Best Chess Strategies for 2022 – Tips & Principles

Learn Advanced Chess Opening Strategies for Beginners by Experts

“Strategy requires thought; tactics requires observation.” Max Euwe, 5th World Chess Champion

Learning chess is similar to learning a language. Knowledge of how to play chess under different conditions is equivalent to acquiring a vocabulary in a language.

Chess strategy consists of setting and achieving long-term goals during the game, while tactics concentrate on immediate maneuver. These two parts of chess thinking cannot be completely separated, because strategic goals are mostly achieved by the means of tactics, while the tactical opportunities are based on the previous strategy of play. Taking chess lessons would be an excellent way to develop advanced chess strategies abilities.

Learning chess strategies is not something that comes with ease. The application of chess strategies in other games is not new, yet the tactics applied are constantly evolving. If you want to use your strategies in the most effective way, we recommend taking part in other related online games.

Types of Chess Strategies

Chess is known for its various strategies and movements. From opening moves to ones for checkmate, there are countless game plays that you can use to outwit the opponent and win the game. Most of these plays have been perfected by the grandmasters and the experts, and there are innumerable arguments in favor of each.

These strategies and movements are important as:

  • They give you a better command of the game, and you have control of the board
  • You can dictate how the game develops and how it ends
  • Keeping to the strategy and refining it as the game progresses help counter attacks
  • You can end the game sooner than what would have been otherwise possible
  • You significantly increase your wins-to-losses ratio if you know your strategies and moves well

Here are a few chess strategies and movements that have helped players win across the years

Opening strategy:

There are quite a few famous opening strategies and deal with the first few moves that you make. The end goal of these opening moves are:

  • Control of the center
  • Safeguarding the King
  • Development of the opening moves
  • Avoiding any pawn weaknesses

There are a number of opening strategies. These include the Sicilian defense, the Alekhine defense, the King’s Indian attack, and the Dutch defense, among others.

Middle game strategy:

As the name suggests, these strategies and movements are for the middle game when some pieces are gone, and players are moving on to consolidate their position. The idea is to maximize the opportunities offered by one’s own pieces and whittle down the opponent’s strategies by attacking their weak pieces. Some of the common mistakes to avoid are isolated pawns (that will definably come under attack) and playing a passive game with moves determined by the opponent.

End game strategy:

Here the goal is to simply win. There are now very few pieces on the board and the idea is to give a checkmate with the least number of moves. Some of the more common end games involve the kings and 1-2 pawns through there are those that involve other pieces such as the rook and / or the bishop. However, having an unequal number of pieces is rare unless one party has outmatched the other completely.

Basic & Advanced Chess Strategies

  • If you avoid moving a chess piece several times during the opening. This means that when you have developed a piece, it should not be moved again until the other pieces have been developed.
  • If you have castled, don’t permit the opponent to open a file on your king.
  • Develop pieces to coordinate well with one another. Unless you do this, you may find your attack to lose steam and that may put you at a disadvantage.
  • Seize control of the center, as this will give you more play and better attacks.
  • Cut off communication between opponent’s pieces.
  • Avoid premature attacks on the opponent. It is probable that more games are lost by beginners through disregard of this principle than from any other cause. An attack should never be launched until there is sufficient force in the field to carry it to a successful conclusion, and a premature attack almost inevitably recoils on the head of the attacker.
  • Seek a weak spot in the opponent’s position. The ability to detect opponent weakness and then take full advantage of it is one of the most important abilities in chess.
  • Exchanging an inactive piece with a similar but active piece of the opponent.
  • Avoid making exchanges which develop another piece for the opponent. Don’t be greedy! Sometimes you may find an easy pawn to pick up but it may be a trap (“poisoned pawn”). Accepting it will often allow the opponent to launch a powerful attack and often the best way to neutralize is to return that material instead of trying to hold on to it.
  • Mobilize all your pieces. One of the basic principles of chess opening is to get all your pieces moving out of their places as early as possible in the game. This is key to develop a strong position. You should not rely on your queen and the rook; you need to get your entire army working together. Start with the minor pieces (the knights and bishops.) This will set you on the right track. 
  • Avoid moving a piece multiple times during the opening. This is another important chess strategy for beginner’s to keep in mind. Again, you cannot rely on one piece alone if you want to develop all your pieces. Don’t move a single piece back and forth ,that won’t do anything to confuse your opponent.
  • Know when to move your queen. The queen is the strongest piece in your army. You should not bring it out too early in the game. If it starts mixing up with other pieces, even if they are minor pieces, you run the risk of losing it and losing the entire game. 
  • Don’t make inferior pawn moves. Avoid starting the game with your edge pawns because they cannot help you control the center squares and or get your knights and bishops to go out. Move the two or at least one of the center pawns so the kingside knight can go out.
  • Use a proven chess opening technique. You don’t want just randomly to pick which pieces to move. To develop your army, you need a good opening. There’s a handful of openings chess strategies for beginners that you can learn quickly, but you don’t have to memorize and master them now. For your first few games, you can learn one or two openings like the Italian Game and the Sicilian Defense. These openings develop your pieces in such a way that they coordinate with one another.

Advanced Concepts

In the world of chess, every move counts. This is why a lot of chess enthusiasts search the internet for information on clever ways to be ahead of the game. While being great in the league requires much practice, time, and effort, there are also some easy-to-learn chess moves that you can snag from the geniuses in the field. The main secret is this: In order to win, you must know how to dominate even at the very start. Every move counts, especially the first ones.

One example of an easy chess moves is getting your opponent to gain a weak color complex. If all of the pawns of one player are on one color and there is no bishop to guard them, then he or she begins to lose control over the majority of the color of the squares. Once you spot this situation, you must push your opponent to the limit and invade his or her side of the board.

Another smart easy-to-learn move is getting your opponent to reveal most of the back pieces. Force your opponent to give up as many pawns as possible, leaving one in the middle. Use all your pieces to pressure your opponent to move that one pawn and move the remaining pieces around randomly to protect it and destroy the other player’s strategy.

Here is another easy but effective move, look into your very own pieces and form a strong strategy in your head to pursue offense. Find a way to strengthen each piece you have. Always improve your own troop. If there is still no open way to attack your opponent, make sure you are aware of your game plan. After all, nothing beats the best defense.

Try practicing online using chess coaching sites to get more information on easy-to-learn moves. Some online chess academies offer private lessons or set you up with other students to play inside a virtual classroom.

Things to Remember During Opening

Did your child pick up chess as a new hobby? It may be the opportune time to teach chess opening strategies and the other basic principles. Learning chess properly with a trainer will benefit your child in so many ways, such as developing critical thinking, creativity, concentration, memory, and other cognitive skills.

Why learning chess opening strategies is vital? Because a player’s initial moves set the direction of the game and determine its result. If one has established a proficient chess opening strategy, that player is off to a great start. The chances of winning the game are high.

So, what are the basic chess opening strategies that kids at beginner level should learn?

1. Move the most important piece out early.

In other words, develop the chess pieces. Itis one of the basic chess opening strategies that kids will always hear from their coaches. They are discouraged to focus on just one or two pieces, like the Queen. Why? Because getting the important pieces out on the battlefield early increases the chances of controlling the center when there are still plenty of empty squares.

2. Gain control of the center.

The center squares of the chessboard are the most strategic positions. From there, the pieces can attack and defend from different directions.

3. Castle the King.

The King is the most crucial piece, but it’s also the weakest. To avoid a checkmate, the King has to be castled early in the game. That means pushing it aside towards the corner where it is protected by the pawns.

4. Master one chess opening variation.

Chess has been existing for hundreds or thousands of years. That’s why there are plenty of time-tested chess opening variations that are proven to be effective. But for beginners, mastering one is enough. After all, studying each chess variation takes a lot of time and effort. It will be more confusing to learn various methods at the same time. To master one, kids should practice and familiarize themselves with the moves, structures, and variations.

Ways to Speed Your Learning in Chess Strategies

Are you a chess aficionado? Do you feel thrilled to see the next move of a chess game? Your excitement will drive your enthusiasm to become a chess player too. Find the best coaching platform and learn the latest and best chess moves gradually. Remember you will not become a chess player overnight. Follow a strict regime, start learning from a good mentor and learn how to play chess like a professional.

A proper guide to follow

Here is what you need to do to learn different chess moves:

  • Find an online chess coaching platform

This is the first step to learn chess. Find the best online platform where you can find leading chess mentors who teach chess online. You can get a test class to find your level and start seeking a course. These online courses are designed for aficionados of different levels. Find your level and start learning.

  • Register and make an account

Register on the best online chess coaching platform by comparing the available options. Consider the coaching fee, convenience, credibility of the mentors, etc. to find the right platform and then register. You will be given a user ID to use and log in every time you have a class.

  • Attend the classes and practice

The mentor will teach the basics and different chess moves as per the course design. You will follow and practice the moves. Make notes if necessary and always resolve your queries.

  • Build your own strategy

Practice with fellow students online and learn how all the pieces on the chessboard can be used. Build your strategy after learning the moves and use logic.

Why A Chess Strategy Is Important

Strategy is important in chess because it deals with setting and achieving your long-term goals as you play. It is different from tactics, which are focused on your immediate maneuver. However, both must be learned simultaneously and cannot be fully separated from each other. That’s because to learn chess strategy, you must learn the tactics that can help you achieve strategic goals. Meanwhile, the tactical opportunities must be based on your previous play strategy. 

Those are just some of the strategies you should know for starters. A seasoned chess coach will help you develop and learn chess strategy to enhance your abilities. With their help, you can remain up-to-date with the tactics and apply the strategies more effectively. Chess lessons can be held online for your convenience.

Mistakes Beginners Make

Every chess game is different depending on the strategies and your opponent will use. If you are new to the game, it makes sense to learn chess strategies for beginners to familiarize yourself with the basics and to learn to properly apply tactics. That said, think of learning chess as similar to learning to communicate in a new language. You need to get used to playing under different conditions and be able to use the appropriate strategy and tactics to excel.

One of the common mistakes of beginners is interchanging strategies and tactics. Although they go hand-in-hand as you learn strategy, there are significant differences to them. Chess strategy involves setting and achieving the game’s long-term goals, and tactics is focused on the immediate maneuver. They go together because tactics are keys to achieving strategic goals, and tactical opportunities are according to your previous playing strategy. Learning and mastering these on your own may be overwhelming, but there are online lessons that can help you.

Chess lessons are an excellent way for beginners to learn and master strategies. If you are one yourself, you will be guided by professional and experienced chess coaches. They are constantly up-to-date with the evolving tactics involved in strategic play, so if you want to be able to apply strategies more effectively, it is recommended that you play chess online and get guidance from a qualified coach.

There are several chess strategies for beginners, but don’t worry, as your coach will teach you the most advance ones to help you master the game. 

Final Thoughts

Chess is a game where the continuously evolving strategy helps players to develop their problem solving skills. These skills develop over the course of learning how to play the game. The natural progression in improvement of these abilities can be witnessed in the way a player learns to adapt and change as he or she moves on from being a beginner to an expert.

Here’s how chess helps enhance a player’s problem-solving skills.

Learn the basic moves

As a new learner starts to understand the basic moves of the game, he or she slowly realizes the potential of each piece. From the lowly Pawn to the might Queen, each piece has its own role to play in the game. They learn to negotiate through the various problems that surface when they encounter the opponent’s plays and make use of the pieces to learn to win the game. This helps the player to understand the importance of small steps and how they can help them achieve success in life.

Understand the strategies

There are numerous strategies in chess that a beginner has to learn to become a great player. These can range from simple ones like castling and how to avoid a stalemate to more complex ones like how to control the center and how to successfully execute gameplay. In addition, there are many innumerable moves for opening, closing, controlling the center, and so on, that help a player to win a game.

Understanding these strategies and moves help the beginner to understand how to get out of any problem through focused plans and putting them into action. They also understand how the same strategy can be applied to life and ensure the person can avoid any of life’s problems with careful planning.

Focusing on the goal

Learning the various opening moves such as Flank openings, playing open, semi-open or closed games, the Indian defense, etc. help the beginner to understand how a series of simple moves can help achieve a win. They understand that whatever move they make, the focus on the final goal can help them get to the finish line. This learning also translates to lessons in life as the learners plough through the various challenges life throws their way without losing sight of the final goal.

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