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How To Learn Chess Openings

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In chess, the opening refers to the first few moves of the game, when players are establishing their pawn structure and positioning their pieces. The choice of opening can have a significant impact on the course of the game, as it sets the stage for the rest of the position. It’s important to learn chess … Read more

Who Goes First In Chess: White Or Black?

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Once you have learned how to set up a chess board, how all the chess pieces move, and when the game finishes, it’s time to start your first game! The only question left is who starts moving first? In chess, the light-colored pieces always go first. So if you have a chess set with black … Read more

How Many Points Is Each Chess Piece Worth?

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When you want to assess who is winning a game of chess, just counting the number of pieces doesn’t work There are 6 different chess pieces and some of them are (a lot) stronger than others. To help you determine who is winning in a position or whether you should trade certain pieces, you can … Read more

What Is A Stalemate In Chess?

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There are several ways that a game of chess can end. A stalemate is one of them that doesn’t occur super often, but is important to know. A stalemate can help the losing player secure a draw, or may result in the winning player losing any advantage. Knowing what a stalemate is will help you … Read more

How To Get A FIDE Rating In 4 Simple Steps

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FIDE is the international chess organization that is in charge of organizing all the important international tournaments and keeping track of the FIDE ratings. If you have been playing chess at a local club, you probably already have a national chess rating. However, since the rating system varies from country to country, the FIDE ratings … Read more

Chess Imbalances: The Secret To Forming Winning Plans

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Many players have a difficult time finding the right plan in the middlegame, because there are so many moves to choose from. To form a good plan, you should identify and consider all the imbalances in the position. In his book “How to Reassess your Chess“, Jeremy Silman introduced 7 important chess imbalances that you … Read more

Playing As Black In Chess

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You can’t play the white pieces every single chess game. For every game you play as white, you’ll have to play a game as black. Although this might seem like only a tiny difference at first glance, playing as black actually changes everything. Is playing black a disadvantage? If you play with the white pieces, … Read more

The Double Fianchetto Opening: Good or Garbage?

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In many modern chess openings you’ll fianchetto one of your bishops. But the double fianchetto opening is actually pretty rare. But if one fianchetto is good, why aren’t two fianchettos even better? Let’s take a closer look at the double fianchetto opening and see if it’s a good opening choice or not. Double fianchetto system … Read more

The Bishop Fianchetto: What, Why, and When?

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You might have come across the word “fianchetto” while reading a chess book or listening to chess commentary. A fianchetto refers to a specific way of developing your bishops. And although you might not be familiar with the word, you probably came across a fianchettoed bishop during one of your games already. Let’s go over … Read more