Chess is an easy game to learn, but difficult to master. Strategy is an important part of most mind games like chess. I love chess and I’d like to share it with all of you. By sharing my interest I hope to generate more chess lovers who can grasp the basics, slowly but surely develop interest and finally grow into a master. So get out your chess boards & pieces and follow me to the land of war.
A chess board consists of a total of 64 squares with alternating black & white squares. Two people play a game of chess against each other. There are two sides in a game of chess, a set of 16 white pieces and a set of 16 black pieces. These pieces include a King, a Queen, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights who are also called Horses, 2 Rooks who are also called Elephants and 8 Pawns who are also called Soldiers. Minor pieces are the pawns or soldiers while all others are Major pieces, which will always feature in the line behind the Pawns.
AIM OF THE GAME: Basically, the aim of the game is to capture or kill the opponents King!
Winning involves thought, foresight, strategy (plan) and tactics.
In any chess game, there are 3 main stages:
1. The Opening
2. The Middle-Game
3. The Ending
There is no clear demarcation between the 3 stages of the chess game.
In the opening, each opponent tries to maneuver (move) their pieces to fortify their King (to defend the King) and to get in strategic attacking and counter attacking positions. Over the years, many chess Grandmasters have perfected the art of the opening. Some famous attacking openings include: The King Gambit, The English Opening, The Queens Opening and The 2 Knights Game. Some famous defensive openings include: The Sicilian Defence, The Old Indian Defence and The French Defence.
In the opening & the middle-game, each opponent tries to gain control and superiority over the 4 center squares. The focus always remains the same: gain strength, initiative and power by weakening the opponent in a bid to capture or kill their King.
The end game is generally the latter-half of the game where each one goes for “THE FINAL KILL”. In a game that is fairly balanced, even the slightest mis-calculation or mistake could cost you the entire game.
Of Course, like any game, the game of chess involves a set of rules and special moves, notations to record the moves and timers to ensure that a set of moves are made within the allotted time-frames.
So, for those of you who would like to “Battle without Blood-Shed” and Test your mental capabilities over your friends, try chess, you might find it interesting and challenging. I am hoping you would come to love it the way I do!