Month: March 2020

I Hate Chess

My entire Chess Blog has been leading up to this riveting conclusion: I don’t like Chess and I don’t want to learn more about chess. It sounds counterintuitive; tell people I love chess and teach them to play, just when they’re excited to learn for themselves explain everything you hate about chess. And yet as if the title wasn’t confusing enough, take a look at this Rubik’s Cube of chess pieces! There is a reason, I promise.

(Image made by Michael Magnotti)

Before I start with my comparison, it might help to know where the cube came from. I don’t mean to sound pretentious or braggy, but I taught myself to solve a Rubik’s cube. Anyone that can read algorithms (pattern of moves) can solve the cube, which is why I don’t think it’s impressive to be able to solve it. The people that hold records for the fastest solving time accomplish it by creating their own algorithms. For example, one of the algorithms I know uses 9 moves to complete; however, a new algorithm was found that uses 11 moves but it is faster because of how easily a human hand can move the cube.

I often compare Chess to a Rubik’s Cube in order to explain this metaphor. As mentioned in previous posts, there are some famous games that are studied, and famous moves that are repeated. Similar to the algorithms of a Rubik’s Cube, Chess has openings and mating nets (an algorithm of which pieces to move and where). Here are some examples:

(Figure 1: Queens Gambit Opening)

(Figure 2: Anastasia’s Mating Net)

As you can see, there are specific patterns that one can use given the opportunity. You don’t need to worry about having spacial awareness (similar to a Rubik’s Cube), you only need to be able to recognize the positions and apply the correct pattern.

I wasn’t aware of this until I had a conversation with some people from a local chess club. One of the members beat me every time, destroyed me. I couldn’t figure out how to fight him better yet try to win! I asked a friend of his why he was beating me and his friend told me “he uses the London System. It’s hard to beat unless you use a [insert superior algorithm here]”. He didn’t tell me what I was doing wrong, he told me I was using the wrong patterns.

Maybe this fact rips away the romantic view of Chess that I want to maintain, maybe I don’t like thinking I can lose because I don’t know the algorithm. Either way, I don’t want to think of Chess as a game of memorization, I want to think of it as a game of wit. To bring back the metaphor, do you remember how the fastest solvers got to that level? They came up with new algorithms to help them. The greatest players in the game got there, not because they remembered the patterns, but because they found a way to beat the ones they were faced with.

Of course, these new moves became patterns, but it happened because the player was smart enough to find a weakness and attack it. That’s what I want Chess to be, and why I don’t like how chess is taught now.  In my opinion, Chess shouldn’t be a game anyone can win if they know how to read an opening or mating net. Chess should be a game anyone can win if they take the time to learn the board and hone their spatial awareness to recognize the better move, not the better pattern.

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Remember to Say It With Your Chess!

– Michael Magnotti

Part-time writer, Michael Magnotti, thrives on leading passionate people to see the world in different ways. Although Michael writes about very different topics, he uses them all as an easy-to-read guide for seeing what you didn’t know was there!

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Resources:

1. Queen’s Gambit – Simplifyingchess.com

2. Mating Patterns #5: Anastasia’s Mate Part1 – Chess.com

So Close, You Can Taste It: Skewers, Forks, And More!

Albeit the title is a little misleading, no food will be given out after reading this blog but it will cover chess strategies such as skewers, forks, and more! These strategies help to gain material (opponent pieces) and improve a player’s position. Before one can utilize these strategies, he or she must put their pieces in a place to do that. By the end of this post, readers will be able to start playing and start playing well!

(“Chess Skewer” made by Michael Magnotti)

Previous blogs mentioned some famous games and explained how each piece moves, but what’s the point? Where do you move them to? What pieces do you move? It all boils down to one idea; development. Developing pieces means to navigate the board and maximize the potential of each piece. The main goal of developing is to control the center of the board, where there are more opportunities to attack.

Fortunately, some pieces like the pawns can move many spaces forward at a time, making it easier to get to reach the center before your opponent. After control of the center has been taken, pieces can start to capture or take the opponent’s pieces. If you remember anything from this blog, remember this: The number one rule when developing your pieces is to never move a piece twice. If you continue to develop multiple pieces, you can gain better control than if you move one piece again and again. The more pieces you have to work with the better off you will be! Chess is not won by trading material but by forcing the opponent to make choices. Luckily, many different strategies exist to aid us in our fight.

First and foremost, the skewer or pin; they both describe the same strategy of being able to attack a piece if the piece in front of it moves. This strategy literally pins the material for fear of losing a more or less valuable piece. In this example, the King is in check and therefor must move out of the way, allowing the Rook to take the Queen.  Queens, Bishops, and Rooks can execute skewers or pins.

We also have the fork or double attack. It attacks two pieces at once, forcing the opponent to make a decision of which piece to lose and where to move the other.

Although a very stylistic image, the Knight demonstrates a fork by being able to attack both the King and the Queen. Specifically, a fork where the King is put in check adds quite a bit of pressure to the opponent as they have no choice but to move the King to safety, losing the other piece. Forks can even be executed pawns, as they are able to attack from both of their diagonals. Forks are a great strategy and usually easier to recognize for beginning players.

Start playing and playing with purpose by making it a goal to maintain control of the center, or at least try. If you can’t, then develop your pieces in a different way and attempt to set yourself up for some attacks like a fork or a skewer. Putting all of this together, your chess game will improve tenfold (if you haven’t learned how to play yet).

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Remember to Say It With Your Chess!

– Michael Magnotti

Part-time writer, Michael Magnotti, thrives on leading passionate people to see the world in different ways. Although Michael writes about very different topics, he uses them all as an easy-to-read guide for seeing what you didn’t know was there!

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Special Thank You:

I would like to thank YouTuber Tarun Kanyamarala for an example of a skewer. I am unsure if he makes money off of ads, but I am not sponsored by or affiliated with him in any way.

Right, But How Do You Play?

Unfortunately, people don’t want to learn a game that they think is outside of their wheelhouse or if it will take a while to learn. Chess is one of those games that if you’re not already interested, few people can change your mind. I know, because I was the same way. I learned to play because I wanted to be part of it, I wanted to feel the competition. I found a passion for it, not because it is an intellect’s game, but because it can be anyone’s game.

(Chess Basics: Lesson For Kids)

Some of you may be here because you want to be, some may be here because you have to be. Either way, you’re here! While I have you, I want to teach you to play Chess by showing you why I fell in love with it, not by reciting the rulebook.

For some terminology, the object of the game is to put your opponent’s King in danger (called check). If you continue this and trap the opponent’s King so he cannot move without putting himself in danger, you have won (known as checkmate). You can do this with your different pieces. There are 6 pieces to cover: The Pawn, Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen, and King. (If my descriptions are confusing, reference the diagram above to see how the pieces move).

 

The Pawn is a very interesting piece, because of how broad its move set it. In general, they only move forward one space at a time. However, they can choose to move two spaces forward on their first move of the game (which can be done for all 8 pawns on the board).  Moving two spaces can speed up the game and make for some tricky maneuvers. In Chess, you take the other player’s piece rather than hopping over it like in checkers. The pawn ‘attacks’ on a diagonal, while most pieces attack based off of how they move forward. Also, If given the chance for a pawn to move from one end of the board all the way to the other, it can become any piece it wants (including her majesty the Queen).

 

Besides the Pawn, the Knight is the only other piece that can change the way it moves. A Knight is restricted to galloping in an L shaped pattern. It moves two spaces forward and one space to the left or the right (creating an L). Because the Knight is on horseback, it is also the only piece that can hop over other pieces. I personally enjoy using the knight, because they can be very unexpected and always throws the opponent off guard. You don’t have to use this trick, but when I play my Knight I always remind myself that “The Horsies Raid The Castle”.

 

The next piece is the righteous and holy Bishop. The bishop only moves diagonally but can move as far as they want. Each player has two bishops, one for each colored square. Therefore, Bishops can be very long-ranged players, which allows them to execute attacks such as pins or forks (I will explain those in a later blog). Beware though, the bishop’s cemetery has a casket with your king’s name on it.

 

The Rook is a very intriguing player. Speculation claims in the early versions of the game, the Rook resembled a chariot: heavily armored, equipped with a long-range passenger such as an archer. It makes sense, then, the Rook is a long-range piece that moves horizontally or vertically as far as they please. Each player has two Rooks, one on each side of the board. The Rook can also execute pins but don’t ask it to sew anything, it might prick you when you least expect it.

 

All rise for her majesty, The Queen; she definitely wears the pants in this relationship. The Queen can move any way she wants, vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Not only that, but she can also move as far as she wants in any of these directions. She still can’t hop over pieces, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t capable of jumping your king.

 

Alas, we arrive at The King. He can only move one square at a time but in any direction. As I said before, the objective of each player is to attack the King so he cannot move. This happens because the King is not allowed to put himself in danger, which can make it especially difficult to move himself out of it. Even though he has the ability to execute forks, don’t let his short range fool you, he can still cut like a knife.

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Remember to Say It With Your Chess!

– Michael Magnotti

Part-time writer, Michael Magnotti, thrives on leading passionate people to see the world in different ways. Although Michael writes about very different topics, he uses them all as an easy-to-read guide for seeing what you didn’t know was there!

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Special Thank You:

I would like to thank VectorStock for allowing the use of their royalty-free content. I am not sure if they make money off of ads, but I am not sponsored by or affiliated with them in any way.