Questions tagged [beginner]
Questions of interest to or relating to new players.
190
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Beginners question: Strategic ideas
When I am watching chess lessons, the mentor mostly uses the phrase: 'lets look at the board and find some ideas'.
As a beginner, I can't get passed the: 'look at what pieces you can grab.'
Question: ...
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Beginners question: The double pawn
Question: Are there rules of thumb that every chess player should know about the double pawns?
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Simple chess variants for beginners
How suitable would these variants for beginning players?
First to check wins
Three-Check Chess
First to take king wins
All other rules being equal.
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2
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Why this is the best move?
I'm new here, so I just like chess and I don’t study too deeply. I could not understand the move Qxe5. Can someone explain to me?
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What is the best way to play chess via terminal?
I've recently learned about gnu chess, but it's poorly documented, and I'm having difficulties:
Setting a reasonable difficulty level;
Saving an entire game to a pgn: it's only saving the last move;
...
- 51
6
votes
3
answers
315
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Analyze this game
I am improving my chess. What is the best move here and why? (black moves)
rnb2rk1/pp2qpp1/3p1b1p/2pBp2Q/4P2P/3P1N2/PPP2PP1/2KR3R b - h3 0 1
2
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3
answers
339
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Evans Gambit b4 loss
I have already read the section here on the Evans Gambit but I still don't understand the value of sacrificing the b pawn unnecessarily, in the likely case that black's Bishop returns to the c5. White ...
- 21
3
votes
1
answer
605
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Commented games for beginners
I'm looking for a website where we can find annotated games for beginners. I mean games with basic comments and lenght of the game is short.
The best would be that we can see the pieces moving but ...
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Help for beginning player to start learning openings
Hi and thanks in advance for any help.
Basically, I've been playing chess on and off for a long time, but only casually. Im not a beginner as such, but I only play against friends and occasional ...
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What books and videos would you recommend to an absolute beginner of Chess?
The entirety of my current chess knowledge consists solely of the valid moves which the pieces can make. I've played a few matches, but my moves tend to be aimless, by this I mean they lack any ...
- 153
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1
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How can I play?
Can someone please just tell me how all of the pieces move? I always get the castles and the priests mixed up, but I know one of them makes an "L" or a backwards "L". Thank you for your underatanding.
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What openings provide "mini-objectives" in the early game?
As a beginner I've found that it is psychologically really nice playing QGA as white simply because I have a clear task at hand in the early game - namely recapture that pawn. Similarly, hedgehog for ...
- 861
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6
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What should you do when opponent opens with excessive pawn moves?
As a beginner I'm not spending much time studying openings (there are so many!) but trying to work on opening principles.
One principle I've read is not to move too many pawns in your opening moves.
...
- 861
1
vote
4
answers
558
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Sicilian defense - beginner
I have started to study the Sicilian defense (at a beginners level), and I came across a situation where I don't know how to proceed...
e4 c5
Nf3 d6
d3
I know that it is probably not the best thing ...
- 319
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votes
2
answers
387
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Why should black not capture the knight here?
I played a game on lichess. (Link: http://en.lichess.org/n2hfBGYy#18) After the game I did a stockfish analysis of the game. This is the position:
[fen ""]
[Event "Rated game"]
[Site "http://lichess....
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4
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380
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What are the mistakes that I have done in the following game?
I am a begginer and I have a rating of about 1000 Elo. I played a game against stockfish 5 but I lost the game. I know that stockfish is a very strong engine but I played against it to learn more. ...
- 174
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5
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When should you stop chasing a piece?
I'm only a beginner, and I've found that sometimes a piece of mine (esp Queen) will just get chased around relentlessly causing problems, so I've started trying to do the same, but I seem to sometimes ...
- 861
14
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10
answers
4k
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How to study a chess tactics book?
I've been playing chess for quite a while now, but I still consider myself a beginner. I play with friends most of the time. Now I want to get better so I bougth a tactics book (Yusupov: Build up your ...
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2
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End game King an Rook - Beginners [duplicate]
In different ocasions I find my self in a very dificult situation (for me). The only pieces on the board are: Mine - King an Rook ; Oponnent - King.
It is very dificult for me to check mate... Can ...
- 319
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11
answers
12k
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Moving the queen early in the game - beginner
Ok, I know this will be a vague question... I recently played against a friend three games, and lost all of them, and the problem was that he played his queen very early in the game (second move). I ...
- 319
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2
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Opening with Nf3 - beginner
I came across the opening Nf3 wich I find very beatiful. I know that it could lead to the Réti opening. My question is: beside the Réti opening what are the most commun openings following the Nf3 and ...
- 319
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3
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When Black opens with Nf6 after e4 - Beginner question
I would like to have some analysis in the following setting:
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5.
Now, what is best for white? The move 3. c4 continues the attack, but can create a "pawn weakness".
- 319
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1
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Understanding Bb5 after Nc6 in the opening
In the opening, when the black knight goes to c6 white often responds with bishop to b5. What is the purpose of this move?
For example the Ruy Lopez/Spanish opening:
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. ...
- 319
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3
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What do I do next?
So I've been playing chess for about 7 months regularly. I learned basic movements years and years ago but tactically there was nothing. Over the 7 months tactically I've learned basic moves, beginner ...
15
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4
answers
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What book should I refer to to begin learning chess?
I'm a highschool student and want to play chess seriously. A friend of mine taught me the basic rules of the game. What book should I refer to to begin learning chess?
I tried Capablanca's Chess ...
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Additional openings that are Chess Position Trainer compatible
I just started playing with Chess Position Trainer and I really enjoy the experience of playing through the "Closed Sicilian” repetoir that comes pre-loaded. The manual mentions that you can build ...
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Good chess opening for a beginner
I am a beginner and my chess opening is pretty weak. Can you suggest me an opening that is easy to learn and is suitable for a beginner like me?
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As a Beginner, is playing a lot of tactics chess (puzzles) a good way to improve?
I am pretty new to chess, and I play lot of chess puzzles: trying to find the best move for a given situation (which will not necessarily end-up with a checkmate).
Is this a good way to learn chess ...
- 667
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2
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Chess traps without positional loss
Most of the common chess traps are ill advised (at least in standard games), as you sacrifice better moves.
Traps that I have tried out with some success are the fishing pole, and the blackbourne ...
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1
answer
215
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Preparation of chess openings and all about chess? [closed]
I am an enthusiastic player of chess...and a full time working professional...
I have following questions regarding chess to develop my game:
How to prepare fundamental opening lines to play as ...
- 19
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2
answers
656
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How to start learning chess? [duplicate]
I have always wanted to learn how to play chess, but I don't know how to start. I downloaded chess apps on my smartphone and PC but I didn't learn anything. I also contacted some local chess clubs to ...
- 229
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3
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Shortest path for a knight
Is there a practical way of computing the shortest path from a square to another, for a knight? (for a human chess player, not for a computer)
Usually, when I want to send my knight from a square to ...
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15
answers
51k
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Can playing blindfold chess be learned or is it a natural skill?
Any blindfold players here? Just wondering if blindfold chess is a skill that can be learned by amateurs like me or a natural skill by chess GM's, IM's, etc.
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I would like to know if this game is winnable for black?
Black to move but unsure of the pieces that would give black a better advantage. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
r5k1/pp1qpr1p/3p2p1/2pP4/1n2P3/1P2N1Pb/2PQ1P1P/3RR1K1 b - - 0 1
- 51
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What advice would you give a novice in Chess?
I am a bit of a new blood when it comes to Chess. Oh I know how to play but before I started getting more serious it was more like flailing about and hoping for the best. Recently I came to the ...
- 39
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Chess book for kids (9-11 y.o.)
Are there any chess books accessible for kids in the 9-11 age range that don't waste the first half of the book teaching how the pieces move, castling rules and en passant capture? I am expecting some ...
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8
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Ways to quickly beat beginners
Are there any common tactics or combinations used to beat complete beginners quickly (or gain large material advantages)?
By "beginner" I mean someone who is good enough not to get caught out by ...
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4
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How do you teach chess to a beginner / rookie?
Recently, I got some students (beginners) in chess, and I would like to teach them how to play but I don't know where to start! They already know how to move pieces and some concepts on how to play, ...
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Is this a good idea for starting the game?
Usually I am a defensive player. Because of this, a few years ago, I created an opening set of moves, where I moved every other pawn forward 1 space, starting with pawn a2. To be more specific, I ...
39
votes
17
answers
41k
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Good openings for a beginner (for white)
I am a beginner in chess and I like to play some of my friends who are basically at the same level. Usually who wins is based on who makes that one amazing (and lucky) move and quite frankly I want to ...
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