Chess

Internet gaming has been thriving the web for most years now. A wide variety of games are now blossoming in almost all the corners of the web. And even the once considered as a very traditional game of chess is now brought on line!

Internet chess is really making a name in the online games having lists and more lists of sites where chess enthusiasts can choose from.

What is in the internet chess that the traditional chess is missing?

Well, since most of the chess enthusiasts are busy people they often lack the time in playing their sports which is really very frustrating if you truly are a fanatic. This is the reason why internet chess is hitting web because chess enthusiasts can play in any time of a day or even at nights. Playing online chess gives the flexibility of time that the traditional chess can not provide.

Imagine the 24/7 opportunity to play your stuff? Even during a coffee break is a chance to click those keyboards and play! Really this is everything for every chess aficionados out there.

Another advantage of internet chess over the regular chess on board is that, it provides the convenience that every one is looking for. Chess fanatics really want to practice their craft at the most convenient time and place as possible. Chess enthusiasts have their time to go chess communities only during their day-off from work which is often the same day to do some household responsibilities that is why more often than not they just failed to play their favorite.

But with the advent of the internet chess, chess enthusiasts can play at their convenience. They can practice their stuff while enjoying the comforts of their houses.

Money also matters for chess enthusiasts. Going on a tournament to play or even just observe will cost you much on gas, tickets, and other fees. But playing online chess can be cheaper or sometimes it is for free! Of course this depends on the sites that you are up to.

How many games of chess can an enthusiast play in a day over a chess table in a chess community? 50? 60? These are just small numbers as compared to what the online chess is offering. A hundred or even more games a day! An impossible that becomes possible for a chess enthusiast.

But as the law of gravitation suggests, “in every action there is an equal but opposite reaction”. Meaning, advantages come hand in hand with its disadvantages.

Internet chess has its disadvantages despite its many advantages.

There are cheaters in every internet game. Using stronger players to avoid defeat is usually done online. And it is hard to tell that the one you are playing with is cheating on you because it is a very serious accusation.

If you are playing on line anything is possible to happen, like crashing down of the site or your opponent will just withdraw from the game without notice, sometimes the rules differ from the usual and of course you lack your privacy. Being online gives others the chance to have a peek on you game. With these disadvantages you just lack your momentum and can’t do anything about it.

But these disadvantages are just nothing as compared to the advantages that you can gain from the Internet Chess.

To many people, it may seem that the game of chess is nothing but a mere sport, an idle amusement or a pastime sport. However, the game of chess, which is being played since the 6th Century A.D, has much more to offer to a person than just a sport.

A broad definition of the game of chess is revisited here once again to have a better understanding of this board game.

“The game of chess is a trial of skill between two parties, in the alternate use of equal means of a specific character, for the attainment of certain ends.”

The words “trial of skill” mentioned in the definition is a clear indication that the game of chess is a fair game and there is no room for outside influence, chance, or luck in the game.

The words “in the alternate use of equal means of a special character” refers to the fact that each player is provided with equal number of similar pieces, the difference being just the color of the pieces, and each player is allowed to move the pieces only once at a time.

The goal of the game is to corner the opponent’s King and claim victory by saying Checkmate.

In order to claim victory in a game of chess, one has to display attention, concentration, analysis, planning, decision-making, patience and execution of a series of moves aimed at cornering the opponent’s King. Lack of any one of the above-mentioned qualities might result in a mistake or miscalculation and ultimately result in a loss of the game.

If we apply the same analogy to the life, some interesting similarities come to light that might help us explain the popularity of this fascinating game since the 6th century.

A small mistake, or a miscalculation, or a sudden rush of blood is all that is required to change the course of a person’s life. Many of the virtues that are needed for the game of chess are equally important in a person’s life as well. In that way, the game of chess is more related to the life and can teach invaluable virtues of concentration, patience, analysis and decision-making, which will shape the character and life of a person.

Chess is not a difficult game to learn, in the first instance. One needs to understand the relative strengths of the different types of pieces and their capabilities, as well as the basic rules governing the game. As one starts playing the game, he or she will start gaining experience and skill in the game and indirectly develop the traits of attention, concentration, patience and such other virtues.

One problem is finding a partner to play chess. Here the technology comes to the rescue. Online chess is the answer, where the barriers of time and distance are eliminated. The game of chess is so popular across the world that at any given point of time some people will always be available in the internet waiting to play the game. Even if you cannot find any one person, you can test your skills with the computer.

Playing chess online is one of the boons to the chess-loving fraternity who can use the Internet effectively to enhance their skills, make new friends, share new ideas and in the process, improve their quality of life and character.

One of the many virtues in life which every person needs to develop and master include the power of concentration.

What is concentration – in the first instance? Concentration is nothing but fixing the mind on a single thought, setting aside all other thoughts that might cross the mind. It sounds as simple it can be – is it not? However, practicing the art of concentration to perfection is not that easy, as it is perceived to be based on the definition.

It is true that each one of us is bestowed with some basic concentration skills. We concentrate when we read a book; write some letters or articles, do some work etc. If one improves upon the basic concentration skills and improves the power of concentration, then he can achieve much better results with more confidence and succeed in his endeavor.

The primary requisite for improving the power of concentration is to fix your mind on a single thought or a single object and setting aside all other things. That is, you should require a single thought or an object to focus on. Many tips and advices are provided to help one improve the concentration. The first and the foremost thing to develop the power of concentration is to pay more attention to your thoughts. One should keep a close watch on the thoughts and the feelings at all times. As control over the thoughts or the thought process increases, a person slowly starts controlling the thoughts and will be in a position to have a tight leash on the thoughts. Once the thoughts are regularized and a thought becomes a focal point, concentration is said to be on the thought and in the process the power of concentration will naturally increase as the time progresses.

One simple method that can help a person improve the power of concentration is playing chess. Chess is not just a pastime sport played in the parks by the elderly people for killing time. It is a thinking game and requires great analytical skills, attention, planning and execution from the chess players. Attention to the pieces in the board, analysis of the board and concentrating on the moves or pieces in particular and the board in general are very essential for a person to achieve success in the game of chess. As against fixing your mind on a single thought, what a person does in the game of chess is focus his attention on the chessboard and the pieces on the board.

This focus of attention and thought on the board is more interesting than merely trying to shun out all other thoughts and trying to focus on one single thought, sitting in isolation and trying to exercise control over the thought process. The power of concentration is proved to have increased among the people who regularly play chess than those who are not aware of the game of chess.

Why chess online for enhancing the power of concentration? The answer is simple. In this fast-paced world where people run between pillar to post on a daily basis in their pursuit of happiness, no two people can find time and energy to spend over a chessboard in a quite and calm place. Here forget about the professionals playing in tournaments or championships. The Internet is the ideal place to find a partner to play chess at a time convenient to you and at your own place – in front of the computer. The barriers of time and distance are literally shattered off in online chess. Making new friends and learning new ways of approach is the added advantage of online chess.

Chess is not a mere sport or an idle amusement as it is believed to be. In addition to these attributes, the game of chess has much more to offer to a person, provided he has the interest on this game. This is the reason why the board game has been rightly proclaimed as the King of Games.

Now this game has virtually gone global thanks to the technological advancement. Yes – it is true that a single person, with the help of his desktop PC, can learn, play and enrich his life by playing chess online.

What is the connection between chess and grasping qualities – one might ask. The game of chess is a fair game in the sense that the result of the game is entirely dependent on the player only and cannot bank on other outside influence such as luck or chance. Only thing that is possible is mistake from the opponent.

As such, the game calls for concentration, attention, analytical capabilities, planning, visualizing, decision-making and ultimate execution of strategies of tactics aimed at cornering the opponent’s King. The interesting part is that a player’s moves and planning process is impacted by the response from the opponent. In other words, dynamic planning is what a player requires and not mere planning.

As a player, not only one needs to look ahead for at least two or three moves, but his planning needs to be dynamic in that he should be capable of altering the planning based on opponent’s moves. In other words, the player should be well aware of the position of the pieces, their positional influence and the impact of the opponent’s moves on the planning process. He should have apply his concentration and attention on the board, the moves of the opponent as well as his plans. The onus lies on him not only to attack the opponent’s King but also safeguard and defend his own pieces.

All these aspects call for deep understanding of the position in the game and quick reaction, which are the hall marks of grasping capabilities. Not only should a player display alertness in analyzing the situation but also counter them with precise moves so that the objective is achieved.

These qualities will not only help a player achieve success over his opponent in the game, but also help the person display these skills when faced with similar situations in life.

It is a well known fact that physical exercises keeps a person’s body fit and healthy. Similarly mental exercises keeps a person him agile, sharp and intelligent. If running, swimming, or other exercises help keep your body fit, chess helps you to be mentally alert and agile. In other words, chess is the best exercise which in addition to relaxation of mind and relieving of stress also stimulates your mind and keeps you healthy.

It has been proved that people suffering from diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis or Alzhmeier can take up playing chess to keep their mind active and postpone sudden loss of memory or deterioration in their mental conditions.

Created in the 15th Century, chess is a game of strategy and skill. Opponents play on a game board made of 64 squares of alternating black and white squares. Each player is provided with 16 pieces for the chess game. The pieces contain a king, a queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops and eight pawns, and are either black or white in color. The player choosing the white chess pieces is always the one to make the first move. The object of the game is to use strategy and move your pieces around the board, taking your opponent’s pieces and making them incapable to protecting or moving their king. Once their king can no longer make a move around the board, a “Checkmate” is called and the game concludes.

Chess has become increasingly popular with many variations of the game being developed for play on PCs and the internet. If chess is a game that you play or would be interested in learning, there are many opportunities for you to play chess online.

The first thing that you need in order to play chess online is make sure that you have an internet provider. Do a search for games or chess. You will have many websites appear. Depending upon the type of games you will want to play, you may have to visit several websites before you find the one you like. Once you find a website, click on the chess tab. This will take you into a site where there will be a number of people either playing the game of chess online or waiting for someone to play with. You can choose to play chess with one of these opponents or you may opt to play against a computer player, which is an option on most of the sites.

If you are novice at chess playing online, it is a good idea for you to learn all the basics by playing with a computer player. Most of the sites let the computer offer suggestions or help you which pieces to move around the board. This will teach you the fundamentals of playing chess online. Once you have developed confidence in your chess playing, you can then move on to playing human opponents.

Should you have friends that are interested in playing chess online, you also have the capability of playing against each other. Your friend can meet you on a website and you can go into one of the little rooms that are provided to play chess online. This is a great way to keep in touch with friends that may live some distance away from you and that you don’t get to see very often. You have the opportunity to spend some time together, along with playing a challenging game, all in the comfort of your own homes.

Do you have a child in your home that is constantly playing video games on television? If you do, now is a great time to get them involved in playing chess online. Children are able to learn the moves and strategy of chess much easier than most adults are. They will also be able to play chess online against other children within the same ranking, while other children may prefer to play against opponents that have a higher ranking to see if they can “Checkmate” them.

By teaching your child how to play chess you are not only teaching them how to play a very challenging game, but you are teaching them how to concentrate and how to think ahead to future moves for themselves and those of their opponents. This will come in very handy for school-age children, especially the art of concentration.

You will never forget your child’s first “Checkmate” while playing chess online. They will absolutely glow with their victory. That is something that no parent will ever forget. In addition, you will have pride in the fact that you were the one that led them to playing chess online.

How many of us love to gamble? Quite a few, I see. If you love to make bets, you can also find ways to bet on playing chess online. For the gambling sites, you will have to register and give your credit card number. This way the money is put in a virtual account. Your opponent can place a wager also. Whoever wins the online chess game will win the pot of money that has been wagered.

One great advantage to playing chess online is the fact that you are playing in real time. This is very helpful because you know exactly how long it takes your opponent to make their move. Plus, with the addition of a timer clock, which must be stopped once a move has been made, you are able to calculate the average time it takes your opponent to make their move.

As humans, we have all loved to play games with others. It is no different with playing chess online. Most of us like to play against someone else. With the popularity of the internet, you are able to play chess online with anyone from around the world. You may learn some different techniques in play from someone in China that you can use when you play a person from Ireland. You will be amazed at how many different strategies in playing chess online, from are all over the world. By watching how these people pay, you can also add different strategies and skills to your game. This will give you additional confidence when you play other opponents online.

An important thing to remember about playing chess online is that you are there to have fun. That is the object of the other players also. Don’t think that you are going to be able to win every chess game that you play online. You won’t. There will always be someone out there that is better than you are. However, if you keep practicing, watch the way other players move their pieces, you will be able to develop your own strategy of the game. Soon, you will not be the one that is feeling intimidated, you will be the player that intimidates others. Have fun doing it though, don’t take it too seriously!

Chess is one of the fascinating board games that requires thinking on the part of the players and calls for nothing less than logical thinking and application of skills to claim victory over the opponent or not end up losing the game at the hands of the opponent.

One needs to concentrate on the game, plan his moves, analyze the board, assess the position and also foresee the opponent’s response to a move before taking a decision to move a piece. This might sound a difficult proposition, but this is the process that actually takes place, either knowingly or unknowingly, among the chess players while they make their moves. Any flaw in this process or an error in judgment is sufficient for the opponent to launch an attack that might lead to saying checkmate to your king.

It goes without saying that one needs to concentrate on the game and take appropriate decisions driven by logical thinking and careful planning.

Concentration, decision making, logical thinking, planning and execution – all these are virtues that help a lot in one’s life and character. The earlier one learns these virtues and moulds his life accordingly, the more successful he will emerge in his life.

This is one important reason that children should be encouraged to learn the game of chess and start playing the game right from the early stages of life. It would be a real fun for the children to learn the different capabilities of the knights, the rooks and the bishops.

Children will be first taught the important virtue of abiding by the rules and regulations of the game. Then comes the aspect of concentration in the game, which helps in understanding the game in a better manner.

Children will then be exposed to the quality of analyzing the board, the weak squares that can be attacked, the squares that need to be protected, the squares that need to be controlled and such other things.

Children will then be trained to plan their chess strategies and tactics. Strategy is a long-term goal while tactics involves a series of small steps leading to the success of a strategy. Then comes the role of decision-making. Having assessed the position, one needs to take a decision to make the appropriate move. All tactics and plans might not yield the desired results, because the opponent also sees the position in front of him and may come up with good defensive tactics. Reacting to the response and chalking out alternate plans or tactics also becomes a part of the game.

Children, who are capable of learning things at a relatively faster pace, can get trained with all these important traits right from their early age as they cultivate the habit of playing chess regularly.

The children need not be forced to take up and learn these traits by force or coercion. As they start playing the game, begin understanding the game, develop a sense of affinity, and love for the game, it is but natural that these qualities get into them without any external push or assistance.

These qualities help them outshine other children, gain more self-confidence and achieve success in their life.

One of the many good qualities that differentiates a child from the other children is his or her IQ or the intelligence quotient. What is this IQ and why is it important? IQ or the intelligence quotient refers to the best possible response from a child in a given situation. It has nothing in particular to do with the knowledge. However knowledgeable a student be, lack of intelligence might not lead to better results at times. Hence the importance for the IQ universally and not something like a Knowledge Quotient or a Brilliance Quotient.

How chess can help a child develop this trait of Intelligence and score a higher IQ than others?

Chess is a fair game in all aspects and as such there is no room for outside influence in the game. As a player, he should ensure that he does not commit any mistakes allowing the opponent to gain an upper hand. If one were not supposed to make any mistakes, then it becomes important that he should clearly understand the game in its entirety, assess the situation properly, and make the correct moves at the correct time.

One more thing that the game of chess demands from a player is timeliness. A player cannot be allowed to take inordinate time in taking decisions about a move. As such, the player is required not only to make the correct move, but also at a relatively lesser time so that he does not get involved in a time–trouble issue.

In that way, the game of chess demands that a player display analytical skills, planning and execution of the moves within a stipulated time so that he achieves the goal of saying checkmate to the opponent.

Encouraging children to learn Chess right from the early stages and making them learn the nuances of the game helps in learning the most important trait of analytical thinking, planning and careful execution of the same within a given period of time.

A child not only learns to think analytically and logically, when he is trained to play chess right from his childhood. He also learns yet another important virtue that will help in meeting the challenges of life – the virtue of Patience.

The game of chess requires that each player makes a move and wait for the other person to make the move before he can make his next move. That means, one has to wait for the response of the other person and then make his move taking into account the impact of the opponent’s move.

One needs to be patient and wait for the opportunities or mistake on the part of the opponent to take advantage. Children will be trained to develop this virtue of patience through the game of chess.

A child is trained to learn the virtues of patience, analytical thinking and decision making through the game of chess. These virtues will help him perform better in the examinations and outshine other children. Not only will he perform better in the studies, but also the self-confidence of the child gets a boost with success. This self-confidence is the most important virtue that is required to meet the challenges in life. So, teaching chess and encouraging children to take up chess as part of his schooling helps in making their life a very fruitful one.

Chess opening involving the e4 square is by far the most favored move among the chess players – irrespective of their level of skill in the game.

Based on white’s first move to e4, chess games can be classified into two broad categories

• 1.Open games

• 2.Semi-open games

Before dwelling further on the open games and semi-open games, let us try to understand the importance of making e4 as the first move by White.

In the game of chess, according to the classical opening principles of the game, controlling the center of the board is of paramount importance. Of all the sixty-four squares in the board, the four squares in the center of the board, especially the squares of e4, e5, d4 andd5 assume importance, as they are part of the center of the board.

The opening move of e4 by the White pawn is the preferred one among the openings, primarily for the reason that a part of the center of the board can be controlled.

Having a share in the control over the center of the board is not the only reason for opting the e4 square for the chess opening. It has other advantages as well. The white pawn placed in front of the King at e2 is moved two squares to e4. This move instantly paves way for the light-squared white bishop placed at f1 to use the diagonal f1-a6.

The White queen placed at d1 will also be opened up to use the diagonal d1-h5 as a result of the movement of the pawn at e2 to e4.

The pawn itself at e4 can have effective control over the d5 square and the f5 square.

If the black responds with a move of its king pawn to e5 square, the unfolding game is referred to as an Open Game.

In an Open Game, black opts to avail the benefits of opening up its dark-squared bishop and the Queen apart from having a share in the center of the board, and as such moves its King pawn two squares forward to e5.

Here, the Black’s dark-squared bishop stationed at f8 can be opened up to access the f8-a3 diagonal and the black queen at d8 can be opened up to use the d8-h4 diagonal. Also, the black pawn at e5 can exercise control over the d4 and f4 squares.

If black does not move its King pawn two squares forward to e5 square in response to White’s move of pawn to e4, and instead prefers to move any other piece, then the unfolding game is referred to as a Semi-Open Game.

Chess openings involving e4 that lead to an Open Game are further categorized under the following types:

• a.Spanish opening (or) Ruy Lopez opening

• b.Italian Game (or) Guioco Piano opening

• c.Evans Gambit

• d.Two Knights defense

• e.Scotch Game

• f.Four Knights game
  

• g.Petroff Defense

• h.King’s Gambit

• i.Vienna Game

• j.Philidor’s Defense

• k.Danish Gambit

Chess openings involving e4 that lead to a semi-open game are further categorized under the following types:

• a.Sicilian Defense

• b.French Defense

• c.Caro-Kann Defense

• d.Alekhine’s Defense

• e.Pirc Defense

Let us explore the various openings and their innumerable variations in a series of articles in the days to come.

Chess opening refers to a series of moves made by the players in the initial stages of the chess game that will pave way for the game to progress further involving threats, sacrifices and captures in the pursuit of gaining control over the game and saying “checkmate” to the opponent’s King.

What is the need for a series of moves in the opening stages? Can it not happen in a single move from one player over the other player? Chess is not a game of dice or any other game involving chance or luck and as such, there is no possibility of winning over the opponent in a single move. The effectiveness of the chess openings and the subsequent tactical ploys, involving effective planning and careful execution, ultimately determine the fate of the game.

In a game of chess, each player is provided with a set of sixteen pieces, and the pieces are arranged in a set order. The most important or primary piece in the game of chess is the King and it is the only piece that stays in the board right from the beginning until the end of the game. In other words, the King is the only piece that cannot be removed from the board, since the removal or capture of the King culminates in the end of the game. This King is situated in the first rank, in the case of white pieces, and in the eighth rank, in the case of black pieces. The second rank, in case of white pieces, is occupied by the white pawns, while the seventh rank, in the case of black pieces, is occupied by the black pawns. Except the Knights, no other pieces in the board, including the King, are allowed to hop over another piece or another square occupied by a piece. This makes it clear that the objective of the game of chess of saying checkmate to the opponent’s King cannot happen in a single move. The least number of moves that might be required to say checkmate to the opponent is not less than three, if not more.

The objective of the game of chess is to make the opponent commit a mistake or two that might help you to seize the opportunity and launch an attack on the opponent’s King and ultimately strive to say checkmate. The logical conclusion of a game of chess involving equal number of pieces with equal strength and capability to both the players is none other than a draw. But the mistake of one player as a result of a wrong calculation or lapse of concentration might allow the other player to say checkmate to you.

It is in this context that chess openings play a vital role. A series of moves from both the players are required before any meaningful attack on the opponent is launched convincingly. The second rank in the case of white pieces and the seventh rank in the case of black pieces provide the cover to the major pieces, the queen and the King that are stationed in the back rank. Opening up the pawns, bringing the major pieces to the center and gaining control over the vital squares are some of the features of a typical chess opening carried out in the early stages. Chess openings provide the platform for the middle game to start effectively and function efficiently in the pursuit of capturing the opponent’s pieces and claim victory on the opponent.

A player, who is about to make his first move – in this case the player opting for white pieces, is provided to choose any one move from the available 20 alternatives. But all the 20 alternatives need not provide the desired result which includes providing safety to one’s King and preparing to launch a counter attack. Only some of the 20 alternatives are effectively used for chess opening in a game.

Chess is a challenging board game that requires a lot of thinking on the part of the players. The one predominant quality of the game of chess that helped this ancient game, played since the 6th Century, survive the travails of time and technology and still fascinate people across the world to take up this game is its fairness. In other words, there is no room for chance or a hand of god or luck to win in a chess game. The only possibility that can help you achieve success in the game is through an accident – an accident that results from the mistake of the opponent.

A mistake is possible in the game of chess due to inattentiveness, lack of understanding, lack of skill, lapse of concentration, pressure of time, and other emotional disturbances. This mistake on the part of a player is the passport for success to the opponent. This signifies the importance of not making mistakes in the game of chess to ensure that the word ‘checkmate” is not uttered to you by the opponent. Irrespective of your level in the game of chess, be it a novice, or a budding chess player, or a champion, or a grandmaster, attention is very essential for success in this game. The trait of giving importance to attention and not getting distracted with other aspects, which one should display while playing chess, helps him in his life to a greater extent.

What is attention? and how one can maintain high level of attention throughout the game?
Attention is defined as nothing but concentration of cerebral activity on a certain object. This concentration is essential in the game of chess. More so, to assess the position of the pieces in the board, the threats to one’s pieces and the opportunities to attack the opponent’s pieces, and such other things. This attention has twin benefits. Not only will it help have a better understanding of the game on hand, but also, in the process helps you to gain more knowledge about the game and recall this position at a later date in a different context and might help in taking the appropriate decisions.

If one were to improvise his skills on the game of chess and elevate himself to higher levels, he should not do any mistake in the game of chess and gain more in confidence and skills. In order not to make any mistakes, he need to concentrate on the game more and pay attention to the pieces on the board, assess the position and take steps not only to avoid making mistakes but also to latch on the mistakes made by the opponent.

It may not be out of context to point out that people with serious absent-mindedness have been suggested to take up the game of chess to help them get rid of this absent-mindedness. Research has shown that playing chess helped them overcome this problem of absent-mindedness.

The role of attention in the game of chess is best summarized by one of the grandmasters of Chess N. Grekov. In his words, “Chess demands…. a prolonged, a constant concentration of attention. It is quite clear that one can well achieve a winning chess position, but then …. as a result of relaxing the tension or failing to pay attention even for a second, turn a won game to a lost one. An essential pre-condition of perfecting one’s chess is to fight this failing.”