By Michael Russell 

Like many other pastimes, chess has become very popular on the Internet. There are sites where you can play your own games or even against the computer, sites where you can post messages regarding the game itself and sites where you can look up a wealth of information from past games to rules to chess openings and on and on. We’re going to take a look at a few of the most popular chess sites on the Internet. Probably the most popular chess site on the Internet is chessgames.com. It has an Alexa ranking of 21,705 at the writing of this article, which is pretty darn good. The site has just about everything the chess enthusiast could want. They have their game of the day, which you can view and analyze. They have the puzzle of the day where they give you a position and you have to guess the move or moves that will provide victory for either the white or black pieces. Some of these puzzles are very hard even for accomplished players. Also at this site you can look up just about any opening and every tournament game by every player who has ever played that opening. Their database of games is simply massive. And of course you have your message boards where you can chat and post your comments on the various games in their database.

For the person who is really into chess, this is probably the only site you will ever need to go to if you just want to look up data on the game of chess. But if you want to play the game online, well, that’s a different story and you’re going to have to look elsewhere.

If you want to play chess online, one of the best places is pogo.com. This site has an Alexa ranking of 244 as of this writing. Granted, that is mostly because of all the other games that you can play there, but when doing a search for playing chess online, this is one of the first sites you are going to see.

At pogo.com you’re going to run into hundreds of people who play chess. The rooms are broken down into ratings so that you’re not playing against an opponent who is much better than you unless you want to. Also, you can play against the computer, which is quite fun. The online computer engines are not that good but good enough that they can give you a run for your money unless you’re a grand master. The computers do have different levels too.

Then of course there is the Internet Chess Club where all the grand masters hang out. If you want to meet some of the most famous people in the chess world, this is where you want to go. Considering that the grand master population is relatively small, an Alexa ranking of 42,343 as of this writing, is pretty good. This is a pay site but the members benefits are numerous, including unlimited rated play, chat, tournaments and even private lessons. Membership is definitely worth it if you’re an avid chess player.

And these are only a few of the many chess sites available online. With a little research, you can literally get lost in this world of Internet chess.

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By Eriani Doyel 

Getting a chess set for yourself, or someone else can be a really difficult decision. There are so many different styles, materials and prices. If this is your first experience in buying a chess set you may not really be aware of what is available to you. Or, if the only set you have ever owned is one of those very simple plastic and cardboard sets you may really be in for some sticker shock when you look at the really fancy sets. You can choose from a themed set that has pieces designed from pop culture or sports or you can get a more traditional war themed chess set. You can even buy the pieces and board individually and create your own customized set.

A chess set for a child who is just beginning to show an interest in chess should be fairly simple and inexpensive. This way if the pieces in the chess set get broken or lost, you can replace them without a lot of expense or trouble. They may also lose interest after just a short time and then you don’t lose a big investment. But, if they are serious about chess, as many children are today, you may want to get them a better chess set. There are many child-friendly themed sets that are really fun. You can choose from the Simpsons, the Muppets, Star Wars, Cats and Dogs, or the Lord of the Rings among many others.

If none of these types of sets appeal to your more sophisticated adult tastes, you may want to look at some war themed sets. You can find a chess set with a Civil War or Revolution theme or even a theme from a particular battle. There is a set which glorifies the history of the sport of golf and another that is a depiction if the rivalry between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox teams.

Sets can be purchased in mahogany, marble, or 24 carat gold plating. Before you buy any of these quality sets, check for durability and good construction of the pieces and the board. You may decide that this will become a family heirloom to be passed down from generation to generation.

If nothing else appeals to you, you can always design or even construct your own set with materials, boards, and individual pieces from a specialty store or online dealer.

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Thinking methods are at the heart of the chess struggle, yet most players devote little conscious effort to improving their calculating ability. Much of the previous literature on the subject has presented idealized models that have limited relevance to the hurly-burly of practical chess, or else provide little more than ad hoc suggestions. Here, experienced trainer Valeri Beim strikes a balance by explaining how to use intuition and logic together to solve tactical problems in a methodical way. He also offers advice on when it is best to calculate ‘like a machine’, and when it is better to rely on intuitive assessment.

Valeri Beim is a grandmaster who lives in Austria. He has won numerous tournaments and plays in the Austrian and German leagues. For many years he was the head trainer at the chess school in Odessa, and he was also the trainer of the Israeli Olympiad team. This is his fifth chess book; see also Understanding the Leningrad Dutch, Chess Recipes from the Grandmaster’s Kitchen, Lessons in Chess Strategy, and How to Play Dynamic Chess.

Reviews of How to Calculate Chess Tactics:
“An excellent book! It explains tactics and how to see them very well. I highly recommend this book to any intermediate or advanced player looking to improve. A complete study of this book will extremely enhance your tactical abilities!” - Andy May, www.nsgchess.com

“An excellent introduction to a critical chess skill, including 100 exercises for the reader to practise what he has learnt.” - Ray Edwards - BCM

“This is an excellent book for all chess-players wishing to hone their tactical skills.” - PHL Hughes - Chess Post

“…a very good book.” - GM Jonathan Rowson - New-in-Chess

“Beim’s new book, issued by Gambit Publications, combines well-selected games and fragments with instructive problems and studies — a trademark of Beim’s previous excellent books. It also includes 100 positions for the reader to solve.” - GM Lubomir Kavalek - Washington Post

“He also advocates regular practice at solving tactical problems as the means to improving ones tactical ability and pattern recognition, and to that end there are 100 practice positions included in the book for the reader to tackle. These go some way beyond the standard “White to play and mate in 2″ type of position, and I found them really tough to crack, though I hope I have benefited from the experience. A few years ago many chess books incorporated interactive sections of this kind, but this is the first book in a long time that I have encountered that included such a section. That in itself is a good reason to buy it.” Alan Sutton - En Passan More…

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By Chad Kimball

If you are a chess student or even an experienced player, the power of the Internet to improve your game cannot be denied.

However, anyone who has typed “chess strategies” or “chess tactics” into a search engine will agree with me that the results can be confusing. Where do I start? What kind of chess strategies websites are out there? Are any of them useful? Which chess strategies information is accurate, and which of it is misleading, incorrect, or erroneous? Which chess products are worth buying?

Well, there are a few crucial pieces of information that I’d like to give you to simplify your search for chess strategies. This information will enable you to use the Internet to the maximum, so you can find the exact chess strategies information that you need to increase your chess rating.

The first thing to remember, is to do a quick bit of research on the author of the text you are reading. Have they posted their chess rating? If they are a coach, how long have they been coaching? Have their students demonstrated success at the chess board? Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.

The second thing to do is to do a quick search at the chess exchange forum (http://www.chessexchange.com) for the writer’s name or the resource that you are recommending. I’ve found the chess exchange forum to be a great resource. There are a large number of experienced players posting chess strategies, chess tactics, and tips on this forum. Again, you can’t believe everything you read, meaning, just because someone said it on a forum doesn’t mean it is 100% accurate. However, if a majority of forum posts are positive about the resource or author in question, you can usually trust the majority consensus. You can also click on the forum poster’s profile (usually if you click on their name to the left of the post) where they often provide their experience level, chess rating, and other information. This information can help you evaluate the validity of their post. (You can access the Chess Exchange Forum by going to my chess strategy website, scrolling to the bottom of the page, and clicking the “resources” link.)

I’ve also found the chess exchange forum to be a great place to discover new resources for chess improvement, as well as a great place to ask chess strategies related questions. The forum contributors are very generous with their time. They will often discuss your questions at length, providing great answers that you won’t find anywhere else (especially for free).

The third way to leverage the Internet to improve your chess game is to simply play chess online! One of the best places to play is the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS). FICS requires that you install a small program on your computer in order to play, but it is well worth it. This allows you to gain experience at the chess board whenever you have a free moment: lunch break, late at night, after work. Study is important, but in order to improve you must actually play chess against real opponents! (You can find more information about the Free Internet Chess Server by going to my chess strategy website, scrolling to the bottom of the page, and clicking the “resources” link.)

Online chess coaching is the forth way to utilze the Internet to gain valuable chess strategies and chess tactics. A simple google search can bring up many chess coaches who will charge you a fee to analyze your games and coach you to improve. Often you can email them your previous chess games, and they will respond with a written analysis of the games, including tips for how to improve. Again, remember what I’ve shared already about evaluating information you read on the internet, and apply those principles to choosing your chess coach. The chess exchange forum is a great place to research and contact prospective chess coaches.

The last way to use the Internet to improve your chess game is by downloading chess software. There are a few pieces of chess software that are crucial to have:

ChessBase. The ChessBase format is quickly becoming a standard on the Internet. Many resources, annotated games, tutorials, etc… are being produced in this format. ChessBase has a full version that you can purchase online, but they also provide a free, pared down version which is more than enough to open and view resources that are in ChessBase format. (Download ChessBase by going to my chess strategy website http://www.chessvictory.com, scrolling to the bottom of the page, and clicking the “resources” link.)

Finally, a Good Chess Engine is also essential for improving your game. A chess engine refers to the part of a chess program that deals with the intelligence of game play. Chess engines can analyze games, moves, mistakes, and more. Most chess engines use the common approach of attempting all possible moves from a given position and then choosing the best one with the help of a search. (Access a long list of chess engines by going to my chess strategy website http://www.chessvictory.com , scrolling to the bottom of the page, and clicking the “resources” link.)

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By Eriani Doyel 

Have you ever seen a news story or magazine article about teaching inner city kids to play chess? While this may seem like just a feel good story, the benefits of playing chess are documented for children as well as adults of all ages. People who play chess experience intellectual benefits as well as social and emotional benefits. If you think that chess is boring, or that you are not smart enough to play chess or that you are too old, there are some things that you should know about chess.

1. Playing chess builds and helps to maintain intellectual abilities. When children who are in inner-city at risk schools are involved in a chess program either through the school, or another local organization they not only learn how to play chess, they also improve their math and reading skills as well. Test scores of children who learned to play chess showed an amazing improvement over the course of just a year’s time. Even kids who were not the best chess players still showed improvement. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, adults who play chess also improve their brain function and it helps their memory and may delay or diminish the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Chess has social and emotional benefits as well. Children who are involved in playing chess either at school or in some other group can build skills such as learning about how to be a good winner and loser. They learn about fairness and not cheating. They also learn confidence and self-esteem as they improve their skills. Communication is improved as the children communicate with other children and adults while they play the game and discuss strategies and moves.

3. When you play chess you develop more creativity, problem solving skills, and long term strategy planning. As a child or adult first starts learning the game of chess, they may just be planning one move at a time. They do not have the skills to think ahead. But as they improve, they get better at thinking more moves in the future and planning strategies and counter strategies to defend their pieces as well as capture their opponent’s pieces. These are skills that can be used in real life as well.

Chess has been around in one form or another for over 2,000 years. The appeal of this game lies in its ability to challenge player’s intellect and strategy.

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By Mike Singh 

The chess computer is a tool, a skill builder if you will. For those that truly enjoy the game of chess, there is no better partner to play with. While many that enjoy playing chess would like to own one of these computers, it should be said that they are often costly and often are complicated to use to a beginner computer user. But, for others, these are the most excellent of tools for your chess career.

The Good

There are a number of benefits to owning your own chess computer. For example, you can play whenever the mood strikes you from early morning to the middle of the night. You don’t have to wait around for your friend to be in the mood. You also have the ability to use tutorials that can help you to learn to play or to increase your own playing abilities with these computers. They are designed to allow for all sorts of play, so you get to do what you feel is necessary. You can also restart a game that has gone bad

The Bad

There are some disadvantages of owning these computers as well. A chess player that is not human can not make the mistakes that a human can make. Therefore, the computer is a much more difficult competitor. Not only that, but they also do not prepare you for the reactions of human play. And, of course, they can be quite an investment as well. You can find various options to choose from, though, from software programs to complete programs.

The Verdict

It’s important to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages when it comes to computers like these chess computers. For many, the goal of owning a chess computer is only a dream. You should realize that they are mainly for those who are advanced players who are playing chess at the club level. Then again, to get to this point, many will need a chess coach. The chess computer can be the chess coach that you need to take your game to the highest level it can be at. If you have the funds for a chess computer and a true love of the game, making that purchase can put you one step ahead of the rest.

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By Esther Andrews

Many people still think that the game of chess is appropriate for old people. In their mind’s eye, they see 2 elderly people sitting across from each other in the park, playing a game of chess.

Well, it might sound surprising to you, but you can teach a baby to play chess. It has shown to be extremely beneficial for children of all ages to learn to play chess, and in addition, it is very entertaining. It is impossible to describe how much value a child gets from playing chess.

When my son Eric was about 2 or 3, he showed interest in board games, so I asked my husband if he knew how to play chess. I didn’t know how to play Chess at the time, but luckily my husband knew the basics, and volunteered to teach little Eric. Eric took to it immediately. One day, my husband and I walked into a computer store, to buy a piece of hardware, and in the back room, we saw a person sitting in front of the computer, playing Chess. We started a conversation with him, and found out that he was a Chess teacher. When we came home, we asked Eric if he would like us to find a teacher for him, and he was very excited about it.

After some looking around and making some phone calls (now I know exactly who to call and where to look) we found a new immigrant from Russia who was a gifted Chess teacher. Some of his students became very famous grandmasters. So we made an appointment with the teacher, and he played a game of Chess with our baby. He looked at us after the game and said, a little bit amazed: “he is making all the right moves, it is amazing”. Eric was 4 at the time, and the teacher took him on as a student.

Since then, Chess has been a part of our life. Chess has enriched our lives a great deal. Thanks to Chess, we have traveled and seen some parts of the world and the country we would have never traveled to otherwise. Whenever we visited a new place, we always looked for a street corner or a coffee house where people play chess, and always met interesting people and made new friends. There is always something new to learn, and avid players spend a significant amount of time learning and practicing. Many people find enjoyment in participating in tournaments.

All over the country there are many chess clubs that encourage the participation of children, and many scholastic tournaments are taking place all over the country. Players of all skill levels are encouraged to play in tournaments, and players of similar skill levels are paired to play with each other.

What will your child learn from playing Chess?

- He will learn how to put together a plan, and follow up on it.

- He will learn to calculate a few moves ahead of time, based on memory and imagination.

- He will learn how to concentrate.

- He will learn the difference between strategy and tactics.

- He will learn to think before he acts. That every move has consequences.

- He will learn to play fair and to be courteous.

- He will improve his visual memory and visual discrimination.

- He will learn how to follow the rules.

- He will learn to take responsibility.

- He will learn to have patience.

- He will develop his creativity.

There are so many more benefits to studying and playing chess, that you will have to discover for yourself.

When we started taking little Eric to a kids’ Chess club, we met some kids that were highly gifted. I will never forget a little boy, 8 years old, who played a game of “blindfold” chess with the teacher, who was a master. “Blindfold” means that the player is not looking at the board, and has to play the game out of memory. The little boy played a whole game out of memory, and beat the master.

The most successful children were the ones who started very early. Children who had an older sibling who played Chess, or a parent who played Chess, and had the opportunity to watch the game when they were babies.

If you have a baby, if possible let the baby watch people playing Chess. Do you play Chess? Wonderful! Let the baby watch. If you do not play Chess, find a Chess club in your neighborhood, a park or a coffeehouse and let the baby watch the games as long as the baby is interested.

Some babies will be fascinated and watch the game for a long time, some will watch just for a few minutes. No problem! Let the baby watch as long as it wants. Even a few minutes will do. Do it as often as possible.

At home, have a Chess board around, and occasionally just show the baby the different pieces, and mention their names. Do it a few times a day. This is a good start for a baby, to get acquainted with the Chess pieces.

When your child is ready (and the parents know best!), you can show him how to move the pieces. A little bit a day will do. Make sure that the child spends some time around Chess players and gets the opportunity to watch some games.

For school age children, the best thing to do is to sit with them, explain the game and play with them. If you don’t enjoy Chess or don’t know how to play, you can find a teacher, or a Chess club that accommodates children.

Here is a special word about girls and Chess: some of the best chess players are girls! Just look at the sisters Polgar, and many other female chess players. If you have a girl, encourage her to play chess, it is a most beneficial activity for girls, as well as boys.

There are many Chess computer games on the market, starting from very affordable programs, like Chessmaster, and up to very expensive software and dedicated Chess computers. They are all fine, but remember - when your child plays with human beings, he learns much more and enjoys himself a lot more. It is a completely different experience. So take my advice, let your child play with other children, or even adults. Computer games can be a good addition.

A good place to start is the Chess Federation of your country. Here, in the US, we are lucky to have a very active Chess federation, and many Chess activities for young children. Here are some helpful links and resources:

www.uschess.org/beginners - Ten Tips for Winning Chess

www.uschess.org - The US Chess Federation

www.fide.com - The World Chess Federation

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