How to win at Chess Games

There is no particular move that will definitely fetch you a point and help you win. But again, just like the other sports, even in chess there are particular methods and ways that would definitely help you win. And the professionals who have trained for a long time are very much aware of these tactics in chess and use it in every game. Here are the top tips on How to win at Chess :-

1. Be focused:- This is a well known point and you may believe that you already know this and hence why read further. But, there is more to it than you assume. Being focused in any sport or generally in life is helpful. This is not the same as being focused in a game. Being focused in a game has to do more with constant adjustment to the new position on the board without being distracted. If you are not focused enough you may not look at the crucial information that would help you make a better move because a good move itself cannot help you win. It might take a lot of energy and patience to be focused throughout a game, but it is indeed the most important aspect of Chess.

2. Do not concentrate only on the new move:- Yes, you read that right. Although a lot of importance should be given to the last move/ new move as it changes the position on the board, it is not the only thing to concentrate on. After every move, you must still look at the whole board to make your best move. This will not only help you make the best move but will help you to strategise well enough to actually win the game. You may end up making the wrong move when you only concentrate on the opponent's last move and this should be avoided at all costs.

3. Don't make the first good move you find:- Never make the first good move you find in Chess. There is always a better move to a good move and when you make the first good move you find, you might end up regretting it which will further lead to distraction. Always try to find a better move. When you feel like you have checked for all possible moves only then select the best possible move. This requires some practice. It may happen that in the beginning you won't be able to find more than one move to make, but with the right practice and professional coaching this will be a piece of cake.

4. Always think ahead:- The best chess players can calculate more than 10 moves during a game. Magnus Carlson claims he can see about 15 moves or sometimes even 20 moves ahead. This may be too much for a beginner. But if you are someone who is looking at only one move ahead, try to increase it to two moves ahead. With practice you can keep improving the number of moves you can see ahead. This will help you make the right move without losing much time on the clock which is also important point to keep in mind during the tournaments. To be able to see many moves as possible is to save time on the clock.

5. Always take advantage of a bad move:- It is ofcourse important to avoid a bad move in chess, but it is even more important to take advantage of your opponent's bad move. If you do not look at your opponent's bad move or if you are too concerned only about your moves, it will not help you win the game. Sometimes your best move would be taking advantage of your opponent's move. If you forget to take advantage of your opponent's move or if you simply fail to look at it, you are giving your opponent a chance to fix their mistake which they might definitely use. 

6. Make use of theoretical knowledge:- As mentioned in the previous point, seeing many moves ahead is definitely helpful. But it is not easy in the middle game. However, end game tactics can be mastered. The professionals who have practiced for a long time have mastered their end games. Especially in the end game, if theory is learnt and practiced well enough, you can almost make the move mechanically. You do not have to give a lot of time to think as you do in the middle game or even the opening. End game theory is difficult but can be learnt. With the help of coaches it can be learnt extremely fast. Next time someone tells you Chess is only playing the game, let them know it has a lot of theory too!

7. Solve many puzzles :- Like I mentioned in the above point, chess is not only about playing the game. One important way to become better at chess and win many games is to solve many puzzles. Puzzles focusing on one particular concept/ topic can help you get better at that concept which will help your game overall. For example if solve many puzzles on check mate in one move, you will definitely not miss to give a check mate when you look at a check mate position on the board. This is extremely important as you can win the game in one move if you do recognise the check mate position or you can continue playing the game because you failed to recognise a check mate position and this might go either ways.

8. Get basic coaching:- As we all already know, chess is an important sport as it helps sharpen our minds. It helps us in all other aspects of life like school, job and even personal life. We develop patience, focus and confidence. Owing to these reasons, it is important to learn how to play chess. But how much progress can you make if you learn by yourself? And especially for kids, learning without motivation and guidance can turn out to be a waste of time. Getting help from the coaches can be beneficial to everyone and even more so for kids. Learning chess at a young age when there isn't a lot on their minds can lead them to develop great skills in chess. So instead of learning alone, which can be very frustrating, get help from professionals who are trained to make learning chess easy!

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