What makes chess games so fascinating is that you will employ a variety of moves for the win. The catch: When one strategy works for one tournament, there’s no telling that it will work on another! Ideally, one has to come up with the perfect technique suited for him|her self. You can do this using trial and error. In most cases, your style will include several techniques, and not just one or two. All good chess players share the same qualities even though they may have different personal styles.

A simple and central part of the smart player’s game is guarded concentration. When you underestimate its value, you’re likely to lose. A common instance is failing to catch an opportunity in the game because you’re worrying about your next move. At times, no analysis of the opponent’s techniques occurs.

As you probably know, intuition commonly accompanies a great level of concentration. It helps to have a vision of the kind of technique you will employ in the match. However, this does not imply that a player conforms to the plan to an extent that he|she forgets to adapt to situations.

In chess, it’s beneficial to try reading your opponent. Try to figure out his game plan by studying his moves on the board. Smart players always position their pieces for a reason. When you succeed in guessing your opponent and his playing style, you can have better control of the game. This also gives the player a calm state of mind while the enemy is reduced to complete bewilderment!

The next important point is to appreciate the value of the pieces on the board. The ranks are associated with their value on the board. The lowest rank is the pawn, which is valued at 1 point. Knights and bishops are ranked higher, and each is valued with 3 points. Then come the Rooks valued at 5 points and finally, the most powerful Queen is assigned 9 points. You will definitely be using these values to formulate your strategy. For example, the queen may be worth 9 points, but if you keep both rooks in the game, the duo is collectively worth more points than the queen. The King, which is the deciding piece can move only one square all allowed directions. Some games necessitate sacrifices to be made, and this means allowing the opponent to seize some of your most powerful pieces – except your king, of course. You must be able to weigh these decisions during course of the match.

The payoffs of intuition are for the long term. If one has to consider a sacrifice to be made between a Bishop and a Knight, take note that a Bishop has a range beyond that of a Knight - here range pertains to the squares on the chess board. Nevertheless, if the player thinks that the Knight will be far more important than the Bishop in achieving the desired result he|she can sacrifice the Bishop for the Knight. There are so many things that can happen in the game. Good chess players know how to react smartly and deal with each situation as it arises. Practice with commitment and interest is the path to getting all the required skills. Still, developing the attitudes of the brainy chess winners can surely take your chess prowess a notch higher.