The most important Chess tip to improve your game!
Chess is a complex game and and in order to understand complex subjects we need to break them down into their parts and focus on them in isolation. Chess consists of various phases:
- Chess Opening: This is the stage where the chess players deploy their pieces and make their king safe before undertaking any risky action
Notice how the white side has developed their “king side pieces” harmoniously and has castled their king. Black has mimicked white’s moves but since white starts first they will initiate the action.
2. Middle Game: Now that you have deployed your pieces you must decide on what target/s to attack and how to mobilize all your pieces to break the enemy structure
The pieces have been deployed and the white side notices that Black’s Bishop is “offside” and Black’s center is shattered and weak. White takes advantage of this by creating a double attack against the bishop and the pawn.
3. Endgame: Once you make contact with your enemy’s forces and start trading pawns and pieces you reach a stage where you need to convert your advantage into a winning ending
Notice how many pieces have been traded and white has 3 extra pawns and one is very close to queening. All White has to do is bring the King to the b7 square, capture the pawn and attack the rook thereby dislodging it from the queening square. White will then promote that pawn thereby forcing the rook to give itself up for the new queen and white would win easily.
A common theme across these phases is “controlling the center”. Notice that in each of the diagrams the side with an advantage is dominating in the center of the board. They have better control of the 4 central squares.
These are the key central squares that must be fought for during all phases of the game. The side with better control over the center has the upper hand.
If there was only one chess tip you were allowed to use it would be “Control the Center”. Even on a battlefield, to maneuver to different parts, there are critical spaces that either side fights for to gain the upper hand. Chess is a battle strategy game, and the key terrain is the 4 central squares highlight above.
