Chess skill comes naturally to a few, but most of us must practice a lot. Play a few games, and seek to understand the purpose of every move. Identify the key errors in each completed game, and avoid repeating those errors again.
Play through classic games, such as those you'll find in The World's Greatest Chess Games by Graham Burgess, John Nunn, and John Emms.
Learn the fundamental checkmate patterns and tactcal motifs (pins, forks, skewers, decoys, etc.).
Originally posted by Trains44The position below is from Pillsbury-Lasker 1895. It is black's move.
Someone tell me what the hell a "decoy" is in chess, and how it is played?
Lasker played 29...b5+. This move forced the king to capture the offending pawn, which drew the king to a vulnerable square and a mating net.
A decoy is a sacrifice that pulls a piece to a vulnerable square, or removes a key defender.
Originally posted by WulebgrI don't know what the actual answer is but I would play Rh4 as black. If Rxg6, Rxh1+ wins a minor and you get the rooks traded off with an extra knight. If the queen moves anywhere you can just take the rook with check and way up in material.
Black to move (Aaron-Gligoric 1962)
[fen]7k/1pp4p/3p2q1/p1nPp3/2P1Pr2/8/PPB5/1K4RQ b - - 0 1[/fen]
Gligoric won material by using a decoy offer (rook trade) that led to a checkmate, then exchanging queens to decoy the white rook off the back rank and win the bishop.
Originally posted by GalaxyShield1...Rh4 2.Qg2 Qxg2 3.Rxg2 Rh1+ won the bishop
I don't know what the actual answer is but I would play Rh4 as black. If Rxg6, Rxh1+ wins a minor and you get the rooks traded off with an extra knight. If the queen moves anywhere you can just take the rook with check and way up in material.
hey, maybe you should try scholars mate but instead of taking the queen all the way, stop it in front of the pawn in front of the bishop.
I win many primary school chess competitions that way, one who was said to be the faviroute but, he was taken out in 58 seconds! he he eh, i always knew i am the best chess player in my school!
Originally posted by eddoreanScholar's Mate is easily refuted. As a scholastic chess coach, I see it often. I see it attempted, and I see it succeed. It does not work against the players that I coach, and they rarely try it. At the last scholastic tournament, a kid from another school asked to play a game with me between rounds. He tried Scholar's Mate. That game began something along the lines of
hey, maybe you should try scholars mate but instead of taking the queen all the way, stop it in front of the pawn in front of the bishop.
I win many primary school chess competitions that way, one who was said to be the faviroute but, he was taken out in 58 seconds! he he eh, i always knew i am the best chess player in my school!
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2006.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Scholar"]
[Black "Experienced Player"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "C20"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "2006.??.??"]
1. e4 e5 2. Qf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. g4 d5 5. exd5 Bxg4 6. Qg3 Nd4 *
Black already has a substantial advantage.