How to always win at chess

You may have wondered after losing a game of chess with your thirteen-year-old daughter: “She always beats me, how can I always win at chess?” In reality, no one can guarantee that you can do just that. But there are some things you can and should not do. These things are sincere, although they should be obvious. Do not face a Grandmaster if you are a new player, unless you have an IQ of 200 or higher. Don’t play if you are intoxicated. Don’t play if you are distracted. Don’t play if your opponent wears a shirt that says something like “I live, eat and breathe chess.” Don’t gamble if you are a “weak” player. Do not play if you suspect that your opponent may cheat (especially if there is a bet in the game).

Things you should do include read about the game. You may want to read one of those books with a title like “Chess for Dumb People”, but leave it. You’ll find that those may have a lot of non-chess-related verbiage, and they might put you off. Get a good book on the subject, preferably from an expert. A good little book is “100 Easy Checkmates” by Larry Evans. Understand the rules. Understand the movements. Understand special moves such as step, castling, and promotion. The most important keys to understanding are possibly checkmate. In addition, it is equally important how to move without errors. It may seem obvious, but movement errors are errors of judgment. How you evaluate and judge a move is important. It may seem like it slows down the game, especially if your opponent complains, but it may be worth having a more satisfying result for you.

Never leave your king vulnerable. Always be on the lookout for your opponent’s pieces that could come into play and checkmate your King. Perhaps the most dangerous pieces are the Queen and the Knight. If you can play like Adolf Anderssen did in 1851’s “Immortal Game” *, you should see how valuable Knights can be. The way they move can seem quite clumsy, even unusual, it is one of the key aspects of the game. Another fact: they are allowed to jump on other pieces thus adding another dimension. Don’t pay too much attention to the fact that its value is low among the other chess pieces. Value your bishop king more than your bishop queen – your bishop king can quickly move towards the opposing king early in the game. Obviously, this rating changes if the King moves to an alternate color square.