Chess is an old yet interesting board game that anyone can play. It holds an important position among the most prominent board games even today.

Chess is not a difficult game, as it is demonstrated. But it is not as simple as checkers either. However, it does require a basic understanding of all the rules and a good amount of practice to emerge as a stronger player.

1. The History Behind Chess

The history of chess goes back to the 6th century in the northwestern region of India. The original name was ‘Chaturanga’, a precursor to modern chess typically played by two players.

Chess underwent a transformation in Persia, where many variations occurred in the game. It was transformed into a war game called Shataranj.

Shatranj had many similarities to modern chess, such as the objective of checkmating the king to win the game. Europe later adopted it, and after various modifications, it was known as the modern-day chess.

2. Misconceptions About the Game

There have been many misconceptions regarding chess. However, most of the misconceptions are from beginners who have never attempted to learn the basics.

2.1. Complicated

Many people consider chess so hard that they never attempt to learn it. The game requires patience to know all the rules, initial moves and strategies.

It may seem overwhelming initially, but you will enjoy it once you get the hold of the game.

2.2. Old Game

Chess is an old game but has not lost its charm. The unique game has been used as a medium to exercise the brain for centuries.

Children are encouraged to learn this game at a young age for their brain development.

2.3. Game for the Genius

Chess has been portrayed as the game for the genius. People believe that only if you are brilliant will you be able to learn and play the game.

But that is not the case. Anyone with the desire to learn the game can easily do it. One can surely reach higher levels through regular practice.

2.4. No Monetary Benefits

There is a misconception that chess has no monetary benefits. In fact, in national and international chess matches, handsome rewards are given to the winners.

So, there is no barrier to benefits if one wants to choose chess as a career option.

2.5. Nothing to Gain

Chess helps to improve your decision-making ability, mental alertness, memory power, and skill development in the long run. These qualities will help to transform your personality over time.

You may not realize the benefits initially, but it positively impacts the brain in the long run.

3. Is Chess Hard to Learn?

Playing chess is easy. All you need to have is patience and concentration. You might need some time to get used to the techniques and movements of pieces in chess. But once you remember them, you will excel in this game.

Compared to other board games, chess is generally considered hard for certain reasons. There are a few rules and strategies to remember when played on national or international levels. All these combined can make people feel it is a hard game.

Here are some reasons that make chess seem a hard game to play.

3.1. Movements of Pieces

In chess, the different pieces have specific movements. It is difficult to remember the particular movements of each of the pieces.

This might seem hard if you are a beginner. But with practice, you can learn the movement of different pieces.

3.2. Competitors

People playing chess at national or international levels have certain strategies. If you are lucky, you might get an opponent you already know. In this case, it will be easier to analyze their moves.

But if your opponent is unknown, it is generally difficult to develop a defensive plan. This is when people think that it is a hard game to play.

3.3. Time Limits

There are time limits fixed on international or national chess matches. This puts additional pressure on the players. They need to think fast while the clock keeps ticking.

Without any time constraints, the players could plan out various strategies. They could also understand the moves of their opponents and act accordingly.

3.4. Body Language

Body language also plays an important role in this game. Your opponent will have an advantage if you demonstrate your actions through body language. Rather, you should try to misguide your opponent through your body language.

For instance, try looking at your opponent’s chess pieces, not yours. You can misguide them to believe you are trying to attack certain pieces. Then, you can showcase your real strategies when they are caught in your trap.

3.5. Memorizing the Techniques

Memorizing the moves of the pieces is not enough when it comes to chess. It would be best if you also learned the techniques to use them. Using your techniques following the opponent’s is what matters in critical matches.

Learning the techniques and the perfect time to use them also tricks people into assuming the difficulty of this game.

3.6. Flexibility

In chess, it is necessary to adjust to different situations at the spur of the moment. Your opponent might often use strategies you have never encountered before. At such times, you need to defend yourself. Quickly adopting a defensive technique is useful.

In normal board games, one tends to repeat the same procedures. This is not the case with chess. Different circumstances arise each time, requiring quick actions. This adds to the complications of the game.

4. Expert Tips to Excel in Chess

So, you have decided to improve your chess game but don’t know how to? We have a few tips to help you sail smoothly and reach new levels in chess.

4.1. Hire a Coach

Hiring an efficient coach will help to improve your game drastically. Your coach will help you identify mistakes, introduce new strategies and chess moves, and simplify complex rules. Your coach can also give you practical exposure to a real tournament.

With two beginner players playing with each other, finding the mistakes and solutions will be difficult.

4.2. Chess Notation

Chess notation refers to recording the movements of your and your opponent’s pieces. You can always refer back to it during practice sessions.

One should also learn how to jot down the movements of the chess pieces quickly.

4.3. Read Books

There are various chess books available. Some chess books emphasize legal moves, some on middle game, and some on end moves.

One can read a few books to understand the game’s rules and develop a winning strategy. However, the examples in the chess books will mostly be theoretical. Hence, they will hardly occur in practical life. These examples will show you how to develop strategies while playing in real life.

4.4. Chess Videos

There are many chess-learning videos on YouTube. While watching these, you can pause the video at a difficult phase and try to guess the next move. Then, repeat the chess video to check whether your move was correct.

These videos will help you identify your mistakes and improve your game.

4.5. Avoid Playing Too Many Chess Games

Playing chess repeatedly without any learning will not help in improving your game. Most beginners should aim to play a few chess games a day.

As a beginner, you should try to develop any new winning strategy you have learned from advanced players. This will also help you avoid getting frustrated and assist you in climbing up to higher levels in chess.

4.6. Value Your Pawns

Many initial-level players believe that the ultimate purpose of pawns is to sacrifice themselves.

But the number of pawns you have at the end can determine the result. The one with the majority of pawns is at an advantage. Pawns offer security to higher-level players like the king, queen, and bishops.

Also, passed pawns can get promoted to another strong piece, like a queen. Take advantage of that. One should abstain from letting one die freely at your opponent’s hands. Rather, try to discard the maximum pieces of your opponents.

4.7. Opening Moves

One should refrain from focusing too much on the opening move. In the initial stage, concentrate on your basics and learn strategies or techniques to improve your game. Once you are used to that, you can then go ahead and learn various opening moves.

The majority of chess experts don’t know the perfect opening move. Therefore, emphasizing the same is a waste of time.

4.8. Checkmate

One should never be in a hurry to checkmate the opponent’s king. Checkmating your opponent’s king should be avoided with a single move. It should be done by following a pattern of actions.

Also, protect your chess pieces from attacks by opponents’ pieces.

4.9. Practicing with Computers or Players

Chess requires a lot of practice to gain mastery over it. The computer can be your friend and provide exposure to various strategies and techniques.

Sometimes, if you unknowingly make an illegal move, the computer can make you mindful of that. However, it can get monotonous with time. Also, similar situations rarely occur in real matches.

Playing with advanced players can make you aware of new rules, introduce new strategies, and gain practical knowledge. This will help to attain quick success.

Wrapping Up

Chess is a game that requires a lot of patience, practice, dedication, and hard work. With time, you can reach new milestones in your game.

To summarise, one should concentrate on the basics and learn new strategies after analyzing your game. Following these methodologies, you can surely reach your goals in this field.

Last Updated on February 6, 2024 by Ananya Sreen