The Ultimate Guide To Learning Chess

How To Become A Chess Player With Little Time:

Minimum Effort, Maximum Gains
Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Get to Know the Chess Pieces

Chapter 2 – How to Set up and Start a Game?

Chapter 3 – Learn the Language.

Chapter 4 – Design Your Strategy

Chapter 5 – Additional Reminders when Playing

Conclusion
Introduction
I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book, “ The Ultimate Guide To
Learning Chess - How To Become A Chess Player With Little Time: Minimum Effort, Maximum
Gains ” .
This book contains proven steps and strategies on how you can become a chess player. Through this
book, you will learn about all the basic things from setting up the board, moving the pieces, crafting a
strategy and increasing your chances of winning at a chess game.
Do you ever wonder what goes on in the minds of players when they face that board? Do you always
get puzzled at the complexity of chess? This book is a simple guide that will help you learn and
understand how to play chess.
Through this book, you are bound to learn the following.
Understand how each piece moves, their strengths and weaknesses.
Know the different rules and terms of chess.
Learn how to set up the board and start a game.
Find out how you can make a first move.
Figure out how to craft a strategy.
Realize that chess despite its complexity and seriousness is just an exciting and thrilling game that you
can figure out.
Thanks again for downloading this book. I hope you enjoy it!
 Copyright 2015 by -- Bradley Feeney
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Chapter 1 – Get to Know the Chess Pieces

If you want to know how to play chess, one of the first things you must learn and understand is how
each chess piece moves. In chess, every piece has a specific role to play. They move in different
ways.

The Pawn

They are the smallest of the chess pieces. Each player has eight pawns. It is the most basic piece in
chess. For the initial move, the pawn can go forward in one or two spaces. For the succeeding moves
however, the pawn can only be moved forward one space.
Pawns can be used to attack the opponent's pieces. To use the pawn for an attack, it should be moved
diagonally by one space. Remember, the pawn can be moved one space forward for a simple move,
one space diagonal for an attack but never backwards.

The Rook

This is the chess piece that resembles a castle tower. The rook can be moved vertically or
horizontally with no particular number of spaces. It can be moved in either direction as far as the
available spaces in the board would allow. The rook can capture the opponent's pieces along its path.
Remember, the rook moves and captures other pieces in straight lines as far as you want it to go
depending on the spaces available. Individually, the rooks may not make much difference. They get
particularly powerful however, when you use them to protect each other.

The Knight

This is the chess piece that looks like a horse. It moves differently than other pieces and that makes it
a complicated piece. Rather than moving in straight lines, the horse moves in "L" shapes. It moves
two horizontal spaces and one vertical space. Alternatively, the horse can also move two spaces
vertically and one space horizontally in any direction.
Knights can jump other pieces. It can move a piece over a space where it likes to settle. People call
this move a knight hop. Remember, knights move in L shapes and hop or jump other pieces.
The Bishop

This piece resembles the shape of a bishop's hat hence the name. The bishop moves diagonally.
Although it can only be moved in a single direction, the bishop can be moved in unlimited amounts of
spaces until it can capture another piece.
A bishop can be placed on either a dark or light square but throughout the game, your bishop can only
stick to the color it starts on. You can use your bishops to work together and cover squares other
bishops cannot cover.
The Queen

This piece wears a feminine crown. The queen is the most powerful piece in chess because it can be
moved in any number of spaces in any direction vertically, horizontally or diagonally. As such, it can
also be used to attack an opponent's piece as it is moved in those directions.
Remember, your queen is the most powerful. You must use her wisely.
The King
Like the queen, the king moves in any direction; however, just not as fast as she is. While the queen
can move in any number of spaces, the king only moves one space for every turn. It moves and attacks
other pieces this way.

Although the queen is more powerful than the king, the last thing you want is to let the opponent
capture your king. If that happens, the game is over. Remember, when you lose the king, you lose the
game. In other words, you must protect your king at all costs.
Chapter 2 – How to Set up and Start a Game?

Let’s do a quick review of each piece and their strong points.

Your king is an invaluable piece. You must use your other pieces to protect him at all cost. Losing
your king means losing the game.
Your queen is the most powerful and versatile unit. She is the rook and the bishop combined. Because
she is powerful, she is also valuable. Losing her makes the other pieces more vulnerable for an
attack.
Your knights are excellent protectors. They move in L shapes. They can be used to make a surprise
attack.
Your bishops are especially excellent in open positions. Never underestimate these pieces.
Your rooks can be moved in long ranges and this makes them strong.
Your pawns may be the smallest but they have special abilities. You can use them to trap other pieces
or sacrifice them to capture other more important pieces. A pawn can be used to checkmate a King.
This is one of the special abilities of pawns. You will find out how to use this special ability in the
succeeding chapters.
How are the pieces set on the chess board?
Now that you have learned about the role of each piece and how they move individually, it is time
you learn how each of them place in the board.
1. Pawns are placed on the second row in front of you building a wall consisting of pawns
separating your side from the opponent ’ s.
2. You must position one rook in each corner.
3. Settle the knight next to each of the rooks.
4. Place the bishop next to each knight.
5. The queen must be placed in one of the two spaces left. Choose the space that matches
her color. If you have a black queen, she should be placed in the black square.
6. Complete the set up by placing your king on the last remaining space.
Who makes the first move?
It is the white player who makes the first move of the game. The initial move is one of the most
important because it determines the entire pace of the game. You can settle for the pawn in the middle
of the board as most players prefer. You should however, remember that there is no on e “ right ” way
of doing it.
After the first move is made by the white player, the players take turns in moving their pieces until
one of them forces a checkmate which is how a game of chess is won.
Chapter 3 – Learn the Language.

In this chapter, you will learn the different terms used in chess. More than learning the language, you
will be armed with more information about the chess pieces' special abilities which you can use to
your advantage when playing.
Check and Checkmate
What does it mean when players say "check?" A check is when an opponent's piece threatens to attack
your king. You say check when you make a move that is threatening to the other player's king as well.
So what does "checkmate" mean? Check is different from a checkmate. A checkmate can happen when
you are unable to counter the attack on your king.
What can you do when your king is threatened to be captured? There are three things you can do to
escape from a check and prevent a checkmate. One, you move the king out of the way. Two, you use
another piece to block the check. Three, you can capture the other piece which threatens to capture
your king. If you fail to do any of these things, the game is over for you. Unlike other pieces, the king
is neither removed nor captured. When you can't get your king out of harm's way, the game will
simply be declared over.
Promotion
Pawns may seem like the weakling. Their moves are slow and limited and are quite vulnerable to
attacks. Pawns however, can be very ambitious. They can be the hero or a weakling depending on
how you play or move them around the chess board.
Pawns can be used to bring you victory. They have a special ability that other chess pieces do not
possess - their ability for promotion.
If you are able to move one or any of your pawns from your side to the other side of the chess board,
it can be promoted to another piece. It can be made a bishop, a knight, a queen or a rook but it cannot
be king. You can exchange that pawn to any piece including the captured and non-captured ones. Most
of the time, a pawn is promoted to a queen because the she is the most powerful and versatile piece.
It's something you may want to consider in case you reach that point.
En Passant
This is another special ability of pawns. Remember on the initial move, you can move a pawn two
spaces forward. If you decide to move your pawn this way and by so doing, your pawn settles on the
side of the other player's pawn, your opponent has the option to use en passant which literally means
in passing. With your pawn to the side of the other player's pawn, that other pawn can now capture
yours. The en passant however, must be done on the very next move. That is right after you make your
first move. If the other player fails to use it on the second move of the game, the option expires.
Castling
Do you think chess allows you to move two different pieces in a single move? Yes you can. This is a
special rule referred to as castling. This move combination allows you to hit two birds in one stone
so to speak. This move however, only involves two chess pieces - you can only do it with the king
and the rook. For instance, in your turn, you can move your king two squares to one side and move
your rook to the opposite side of your king. So when can you use castling?
Unfortunately, you cannot use castling throughout the game. There are four special criteria that must
be met to warrant castling. One, castling may only be used when it is your king's first move. Two, you
can use castling only when your rook has not been moved before. Castling is an option if you have not
moved either the king or rook yet but there are other conditions to castling.
The third condition is that the spaces between the king and the rook must be empty. To use castling,
there should not be any piece between them. Four, you cannot use castling when your king is in check.
Castling is not an option if you are trying to escape a check.
There are two kinds of castling which are called king side and queen side. If you move your king to
the side where your queen was originally settled, this move is called castling queen side. On the other
hand, if you move your kind closer to the other side of the chess board, it is called castling king side.
You can castle king side or queen side. That is your choice. Either way, the king moves two squares
in castling.
Draw
A draw happens when there is no winner at the end of the game. How can this happen? There are five
possible reasons for a draw.
First is during a stalemate. It happens when one player runs out of a legal move. When a player runs
out of options or moves and his king is not in check, a draw may be declared.
Second is probably the most obvious reason. That is when the players decide to stop playing before
the game is over. It can be simply declared as draw.
Third is referred to as draw by exhaustion. It happens when neither player has enough pieces left to
achieve a checkmate. For instance, the only pieces left on the board are a king and a bishop on one
side and a king on another.
Fourth, one of the players may declare a draw when they arrive at exactly the same position thrice. It
does not necessarily have to happen three times in a row.
Fifth, a draw may be declared when there is no progress in the game. When the players have made
their moves, fifty each and neither captured a piece nor moved a pawn then the game is declared a
draw.
Chess 960
Also known as Fischer Random, chess 960 is a variant of chess that upholds the same rules or the
game. The only exception is the starting position. The players can randomly choose the starting
position of the chess pieces before the game starts.
The pieces cannot be placed sloppily though. There are still two rules that must be followed when
determining the starting position. One, the bishops must be placed on opposite colors. Two, the king
must have one rook to each of his side. The position of the white and black pieces should mirror each
other. Given these rules, the players still have 960 starting options hence the name, chess 960.
Touch-Move
This is a special rule followed in a tournament. You do not have to necessarily apply this rule when
playing at home.
Basically, touch-move means you must move whatever you touch but only if a legal move can be
made using that piece. So you should only touch what you intend to move. You should be decisive.
Also, if you touch one of the other player ’ s pieces, your next move should involve capturing that
piece with a legal move of course. If any of the players want to touch a piece only to make an
adjustment, the player must declare his intent by saying “ adjust ” first before touching the piece.
Clocks and Timers
Clocks and timers are usually used in tournaments only. Advanced players may also use these tools.
Since you are just starting out, you do not have to concern yourself with clocks and timers yet but it is
good to know their purpose.
Clocks and timers are used in tournaments for regulating the time for each game. It is not meant to
time each move. A chess clock serves a practical purpose. Without it, players can sit idly on a losing
position without making any move. If this happens, chess tournaments can drag on forever.
Every player is given the same amount of time which they spend on the entire game. That means
players can decide how to budget their time. In an instance where a player runs out of time, he or she
automatically loses the game. A draw may be declared however, when the other player does not have
enough pieces left to force a checkmate.
Chapter 4 – Design Your Strategy

Chess is a game of strategy. Before you can make your own, it is imperative that you understand the
basic strategy in the game of chess. Keep these in mind when playing. And the basic chess strategy
involves the following.
Protect your king at all cost.
As you have learned in the previous chapter, your king is an invaluable piece. When you lose it, you
will lose the game. Always keep this in mind.
You win a chess game by capturing the other player's king. So your opponent's goal is to capture
yours as well. In which case, you have to think of two objectives at the same time. Capture the other
king while protecting yours. You can achieve these objectives by using your pieces to capture the
other player's pieces while avoiding capture from the opponent's pieces.
It is in your best interest to move your king in a safe place. Moving it to the corner of the board is
safer. If you have an opportunity for castling, you must use it. Avoid being consumed with the idea of
checkmating the other player's king. That will not matter of your king is captured first.
Protect your king by building a fortress around it. Set up a defensive wall around the king using your
other pieces.
Avoid giving your pieces away.
There are times when you may have to sacrifice a piece to protect your more important ones but you
should not give your less important pieces away so easily.
Each piece has an important role to play in protecting the others especially your king. Remember that
you cannot force a checkmate without enough pieces. Each piece is valuable but if you must know
there is a relative value for each of them too.
A pawn is equivalent to one while a knight and a bishop is equivalent to three each. The rook amounts
to 5 and the queen is worth 9 while the king is invaluable. These relative values do not matter at the
end of the game however they should help you determine and set your priorities straight. You can use
it as reference when making your decisions about a move, an exchange or a capture.
Keep the center in control.
By controlling the center of the board, you have more options for moving your pieces. It is then
important that you get your pawns and other pieces to that side of the board. Otherwise, you will have
a tougher time finding good spaces to settle your pieces.
Keep in mind that your knight has two options for moving from the corner of the board. It has
however, eight options for moving when positioned in a central square. When you dominate the center
of the board early on, your pieces have more mobility. It is way better than having your pieces stuck
on the sides of the board. If that happens, you will be forced to sacrifice most of them.
The goal to control the center is the reason why a lot of players choose to move their middle pawns
first. You can use the same starting move. When you move your pieces to the center however, you
have to be careful that you do not leave your king defenseless and vulnerable for a checkmate.
Utilize all your pieces.
Avoid focusing on one or two pieces alone. When you drive your focus on a few pieces only, you
tend to forget the others. This makes you vulnerable and you cannot let that happen when you want to
win the game. If your pieces are not working together, they can be easily captured and the next thing
you know, you have lost most of them.
Again, each piece is valuable. Each has an important role to play in the game. Make use of them. Use
them to protect the king. Make them work together and protect each other. Do not allow your pieces to
be sitting targets for the other player to capture.
Move your pieces in way that you develop an effective strategy for attacking the other player's king
while protecting yours. Using one or two pieces for an attack rarely works. An attack is most
effective when all your pieces work together as one unit.
Do not over utilize your knight when you have an entire army at your disposal. Use all the pieces.
This can be another strategy for you. As long as you move your pieces around, you can keep the other
player guessing. If you utilize all of them, your opponent will have a tougher time reading your
strategy.
For instance, move your pawn in your initial move. When it is your turn again, move the other pieces
toward the center. As you move the pieces at the forefront, you allow other pieces to move. When all
the pieces are in the playing field, you have a stronger offensive power.
Chapter 5 – Additional Reminders when Playing

In addition to the basic strategy laid out in the previous chapter, there are a couple of things you still
have to keep in mind during the game. These pieces of advice may help you create a better strategy.
Do not attack too early in the game.
As you make the opening move, do not be too hasty to attack. What you should aim for is
development. Development can only happen when all your pieces have been places in active squares.
After moving your pawn in the first move, you can move another pawn on your next turn. You have to
start moving your other pieces however. Do not forget that you have rooks, bishops, knights and a
queen.
Feel the game.
Observe how your opponent moves his pieces. Again, do not be too quick to make an attack. Wait it
out a bit. Get a feel of the other player’s strategy. If you have a clue about his game plan, you are in a
better position to defend yourself.
Utilize your pawn.
Pawns are not sacrificial lambs. Remember that pawns can be promoted. If you can sneak one to the
other side of the chess board, you can turn it to a queen, a rook, a bishop or a knight. When you can do
this, it will be a game changer.
Think ahead.
Before you make a move, think about your next. Always think about what will happen when you move
a piece. How will your opponent react? When can you do on the next play?
Make well-planned sacrifices.
Each move is crucial to your end game. You may however, need to sacrifice a piece. If you do make
that sacrifice, you should plan it carefully. For instance, you can use a pawn as bait if that means
moving your knight to capture your opponent’s bishop.
How do you get better at chess?
You cannot be a master of chess by simply learning the rules and the roles of each of the pieces.
Chess is all about strategy. It is a game of intellect. There are so many different ways that the game
can be played. You cannot hope to learn everything in one sitting.
You need to be patient. The complexity of chess is what makes it fun and exciting. So, how do you
improve your game? There are three simple rules for getting better at chess and such rules include the
following.
Play often.
Keep playing. If you want to learn more about the possible moves and counter attacks you can make,
play as often as you can. There are a lot to learn from the game by simply playing and putting yourself
out there. For now, your goal is to learn and it does not matter whether you win or lose doing so.
Study harder.
There are thousands of references out there. Read them. You can even put yourself in a chess class
online. If you are serious about chess, you should utilize every available resource to help you
improve.
Have fun!
A lot of people think that chess is a game too serious for their taste. Its complexity makes it serious
but it is the very thing that makes it exciting. It is much easier to learn when you are having fun.
Conclusion

Thank you again for downloading this book!

I hope this book was able to help you learn how to play chess.
The next step is for you to put yourself out there and start playing to learn more about the game. Do
not forget to have fun. You get sharper as you play more exciting games of chess.

Finally, if you enjoyed this book, then I ’ d like to ask you for a favor, would you be kind enough to
leave a review for this book on Amazon? It ’ d be greatly appreciated!

Click here to leave a review for this book on Amazon!

Thank you and good luck!