Wanted: chess lessons

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on May 12, 2013 at 17:04

Sally the best way to improve (from whatever level you're at currently) is to lose repeatedly against players who are slightly-to-significantly better than you. You learn to spot the traps and to avoid them. At the top level, the traps become more and more devious (see The Immortal Game)!

If the opponent is wildly better or worse than you, there's no fun for either player.

If you know some basic tactics and play against someone who merely knows how to make legal moves, you won't improve. But a grandmaster might tend to improve by playing Gary Kasparov.

One thing that can be done to even things up between different abilities is for the stronger player to play with a handicap, i.e. to start without one or more pieces.

Finally, if you want inspiration, take a look at The Immortal Game, which is probably the greatest display of flair, brilliance and showmanship in recorded chess history:

The Immortal Game (1851, London)

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Permalink Reply by sally mustoe on May 12, 2013 at 18:41

yet more good advice, thank you, but all I currently know of chess is how to spell the word!   Sally

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