One mistake I see often in beginner’s games is the resolution of simple problems using overly complicated solutions. Many beginners view chess as an extremely complicated game which creates a preconceived notion regarding problem solving. The beginner thinks that if the game is complicated then solutions to positional problems must therefore be equally complicated. This way of thinking can cause a beginner to overlook a simple solution in favor of a complex solution. When approaching a positional problem, we should always look for the simplest solution first.

I addressed the idea of simple solutions in an earlier article but wish to delve into this idea a bit further. Beginners always have problems when one of their pawns or pieces comes under attack. This occurs because most novice players have not yet mastered the art of piece coordination. Like a sports team, pawns and pieces must work together. If you play through a master level game, you’ll see that throughout the game, the pawns and pieces support one another. With beginners, pawns and pieces are not well coordinated so they’re subject to attacks. Therefore, while teaching the art of coordination I also teach the ABCs of defense.

Most young beginners play as aggressively as they can. Because they don’t have a great deal of experience gained from playing a lot of chess and studying the game, their aggressive play can lead to weak positions in which pieces come under attack. Younger players love to attack. However, when the tables are turned they have a hard time dealing with defense. This is where the ABCs come into play. “A” stands for Avoid (move the pawn or piece out of danger), “B” stands for Block (blocking the attack) and “C” stands for Capture (capturing the attacking pawn or piece). The ABCs become the basis for decision making when we’re under attack.

A simple rule of thumb for beginners regarding avoiding an attack is as follows: If a piece of greater value in being attacked by a piece lesser value and the attack can’t be blocked nor the attacker captured, avoid the attack by moving the piece in question. If the piece is of equal value to the attacker’s piece and that piece is defended, you could consider an exchange. However, do not consider an exchange if doing so weakens your position. When moving your piece out of harm’s way, do a quick check to make sure the square you’re moving to isn’t controlled by your opponent (a common problem in beginner’s chess). Don’t decide to avoid an attack by moving the piece under attack until you’ve examined blocking and capturing first.

Blocking an attack means that we place a pawn or piece between the attacker and the defender. If you decide to block an attack, make sure that the piece blocking the attack is defended by one of your pawns or pieces. Otherwise, you’ll be giving your opponent a free piece and then be stuck with the same problem. Also consider the value of the piece you’re using to block the attack. If you’re attacked by a Bishop and you block with your Queen, you’re going to lose the Queen. After all, your opponent would be able to capture a piece of far greater value. Always try to block with a piece of lesser value. What happens if you have the choice of blocking with one of two pieces of equal value, a Knight or a Bishop? Decide which of the two pieces will aid you more in the current position. In an open game, a Bishop might be more valuable than a Knight while in a closed game, the Knight is more important.

Our last option is capturing. This is where beginners often have trouble. A general rule of thumb is to use a piece of least value to capture the attacking piece. Often, capturing the attacking piece will lead to a recapture by the opposition. When playing a more experience player, the piece doing the attacking will be defended because stronger chess players know how to coordinate their pieces when launching attacks. Therefore, if the attacking piece is a Bishop which is protected by a pawn, you’ll want to capture the attacking piece with a piece of equal or lesser value. Let’s say that your opponent’s Bishop is attacking one of your Rooks. You have a choice of capturing the attack with a Knight (3 points) or the Queen (9 points). Knowing that the piece you capture with is going to be recaptured, it would make no sense to give up your Queen when you could capture back with the Knight. The Bishop and Knight are of equal value so the exchange of pieces would be equal.

As the beginner improves their playing, we then have to look at other factors to consider when seeking out simple solutions. Tempo is an additional factor to consider. Tempo is time. In chess you can lose tempo or gain tempo. In the opening, for example, both players race to complete their development first. If one player wastes a turn by making a pointless move, they lose tempo. You can think of a loss of tempo as a loss of a game turn. Therefore, it’s your job not to waste time. When faced with a position problem in which there are two solutions of equal strength, choose the solution that takes the shortest amount of time to achieve. This idea of keeping it simple can be applied to every aspect of the game.

There’s a Zen concept that states “Less is More” and this applies to life as well as chess. When you’re first starting out, try to keep it simple. After all, you have to learn how to walk before you can run. The same holds true in chess. Some of the greatest chess players, including one of chess heroes, Boris Spassky, played in a simple manner. Of course, his simple solutions often lead to complex problems for his opponent! Here’s a game that exemplifies my hero’s simple approach to chess.

Hugh Patterson

Learning how to play good chess can be discouraging for the young beginner. I know that I came close to giving up on this fantastic journey on numerous occasions. What kept me going were words of wisdom and encouragement passed on to me by experienced chess players and teachers. I decided to write this article after witnessing a verbal exchange between a very young member of a rival chess team and his coach. The child in question had a very bad result at a recent tournament. I stood speechless as the coach berated his student in front of the other members of their team. The poor young man was in tears and the coach wouldn’t let up. While others stood and watched, I walked up to the coach and asked to have a word in private. After we walked away from his students, I simply asked him why he felt the need to make a bad situation worse by berating a child. He told me that he used tough love and didn’t pamper his team members the way I did. I suggested he not berate children in my presence and walked away. I was angry but I wasn’t about to get into an old fashion donnybrook in front of a hall full of children.

When children become involved in competitive chess, they face a series of challenges both on and off the chessboard. While children can emotionally bounce back from most problems easily, we still have to remember that their egos can be extremely fragile when under pressure. A lost game can be painful. A lost tournament can be devastating. When a child loses a tournament, they often feel as if they’re letting their teammates, coach and parents down. Young children haven’t developed intellectually enough to put their losses in proper perspective. Some of my students may play chess better than many adults I know but they’re still children. Just because they play chess like an adult doesn’t mean they handle emotional pain with the same level of maturity. One of the things I do early on when working with my newer students is to talk about handling losses and how to overcome them.

The journey towards the mastery of any endeavor, be it music or chess, is never without a few setbacks. These setbacks can be thought about as a test of one’s commitment to the journey. While adults can rationalize this, children cannot. These setbacks can discourage a child which can lead to a complete disinterest in continuing the journey. The journey a child takes along the road to chess mastery has to be exciting and fun. While there will be setbacks, approaching these bumps in the road in the right way can be the difference between a child simply giving up on chess or continuing on with renewed vigor. The first painful setback for chess children comes when they start losing more games than they’re winning. I tell them the following story:

There once was a little boy who couldn’t play chess very well. He took lessons with a local chess teacher as did all of the little boy’s friends. However, as the boy’s friends got better, he made little progress. Soon, all his friends could beat this little boy and even his chess teacher was becoming discouraged. The boy would cry late into the evenings, wondering why he couldn’t play chess like his friends. One summer day, the little boy woke up and had a thought. “Today’s the day that I’m going to turn things around. I’m going to reread that book my chess teacher gave me and practice even more.” The little boy pulled the book from a shelf above his bed, set up his chessboard and started to read. Rather than watch his favorite morning cartoons, the little boy dedicated this time to getting better at chess. He worked at it day after day, month after month. Very soon, he was no longer losing games. In fact, he started winning games and joined his school’s chess club where he became one of their best players. The little boy didn’t give up, instead working harder to improve his game. That little boy was me.

My students are amazed that I had such a hard time learning how to play chess (and still do). They think, since I’m their chess coach, that I must be some sort of chess guru. Some of my young students have said “I bet you’d beat Bobby Fischer if you played him.” When I tell them that Fischer would crush me, they’re surprised. However, this brings up another point I make to my beginning students. There will always be someone who plays better chess but this can serve as a challenge to improve our own game.

The beautiful thing about chess is that, while there are always going to be players who are stronger than you, there are also players who are weaker than you. This means that you’ll have your share of victories. When my students ask if I’ve ever lost a game (remember, these are very young children), I reply “of course I have.” I tell my students that I love chess so much that I don’t mind losing a game if I gave it my best. I also tell them that my greatest lessons which led to improvement came from games I lost. After a loss, I sit down, replay through the game and determine where I went wrong. We learn from our mistakes.

Parents have to be on board with this way of thinking as well. I’ve seen my share of chess parents ruin the game for their children by having unrealistic expectations. When talking to the parents of my new students, I make it very clear that children’s chess can be very stressful and it is critical that both the parents and the child’s coach make that child’s chess experience positive. I interview the parents and ask them how they deal with losses in their child’s life to ensure this. Fortunately, I haven’t had many hardcore chess parents to deal with. I work with the parents to create a monitoring system, helping us to ensure their child is having fun and improving at the same time. As for the chess coach first mentioned in this article, my team took first the last two tournaments we played against his team, so I guess the “pampered” team had the last laugh.

To parents and coaches reading this, remember that chess should be fun and exciting. Children’s feelings can easily be hurt so be kind to them. Help them face their losses in a positive way. Be supportive and proactive. Don’t forget, they may play chess at a seemingly advanced level but they’re still kids. Here’s a game in which a young Bobby Fischer takes on Samuel Reshevsky.

Hugh Patterson

So often, when we make a seemingly great move on the chessboard, we fail to examine that move for any potential negative aspects. Each month, I take on a new student, Pro Bono, from another country. They say you can’t keep (in life) what you don’t give back and I take this to heart. I just took on a new student (a beginner) and decided to examine one the games he lost. I teach my students that the greatest lessons in both chess and life are learned by studying our losses. The game in question looked great at the start. However, it took a sudden turn toward disaster after a series of middle game exchanges that left an even position. What went wrong? My student didn’t think about the squares left behind after making a series of moves. This is the realm of the dark side of bright (or good) moves.

I first heard about this idea (drawback chess) through a fantastic video done by American Grandmaster Maurice Ashley. Up until then, I didn’t think about the squares I left behind when making a move. Often we see a great move that gains an obvious advantage. This advantage is to us what a flame is to a moth, irresistible. Like the moth, we become blinded to the danger because we are fixated on the flame or, in the chess player’s case, the seemingly obvious advantage. We quickly make our move and smile. We’ve gotten control of the position. Then we are subject to the rude awakening that arrives when our opponent makes his or her move, turning the tables on our position.

Often, students discover the square or squares left behind when on the receiving end of an opening trap. They suddenly see the opportunity to capture an opposition piece, thinking their opponent has made a mistake. Then they discover that the piece in question was sacrificed, serving as the trap’s bait. Suddenly the tables are turned and disaster strikes. I don’t teach my students traps in the traditional sense. I know plenty of other chess teachers who teach their students traps they can use to gain the upper hand (especially in the opening). Instead, I teach my students how to discover traps and disarm them. I have nothing against traps, having used them on occasion. However, beginners have a tendency to build their games, especially the opening, around these traps rather than using sound chess principles. Often, a trap will lure a piece away from a good defensive position. Examining the squares that piece defends can serve as a strong indicator as to whether or not to make the move in question (avoiding the trap). This way of thinking applies to all moves.

Even the best moves can have a downside! To get my students into the frame of mind needed to understand this concept, we make a small list for each and every move they make. This list must be considered before moving the pawn or piece in question. I call it the plus and minus list. Each student has a pad of paper and a pencil. Eventually, they will do the following calculation in their head. However, the concept is easier for young beginners to understand if it’s written out. First we write down the move we want to make. Underneath, we draw a vertical line. On the left hand side we write “plus” and on the right hand side “minus.” The plus side represents the positive aspects of the move while the minus side represents the negative side of the move (with younger players we often write “good” and “bad”). The student then looks at the move in question and tallies up the positive and negative aspects of the move. We use a simple grading system: A good move will have at least a 3 to 1 ratio (positive to negative). A fair move will have a 2 to 1 ratio and so on. This allows students to see if their move has more advantages than disadvantages. It also forces students to really look at the position with some depth. However, this is only the start of the process.

One of the most exciting aspects of chess is the idea that a perfectly sound position can fall apart after a seemingly decent move. I see this most often in beginner’s games. A student will have a winning position one moment and have it fall to pieces the next. I always make a point during practice games to have the student whose position suddenly crumbled go back a move or two. What I find more often than not is that the move leading to the bad position gave something up that was more vital than what was gained. Let me explain:

Here’s an example of not examining the square or squares left behind: Let’s follow a chess game in which the student playing white doesn’t look at the square or squares left behind. The game starts out 1.e4…e5 2.Nf3…Nc6 3.Bc4…Nd4. White thinks “Wow, black has blundered!” Why does the student think this is a bad move? First of all, black has moved the same piece twice during the opening which we’re taught is not a good idea until we’ve moved our other pieces at least once. Black has also left the e5 pawn unprotected. Our student sees that his Knight on f3 is now under attack and decides to capture the undefended e5 pawn with 4.Nxe5. Black now reveals the true nature of 3…Nd4 by playing 4…Qg5. Now the white Knight is under attack as is the g2 pawn. If the g2 pawn is captured, white will have to forego Kingside castling and move the h1 Rook to f1. How did this happen? White didn’t look at the square or squares left behind when capturing the e5 pawn. Had the Knight remained on f3 it would have protected the g5 square, keeping the black Queen from launching such a strong attack. Of course, there are simple ways out of this position but the point is made.

This idea of examining the square or squares left behind needs to be applied to every move during every phase of the game. After students have become used to making their plus and minus list, we add another element to our list, the squares protected by the piece we’re considering moving. Before a student makes a move, I have that student list the squares the piece in question protects. The student then looks at the opposition pieces and sees if there are any that can take advantage of the square or squares left behind. While it takes some time initially, students develop their observational skills and can look at the board, mentally note the squares left behind to see if the opposition can take advantage of them and then make an informed decision about their move. Try this with your own games. It is frustrating when you make a bright move only to discover their dark side. However, if you carefully examine the squares you leave behind before making any move things may look a bit brighter! Here’s a game in which a master level player breaks some of the opening principles discussed in earlier articles. What what happens and look for squares left behind.

Hugh Patterson

In my last article, I mentioned a trait that distinguishes experienced chess players from beginners; an understanding of the pawn’s importance. At the game’s start, pawns are often considered the least valuable member of our army but as the game progresses their value increases. This increase in value can also be applied to the Bishops, Rooks and Queen, because at the start of the game, these pieces are trapped behind a wall of pawns which must be moved in order for them (the pieces) to gain access to the board. Knights are excluded because they can jump over pawns and pieces allowing immediate board access. Pawns can grow greatly in value as the path to their promotion square becomes less cluttered with opposing pawns and pieces. We’re now going to continue our exploration of the pawn by looking at simple pawn promotion.

We’ll start with some basic terminology necessary to understanding how to effectively promote pawns. All pawns have the ability to promote to a Queen, Rook, Knight or Bishop upon reaching their final rank (the eighth rank for white or the first rank for black). Upon reaching the end of its journey, the pawn must promote. A pawn may not remain a pawn nor can it promote to a King. You can think of pawn promotion as a metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

One type of pawn stands out from the others, the passed pawn. A passed pawn is a pawn that faces no opposition on the same file or adjacent files. A passed pawn has a clear path to its promotion square. The only way to stop a passed pawn is by using a piece (if one is available) to either capture or block the pawn. If you’re in the endgame phase and have only your King, you may not be able to stop it (depending on where the King is in relation to the pawn). If you have a piece able to block or capture a passed pawn, that piece loses its effectiveness because it has to deal with the passed pawn. Therefore, if a player has many pieces remaining on the board, dealing with a passed pawn is less of a problem. However, a player with fewer pieces on the board will find it more difficult to corral the passed pawn. The closer a passed pawn comes to its promotion square and the fewer opposing pieces there are to stop it, the greater the pawn’s value.

As mentioned in my last article, beginners will often try to promote pawns early in the game. Because there are so many opposing pawns and pieces on the board during the game’s early stages, the poor pawn marching towards its promotion square is typically captured which can greatly discourage the novice player. The beginner often asks “when should I attempt to promote a pawn?” An experienced player will know the answer to this question immediately, “during the endgame of course!” Here’s why:

A passed pawn does a player no good if it cannot get to its promotion square. Unlike other members of our chess army who can move in any direction to get out of harm’s way, the pawn can only move forward. Therefore, once you move a pawn, it’s committed since that pawn cannot retreat if a position becomes dangerous. The pawn is also slow moving. After a pawn’s first move, where it has the option of moving one or two squares forward, the pawn lumbers along one square at a time. This makes the pawn an easy target. However, if you worked through the pawn positions from my last article, you’ll know that pawns can protect one another using pawn chains as a support system. If you put all this together, you’ll realize that you must choose the right time to start a pawn’s journey towards promotion.

Pawns tend to be pushed towards their promotion square during the endgame when there are fewer pieces on the board. In our example, a student game, we’re going to use a single pawn with our King in the role of the pawn’s escort. Trying to stop our pawn from promotion will be the opposition’s King. Let’s take a look at a new term, opposition. An understanding of opposition is critical to successful endgame promotion.

Endgame “King” opposition occurs when the two Kings face each other on a rank or file with only one square between them. Kings can never be on squares directly adjacent to one another. If we have the white King on e4, that King controls d5, e5 and f5. If black’s King is on e6, the black King also controls the d5, e5 and f5 squares. However, unlike the other members of your chess army, neither King can move to a square controlled by the opposing King. King opposition plays a decisive role in endgame pawn promotion. White’s goal is to use the King to escort the pawn to its promotion square while black’s job is to stop the promotion. Kings must be used in the endgame!

In the example below (a student game so you can see how my beginning students tackle this type of promotion), white starts by moving the King in front of his pawn rather than pushing the pawn first. The white King needs to be in front of its pawn to successfully promote. After 1.Kd2…Ke7, 2.Ke3…Ke6, 3.Ke4, it’s black’s turn. White controls the critical squares d5, e5 and f5 which means the black King cannot occupy any of these three squares. Black also controls those squares but, since its black’s turn, the black King must abandon its position and counter control of the critical squares, moving to either d6 or f6. Let’s say that the black King moves to f6 (4…Kf6). White plays 4.Kd5, controlling the critical squares, e5 and e6. Notice that the white pawn remains on its starting square until the black King is driven back. Black plays 4…Ke7, trying to stay in front of the pawn. On move five, white brings the King to an opposition square with 5.Ke5. Black moves the King to f7 on move five (5…Kf7). White then plays 6.Kd6. Black tries to lodge his King on e8 (6…Ke8). Black’s King must not be allowed to remain on e8 or the game will end in stalemate. White smartly places his King in opposition to black’s King with 7.Ke6. Now the Black King has to move off of e8 (7…Kd8). White now pushes the pawn up the e file as the black King tries to reoccupy the e8 square. However, we reach an important moment on move ten. On move ten, white‘s pawn can advance no further. White needs to keep the black King off of e8 so he moves his King to f7 which cuts the black King off from e8. This move allows white’s e pawn to march to its promotion square. Play through the remaining moves. One point to note is that white must keep the black King off of the promotion square because this can lead to stalemate. We’ll look at stalemate in my next article. For now, play through this endgame and then try placing the two Kings and pawn on different squares and attempt pawn promotions.

Hugh Patterson