Play chess online to sharpen your analytical skills

28 September 2009 // Filed under Chess Game

The technology and the World Wide Web have given a new dimension to the game of chess. This indoor game, which stimulates the mind and exercises the brain, has used the technology effectively and, thanks to the Internet, this war game or the King of Games has become more popular among the people. Any person, with a little knowledge about the game and more of passion and interest, can learn the game of chess in a matter of less than a couple of hours and be ready to play the game. The contribution of technology to his noble game of chess is online chess. Playing chess online reduces the possibility or option of searching for a partner to play the game. Anybody having a computer with internet connection can learn instantly and master the game in a relatively quick time through the effective use of this concept of online chess,

How does playing chess either with another partner or through online chess can help a player sharpen his skills?

Chess is a board game played between two players, where the primary objective of a player is to corner the opponent’s chief piece, the King, make him immovable and ultimately say “checkmate”. Sounds too simple – is it not?

It is not that easy to corner the opponent’s King in a single move or the first move of the game and say “Checkmate”. Nobody can say “checkmate” to the opponent in one single move of the game. It is impossible. A minimum of three or four moves by either players are required before any possibility of saying checkmate arises, and that too, when the opponent is a novice or commits not mistake, but serious blunder.

Why is it not possible to checkmate an opponent in one move or the first move? It is very simple. Each player is provided with 16 pieces each. So, there exists equilibrium between the two players at the beginning of the game. The chief piece for each player, the King, along with other major and minor pieces including the Queen, two bishops, two knights and two rooks make the back rank while the eight pawns make up the rank ahead of the major pieces. In other words, the pawns block the major and minor pieces including the king, and one basic rule of the game is that you cannot jump over a square that has a piece in that square. Only the Knight is exempted from that rule.

Now, both the players have to make a series of moves such that they lay the foundation for preparing attack over the opponents in a planned manner applying a series of tactics and strategies.

As a chess player, it is imperative that you make each move after thinking about the pros and cons, the objective behind the move, the likely response from the above and such other things before finally putting his hand on the piece to move it to the desired square.

As part of the thinking process, you need to analyze the pieces in the board, the relative merits of the pieces in relation to their positional influence and such other things, with deep concentration.

In other words, one has to use his analytical skills and gain mastery over those skills to gain an upper hand over the opponent.

What do you mean by analytical skills? It is nothing but an ability to visualize, find solutions to a complex problem and take a decision based on the given information or situation. As part of the demonstration of this skill, one person needs to apply logical thinking for the purpose of foreseeing and taking informed decisions.

Just recall what you do as part of our thinking about the moves. Are you not displaying or putting to use your analytical ability? Of course, you are doing the same every time you play chess and think before making a move.

The more regularly you play the game, the more you will be putting your analytical ability to test and sharpening it. With online chess, it is possible for you to play the game as and when you want. Practice makes perfect – goes the saying. By playing online chess frequently, you rigorously exercise both sides of your brain and gain expertise in the analytical skills that will help you lead a better life by taking appropriate and informed decisions at various stages of life and make the life a fantastic and satisfactory one.

2009-09-28  ::