice, practice. Dr. Gobet has done a wonderful job and has
found research that states that adult chess players’ personalities are actually
more intuitive and introverted than adults who don’t play chess. This isn’t
such a bad thing to find out, maybe it is easier for us to determine that chess
players make smarter decisions off of the board, smarter decisions that
pertain to their very own life. This statement is true as chess players have
been known to think and act with more conviction once they have made up
their mind about a decision and solution they want to fix. The doctor
discovered that adults are more introverted than children who play chess.
The children who play chess have been found to be more extroverted and
excitable rather than adult chess players. He also found
That children who play chess in school are known to be more successful
than children who are in fact weaker at this game.

Doctor Gobet has been studying unconventional thinking and

orderliness patterns in order to measure a person’s adequate and skillful
level inside the game of chess. These variants to study are very helpful
factors that help with realization and actualization. Since chess players
ended up scoring high on unconventional thinking and orderliness, we are
then brought to the idea that chess players are learning more than the
normal Joe or Jane who doesn’t practice chess. Chess provides our
psychological mindset with a sense of alertness, a sense of problem solving
on-the-go. Perhaps a chess players mind never sleeps on and off of the
board, whichever it may be, it is obvious that chess only aides a person’s
brain, not exactly their physicality. Let’s make sure our mind is shaped
up.

Now that we know the game of chess is actually good for our precious
human brains and the learning and psychological aspects within are the
perfect challenge, it is also important to realize other aspects in chess that
will aide someone to prevail even further along. Since we are in the
psychological realm of thinking, below are steps an individual can take to
use psychology to reach higher skies and win a chess game.
 Steps to Win Chess With Psychology
7. Know yourself
8. Try to figure out your opponent, pin-point
9. Use triple threats in a row
10. Make ten moves, in what normally would take for only two
moves
11. Shock your opponent
12. Fake out your opponent across the entire board

An in depth look below:

13. Know yourself- Make sure to be confident, know your mind,

know your decisions, own up to the choices you make, know your brain,
your soul, mind, and your body better than you know anyone else, this is
first and foremost. Trust your gut and your instinct at all times, this is an
ancient and primitive game.
14. Try to figure out your opponent, pin-point- Before you start the
game of chess, take a step back and analyze your opponent. Be sure to
analyze their dress, mannerisms, their talk, their style, get a grasp of the
person you will be playing against. Don’t stop analyzing them for one
split second. Analyze them even more once you start playing. You have
all the time in the world, you must pay special and close attention to
certain slip ups on the board and make sure to move in on the advantage
once it is presented to you.
15. Use triple threats in a row- Participate in moves that contain
density. Have complete conviction when you do something. Using
triple threats increases your chances of defense, your opponent will soon
know that you are not an amateur. Don’t mess with triple threats, make
sure your opponent knows this. Here is a hidden fact, there is something
about the number 3 that makes this strategy work, perhaps there is a
very superstition behind the number 3.
16. Make ten moves, in what normally would take for only two
moves- Some of you may become bewildered by this particular
statement, but what this step provides us with is an ability to move
forward at a more logical and strategic pace. Your opponent will soon
start to realize there is no direct reason behind why you chose to use
 such moves, he will move forward with caution, get bored, and you will
soon be able to take the title away from your opponent. Psyche your
opponent out.
17. Shock your opponent- Decide to do the unimaginable, shock
your opponent, instead of stealing the pawn, own a more intermediate
mindset and gang up on his knight. Don’t always follow the same exact
pattern, as any opponent will soon catch onto your repetitious behavior.
Make sure to intimidate your opponent.
18. Fake out your opponent across the entire board- This step
includes not looking at a certain area on the chess board, acting aloof as
if you don’t know the time, using simple bluffing tactics to make your
opponent think you are going to do something else, basically paving you
way towards another goal, what a great idea! Using nonverbal body
language has also been known to have an effect on this game. Use these
pieces of invaluable advice to fake you opponent at the utmost mercy.

Chess History and The Player’s List: (Top Chess Player’s)

Historical Proof
1. José Raúl Capablanca (1888-1942) from Cuba
2. Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941) from Germany
3. Judit Polgar (1976- ) from Hungary
4. Bobby Fischer (1943-2008) from the U.S.
5. Viswanathan Anand (1969- ) from India (Tamil Nadu)
6. Garry Kasparov (1963- ) from Russia, Azerbaijan
7. Ruy López de Segura (1540-1580) from Spain
8. Sa'id bin Jubair (665-714 CE) from Africa / Persia
9. Paul Morphy (1837-1884) from the U.S.
10. Wilhelm Steinitz (1836-1900) from Austria / U.S.[2]

Keep the names above close to you if you are trying to get better at this
skill. The names above are players who have entered the Grandmaster state
title. These players have become some of the best player’s throughout time,
according to Wikipedia. From winning championships, to making the right
decisions, the player’s above made the cut. Not only has man achieved
Grandmaster’s titles, but women are thought of as equal; they too have
achieved the same, equality should always be an utmost concern. Search
extra famous chess names in the the future to learn about other people's
playing tactics and strategies. It is always interesting to get a fresh look into
someone else’s playing style. It is always a good idea to listen and to watch,
especially if you are paying special and close attention to the pro’s above.

Recap: 50 Strategic Things That Chess Teaches an Individual

1. Every action and move has an important purpose.
2. Every player must play for an advantage, their advantage; always
seek a steal, a way in, if you can’t find it, block it.
3. Sometimes the game of chess can carry a very friendly appeal, while
other times the friendly appeal will turn very serious.
4. Take and carry out the first initiative, if you don’t, the other person
will take their opportunity, which will leave you in the dust.
5. Begin to learn patterns, from certain spots on the board and
repetitious traps and movements. Do not forget to take your opportunity
when the opportune presents itself, go for it. Don’t be the last to the dinner
plate.
6. Stop worrying about your opponents every move. Down to the
existence of your opponents eye movements, we can’t concentrate on every
tiny little aspect, after all, we are not computer brains tied up with
algorithms, we are simply human.
7. Remember not to get entirely stuck on a formula, as we mentioned
above, having creativity will ensure ultimate success. In the end, we want to
shock our opponent, and not give them what they are asking for. Take
yourself to higher heights of thinking, combine logics, and creativity for an
ultimate mind enhancement.
8. Stop continuing to make things so complicated, the game is just
chess, be sure to simplify the game, any chance you are given.
9. Change up your playing method. Play different games and use
different methods. If you always play in person with your friends, switch
things up, and start playing with a technological device. If you lose, which
is likely, go on and play again.
10. Also, make sure to play the board and not necessarily the player.
The board, the space, and the valuable pieces are what you are playing, this
is not poker here. We don’t necessarily need to play our opponent, just their
choices that lie on the board in front of us. Don’t target what the opponent
has in mind, only target what you logistically see on the board as being fit.
 11. Don’t get irritated when you experience losses, you need to be able
to experience the loss, and simply move on, there is never any use holding
on to past mistakes. Cut your losses, walk away, and never look back,
there’s no point.
12. There are times when our valuable pieces come into a situation
where it is literally a conundrum, there is no possible or feasible way out.
Sometimes this happens and there is no logical thought or solution out of
this type of entanglement. Realize that in the game of chess it can
sometimes be out of our control. Winning and capturing pieces shall be our
only ploy, so make sure not to hold grudges, move on immediately after you
learn from your previous mistakes. There is no use looking back when you
could have done absolutely nothing to prevent such a move.
13. Once you are able to discover obvious attacks, instead of doing
what your opponents thinks you will do, do the exact opposite, learn how to
trick them with non-obvious moves, moves that you normally don’t
practice. Always change it up or it is possible for your strategies to be found
out. Make sure to never be predicable as you will lose your game so fast,
you won’t even have an ability to say chess before it has ended. Use
common sense before your opponent decides to use it quicker than you,
don’t become the loser.
14. Just know that if you are sacrificing material for a certain position,
it surely better be worth it. Also keep in mind that sometimes the best
material on the board could prove to be an honorable and smart sacrifice
later down the line, when time decides to move forward without warrant.
15. Stop right there! Stop spending your entire time chasing down
pawns, make sure to keep your eyes open for better material, after all, you
are the chess predator here, act like it.
16. Know that you don’t have to be a con or a devious mastermind in
order to win at the game of chess. You just have to be more cerebral and
slightly smarter than your opponent, the person staring across at you. Read
and educate yourself, stay clever.
17. If you are facing a threat, make sure to only make a move that
improves your exact position on the board.
18. Sometimes our opponent will make a move and then we try our
every molecule to try and determine why they decided to make the move.
Don’t let this factor worry your brain all too much, as stated previously, life
is precarious and it will always remain so. So instead of trying to analyze a
move that was probably not importantly thought out, but just randomly and
quickly done, stop over analyzing and start to think about your future
moves and your future threats, worry about yourself, not your opponent’s
thoughts so much.
19. Make sure that you always, always have a plan a and a plan b. Well,
it is possible that if you don’t have a plan c or d, or even an e, you are likely
to become checked in chess. Plan ahead and always know your way out of
a wrong predicament.
20. Intermediate players will soon learn that playing the middle game is
the most beneficial. Intermediate chess players should also learn that
rushing the game too fast in the beginning is never a brilliant idea nor will it
put any player ahead of the game. In fact this kind of play will only prove to
be detrimental to the players’ valuable material and special area.
21. The reason why there are certain notations and moves in chess is
important, because it is true, the way you start the game can have an effect
upon how you end the game, play it wisely, as this is not the type of game
to be rushed.
22. Never miss your ultimate chance, if an opportunity opens up, you’d
better seize the opportunity immediately!
23. Learn to never get pinned down in the game and make every effort
to keep moving forward.
24. Always think about scenarios that can go wrong on a consistent
basis, especially near the end of the game. Anything can happen, be sure to
keep this solid and in mind at all times.
25. If you happen to feel boxed in and shut in on the board, don’t be
afraid to free space up; sacrificing some pieces can become a glorious move
for future moves and positions.
26. Know the pieces on a chess board that are more inferior pieces of
value. Once you know this, don’t be afraid to let go of some inferior pieces
in order to give yourself a better position on the board. Don’t forget, space
is everything, be aware. Become the superior chess player here.
27. Your mentors and the people who are on your side; make sure to
look after them as they guide you with helping hands and advice. Guide
your close allies with helping hands, return the favor and give back.
28. Keep your eyes open wide for small advantages, make sure to
constantly add these small advantages up, keep a tally.
 29. Don’t pay attention to meaningless threats, you have better things to
do, rather than spending your time worrying about something so aimless
and not constructive.
30. Never rest for one moment while delving into intricate chess play.
A player must keep their brain and their mindset fresh before they embark
on an actual live game. If a player adopts a relaxed and careless demeanor,
it is highly possible that the player will lose sight of keen advantages, a
serious and descriptive chess player would have seen. Don’t lose sight of
the prize all because you are adopting too much ease. Focus, concentrate,
and keep your brain freshly fed in order to experience ultimate and optimal
results while playing chess. When it comes to lazy and too calm, there is no
excuse! Check.
31. Keep calm, cool, keen, and move slowly
32. Stop being a wishful thinker and replace a dream and a movement
with an actual action.
33. If and when you lose, try to learn a lesson off of the loss. The lesson
will most likely help you improve your game next time. Learning from our
past mistakes allows us to visualize what mistakes we won’t do. When we
visualize actions, the action becomes a higher possibility of becoming a
reality.
34. As in real life, always have an escape method and always keep all
of your options open. Remember to diversify your options or you could
become ‘stuck,’ later on in the game.
35. Shock your opponents with unconventional moves! Make sure to
never use the same tactics, unless it is your ultimate ‘special,’ move that
you use on every single opponent.
36. Make sure to always analyze your position, determine whether or
not you could be in a better position, if the answer is yes, than you might as
well get into a better position immediately.
37. Make sure to never let distractions affect your game play; decisions
and actions. Make sure to play in a quiet area where you can concentrate
with your full and entire brain. By no means should you have to rely on
playing in a place full of distractions, it is chess, make sure you have the
right set up!
38. Always make sure to narrow in on your first decisions. Don’t
immediately take action, place your decision in pure scrutiny before you
make your final decision to move the piece and take action on the tangible
board. Wait, analyze, evaluate, and then attack.
39. In the game of chess sacrificing our material; our value, can
sometimes be the best sought out plan that we have. Knowing this can
propel us from beginners into intermediate players. Always read your chess
material, otherwise you will continue to stay a chess amateur, aimlessly
wandering, and playing and losing occasionally.
40. Stop making the mistake and stop worrying about one little square
when in actuality you need to be worrying about a mass sum of squares.
Just stop yourself from thinking of the small picture, start thinking about the
larger picture, the whole entity of the entire board. Not only must you think
on a micro level, one must also think on a macro level. There are no in
between, think of every level, this is what chess player’s do, and they try to
think on every possible level.
41. Collaboration and having a sense of cooperation ensure that a chess
player can play the game. Make sure to connect your pieces appropriately
and make sure to use them in consonance, keep a constant wise mind by
educating yourself.
42. Remember to look beyond the obvious, there are many obvious
signs in chess, but if you are the type of person to choose the easy and
obvious path you may be missing out and lacking in enlightenment and
wisdom. Sometimes, and most of the time, when we decide to travel the
road less commonly traveled, we are forced to get out of our comfort zone,
this then leads us to more innovative thoughts and an initial change, a
change for the better. Always seek to search for the unknown. Remain
curious, chess player’s always question, what could and what should be.
43. With all of this chess and serious talk, we sometimes get wrapped
up, and we forget to enjoy ourselves. Chess is a game, a mental mind twist,
meant for people who like mental puzzles. There is literally something for
everyone in the world. Don’t forget to simply enjoy yourself when you are
satiating your mind with a quiet and challenging game of chess, whether the
game is live or on a computer device.
44. All chess players know that something that holds more depth versus
something that has little value and only superficial beauty is less valuable
than the depth and meaning every chess player searches deeply for. Chess
players are always constantly looking for more meaning, for more value;
chess player’s need to constantly solve precarious problems that occur, it is
a humanly need.
45. If you happen to get yourself stuck in an actual game and have no
idea as to how to get out of your current and devastating predicament, it is
best to fake it, pull some move out of your common sense box, otherwise
risk looking like a complete amateur. C’mon, you can figure something out,
anything? Sacrifice a pawn?
46. All serious chess players learn to effectively control the center space
on the board.
47. Though your Queen is versatile, do not bring your Queen out
immediately.
48. All serious chess players know that using chess notation is like
using a mathematical formula, it simply gives any player an advantage over
their opponent.
49. All chess players eventually begin to appreciate the history of chess.
Chess players realize the beauty and intelligence that is behind this ancient
and aesthetic, puzzle-like game. After reading various global books about
this global hobby and mental sport, chess players will make this strong
determination.
50. Chess player’s become overall better thinker’s in their real physical,
financial, and personal lives. Of course, this statement can be subjective,
depending on the individual, but this holds some truth. The reason this
statement holds truth is because as we went over psychology in previous
sections; for instance, children and adults who play chess, have been known
to achieve and succeed at higher rates, opposed to their peers who don’t
challenge their minds with this mental sport. Achieve greater successes and
enjoy this wonderful and ancient game.
 Entering Visualization and Calculation Training in Chess
To some of you this subject headliner might appear as constant jargon that
needs to relinquish its power! But to intermediate chess players, this
headline is relatively easy to learn as long as you practice these moves
every single day. We have already covered a bit of visualization, but what
we didn’t cover in depth is the fact that you need to ultimately visualize the
exact tangible things that you desire. Continue to visualize your desires so
much that they will soon appear before your very own eyes. We’ve
mentioned, that the law of attraction is a good method to use, if you want a
push forward into making the correct action. You simply think it, it
becomes. The concept is easy, visualize what you want and make it come
true. Practice visualization by starting to place yourself in other’s
experiences, then determine what you want to experience out of the game of
chess. Learn various thoughts and educate yourself, next, your
visualizations will become a quick and worthy accomplishment on the
board.
 CHAPTER 12

Famous Chess Quotations

1. “When you see a good move, look for a better one”

(Emanuel Lasker)

2. “Nothing excites jaded Grandmasters more than a theoretical

novelty” (Dominic Lawson)

3. “The Pin is mightier than the sword” (Fred Reinfeld)

4. “We cannot resist the fascination of sacrifice, since a passion for

sacrifices is part of a Chess player’s nature” (Rudolf Spielman)

5. “All I want to do, ever, is just play Chess”

(Bobby Fischer)

6. “A win by an unsound combination, however showy, fills me with

artistic horror”
(Wilhelm Steinitz)

7. “The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the
Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and
the player on the other side is hidden from us” (Thomas Huxley)

8. “Adequate compensation for a sacrifice is having a sound

combination leading to a winning position; adequate compensation for
a blunder is having your opponent snatch defeat from the jaws of
victory” (Bruce A. Moon)

9. “Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation”

(Max Euwe)

10. “I don’t believe in psychology. I believe in good moves”

(Bobby Fischer)

11. “Modern Chess is too much concerned with things like

Pawn structure. Forget it, Checkmate ends the game”
(Nigel Short)

12. “Life is a kind of Chess, with struggle, competition, good and ill
events” (Benjamin Franklin)

13. “Combinations have always been the most intriguing aspect of

Chess. The masters look for them, the public applauds them, the critics
praise them. It is because combinations are possible that Chess is more
than a lifeless mathematical exercise. They are the poetry of the game;
they are to Chess what melody is to music. They represent the triumph
of mind over matter” (Reuben Fine)

14. “I give 98 percent of my mental energy to Chess”

Others give only 2 percent (Bobby Fischer)

15. “Your body has to be in top condition. Your Chess deteriorates as

your body does. You can’t separate body from mind”
(Bobby Fischer)

16. “Life is like a game of Chess, changing with each move”

(Chinese proverb)

17. “In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame
before everything else, for whereas the endings can be studied and
mastered by themselves, the middle game and the opening must be
studied in relation to the endgame”
(Jose Raul Capablanca)

18. “The most important feature of the Chess position is the activity of
the pieces. This is absolutely fundamental in all phases of the game:
Opening, Middle game and especially Endgame. The primary constraint
on a piece’s activity is the Pawn structure” (Michael Stean)

19. “You have to have the fighting spirit. You have to force moves and
take chances” (Bobby Fischer)

20. “Could we look into the head of a Chess player, we should see
there a whole world of feelings, images, ideas, emotion and passion”
(Alfred Binet)

21. “That’s what Chess is all about. One day you give your opponent a
lesson, the next day he gives you one” (Bobby Fischer)

22. “A strong memory, concentration, imagination, and a strong will is

required to become a great Chess player”
(Bobby Fischer)

23. “A Chess game is a dialogue, a conversation between a player and

his opponent. Each move by the opponent may contain threats or be a
blunder, but a player cannot defend against threats or take advantage of
blunders if he does not first ask himself: What is my opponent planning
after each move?”
(Bruce A. Moon)

24. “Via the squares on the chessboard, the Indians explain the
movement of time and the age, the higher influences which control the
world and the ties which link Chess with the human soul” (Al-Masudi)

25. “Though most people love to look at the games of the great
attacking masters, some of the most successful players in history have
been the quiet positional players. They slowly grind you down by
taking away your space, tying up your pieces, and leaving you with
virtually nothing to do!” (Yasser Seirawan)[3]
26. “Chess is a terrible game. If you have no center, your opponent has
a freer position. If you do have a center, then you really have something
to worry about!” (Siegbert Tarrasch)

27. “Chess is a more highly symbolic game, but the aggressions are
therefore even more frankly represented in the play. It probably began
as a war game; that is, the representation of a miniature battle between
the forces of two kingdoms” (Karl Meninger)

28. “The Chess pieces are the block alphabet which shapes thoughts;
and these thoughts, although making a visual design on the chessboard,
express their beauty abstractly, like a poem” (Marcel Duchamp)

29. “When asked, -How is that you pick better moves than your
opponents? I responded: I’m very glad you asked me that, because, as it
happens, there is a very simple answer. I think up my own moves, and I
make my opponent think up his”
(Alexander Alekhine)

30. “By playing at Chess then, we may learn:

First: Foresight... Second: Circumspection... Third: Caution... And
lastly, we learn by Chess the habit of not being discouraged by present
bad appearances in the state of our affairs, the habit of hoping for a
favorable chance, and that of persevering in the secrets of resources”
(Benjamin Franklin)[4]

31. “Many Chess players were surprised when after the game, Fischer
quietly explained: ’I had already analyzed this possibility’ in a position
which I thought was not possible to foresee from the opening (Mikhail
Tal)

32. “No other master has such a terrific will to win. At the board he
radiates danger, and even the strongest opponents tend to freeze, like
rabbits when they smell a panther. Even his weaknesses are dangerous.
As white, his opening game is predictable - you can make plans against
it - but so strong that your plans almost never work. In the middle game
 his precision and invention are fabulous, and in the end game you
simply cannot beat him” (Anonymous German Expert)

Within these wonderful quotes above there are many good and wise
things that have been mentioned and stated about chess. The people above
are simply mentioned, because we feel that as a learning chess player, you
need to know about what other chess player’s think, you need to be able to
grasp this game in it’s entirety. Soon you will find a balance in your skill
and you too will have personal statements about chess. Personal
experiences, philosophies, and thought out quotations are bound to help any
individual understand chess on a more compassionate and personal level,
chess is a relatable experience. As it is, these chess players above added in
real-life comments that aide chess’s historical movement. The words and
the experiences will forever stick to historical tangibility. These
Grandmaster’s and their quotations are aiding readers at this very moment.
Chess is precarious, but we have found a way to somehow solve instances
within; humans are some creative yet logical creatures. Documentation is
key when it comes to such life changing advice. Not only is chess a game to
play, but as many of you can see, chess has the ability to transform lives in
a way that can help us logically transfer our skills from the board and
implement them on earth, in order to transform the world, our world. It is
important to share this wonderful game of chess with children, as it has
been proven that when children play this game at a young age, they excel
higher and achieve more, opposed to their peers who don’t practice or
participate in the game, chess. Go ahead, go and re read the quotations
above, pause, and think long and hard about what these player’s are trying
to say. Make sure to continuously read between the lines, analyze these
thoughts, then re analyze these thoughts; once you do this, then decide on a
plan and figure out a solution to achieve the plan, your plan. There are
plenty of extra quotes, go on, take initiative and go out and find meaningful
chess quotations that motivate and inspire you.

Chess can be a game of relaxation, a game of complication, a game of

mystery, chess embodies various entities within and it dates very far back
and into the 13th century! Individuals who want to venture into this mind
boggling game, need to realize that studying and educating oneself cannot
be overlooked for one mere second. A Grandmaster needs to constantly
keep up with the latest happenings when it comes to chess. There will
always be advancements as minds grow and get smarter with time and
healthy nutrition. Ease up when it comes to chess and mentally prepare
yourself for an enjoyable and fun match. There are many chess set-ups
available online. From beauty to modernistic, there is a chess board that
suits anyone’s stylish preferences. Open a chess board, grab an opponent,
and reduce your constant threats by using your sole mental power. Propel
yourself into career, personal, and mental success, make better and more
logical decisions for yourself, your life is worth it. Play chess, live chess,
love chess.

• “The enormous mental resilience, without which no Chess

player
• can exist, was so much taken up by Chess that he could
• never free his mind of this game”
• (Albert Einstein)[5]
We conclude with Albert Einstein’s quote, it is true, that once you
become entangled with chess, that an individual's mind becomes completely
inhabited with possibilities. It is hard to get a brilliant mind to stop
thinking, sometimes nearly impossible. There are strictly so many
possibilities and ‘what if’s,’ that lead us into a frenzy of continuous thought
that circulate around the game of chess. What some chess players are
unable to do is step away from the board, though they’re already away from
the board. Chess player’s use every single molecule inside of their brain to
analyze and evaluate moves, positions, values, and player’s assumptions. In
order to win future games, learn how to stop playing chess, when you aren’t
in fact playing chess. Use the same skills that you mentally use in chess, in
real-life and you shall succeed on great lines. Be sure to always use your
mind when it comes to life, as the saying is always true, ‘work smarter, not
harder,’ chess should be a great teacher when it comes to this saying. As
long as we constantly use our brains, our physical bodies will not have to
deal with any stress. Learn how to meditate and intake this wonderful
strategy game with a welcoming and open mindset. Your future and your
current reality will only benefit from learning this hidden skill that
intimidates most people who view the board and the royal pieces.
 CHAPTER 12

Website Recommendations

W hile you can learn quite a bit from a book like this, I would
recommend that you also take a look at these websites. They
all provide helpful information, videos and graphics that can
help you in your quest to learn how to play chess and become a master.

http://www.chess.com/
Chess.com is the number one online site for learning and playing chess.
Not only are there plenty of instructional videos, there are helpful forums
and the opportunity to play against people of all nationalities. You can join
for a free trial, but make sure to know all of the features, before you
subscribe.

http://www.chesscube.com/
Chesscube.com is a free website that is also available via iOS or
Android app for the mobile. You can take part in tournaments as well as
take advantage of some of the great learning material. But if you want to
take full advantage of all of the features, you need to subscribe to a monthly
or annual membership

http://www.chessdom.com/
Chessdom.com is packed full of news, helpful tutorials, and access to
live tournaments around the world. You can also go back and watch
tournaments from previous years as part of your learning process. In the
shop area, you can purchase magazine sets, games, and chess tutorials;
otherwise, access to the site is free of charge.
 http://www.chessvibes.com/
This is another free website packed full of chess news for you to take
full advantage of. This site is affiliated with chess.com and some of the
pages will redirect you to that site. One great feature they have; one that
will benefit you, is a series of endgame studies. Each week, they produce a
study of a particular endgame, with the solution following one week later.

https://www.youtube.com/user/thechesswebsite/featured
YouTube is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to lean and
study the game of chess. One of the best channels out there is,
“thechesswebsite”. There are plenty of videos to choose from – opening
games, middle games, endgames, chess traps, and much more regarding
chess. Free to watch, it is always wise to save this one to your favorites and
watch it whenever you can. This particular Youtube channel is regularly
updated.
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 CONCLUSION

Conclusion

End Note

C hess and life go hand in hand, if you are thinking of picking up this
little known skill and carrying it with you into the future, you have
chose the right path. Chess can aide anyone when it comes to
making life decisions. Most of you readers will ask the question, why? This
question is only normal. The answer is, is that since chess is so vast, when it
comes to positions and possibilities, the player must always use their logical
side of their brain and assess and assess even more, before reaching a final
decision and before making a final move. Since the player who always
practices chess is used to using these skills, the skills of logic peak out in
areas of life decisions, causing the individual to make better and more
sound decisions. Chess is not only a game of logic, but it inhabits many
other great qualities, which include:

• Concentration- every player needs this skill in order to completely

surpass the rest of the competition out there, it is just a given.
• Ability to sit for a long time- Make sure you workout when you are
not playing chess, because this skill and hobby requires full seated
attention.
• Good memorization- Brush up on your flashcards, because good
memory is an absolute must in this intellectual challenging, mind
twisting game, called chess!
• Good at remembering patterns- Same goes for patterns, if you are
good at remembering formulas, it will probably be easier for you to
memorize strategy and tactic moves, giving any player an advantage.
 Watch out when it comes to professionals that are alike, as you could
soon lose you concentration, ending in an abrupt loss, the possibilities
are endless.
• A carefully and calculated demeanor- Always keep your cool and
never react too quickly.
• Focus- is always a number one trait when it comes to understanding
and succeeding in chess.
• Problem solving- Remembering notations, certain positions, moves,
etc., will ultimately be needed.
• Deductive reasoning- Every single player who plays chess needs to
use their process of elimination skills in order to complete the
competition with a pure and true checkmate.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to download and read my
ebook. I hope that after reading it, you are a little wiser in the game of
chess. It isn’t an easy game to learn, but it is very fulfilling and satisfying
game to play. Even if you don’t win, knowing that you played a good game
is sometimes good enough, and from there, you can build up your game
with plenty of practice.

Chess is a very broad topic with so many strategies, tips, and tactics.
What I have written so far is an overview of the basics. It is only fair to tell
you that this book will be the subject of many, many, editions, as I will add
more details about strategies and tactics, some of them, the lesser-known
ones in my next expedition. In the meantime, I would recommend that you
have a look at the websites I mentioned above and practice. I cannot stress
this last bit enough – the more you practice, the better you will get, and the
easier you will find it to plan your games accordingly.

Please help me improve more lives! I really appreciate that you took the
time to read my book until the end. If you enjoyed the book, please leave
your review. That will encourage more people to download and read the
book. Your review, that takes just a minute to write, will create something
good in many lives for years to come. Thank you in advance for your help.

Click here to review this book

 PREVIEW OF THE BOOK : STRESS

Preview of the Book: Stress

Y ou have probably heard all of the sayings that people have about
stress but not thought that they relate to your life. Worry is a
killer. Anxiety itself could have you in hospital when it’s totally
out of control. It may affect your breathing. It may affect your heart and it’s
certain that it will affect the way that you relate to people and handle
situations. There is no doubt at all that stress is a killer. Psychology Today
has a very interesting article and for your benefit I have placed a link at the
end of the book as a reference. If you are reading this in print format, you
merely need to type out that link to read the article. It’s an article on how
stress affects mortality rates and it’s not based on speculation. It’s based
upon studies of cases studied over a period of time within different age
levels.

The examples shown start with young people who have stress related
events within their lives. For example, a child coming up to examinations
may be extremely stressed and the levels of stress can become difficult for
the child to cope with. As you get older, the kind of events that lead to
stress can be life changing events such as the following:
● Death in the family
● Divorce
● Job Interviews
● Moving house
● Kids leaving home
● Loss of work
● Debt
● Health issues
 You may feel that your life at this time is not touched by any of these
but everyone’s life will be at some stage. Perhaps not all of the above
stressors are difficult for you, though it’s almost certain that one or more of
them will affect you during the course of your lifetime. It is quite normal
that they should. Often people within this range of worries resort to asking
for help from the doctor. They may be given anti-depressants to calm them
down, but if you look realistically at the number of people in the US who
are on anti-depressants and the escalating figures representing people who
suffer from depression – it’s got to tell you something – it isn’t working and
anti-depressants may simply be a band aid on a larger problem.

70 per cent of the American population is on prescription medication

and a large percentage of those are being treated with psychiatric drugs.
That’s a very worrying statistic and you have a choice of becoming one of
their numbers or working out why you feel stress and tackling it as
suggested in this book without the use of those band aids. The illness is
becoming an epidemic because instead of turning to common sense
reasoning and logic, people are turning to the only alternative that they
know.

Following onto the topic we started with, the article that is referenced at
the end of the book proves without a shadow of a doubt that stress plays a
part in how long you live. That’s fact. That’s something that you need to
consider before hiding that stress behind pills. If you are already on
medication, do not suddenly come off it. The medications that are
prescribed today are not made to be finished brusquely. In fact, you can
plunge into deeper depression. What you can do, however, is tackle all the
causes of stress so that you can cut down, under the supervision of your
doctor, and get your body back on track again – keeping stress and
depression, anxiety and worry at levels that are acceptable and that are not
eating away a part of your potential life span.

This is a life threatening condition. You become a statistic when you

allow yourself to be subjected to two life changing events that cause you
stress and panic in a one year period. Anything more than that, you are
threatening your life and may just be bringing it to a close earlier than you
need to. People who handle stressful situations without stress will live
longer but it takes learning to actually be able to do that. What you are
going to learn in this book is how to handle your body so that situations that
would normally be stressful to you become less stressful. That way, they do
not contribute to the reasons why you become so ill you can’t cope.

When you understand your body’s response to stress, you will also be able
to adjust your response so that you see stress in a different manner and can
get through it without it becoming life threatening long term. No one says
you are going to die tomorrow if you worry today. What they are saying is
that enough is enough and you need to learn where that line is drawn so that
you can protect yourself as you get older and make yourself more adaptable
to life and able to duck the bricks that life throws at you. It literally is
almost like avoiding bricks. If you can’t avoid them, expect them to knock
you down. This book teaches you to deal with stress in a totally different
manner – one that is known to be successful and can be achieved by
anyone.
 MY OTHER BOOKS

My Other Books

TIME MANAGEMENT: Your Ultimate Way to Success Along with -

Productivity & Self Discipline

STRESS: How to Quickly Reduce Stress - Anxiety, Worrying &

Depression

[1] http://www.chess.com/article/view/the-cognitive-psychology-
of-chess
[2] http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?
title=Top_10_Chess_players_of_all_time
[3] http://www.chess-
poster.com/english/notes_and_facts/chess_quotes.htm
[4] http://www.chess-
poster.com/english/notes_and_facts/chess_quotes.htm
[5] http://www.chess-
poster.com/english/notes_and_facts/chess_quotes.htm