Chess is a game of strategy, and one of the most important concepts in this game is the control of the centre. This post will break down what this means, why it’s important, and how you can apply it to your own games.

What is the Centre in Chess?

The centre in chess refers to the four central squares of the chessboard: d4, d5, e4, and e5. This area is strategically important because it is the most accessible area from all parts of the board.

What Does it Mean to Control the Centre?

Controlling the centre means placing your pieces (or pawns) on or around these central squares, or orienting your pieces so that they influence these squares.

Pieces That Control the Centre May Not Be Within the Centre Squares

Interestingly, a piece doesn’t necessarily have to be in the central squares to control the centre. For example, a knight on f3 or a bishop on c4 can also exert control over the center by attacking or influencing the central squares.

Why is Controlling the Centre in a Game of Chess Important?

There are several reasons why controlling the centre is crucial:

1. Mobility: The central squares provide the best access to the entire chessboard, allowing your pieces to reach any part of the board relatively quickly.
2. Space: Controlling the center usually means you control more space, restricting your opponent’s pieces and providing more mobility for your own pieces.
3. Attack and Defense: With control of the center, you can easily launch attacks on either the king’s or queen’s side, while also making it harder for your opponent to launch a successful attack against you.

How to Establish Control of the Centre in Chess?

Here are some strategies to control the centre in your games:

Move Your Pieces Towards the Centre

One of the basic principles of the chess opening is to develop your pieces to squares where they control or influence the center. Knights are typically developed to f3 and c3 (or f6 and c6 for black), while bishops are often developed to squares where they can influence the center.

Fight for Space in the Centre

This can be achieved by advancing your central pawns to the 4th or 5th rank, which can help to control the centre and provide more space for your pieces to maneuver.

Neutralize Enemy Pieces That Control the Centre

If your opponent has a piece controlling the centre, you can challenge it with one of your own pieces. This often involves a pawn advance or a piece attack.

Chase Enemy Pieces Out of the Centre

You can chase enemy pieces away from the centre by attacking them with your pawns or other pieces. This strategy is particularly useful against knights, which are often less powerful when pushed to the sides of the board.

Exchange a Flank Pawn for a Central Pawn

In certain cases, you might be able to exchange a pawn on the b or g file for one of your opponent’s central pawns. This can help you gain control over the center.

Expanding Center Control Beyond Central Squares

Although the four central squares are the most important, control of the centre can and should be expanded beyond these squares. You can do this by occupying or controlling additional squares with your pieces and pawns, particularly those in the 3rd and 4th ranks (for black, the 5th and 6th ranks).

Summary

Mastering the control of the centre is a fundamental aspect of chess strategy. As you continue to play and improve, remember the importance of these strategies and apply them in your games. The ability to control the centre will provide you with greater flexibility in your strategies, more potential for tactical play, and a significant advantage over your opponents.

The opening of a chess game is a critical phase. It sets the tone for the rest of the game, and a good opening can give you a significant advantage. This post will explore 25 of the best chess openings for beginners, explaining what they are and why they are beneficial.

1. King’s Pawn Opening

This opening, also known as the “e4 opening,” is the most popular opening move in chess. It allows for quick development of the queen and bishop and lays the groundwork for castling on the king’s side.

2. Sicilian Defense

In response to the King’s Pawn Opening, the Sicilian Defense (1.e4 c5) is a powerful defensive strategy that aims to control the center with pawns and prepare for a counterattack.

3. French Defense

The French Defense (1.e4 e6) is a solid and somewhat passive opening that focuses on building a strong pawn structure. It’s best for players who like to counterattack in the midgame.

4. Caro-Kann Defense

Caro-Kann Defense (1.e4 c6) aims for a solid pawn structure. It’s a bit more flexible than the French Defense and offers several lines that lead to various types of positions, giving players plenty of strategic options.

5. Ruy Lopez

Ruy Lopez is an aggressive opening that directly targets the knight that is defending the e5 pawn. This opening aims for quick development and control of the center, often leading to a very tactical game.

6. Italian Game

The Italian Game begins with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. The main idea is to control the center quickly with your knight and bishop and then castle to safety.

7. Queen’s Pawn Opening

Queen’s Pawn Opening (1.d4) focuses less on early king safety and more on controlling the center of the board. It’s a versatile opening that can lead to many different types of game positions.

8. King’s Indian Defense

In the King’s Indian Defense, black lets white control the center with pawns, while developing the knight and bishop and preparing to undermine white’s center control.

9. Nimzo-Indian Defense

The Nimzo-Indian Defense begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4. Black aims to control the e4 square and encourages white to create weaknesses that black can attack later.

10. Queen’s Gambit Declined

Queen’s Gambit Declined is a very solid opening that aims to control the center and give black the potential to launch a counterattack.

11. English Opening

The English Opening is a flexible and strong choice that focuses on controlling the center with pawns. It often transposes into other openings, such as the Queen’s Gambit Declined.

12. Scandinavian Defense

Scandinavian Defense begins with 1.e4 d5, immediately challenging white’s control of the center. After white captures the pawn, black can recapture it with the queen.

13. Pirc Defense

Pirc Defense allows white to establish a large pawn center. Black then aims to challenge this center with pawn moves and piece pressure.

14. Slav Defense

The Slav Defense is a solid opening that allows black to maintain the integrity of its pawn structure while developing its minor pieces.

15. London System

The London System is a safe and solid opening, where white aims to control the center with pawns and avoid any tactical complications.

16. King’s Indian Attack

King’s Indian Attack is a highly aggressive opening system, often used against the French Defense. It’s flexible and allows for many different lines of play.

17. Grunfeld Defense

Grunfeld Defense is a hypermodern opening where black allows white to build a big pawn center and then aims to undermine it using tactical piece play.

18. Alekhine’s Defense

Alekhine’s Defense is a provocative opening where black tempts white to overextend their pawn structure early in the game.

19. Modern Defense

Modern Defense focuses on allowing white to control the center while preparing for a counterattack. It often leads to asymmetrical and dynamic positions.

20. Dutch Defense

Dutch Defense is a hypermodern opening that can lead to very sharp play. The main focus is to control the e4 square without committing the pawn to e6.

21. Benoni Defense

Benoni Defense is a risky opening that often leads to sharp and highly tactical positions. The main aim is to disrupt white’s control of the center and push for a queenside majority.

22. Nimzowitsch Defense

Nimzowitsch Defense is a less common but still viable hypermodern opening that focuses on control of the center with pieces rather than pawns.

23. Hungarian Defense

Hungarian Defense is a solid but somewhat passive opening that emphasizes development and king safety over immediate confrontation.

24. Scandinavian Gambit

Scandinavian Gambit starts as the Scandinavian Defense, but instead of recapturing the pawn immediately, black develops a knight to increase piece activity at the cost of a pawn.

25. King’s Gambit

Finally, the King’s Gambit is an aggressive opening that sacrifices a pawn early in the game for rapid development and an attack on the black’s position.

Summary

These are some of the best chess openings for beginners. However, the key to a successful opening is understanding the principles that underlie it: control of the center, rapid development, and safety of the king. Remember, the best opening is the one that suits your style of play and that you understand well.

Chess is a complex game that requires strategizing, critical thinking, and sometimes, note-taking. One of the most vital aspects of learning and advancing in chess is understanding chess notation. Chess notation is a way to record games, analyze moves, and share your strategies with others.

What is Chess Notation Used For?

Chess notation is a system used to record chess games. It allows players to review their games, study openings, analyze positions, and learn from the games of others. Each move is written down, and special symbols are used to note specific types of moves or events in the game.

What is the Algebraic Notation in Chess?

Algebraic notation is the most common method for recording chess games. It’s the standard used by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and is employed in most modern chess books and periodicals.

In algebraic notation, each square is identified by a unique coordinate pairing – a letter (a-h) and a number (1-8). The letter represents the file (column) and the number represents the rank (row). For example, the bottom left square from white’s perspective is “a1,” while the top right square is “h8.”

Each piece is represented by a letter: “K” for king, “Q” for queen, “R” for rook, “B” for bishop, and “N” for knight. Pawns are not given a letter. For example, if the queen moves to the “d4” square, it’s written as “Qd4.”

How to Correctly Write a Chess Record?

A chess game record consists of a series of turns, with each turn consisting of one move by white and one by black. The turn number is usually written followed by a period, and then the moves. For example, “1.e4 e5” means it’s the first turn, white moved a pawn to “e4” and black moved a pawn to “e5.”

Examples of Special Symbols in Chess Notations

Chess notation includes special symbols to denote particular types of moves:

• “x” denotes a capture. For example, “Nxe5” means a knight captured the piece on “e5.”
• “+” indicates a check, while “#” signifies a checkmate.
• “0-0” denotes kingside castling, and “0-0-0” queenside castling.
• “e.p.” is written next to a move to indicate an “en passant” capture.

How to Avoid Ambiguity when Recording a Chess Game?

There can be situations where two identical pieces can move to the same square. In such cases, the notation includes the file or rank of the originating square of the piece to remove ambiguity. For example, if two rooks can move to “d4”, but the rook on the “a” file is chosen, the move would be written as “Rad4.”

What is the Descriptive Notation in Chess?

Descriptive notation is an older form of chess notation, and it’s less commonly used today. It’s more complex and less standard than algebraic notation. In this system, each piece is identified by a letter, just like in algebraic notation. However, each square has a name based on the piece originally occupying it, and it has different names depending on whether it’s from white or black’s perspective.

For example, the “e5” square in algebraic notation is “King’s 5” (K5) for white and “King’s 4” (K4) for black.

Other Notation Types that can be used to record a Chess Game

Other than Algebraic and Descriptive notations, the third common form is the Computer notation, also known as Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN). It describes a particular board position. It’s helpful for setting up specific positions on a board to study or to continue a game later.

Summary

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, understanding and using chess notation is an invaluable skill. It enables you to record your games for future analysis, study historic games, share your games with others, and improve your overall chess strategy. It may seem daunting at first, but with a bit of practice, it will become second nature.

Before the strategic battles of chess can begin, you need to set up the battlefield. While setting up a chessboard might seem straightforward, getting the orientation and the arrangement of the pieces right is crucial. This guide will help you place each piece correctly and understand the basics of starting a game.

What is the Correct Orientation of a Chessboard?

A chessboard consists of 64 squares in an 8×8 grid. The squares alternate between two colors, commonly referred to as “light” and “dark.”

The board should be oriented so that each player has a light square in the right-hand corner of their side of the board. This is sometimes remembered with the phrase “white on the right.” If this condition is met, then the board is correctly oriented.

Where to Place the Pawns on a Chessboard?

Once your board is correctly oriented, it’s time to set up your pieces. Pawns form the front line in a game of chess. Place all 8 pawns on the second row (or rank) of each player’s side.

Where to Place the Castles on a Chessboard?

In chess, the ‘castle’ refers to the rook. Place the rooks in the corners of the board, on the first rank of each player’s side.

Where to Place the Knights on a Chessboard?

The knights take their position next to the rooks. These are the pieces that look like horses and they are placed on the squares immediately inside of the rooks.

Where to Place the Bishops on a Chessboard?

Bishops find their home on the board next to the knights. On each player’s side, one bishop will start on a light square, and the other will start on a dark square.

Where to Place the Queen and the King on a Chessboard?

The two remaining squares in the first rank are for the king and queen. The queen is placed on the remaining square of her color (white queen on a light square, black queen on a dark square), and the king occupies the final vacant square.

Which Player in a Game of Chess Plays First?

In chess, the player with the white pieces always goes first. After the white player moves, play alternates between the players for the rest of the game.

Summary and Tips for Beginners

Congratulations! You’ve now learned how to properly set up a chess board. Here are a few additional tips:

• Always remember “Queen on her color.” It’s an easy way to remember where to place the king and queen.
• The knights are placed next to the rooks and the bishops are next to the knights. This ‘rank’ order can help you remember the positioning of your pieces.
• And finally, don’t forget the rule “white on the right” to correctly orient your chess board.

With these instructions and tips, you’re now ready to start your game. Happy playing!

In chess, understanding the relative value of each piece is vital to planning strategy and making sound decisions. The value of each chess piece is generally assigned based on their movement capabilities and role in the game. Let’s delve into the subject.

What are Chess Piece Values?

Each chess piece has a unique set of movements, and these abilities translate into a standard point value. Here’s a brief summary:

• Pawn: Generally valued at 1 point.
• Knight: Worth approximately 3 points.
• Bishop: Also worth 3 points. However, having a pair of bishops can be particularly potent, slightly increasing their collective worth.
• Rook: Rooks are valued at 5 points.
• Queen: The queen, being the most powerful piece, is valued at 9 points.
• King: Although the King is technically invaluable (since losing the king means losing the game), it is often given a nominal value of infinity for strategic purposes.

These values provide a starting point for assessing material balance in a game. But it’s important to remember that these are not hard and fast rules. The effective value of a piece can vary significantly depending on the position on the board and the state of play.

Factors that can Increase the Value of a Piece?

Several factors can increase the effective value of a piece:

• Piece Activity: An active piece, positioned to influence multiple areas of the board or participate in an attack, increases in value.

• Control Over Key Squares: Pieces controlling key squares, especially the center squares, gain in value.

• Coordination: Pieces that work well with others, such as a pair of bishops or a rook on an open file, often have more value than their individual point values would suggest.

Factors that can Reduce the Value of a Piece?

Similarly, certain factors can reduce the effective value of a piece:

• Piece Placement: A piece that’s poorly placed or trapped by other pieces (friend or foe) can see its value reduced.

• King Safety: If having a certain piece in play significantly jeopardizes your king’s safety, its effective value could be considered lower.

• Pawn Structure: Pieces can lose their value if the pawn structure hampers their mobility or activity.

How to Gain a Material Advantage in a Chess Game?

A material advantage is when a player has captured more of the opponent’s pieces (in terms of point value) than they have lost. Some tips to gain a material advantage include:

• Exchanges: If you can exchange a lower value piece for a higher value piece (e.g., exchanging a knight for a rook), you gain a material advantage.

• Tactics: Tactical themes like forks, pins, and skewers can often lead to winning material.

• Strategic Planning: Plan your moves and strategy by considering piece values.

• Avoid Unnecessary Exchanges: If you have a material advantage, avoid unnecessary exchanges. Keep your more valuable pieces.

Conclusion

Chess piece values are a helpful guide, particularly for beginners learning the game. They provide a simple way to evaluate whether an exchange of pieces is advantageous. However, keep in mind that these are guidelines, not strict rules. As you grow more comfortable with chess and improve your strategy, you’ll start to see how the situational context can shift these values considerably. Remember, the goal is not just to gain material but to checkmate the opponent’s king. Keep practicing, and happy gaming!