Think Abcd

r Exeter Junior Chess Club www.exeterchessclub.org.uk/juniors r

THINKHow to choose your move

n xThreat

N You MUST look to see if youropponent has a threat, and if so, finda move using the ABCD system

Hopeq You might have a chance to dosomething to your opponent: perhapsto take a piece for nothing, or make athreat that can’t be stopped (like afork or other double attack).

o HImprove

r Nothing you have to do right now?Then improve the position of yourworst-placed piece – the piece that isdoing nothing, sleeping or stil parkedon its starting square.

NextB As you get better at chess, you willstart to form plans. Try and havesome sort of idea about what you aretrying to do at this point in the game.


Dealing with Threats nThere are four different ways of getting out of trouble:

f JAvoidJust move your piece out ofthe way

BlockBlock the attack by puttingsomething in the way

d GCaptureTake the piece that is attackingyou.

DefendDefend your piece, so if it istaken, you can take back.

But you might also be able to use Ingredient X: counterattack! If your threat is moreimportant than your opponent’s threat, then they won’t get a chance to attack you!


C SSeellff--AAnnaallyyssiiss SHow to get better at chess

1. Make a list of all the things you need to do to playchess well – here’s my list so far...

ALL THE TIME

� Know all the basic kinds oftactic (jumps mates forks pinsnets ties)

� Spot your opponent’s threats

� Spot your threats, and the cluesthat you might have a tactic toplay (loose pieces, unsafe king)

� Play with a plan

OPENING

� Get your pieces out

� Get at least a stake inthe centre

� Castle

� Open up lines for yourrooks

MIDDLEGAME

� Keep all your pieces active

� Use all your pieces whenattacking

� Pick on a weakness

ENDGAME

� Use your king

� Win pawns

� Know what to swap andwhat to keep on

� Know how to finish offyour opponent

Now decide:

2. Which of these are you good at? Tick each one

3. Which of these do you get wrong? Underline these

4. Which is the thing you get wrong that makes you losethe most games? Put a circle around it. What areyou going to do about it? Can you practisesomething?


How to win a game of chess You have to do 4 or 5 things well

L � Get all your pieces

out

i � Win as many pieces

or pawns as you can

m � Swap off pieces when

you're winningIf you haven't got enough left to

checkmate with, you need to:

J � Get a new queen

G � Checkmate!

Remember: checkmate is the end of the game, so if

you think there's a chance to do it earlier, go for it!

Do you know how to do all these things?Do you practise any of them?


a TThhee 66 bbaassiiccttaaccttiiccss X

you ight ust ind a eat owerful actic!

[ ates umps orks ets ins & ies]

Basic pattern for a ate Basic pattern for a et

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Black wins the Bishop after 1...c4!

Basic pattern for a ump Basic pattern for a in

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White wins after 1. Nc6+!

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Basic pattern for a ork Basic pattern for a ie

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1...Bxc3+ undermines the Queen


R TTeesstt yyoouurr ttaaccttiiccss!! NFind the ate Find the et

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Find the ump Find the in

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Find the ork Find the ie

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w1+-+-+-+K!axabcdefghy

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Answers:

ates : 1...Qh2+ and 2...Qh1#

umps : 1...Nxf3+ and 2...Bxd4

orks : 1. Qh8+ and 2. Nxf7+ (one ofSpassky's)

ets : 1. Nh4

ins : 1. Ne6!

ies : 1. Qg3 (one of Fischer's)


X IInn tthhee OOppeenniinngg LìåèñôéäíáàáàáàáàÜÝÜÝÜÝÜÝÝÜÝÜÝÜÝÜÜÝÜßÞçÜÝÝÜßæÝâÝÜÞßÜãîßÞßÝÜÝêëÜóÜ

� get your minor pieces outtowards the centre

� get at least a share of thecentre

� get your king into safety bycastling

� get your rooks out of thecorners

b IInn tthhee mmiiddddlleeggaammee jÜÝìñÜíôÝÝÜÝèéàáààÝäÝàÝÜÝÝàáÜßÜãæÜÝÜßâÝÜßßÜßîÝêÝÜÜßÜÝÜÝÞÝÝÜÝÜÝêóÜ

� use space and open linesto attack the enemy kingand other targets

� always think about whatyour opponent is trying todo to you

� look for tactics, especiallywhen you have a clue thatthere might be one


s IInn tthhee eennddggaammee CÜíÜõÜÝÜÝÝÜÝÜÝÜíààÝÜÝàëÞåÝàáÜßÜÝÞÜÝÜÝòãÜÝÝÜÝÜÝÜÝÜÞßÜÝÜÝÜëÝÜÝÜÝÜÝÜ

� attack and win enemypawns

� move your own pawns upas fast as possible tobecome queens

� get your King Up For TheEnding (KUFTE)

p WWiinnnniinngg aanndd lloossiinngg YÜÝÜõÜÝÜÝÝÜÝÜÝÜÝàÜÝÜÝàÝÞÝÝàáÜßÜÝÞÜÝÜÝòãÜÝÝÜÝÜÝÜÝÜÞßÜÝÜÝÜÝÝÜÝÜÝÜÝÜ

If you are ahead:� Don't relax� Keep control� Swap pieces off� Leave pawns on

If you are behind:� Don't give up� Get some counterplay� Swap pawns, not pieces


B MMaakkiinngg ttaaccttiiccss wwoorrkk FLook at forcing moves like checks and captures

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Never play a check unless it doessomething. But because everythingstops for a check, it can give youtime to do something great!

1. Qh5+!

wins the Bc5 (a fork by the Queen)

CapturescuuuuuuuuC

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Look at every check and everycapture.

1…Qxf3!

would normally be daft, but itmakes space for the knight fork…Ne2+ without giving White time todefend

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1. Qxd5 looks promising but itdoesn’t work (can you see why?)

But

1. Rxe8+!

Wins the Queen


m II ssmmeellll aa ttaaccttiicc!! RLook harder if you see loose pieces or an unsafe king

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If the black Rook wasn’t onthe board, Qd8+ would becheckmate.

And if Queens could bend itlike Beckham, Qe8+ wouldbe good.

1. Qe7!

Threatens mate, andattacks the Rook, and stopsthe Rook moving to d8,and… wins.

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The Knight on h5 isobviously loose. But if youattack it, Black will move ordefend it.

Aha! The Bishop on d6 isalso loose. If you canattack both at once, you willwin a piece.

1. Qd1!

Simple but deadly!


iWWiinnnniinngg yyoouurr ffiirrsstt

cchheessss ggaammeess uHere’s a junior game:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3

d6 6.Bb5 Bd7 [Diagram] 7.b3 a6 8.Bc4 b5

9.Bd5 Nxd5 10.exd5 Bb4 11.Bd2 Nd4 12.a3

Bxc3 13.Bxc3 c5 [Diagram] 14.a4 b4 15.Bd2

Bg4 16.h3 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Qf6 18.c3 Nxf3+

19.Ke2 0-0 [Diagram] 20.cxb4 Rae8 21.bxc5

dxc5 22.h4 e4 23.Rc1 exd3+ 24.Kxd3 Qd4+

25.Kc2 Nxh4 26.Re1 Qxf2 27.Qg4 Nf3 28.Rf1

Qxd2+ [Diagram] 29.Kb1 Nh2 30.Qf4 Nxf1

31.Qxf1 Qxd5 32.Qc4 [Diagram] 32...Qxc4

33.bxc4 f5 34.Rd1 Re4 35.Rc1 f4 36.Kb2 f3

37.Kb3 f2 38.Rf1 Re1 [Diagram] 39.Rxe1

fxe1Q 40.a5 Rf3+ 41.Kc2 Rc3+ 42.Kb2 Qc1+

43.Ka2 Ra3# [Diagram] 0-1


1. Know all the rulesof the game, howto set up the boardand what thepieces are worth

5 3 3 9 – 3 3 5

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2. In the opening:

(a) get your piecesout

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(b) Get at least astake in thecentre

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(c) Get castled cuuuuuuuuC(rDwDw4kD}7DwDwDp0p}6pDw0w1wD}5Dw0P0wDw}&P0wDwDwD}3DP)PDnDP}2wDwGK)wD}%$wDQDwDR}v,./9EFJMV

3. Next: win a pieceor two

• Look forundefended pieces

• Look forunderdefendedpieces

• Win material bytactics

• Make an attackand win pawns orpieces that way (orget checkmate!)

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4. Swap off piecesnot pawns (andwin more pieces ifyou can)

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5. Win youropponent’s pawns

6. Move up yourpawns and get anew Queen if youcan (or win morepieces if you can’t)

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7. Checkmate withyour extra pieces

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R DDiiaammoonndd 99::

WWhhyy ddoo yyoouu lloossee??N

Being over-confident,

attacked toosoon

Being under-confident,playing too

quietly

Not thinkingabout your

opponent’sthreats

Mistake inanalysis e.g.overlooked a

check

Didn’t knowwhat to do

next and gotconfused

Mistake inposition e.g.

made aweakness

Ignored theendgame

Didn’tunderstandthe openingyou played

Didn’tdevelop fast

enough

Think Abcd

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