How to Win at Chess

Co-authored by Sahaj Grover

Last Updated: March 22, 2023

To win at chess, sometimes all it takes is understanding the mechanics of the

game. By learning to spot certain moves and read your opponent's mind, you
can learn to protect your king effectively, attack your opponent, and come out
as the victor. If you already know the basics of playing chess, then read on to
learn how to win!

Things You Should

Know
Start with a strong opening move to set the stage for a winning game.
Plan 4-5 moves in advance to stay ahead of your opponent. Focus on
setting up future attacks or traps.
Evaluate every possible move you have before you make it. Make the best
possible move at every turn.
Part Part 1 of 4:
1 Winning As a Beginner
Understand the goals of a good opening move. Chess
1 openings are the first 10-12 moves in the game, and they will
determine your general strategy and positioning for the entire match.
Your goal in the opening is to develop or move off the starting squares
as many strong pieces as possible. There are several key
considerations in a good opening:
Move your pawns toward the center of the board while opening up
your stronger pieces for easy movement. The most common yet
very efficient path would be to move the king's pawn 2 spaces
forward (e4 for White, e5 for Black) and then the queen's pawn
forward 2 spaces (d4 for White, d5 for Black), if it is not at risk after
the opponent makes their move. This formation allows you to
develop bishops, increases castling speed, and forms a defensive
but less offensive fortress with the right moves.
Your opening moves will also be dependent on whether you are
Black or White. Since White moves first, you'll want to move in on
the attack and try and control the game. Black should hold back
and wait a bit more, letting White expose themselves with a
mistake before attacking.
Never move the same piece twice unless it could get in trouble and
be taken. The more pieces you move, the more your opponent
needs to react to you.
Don't make too many pawn moves. The goal of a good opening is
to develop your major pieces efficiently, and moving too many
pawns can give your opponent a tempo advantage.
Try not to move the queen out too early. Many beginners make the
mistake of moving their queen out early, but this can leave your
queen vulnerable to attack, causing you to have to move it again
and lose a tempo.
Keeping these principles in mind, check out the list of opening
moves used by Grandmasters at modern tournaments.
 Think 4-5 moves in advance, using each move to set up more
2 complicated attacks. To win at chess, you need to be constantly
thinking a few moves in advance, setting up longer, more complicated
attacks to outfox your opponent. Your first move is about setting up the
rest of the game, leading to your first attack or controlling certain
sections of the board. The best way for a beginner to learn how to plan
ahead is to practice some common openings:
The Ruy Lopez is a classic opening to get bishops out and
attacking. Move your king's pawn up two spaces, then your knight
up f3 (as White). Finish by pushing your king's bishop all the way
until it is one space in front of the opponent's pawn.[1]
The English Opening is a slow, adaptable opening. Move the c2
pawn up 2 squares (c2-c4), then follow with the g2 pawn (g2-g3) to
free your king's bishop (if Black moves to the center) or the
queen's knight, (if Black moves along the sides).[2]
Try the adventurous King's Gambit. Used by grandmasters from
Bobby Fisher onward, this exciting opening can put beginners off-
balance early. Simply move both king pawns (e2 and f2) up two
spaces with the opening move. Black will frequently attack early,
feeling like they have you opened up, but your pawn wall will
quickly cause them problems.[3]
Try the Queen’s Gambit to control the center of the board. White
moves the queen’s pawn to d4, drawing out Black’s pawn to d5.
White typically retaliates with bishop’s pawn to c4. This maneuver
brings the game out to the center and opens up the lanes for your
queen and bishop to move.[4]
A good defense to a Queen’s Gambit is the Queen's Gambit
Declined. After the opening moves, start by moving your
king’s pawn to e6. You’ve now opened up a path for your
bishop to attack. If he moves their knight to c3, you can move
your bishop to b4, pinning the knight.
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Try out the four move "Scholar's Mate" to win the game
3 almost instantly. This trick only works once per player, as a savvy
chess player will spot the move and get out of the way. That said,
Scholar's Mate is a great way to catch a beginner opponent off guard
and snag the game from them quickly.
As White: king's pawn up 1 (e2-e3); king's bishop to c4; queen to
f3, queen to f7.[5]
As Black: king's pawn moves up 1 (e7-e6); king's bishop to c5;
queen to f6; queen to f2.
Countering Scholar's Mate: Pull your knights out as blockades if
you see Scholar's Mate happening—chances are good they won't
sacrifice a queen just to take your knight. The other option is to
use a nearly identical move, but instead of pushing your queen up,
leave her back on e7, in front of your king.

Warning! Scholar’s Mate usually only works when your opponent

is a beginner, as they’re still new to chess and might not spot your
plan. It's not advised to move the queen out early in most cases
and many players will use that to their advantage.

Control the center squares to control the game. Your biggest

4 concern is controlling the center tiles, specifically the four in the
very middle, when playing chess. This is because you can attack
anywhere from the center of the board, allowing you to control the
game's pace and direction. For example, the knight has eight potential
moves in the board's center, but only 1-2 on the edges. There are two
general ways to do this.
Supported Middle is when you move slowly into the center of the
board with several pieces. Knights and bishops support from the
fringes, able to move in and take pieces if you get under attack. In
general, this slow development is more common.
Using the Flanks is a very modern style of play that controls the
middle from the outsides. Your rooks, queen, and knights run up
both sides of the board, making it impossible for your opponent to
move into the middle without being taken.

Develop as many pieces as you can. Once you’ve made the

5
 opening moves, it’s time to start developing an attacking position. You
want to give each of your pieces the best possible square to move to,
getting pieces off of the starting squares.[6]
Unless you are forced to, the best method is to move your pieces
in turn. Don’t move the same piece twice unless you must defend it
from an unexpected attack or make a vital attack.
Do not count pawns as pieces during an opening. Moving all your
pawnstoout
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checkmates. Save your pawn moves for the endgame.
Counterintuitively, your king is "developed" by castling. This moves
your king into the corner of the board in a place where it is far less
likely to be put in check. It also moves one of your corner rooks
closer to the center.

Learn to castle. Castling is when you move the king over a rook,
6 effectively using the rook to form a wall against attack. Above the
king, you still have a line of pawns protecting you as well. This is an
incredibly effective tactic, especially for beginners learning the game.
To do it:
Clear the path between your king and rook by moving the bishop
and knight (and potentially your queen). Try to keep as many
pawns as you can in place. You can do this on either side.
Move your king two squares to the right or left, then cross the rook
over your king. The end result is that your king is on the G or C
file, and your rook is on the D or F file, for kingside and queenside
castling, respectively.[7]
Note that the king and the rook cannot have moved once before
castling. If they do, the move is no longer allowed.
You also cannot castle into check, through check, or out of check.
You cannot make any move that puts your king into check,
including castling, but you also cannot castle if you are currently in
check. Finally, you cannot castle if your king will cross through a
square that would put your king into check, even if that square is
not the destination square.
 You can also castle queenside. Clear the queen, queen's knight,
and queen's bishop out of their starting squares. Then, move your
king two spaces and move your rook directly to the king's right in
one move.
In a chess tournament setting, make sure to move your king first,
then the rook. If you move the rook first, that'll count as one rook
move, and not a castle.
Part of what helps you win at chess is your ability to read your
opponent without letting them read you. Don’t begin your move
until you are sure it is the right move.
You want to be thinking several moves ahead at all times. This
means knowing where each of your pieces can move in any
situation and predicting how your opponent will react to your
moves. This skill isn’t always easy to gain and will take practice.

Understand the value of each piece and protect them

7 accordingly. Obviously, your king is the most important piece on
the board, since you lose if it's taken. However, the rest of your pieces
are not easily dispensed cannon fodder. Based on the math and
geometry of a chessboard, certain pieces are more valuable than
others. Remember these rankings when taking pieces. You do not, for
example, want to put a high-value Rook at risk just to take an
opponent's knight.
Pawn = 1 point.
Knight = 3 points.
Bishop = 3 points.
Rook = 5 points.
Queen = 9 points.[8]
Chess pieces are sometimes referred to as "material." Having a
material advantage going into the endgame can give you much
better chances of beating your opponent.
Most of the time, the bishop is stronger than the knight. However,
there can be exceptions.

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Part Part 2 of 4:
2 Winning As an
Intermediate Player
Oversee your opponent's moves. What pieces are they
1 developing, and what sides of the board are they favoring? If you
were them, what sort of long-term strategy would you be planning?
Once you have the basics of your own play down, you should
constantly adjust to your opponents. If he's holding back, setting up
pieces near her side for an attack, ask yourself what her end-goal is.
Are there ways you can disrupt or put their plan on hold? Does he
have the advantage, and do you need to fall back and defend some
units to prevent a serious loss of material, or can you put some
pressure on them?[9]

Know when to trade pieces. Trading pieces is obvious when you

2 end up with the material advantage, such as giving up a knight to
get their queen, but it is much trickier when trading off similar pieces.
In general, you do not want to trade pieces when:
You have the advantage in position, center control, and
development. The fewer pieces are on the board in total, the less
of an advantage you have and the easier you can defend against.
The opponent is cramped or stuck in a corner. When you have
them locked in, it is more difficult for them to move or maneuver
many pieces, but fewer pieces can get them out of the jam and
free again.
You have fewer pieces than your opponent. If you have more
pieces than them and the advantages are otherwise similar, start
taking pieces. You'll open up new attacking lanes.
You would double-up pawns. A doubled pawn is when you have
one pawn in front of the other. This makes them both much less
useful and clogs up your side of the board. However, if you can
make your opponent double pawns as a side-effect of an even
 trade, this could be a useful move.[10]
You're trading a bishop for a knight. In general, bishops are better
than knights. There are many exceptions to this, though, so you
have to take into account the situation.

Develop 5-6 moves in advance every time. It is easier said than

3 done, but you need to be thinking long-term to win chess games
with any regularity. Each piece you move should be done with three
common goals in mind. If you keep these points in your head, you'll
find you can easily start improvising multi-move plans to win the game:
Develop multiple pieces (rooks, knights, queen, bishop) early and
often. Get them out of their starting spots to open up your options.
Control the center. The center of the board is where the action
happens.
Protect the king. You can have the best offense in the world, but
leaving your king open is a sure-fire way to lose at the last
minute.[11]

Hold your advantage until you can get the most out of it
4 instead of rushing in. Chess is about momentum, and if you
have it, you need to keep it. If your opponent is purely reacting to you,
moving pieces out of the way frequently and unable to mount an
attack, take your time and whittle them down. Remember, you can win
a match-up and still lose the game. Don't move in if you're opening up
to a counter-attack. Instead, pick off their defending pieces, take full
control of the middle of the board, and wait to hit them until it really
hurts.

Learn to pin pieces. Pinning is when you "trap" a piece such that
5 it cannot move without leaving a more valuable piece open to
attack. This passive sort of warfare is a great way to control the game,
helping you master your opponents. To do it, look where a piece can
move. Usually, pieces with limited options are your best bet. Then,
instead of attacking, position your piece so that you could take them
no matter where they move, effectively making the piece useless for a
period of time.
 A pin where the king is the more valuable piece behind the pinned
piece is an absolute pin. The pinned piece can't move at all.
A pin where a more valuable piece other than the king behind the
pinned piece is called a relative pin. The pinned piece can move
but at the cost of a more valuable piece.
A pin where a piece isn't behind the pinned piece is called a
situational pin. The pinned piece can't move due to leaving a
resource open to the opponent (tactic, attack, files, etc.).
Sacrifices are when you allow your opponent to take your piece.
The only catch is knowing that you can take their piece right back.
They may take it, and they may not—the important thing is that
you're in control.[12]

Learn to fork pieces. A fork is a move in which a piece attacks

6
two or more pieces at once [13] .Planning and executing a fork is a
great way to win material and put yourself at an advantage. For
example, if you fork the king and the queen, the opponent will have no
choice but to give up their queen, giving you an advantage that is
normally enough to win the game. When attempting a fork, keep the
following things in mind:
Forking is most easily done with the knight, as its unusual
movement lets it attack multiple pieces hidden behind others.
Try to fork the most valuable pieces. The best possible fork is the
fork of the king and queen. This is called a royal fork.
A fork is most effective when it forces your opponent to react to it
immediately, such as attacking the queen or putting the king in
check.

Evaluate each move objectively. You need to be looking at the

7 entire board, evaluating every possible move you have. Don't
make a move just because you have to—take the time instead to look
for the best possible move every turn. What makes a good move
depends purely on context, but there are a few questions you can ask
yourself before every move to see if it is the right one:
Am I safer than where I was before?
Do I expose this piece, the king, or another important piece?
 Can the enemy quickly put my piece in danger, making me move
back and "lose" a turn?
Does this move put the enemy under pressure to react to me?[14]

Take out your opponent's pieces as a unit. You want to

8 maintain control of the center, but you also want to attack as a
unit. Your pieces are like the parts of an orchestra; they each serve a
unique purpose but work the best together. By eliminating your
opponent’s pieces, you have a greater chance at putting their king in
check without a piece to hide behind, and by doing it with 2-3 units as
support, you ensure that you keep the advantage in material.[15]

Protect your queen at all times with a bishop or rook. It is the

9 most powerful piece on the board for a reason, and there are
rarely good times to trade it in for an opponent's piece, even their
queen. Your queen is your most versatile attacker and needs to be
used as such. Always protect and support the queen, as most players
will sacrifice just about any piece (other than their own queen) to take
her down.
Queens only reach their full potential with support. Most players
instinctively watch the opponent's queen, so use yours to force
pieces into the line of your rooks, bishops, and knights.

Don’t close in your bishops with your pawns. Bishops strike

10 from long-range, and using the two of them to control the board
is vital, especially in the early game. There are many opening
strategies that you can learn, but the overall goal is to quickly open up
space for your higher value pieces to move freely.
Moving your pawns to either d4/d5 or e4/e5 opens up your bishops
to move and helps you claim the center squares. Get the bishops
out early and use their long-range to your advantage while
developing rook and the queen.[16]

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Part 3 of 4:
Part
Winning As an
3
Advanced Player
Think about the entire game from the opening moves on. A
1 game of chess is generally considered to have three stages, all of
which are deeply linked. The best chess players are always 10-12
moves ahead in their brains, developing 3-4 strategies simultaneously
depending on their opponent's moves. They know that moves and
pieces traded in the early stages will profoundly affect the game's end,
and they plan accordingly.
Opening: This is where you set the tone of the game. Your first 4-
5 moves develop a lot of pieces quickly and begin fighting for the
board's center. You can go offensive, taking the fight to them, or
defensive, holding back and waiting for them to make the first
move.
The Middlegame: This exists purely to set up your endgame. You
trade pieces, seize control of the middle of the board and set up 1-
2 lines of attack that you can spring into motion at any time. A
trade-off now may be beneficial, but you have to know how losing
a piece affects your chances to win at the end.
Endgame: There are only a few pieces left, and they are all
incredibly valuable. The endgame seems like it is the most
dramatic stage, but really most of the work has already been done
—the player who "won" the middlegame and ended up with the
best material should wrap it up with a checkmate.

Choose bishops over knights in the endgame. Early on,

2 bishops and knights are roughly even in strength. In the endgame,
however, bishops can quickly move across the entire, much emptier
board, while knights are still slow. Remember this when trading pieces
—the bishop may not help as much in the short-term, but they'll be an
asset at the end.

Utilize your pawn's strength in numbers on an empty board.

 Pawns may seem useless, but they are critical pieces as the game
3 winds down. They can support stronger pieces, push up the board
to create pressure, and are a wonderful shield for your king. However,
this benefit is lost if you start doubling them early on (put two pawns in
the same vertical line). Keep your pawns close together and let them
support each other horizontally. When there are very few pieces left on
the board, a push upward to promote into a queen can win you the
game.
When behind in material, exchange pawns and go for a draw.
If you are behind in material, exchange pawns because it
increases your chances for a draw. If you exchange all the
pawns and your opponent only has a bishop or a knight, he will
not be able to checkmate you.
If you are ahead, exchange pieces and not pawns. If you
exchange all the pieces and you are ahead in pawns, it
increases your chance of queening and winning the game.
Pawns become more valuable as the game progresses so you
want to keep them.

Know when to push for a draw. If you're down material, and you
4 know you have no chance of getting a checkmate with what you
have left, it's time to push for the draw. In competitive chess, you need
to realize when you've lost the chance to win (you're down to a king, a
pawn, and maybe 1-2 other pieces, they have you on the run, etc.) and
should instead go for a tie. There are several ways to cut your loses
and grab a draw, even when things seem hopeless:
Perpetual check is when you force the opponent into a position
where they cannot avoid going into check. Note, you don't actually
have them in checkmate; you just have them in a position where
they are not in check, but cannot move in a way that doesn't put
them in check. Frequently done with a last-ditch attack on the king,
leaving the opponent stuck between attack and defense.
Stalemating: When a king is not in check, but cannot move
without going into a check. Since a player cannot willingly enter
the check, the game is a draw.
 Threefold Repetition: If the same position has repeated itself
three times, a player can claim a draw.

The fifty-move rule: If 50 moves have occurred without a piece

5 being captured or a pawn being moved, you can ask for a draw.
Lack of material. There are a few scenarios where winning is
physically impossible:
Just two kings on the board.
King and bishop against a king.
King and knight against a king.
King and two knights against a king.[17]

Practice some chess problems in your spare time. You can

6 vastly increase your chess skills without ever facing an opponent.
Chess problems are sample boards that ask you to get a checkmate
with just 1 or 2 moves. You can practice on 100's of them in books,
against any computer (the one with Windows 7 has 10 levels), or
online, and over time you'll start to learn great piece positions and
unexpectedly sneaky modes of attack. While you will, more likely than
not, never see the exact situation on the board, chess problems
develop your ability to see all potential angles of attack and how to
best set up pieces.[18]
Look online for problem sets, or check out a book on chess
strategy at the library, as they will all have practice problems.

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Part 4 of 4:
Part
4 Winning As an Expert
Player
Learn to attack. Attacking is a great way to win more games. It
1 has a huge effect on your opponent and can make them feel
nervous.
Try to detect your opponent's mistakes. If you think that your
opponent made a mistake, start the attack. Don't start a premature
attack without a prompt, though, as that can result in you losing
the game.
Attack their pieces, open the position, and try to attack with every
move. It will get easier with practice.
If there are no more attacking moves, improve your position and
attack again on the next moves.

Confuse your opponent. If your opponent is confused, they will

2 get frustrated and feel like nothing will work out. There are many
ways to do this:
Play an unexpected move. For example, if they expect you to play
a particular move, see if you can play something else instead. Of
course, don't play a move if it's bad, but search for good
unexpected moves.
Complicate the position. Increase the tension, don't exchange
pieces, and try to get more piece contact. Though this may
confuse yourself, it will become natural with practice, and you will
win games.

Learn the principle of 2 weaknesses to use in the endgame

3 and late middlegame. This is when you attack 2 weaknesses on
opposite sides of the board. For example, you can attack a weak pawn
on one side and promote a passed pawn on the other side.
If there are no weaknesses, you have to create them. Start with a
pawn break (when you make contact with the enemy's pawn using
yours) and attempt to foresee what your opponent will do.
Make sure your pieces are all helping out.

Prevent your opponent's plans. This technique can be found in

4 many books and is a classic for beating master-level players. It is
called prophylaxis.[19]
To prevent your opponent's plans, first find what they are. Think
 about what you would play if you were them.
After you found a good plan for them, find a way to prevent it. Try
to be as active as possible while doing this. Don't go into full
defense mode.

Review the basic principles, rules, and ways of playing from

5 time to time. Sometimes, getting stuck on the high-level
techniques can make you forget the most important chess knowledge
—the knowledge you learn when starting.
Take notes during chess lessons. Later, you will be able to review
the things you learned during the lesson.

Get a high-level or elite coach to train you. Getting a high-level

6 coach is essential if you're an advanced player. Opt for
grandmasters and international masters for high-level coaches. Try to
find someone with a lot of experience.
Listen to your coach. If your coach says to do tactics, do it. They
are experienced in this area and know the right way around.

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Expert Q&A
 Question

Can you win at chess without checkmate?

Sahaj Grover
Chess Grandmaster
Expert Answer

Yes, there are several different ways that can happen. The most
common, especially at higher levels, is that your opponent might
resign if they can see that a checkmate is inevitable in the next few
moves. You could also win because your opponent loses on time.
Rarely, you might even win because your opponent doesn't show up
for a match.

Question

What are the best strategies for winning at chess?

Sahaj Grover
Chess Grandmaster
Expert Answer

The best strategy for getting better at chess is to solve tactics. You
can do that by working through a book on tactics, or you can solve
them online. There are patterns in chess that you'll see repeated, and
studying tactics helps you become familiar with these patterns.
 Question

Is chess a game of intelligence?

Sahaj Grover
Chess Grandmaster
Expert Answer

Chess is absolutely a game of intelligence, but it also requires

memory, hard work, and natural instinct. I think chess makes you
smarter because it helps improve your decision-making skills. It
teaches you to be calmer as you think about the best approach—you
can't just look at your own threats; you also have to guard against
your opponent's threats.

See more answers

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Tips
Don't cling too tightly to material. While having a material advantage is
important, every game of chess is different. In certain positions, losing
a valuable piece or trading a higher valued piece, even a queen, for a
lower one might be the right thing to do. The game is won by
checkmating your opponent, not by having more material than them.

It's okay if you don't win. It takes lots and lots of practice to become a
pro.

Check before taking 'free' pieces. Your opponent may be sacrificing

that piece so that he can then gain your more powerful one, or cause a
diversion to advance.

Show More Tips

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 Warnings
Avoid cheap tricks like Scholar's Mate. If your opponent knows about
those tricks, you have a high chance of losing.

Be very careful with your queen, as it is the most valuable piece on the
board. Don't put it at risk of being attacked or captured unless you
know what you're doing and accept queen trades only after careful
consideration.

When starting, don't learn too much opening theory, only the first few
moves. It's best to study tactics and endgames first, and then
openings. You only need to learn opening theory when your chess
rating is around 1700.

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Things You'll Need

People to play against, or computer program

Chessboard and pieces

Optional:

Online or real tutor to help hone your skills

Online, downloadable, or preset chess program

Regional or international chess membership

Chess club to practice with

Chess books
 References

1. http://www.thechesswebsite.com/ruy-lopez/
2. http://www.thechesswebsite.com/english-opening/
3. http://www.thechesswebsite.com/kings-gambit/
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdHWAuQRG7E
5. http://www.chess.com/blog/AlmostGrandmaster/win-a-chess-game-in-
4-moves
6. http://www.chesscentral.com/pages/learn-chess-play-better/chess-
strategy-for-chess-openings-and-chess-principles.html
7. http://www.learnchessrules.com/castling.htm
8. http://www.chesslab.com/rules/chesspieces.html
9. http://www.uschess.org/index.php/Learn-About-Chess/Ten-Tips-To-
Winning-Chess.html
10. http://www.uschess.org/index.php/Learn-About-Chess/Ten-Tips-To-
Winning-Chess.html
11. http://www.uschess.org/index.php/Learn-About-Chess/Ten-Tips-To-
Winning-Chess.html
12. http://www.learn-chess.com/chess-strategies-for-advanced-players/
13. http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/tactics/forks/forks.htm
14. http://www.uschess.org/index.php/Learn-About-Chess/Ten-Tips-To-
Winning-Chess.html
15. http://www.uschess.org/content/view/9111/28/
16. http://www.chess.com/blog/monsterking/top-10-most-powerful-
openings
17. http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/basic/draw/draw.htm
18. http://www.expert-chess-strategies.com/chess-tactics.html
19. https://www.ichess.net/blog/understanding-prophylaxis-play-like-
master/
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Chess Improvement (https://www.chessable.com/blog/chess-improvement/)

How to Win at Chess – Like a Pro!

Matthew Astle(https://www.chessable.com/blog/author/matthew-astlechessable-com/) ·

Ma rch 22, 2022

Table of Contents 

Quick Summary:

There is no surefire way to win at chess, but there are some fast
checkmates that can give you a win in a few moves.
The best bet to win at chess is to play principled fundamentals.
 Strategy and tactics are important. We will look at what these terms
mean and how they can even vary depending on the time control
you’re playing at.
This article assumes that you know the rules of chess, if not, check
out our Ultimate Guide on How to Play Chess
(https://www.chessable.com/blog/how-to-play-chess-the-
ultimate-chessable-guide/).
Chess moves are described herein using algebraic notation. If you’re
unsure what that is, check out Chessable’s Chess Notation for
Beginners (https://www.chessable.com/blog/chess-notation-for-
beginners/).

Introduction
Many chess beginners often start by wondering how they can deliver a
quick checkmate to their opponent. Many people start out playing
casually against their family members and are looking for that first win.
Maybe your grandfather has an undefeated record against you every
holiday. Maybe you want to defeat your sister, who is captain of the
chess club at school, or maybe you have a heated rivalry with your best
friend who always wins.

I hate to break it to you, but there is no “easy way to win at chess”; at

least not most of the time. If there were, then this game would not have
endured for so many centuries.

That said, there are a few traps and quick checkmates that beginners
are susceptible to. But if you want to learn to play like the pros, you’re
going to need to up your game a bit more. Read ahead to find out your
best chances.

Easy ways to win at chess

In this section we can look at the easiest ways you can win, i.e. deliver
checkmate. Be forewarned though that chess is a tough game, and it
takes many years of practice to master it. Many people play their entire
lives without ever coming close to mastering the game.

The rules of chess (https://www.chessable.com/blog/must-know-

chess-rules/), i.e. how the pieces move, and what not, are actually
pretty easy. Understanding the dynamics of what makes a move a
winning move is what is far more complicated.

Unlike other games, there is no luck in chess. Both players possess

what is called “perfect information”, i.e. no information is hidden from
your opponent, as occurs in say, poker for example.

Therefore, it is not so easy to give a list of easy ways to win at chess.

However, if you are a beginner, you might find that there are some
tricks you can try that will have you winning games with ease.

It is possible to deliver checkmate in just a few moves. Whether it is

easy depends on the skill level of your opponent. Any player beyond a
beginner level will be able to thwart your attempts at an easy win, and
you could be punished for such an attempt.

Can I win in one move?

Well, the short answer (and long answer for that matter) is no, you
cannot win in one move. If you could, that would make the game pretty
boring, wouldn’t it? The only way to win in one move is if your opponent
resigns immediately (a rather hard to imagine scenario), or you’re
playing a tournament, and your opponent fails to show up.

If you’re a casual online player, you should consider participating in an

in-person chess tournament. It is a highly enriching experience.
How Chess Tournaments Work
(https://www.chessable.com/blog/how-chess-tournaments-work/)

Can I win in two moves?

Yes! You actually can checkmate your opponent with only two moves
when you are Black! It is the fewest number of moves required to
deliver checkmate. It is highly uncommon and results only after a
serious blunder by the White pieces. The mate is called the Fool’s Mate
and arises if White pushes their f-pawn one or two squares on the first
move (ever hear Ben Finegold say “never play f3”?), Black plays 1…e6
or 1…e5 (freeing the diagonal for their queen) 2.g4 Qh4#.

1.f3 (or f4)

e6(or e5)
2.g4 Qh4#

Note that the move order of the f and g–pawns can be reversed.

The same mate pattern can happen for White, but because an extra
move is necessary, it is a three move checkmate, e.g. 1.e4 g5 2.d3 f6
3.Qh5#.

The Scholar’s Mate/Four Move

Checkmate
A two move or three move checkmate is going to be hard to deliver
because it relies on your opponent gifting you the game by playing the
worst moves possible. If you’re up against a casual player or beginner,
you might be able to trick them into falling for the Scholar’s Mate,
however.

The Scholar’s Mate is a four move checkmate that arises after the
following moves (or similar).

1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6?? 4.Qxf7#

And it’s checkmate!! Black did make a blunder here with, 3…Nf6, but
unlike in the two move checkmate, this is a natural-looking move. To
thwart this sort of attack, Black should have played 3…g6 to
counterattack the queen and stop it from hitting the vulnerable f7
square.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Scholar’s Mate, how to

deliver it and how to defend against it, check out our article on it
(https://www.chessable.com/blog/scholars-mate-chess/).

These are a couple examples of checkmates

(https://www.chessable.com/blog/essential-checkmate-
patterns/)you should know. Two or three move mates and the Scholar’s
Mate are never seen at the top level or even beyond the basic beginner
level. Attempts to use them actually violate the opening principles of
chess (we’ll talk about that now). So if you’re up against someone
beyond a beginner level, you’re going to need to know how to develop
your game to play like a pro.

Best ways to win at chess

The best ways to win at chess do not come easy. As we observed with
the quick checkmates, you are often putting yourself at risk by trying
such moves. Attempting opening traps
(https://www.chessable.com/blog/traps/) and elementary
checkmates on more advanced players may even be the best way to
lose fast, rather than win. Players that know what they’re doing can
refute your attempts to pull a fast one on them, and then oftentimes
they are holding all the cards.

You can think of training for chess like training for any other sport.
Sure, you won’t need to physically prepare as you do with other sports,
but preparation is crucial.

Imagine if you wanted to run a marathon. There is no easy way to win a

marathon. You must train. While the best way to win at chess may be to
“give checkmate”, it is much more complicated than that. Certainly, the
best advice for those wanting to compete in a marathon is to “run”, but
just running alone is not likely to get you into marathon shape, and
certainly not if you want to win the marathon!

So if you want to know the best ways to win at chess, know that it
involves knowing the principles and training them. Let’s look at where
to start.

Opening principles
It is important to get off on the right foot and not put yourself in a bad
position from the get-go. Let’s talk about what you should be doing the
first few moves in a chess game to give yourself more winning chances.

Control the center

These are the four squares you should be trying to control on your first
move.

In chess, the battle begins in the center of the board. The middle four
squares (as shown above) are what you should be aiming to control
upon your first move. The reason for these squares being so important
is that from them pieces have a great range of motion; they serve as a
sort of launching pad to where the attack will happen. Also, you have
more control over both sides of the board. You can see d4 and d5 are
on the central left side of the board, while e4 and e5 are on the central
right.

For that reason, the top two options on move one are 1.e4 (the King’s
Pawn Opening) and 1.d4 (the Queen’s Pawn Opening). 1.e4 is slightly
more popular, and is said to teach the fundamentals of tactics better,
while 1.d4 is said to be more “positional” in nature. For that reason, it is
recommended that absolute beginners start out playing 1.e4.

If you’re playing the black pieces, then 1…e5 or 1…d5 should be your
response (depending if your opponent plays 1.e4 or 1.d5, you should
respond with the symmetrical move). The reason is the same as for
playing 1.e4, you are fighting for direct control of the center.

If you’ve looked at the most common openings, or perhaps games by

the pros, you’ve probably noticed that 1…c5 (the Sicilian Defense
(https://www.chessable.com/blog/sicilian-defense/)) is popular
amongst top players.

While this is true, complete beginners are usually advised to stick with
1…e5 against 1.e4. This is because it teaches you the fundamentals of
opening play and controlling the center better than 1…c5. You’ll notice
that 1…c5 does not control or occupy as many of the central squares as
1…e5. 1…e5 allows players freer development, and its ideas are easier
to understand. As your game progresses, you’ll learn that there are
exceptions to the rule, but in the beginning you should stick to the
basics.

The ideas behind 1…c5 are more abstract than they are for 1…e5 and
are harder for a beginner to grasp. It is very important to know why you
are making a move. The more justifications you can give for making
your move, the better the move is likely to be. Don’t play a move just
because the pros play it or because it looks cool, play it because you
think it will give you the best chances to win!

1.c4 1.Nf3 are also popular first moves, but what we just said about the
Sicilian applies here; they are best reserved for later in your chess
progression. Again, there is nothing wrong with them, but you’ll learn
winning strategies easier with 1.e4 or 1.d4.

Develop your pieces

Now that you’ve made your first move, you need to get your pieces into
the action. This is called development. When you’re doing this, it is a
good idea to do it with as many purposes as possible. If you can,
develop with an attack, do so. This will give you a time advantage, i.e.
making your opponent respond to a threat that cannot be ignored
(without suffering material loss or checkmate, thus spending a tempo
or time).

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3
Here White brings a piece into the action. In doing so, they attack
Black’s e-pawn. Black cannot ignore this threat without suffering
material loss. Thus, White achieved their goals while imposing upon
Black their own agenda!

Black now has to defend the attacked e-pawn. The most common way
to do this is 2…Nc6. Why? Well it serves multiple purposes: it develops
a piece, putting the queenside knight into action, which has the knock-
on effect of controlling the center, and it defends the e5 pawn.

It’s not the only move to develop a piece and defend the e-pawn at the
same time (2…d6 does this too, by freeing up the queenside bishop
diagonal), but it is probably the most sound way to do so. Don’t think
this is just beginner’s advice either, these two moves are still extremely
popular at all levels, even the super-GM level, so you’re imitating the
pros by playing like this!
Continue with development
You should continue developing your minor pieces. Minor pieces mean
your knights and bishops. This is in contrast to the major pieces, i.e. the
queen and the rooks.

Remember when I said that attempting to use the scholar’s mate

violated opening principles? Well this is because the queen was
developed too soon. The queen should not be developed so soon
because it can become an easy target and even get trapped. Also, the
major pieces are developed last because they are more effective in the
later stage of the game when pieces have been exchanged and there is
not much blocking their way.

How and where you choose to develop is a matter of taste and picking
an opening. That said, you should choose an opening that develops
towards the center to active squares. Conventional wisdom says that
knights should be developed before bishops, but this is hardly a
steadfast rule.

Get ready to play like the pros by picking an opening from our list of 10
Chess Openings for Beginners. (https://www.chessable.com/blog/10-
chess-openings-for-beginners/)

Another key piece in development is to protect your king, and the

absolute best way to do this is to castle
(https://www.chessable.com/blog/how-to-castle-in-chess/). Castling
is often, though by no means always, the last stage in development,
before we head into the middlegame and start thinking of a plan.

After castling, we should now connect our rooks, which means having
no pieces in between them on the last rank.
What ideal development would look like. Two pawns in the center,
bishops actively targeting vulnerable squares, such as the f7 square),
knights with maximum range of movement, and the major pieces
staring down the middle where things are likely to open up.

If you do the above, you’re likely to go very far and win many games.
You don’t need to study lines of theory either.

You have probably noticed that top players often bend or outright
break these rules, e.g., they don’t castle. You should still follow these
principles until you know when you should break them. Know that
every top chess player ever started off following them. And if you’re
going to break the rules or play hard-to-play openings, just make sure
you understand the why behind the move, and how your opponent may
respond.
What grandmasters ask themselves
before making a move
The following is a sort of mental checklist you should make before
making a move. Grandmasters do this automatically, without even
thinking, and with enough practice so will you.

Are there any forcing moves?

Forcing moves require your opponent to respond, lest they allow a loss
of material or checkmate. These are checks, captures, and threats.

Checks are forced moves, captures often are (but not always), as are
threats. Identify any you have against your opponent, and any your
opponent may have against you. You need to take special care in
ensuring any threats against your king are benign.

Ask yourself if everything is defended.

You should ask yourself what squares/pieces are left undefended after
you make a move. Can your opponent exploit this? Are you making a
threat but hanging a piece of your own?

It is crucial to ask what squares are left undefended when moving

pawns. Pieces can retreat, pawns cannot. A pawn move cannot be taken
back and thus can create permanent weaknesses in your position.

Ask yourself what your opponent’s threat is.

Based on what you calculate, this will help you determine whether the
move you are considering is a good move or not. If you fail to take this
into consideration, you will get caught by surprise, and it won’t be
pleasant.
This list might seem long, but the more you consider this checklist
before making a move, the more second-nature it will become for you,
and the closer you will become to playing like the pros!

Coordination
Once you have all your pieces developed, you should try to make sure
that they are coordinated. Coordination in chess basically means that
the pieces complement each other and how well they work together.
For example, when connecting your rooks when you are developing,
you are coordinating your rooks.

Another example is a queen/bishop battery.

When the queen (https://www.chessable.com/blog/queen-in-chess/)

and bishop are coordinated along the same diagonal this is called a
battery. It is particularly dangerous when the queen is in front of the
bishop.

If you coordinate well, run through the checklist mentioned above and
develop with intent, tactics are bound to arise, which will let you win
with ease.

Tactics
Part of your scan for checks, captures and threats involves looking for
tactics. Tactics are a sequence of moves that result in a tangible gain,
which can be material or positional. Training tactics is a vital part of
training, and tactics training alone will let you reach a pretty high level
in chess. Most games up to the intermediate level are decided by
tactics alone.

You can start learning tactics basics with Everyone’s First Chess
Workbook (https://www.chessable.com/everyones-first-chess-
workbook/course/71738/) by FM Peter Giannatos. And if you aren’t
sure if you’d like to purchase it, you can try a free lesson from it here
(https://www.chessable.com/everyones-first-chess-workbook-free-
lesson/course/82717/).

Pins
A pin in chess is when a piece is attacked, and if it moves, it exposes an
attack on a piece of greater value. In the case of an absolute pin, the
piece cannot legally move because if it does, the king would be in
check.

Any piece may be pinned (except the king).

Below is an example of a tactic that employs a pin. See if you can solve
it. Black to move and gain material.
Was it tricky? If you got it, congratulations, this is how you solve tactics
puzzles. If not that’s okay, there is no immediate pin on the board, so it
might be hard to see. Black must goad White into a pin with 1…Qh2+,
forcing 2.Kf2, followed by 2…Rf5 and White’s Queen is pinned to their
king! It can’t move as it would leave White’s king in check, which is
illegal. Thus, Black wins the queen, for only a rook.

Forks
Forks are another type of tactic. Like a pin, a fork is an attack on two
pieces. Forks can be delivered by any piece (except for pawns on
outside files). A fork is used to gain material or threaten checkmate.

The most famous (and fun) type of fork is a royal fork. A royal fork is a
fork in which both the king and queen are attacked.

Let’s look at a tactic involving a fork.

The following position is actually from a real game
(https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1139140). The
game was played in 1950 between Mikhail Tal (who was only 13 years
old!) and a player known as “Pliss”.

Can you find the next move which caused black to resign?

1.g4+! A royal fork delivered by a pawn of all pieces! Black cannot save
their queen!

Skewers
Skewers, sometimes called a reverse pin, are tactics in which two
pieces are attacked on the same line (like a pin), but the more valuable
piece is in front. The more valuable piece must move in order to be
saved, revealing an attack on a piece of lesser value.
Absolute skewers occur when the king is in front of a piece and must
move because it is in check, thus revealing an attack on another piece.
Like pins, only bishops, rooks, and queens may skewer pieces.

Check out this example from a 1982 game between John Nunn and
Tigran Petrosian.

Black resigned here, as if they move their knight, 2.Bb5 skewers the
queen and rook. Notice how the rook on b1 defends the bishop if it
moves to b5. That is an example of coordination!

Discovered attack
A discovered attack is when one piece moves out of the way of another,
thereby revealing an attack.

When this happens with check, it is called a discovered check.

Look at this amusing example from this thrilling miniature
(https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1259009) in
which Black’s king was chased all over the board.

A discovered mate in one! 1.Kd2 is checkmate!

Removing the defender

Also known as undermining, removing the defender consists in
capturing a piece that was defending another, leading the defended
piece to be, well, undefended!

See if you can find what defender needs to be removed in the following
position from this 1997 match between Loek Van Wely and Judit
Polgar (https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?
gid=1111353). It is a mate in three, with black to move.
Did you find it? If not, consider what piece is stopping the knight and
queen from ganging up on g3 (coordination!).

1..Rxf2+. The pawn! White resigned here, and rightfully so. If the game
had continued it would have gone 2.Rxf2 Qxg3+ 3.Kf1 Qxf2#.

These aren’t the only tactical concepts you’ll need to know to play like
the pros, but if you are practicing these regularly, you’ll be sure to win
some games very fast.

Strategy
If you’ve been faithfully following the above advice, you’ve probably
already been winning lots of games with ease. Taking the foregoing as
far as you can will get you to great lengths in your chess career. You
are probably well out of the beginner stage and need to take your
game a step further.

There comes moments when you just do not know what to do when
looking at a position. You’ve developed your pieces to good squares;
your pieces are coordinated; you’ve gone through your mental
checklist and evaluated threats; and you’ve done a scan for tactics, but
there just is no obvious move.

What do you do?

This is where strategy comes into play. There won’t always be a tactic
on the board. The higher rated you get the less likely it is your
opponent will blunder their pieces.

Strategy is a long-term plan. It often focuses on finding your opponents

weaknesses and trying to target them. You also need to take into
consideration what your opponent’s strategy might be, and from there
you can develop your defensive strategy.

Given that volumes of tomes have been written on chess

(https://www.chessable.com/blog/best-chess-books/) strategy, we
won’t go into exactly how to develop a strategy. Our partner company
iChess.net can help beginners with some strategy tips
(https://www.ichess.net/blog/chess-strategy-tips-for-beginners/).
And Chessable has some strategy courses for all levels
(https://www.chessable.com/chess-strategy/)!

In the words of the great Frank Marshall, “a bad plan is better than
none at all”.

How can I win at bullet chess?

Playing bullet or blitz chess (faster time controls) involves different
skills than playing at longer or classical time controls. Generally, a
sharp tactical eye will help you when playing bullet or blitz.

Good opening preparation and long-term planning are likely to win you
more games than risky play in classical time controls. While low-rated
games are often decided by tactics alone, once you’re at an
intermediate level strategy is key to winning.

You can certainly play risky gambits

(https://www.chessable.com/blog/queens-gambit-black-white/) and
traps at long time controls, but your opponent may be prepared for
these or will have enough time to calculate them, so risky play is often
punished.

This is less true when playing bullet chess.

Bullet is played on instinct. See a tactic and execute it! It’s thrilling, and
traps and gambits that would be considered unsound in classical chess
can often pay off in fast time controls such as bullet. There simply is
not enough time to calculate everything.

Let’s look at a trap that can win you lots of games very fast in bullet
time controls.

It is called the fishing pole trap, and it arises from the Ruy Lopez
opening after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6. 4.0-0.

Black plays 4…Ng4 hoping to goad white into 5.h3. Black plays 5…h5
sacrificing the knight on g4 and opens the h-file where a deadly attack
will ensue if white does not know the trap.

5.h3 h5 6.hxg4 hxg4 7.Ne1. The knight retreats. It is now mate in four,
can you solve the tactic?
7…Qh4 threatening mate on h2. If 8.f4 or f3, 8…g3 and the king’s flight
square is taken away! Any other moves here by white are just delaying
the inevitable and the queen will deliver mate on the h-file.

This is just one example of a trap you can try in your bullet games (or
your classical games, if you’re so daring). There are many more you can
use to trick your opponent so you can win games fast!

Summary
In short, there is no one quick way to win at chess. Traps do exist, but
strong players are unlikely to fall for them. The best way to win games
quickly is by studying the fundamentals of the game.

Hopefully with this advice you’ll be able to finally beat your friends and
family, and maybe you’ll consider joining an official tournament?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the trick to winning chess?
There is no one trick to winning in chess. Studying the fundamentals of
the opening, tactics and developing a strategy are all a good starting
point to playing winning chess.

Can you win chess in 2 moves?

You can win a game of chess in two moves with the Fool’s Mate. It
arises after 1.f3 e5 2.g4 Qh5# (or a similar move order).

Can you win chess in 1 move?

The only way to win a game of chess in one move is for your opponent
to resign after you play your first move or if your opponent shows up
late to an official match.

What is the best first move in chess?

1.e4 is the most popular first move in chess from the beginning level to
super-GMs and could be considered the best first move in chess.

How do you checkmate in 1 move?

It is not possible to deliver checkmate in one move.

Chess Improvement (https://www.chessable.com/blog/tag/chess-

 improvement/), Chess Strategy (https://www.chessable.com/blog/tag/chess-
strategy/)
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Matthew Astle
Matt is an all-around wordsmith and avid patzer originally from
Illinois. He now lives in Madrid where he can be found bouncing
around the chess scene.
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