This is a basic chess blog which offers information about the game of chess, provides links to stellar content about chess, and helps you get into the game of chess more in depth!
One of the greatest ways to learn chess is by watching the Grand Masters play, because they can show you some great moves, and teach you an opening more in depth! Therefore, I've compiled a list of the greatest grand masters, and links to a great web page where you access all of their famous games and all of their openings they played the most, also you can download the PGN of those games for later study as well.
The Greatest Grand Masters of Our Time: (2020+)
Magnus Carlsen (Greatest of all times after Garry Kasparov)
Becoming savvy at chess requires a lot of understanding, it's more than just learning chess openings and defences, it is largely about learning strategies, like tempo, and many other aspects of the games. Anyone can learn a chess trap or gambit, it's really not that hard, and the more you play and learn, the more experience you acquire.
Experience alone will not make you savvy, you can play many games against friends and never really become chess savvy, you really have to study the game from every aspect, especially tempo, strategies, attacking, and combos to better counter your opponent's moves and position. Some say puzzles won't increase your skills at chess, but this is inaccurate, and that's because puzzles teach you savvy moves, well at least they can if they are more difficult.
Anyone can learn how to checkmate a king, that's easy, or even how to trap a queen, but real chess savvy entails counterattacking while being attacked, pinning pieces, forking multiple pieces, and forcing moves that give you an advantage or lead to checkmate. The more brilliant moves you make, the better, the more advantages you gain, the better you are off positionally, usually, and I say usually because some advantages are very short lived!
If you seek just a piece advantage, it doesn't mean you will the game, you can sacrifice your defensive position by going for some moves, and so you need to be very mindful of your position on the board at all times, also you need to see what moves your opponent is seeking to enact upon you! Seeing everything is critical, but it's difficult in short games, unless you are a grand master, to see all of the right moves, and this is why you should play games at least 10 minutes or longer, if you want to get good at chess that is.
You also need to evaluate why you are making mistakes and blunders, learn not to play passive moves that don't really have any strategy behind them, and more importantly, learn to become strategic. Strategy is 9/10ths of what Chess is, those who have more strategy will usually crush those who don't have much at all. Simple strategies like Tempo gain a huge advantage middle game because it increases your positional stength, gaining material advantage can help you win games, and seeking to completely dominate the board requires your opponent to make mistakes, often multiple mistakes too.
I've watched quite a few videos of Grand Masters doing speed runs, watching their play to learn their strategies, this is critical because they show you what is important, and you begin to notice that they have mastered multiple openings and defences, which is rather critical. Chess Savvy is truly just a healthy amount of learning and practice in play, you see the Grand Masters have chess savvy because they are extremely learned in the game, and it's not something that comes overnight, unfortunately.
Though we have all heard of these very young grand masters, I assure you they had to have a Grand Master teaching them at some point, or they'd never be there, because chess is largely about learning openings and defences, strategies, and techniques. I have seen some really stellar combinations of moves in chess, the chess savvy is on a whole different level, and though we'd all love to learn to play like that, it's partly a natural talent too.
Highly intelligent chess players tend to make more savvy moves than those who are just average players, but don't let knowing combinations fool you, there are a lot of other factors that affect the outcome of your game, like tempo, position, your opponent's skill, and how many mistakes you & your opponent make, only to name a few. You can become more savvy if you pay attention to the pros, seek a mentor, and slowly through practice increase your skills at openings and defences.
Learning the right moves and tactics at the right time is critical, trying too early to be aggressive can be disastrous, and I'd highly recommend achieving on a small scale at first, also using fast win techniques like the Scholar's Mate trick is not going to make you a savvy player. (It is very easily thwarted!) You need to have strategy early, middle, and late game as well, because as the great World Champion Magnus Carlsen once said, "It's all about the middle game."
The early game isn't where the best moves are usually played, it's the middle game where players start showing their savvy, and if you are a great late game player, it will help you win A TON of games! Early game is just about building a defence position and setting up your position to attack your opponent's position, indeed some defensive position are completely locking, and if yur opponent attacks, it will make them sacrifice their position, which leads you to be able to make better attacks against them.
Some strategies are purely aggressive, some people are great at sacrificing pieces to achieve a middle game win, while others seek to gain a slow advantage for a late game win, and I'll warn you now that being aggressive early can lead to disaster quickly if your opponent knows what to play and when. The reason you cannot become savvy against lesser opponents, is because they don't have the skills to challenge you, so seek to play masters of the game, and that will indeed increase your savviness at chess, because you'll be learning how they beat you and where you are weak!
I've already outlined in my last blog post that you also need to learn to utilize AI to teach you better moves, so take the time to learn to utilize the best technology available to help you learn, and don't use it to cheat, that won't make you savvy at all. Learn by doing it your self, learn some moves, and then implement them in games, and the more moves you learn, the more savvy you become!
Nothing replaces experience, education isn't enough, you need to learn the game by playing, and learning to become savvy is a long endeavor, because it's not something you acquire in a year or less. You could say savvy is just pure talent, but it's more than that, it's learned talent, and you need the experience of using those talents collectively to play astounding games with brilliant moves.
Worth Watching
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Computers are a great tool, especially when it comes to learning, and if you utilize them properly, well you can really up your chess game indeed! One of the ways you can utilize Chess AI is to analyze your moves, one by one, and develop stellar attacking strategies for your openings or defences, even at any position in the game or against any response by your opponents.
Yes, chess is very deep and in-depth, therefore, it requires a healthy dedication to learning, and that means learning to get so good that weaker Chess Bots cannot handle your game! If you can simply master 2 openings and 2 defences, you'll probably destroy most of your opponents with ease, and that's because you have taken the time to learn every move, every position, and know what moves to make and when, which makes all the difference truly!
No, it's not going to be easy, which is why we need computers to assist us in learning Chess, this is why I made the blog post "Chess for Beginners", so that you could learn about PGN files, Chess GUI Apps, and how learn Chess AI to do amazing things, like learn the best chess games (AI vs AI). It's a slow and long process, learning chess that is, but with enough time and focus, mastery is possible, and if that is your goal, then this blog post is for you!
One thing I love to do is utilize two Chess GUI apps, like Nibbler (AlphaZero Chess AI) and Tarrasch (Stockfish 16+), to play games against each other, and the more time you give each engine to make moves, the more stellar their moves get indeed! AlphaZero is much faster and better than Stockfish, because it utilizes a different type of AI to figure out moves, rather than using a database like Stockfish does, and the difference is quite huge indeed.
For this reason, I get multiple perspectives on any given position, and that's because I can choose an opening against both engines at once, to see how each chess engine handles the moves I make or how they play against the opening or even a defence as well. Once you can see what you can't see, by seeing what the chess engines do see, you'll really open up your understanding of the game, and THAT is the most critical part of learning chess, where your understanding of the game expands to the point where you can see different plans of attack and the better defensive moves to make.
One of the best ways to improve your game at an opening or defence is to make a PGN game of AI vs AI to see how chess AI does it, then play as many games as you can against AI, making mistakes, and saving those games to a database, this way you have every possible move you can make against an opening or defence, and how the different Chess AIs handle those moves. It's simply not enough to learn 2-4 variations of an opening or defence, you need to learn to handle every move your opponent can make against you, and you need to memorize it well. (Yes, it's that deep!)
You also need to know which openings are better, because many openings will usually end up in a loss if your opponent plays properly against it, and for this reason it's critical to learn opening theory, also how to delay openings to confuse your opponent. The Grand Masters have mastered forcing opponents to make moves to get a better position, they've mastered closed and open positions both, and many other tactics as well, which is what AI will essentially teach you as you study the games with AI.
Subtlety and strategy are critical, if your opponent can see your attack or you are using simple tactics, then your opponent can better defend against your attack or attack your defence with ease, and this is why learning openings and defences thoroughly is very critical to improving your game. Though it's very easy to cheat at chess with Chess GUI apps, I do NOT recommend using them for such against real live opponents online, and that's because you'll stain your reputation and become labeled as a cheater, and you'll probably get banned from websites when they analyze your games and find you are cheating. (e.g. Always making the best moves or playing at 90+% accuracy often.)
AI is utilized in many things in life, especially at games for money, like gambling, and computers can always help those who truly cheat, completely destroy those who do not. This is why you'll find that many players online cheat, they may do it subtlety, like using a GUI to make the best opening moves, and then play the game on their own once they have a great position, and I'll warn you that they'll probably get busted doing it too, because AI and Website Administrators can spot cheaters now.
Nobody is perfect, so if you start playing perfectly, that's a red flag, and cheaters never prosper, so learn the game the hard way, by actually playing against AI or live opponents to improve your skills, and learn where you make mistakes, there are even apps that specifically teach you chess. If you are truly serious about chess, then you'll take this blog post to heart, because using AI to learn chess is a MUST in today's computer age, and that's because you'll be miles behind those who do!
Not only can you utilize Chess AI to learn moves, improve your openings / defences, you'll also learn different strategies, and those are the most critical things to learn, because strategy is essentially what makes you better at chess. AlphaZero will teach you chess strategies that even Stockfish cannot deal with, I've seen it multiple times, the AI can enter this locked defensive position and then start making sacrifices that opens up a position for an awesome attack strategy.
It knows how to attack the center, go left or right, or utilize strategies to punish a weak defences, and this is what is so critical to take away from analyzing your games with chess AI, because without analysis, you're going to remain the same until you find "Why" you are losing. There is much more to learn about chess than just making pre-planned moves, you need to know when to attack, how to attack, and more importantly where to attack, because without these strategies in mind, you'll lag behind those who have these strategies that you do not.
Moreover, you'll need to up your game to a point that even Grand Masters cannot defeat you, until you reach this level, you aren't ready to move onto a new opening or defence, and mastery is truly what you should seek at chess, otherwise you are just wasting your time. Your time is valuable, so maximize it by utilizing the best tools at your disposal to learn chess, AI that is, and if you can learn to utilize it properly, then you will indeed improve your game more rapidly then those who do not.
I'd also highly recommend watching grand masters play, because every move counts in chess, and if you watch them enough, your game will improve much indeed. Watching AI vs AI games will truly blow your mind, trust me, it's mind bending how amazing AI is, and by observing AI games you'll literally open up your understanding of the game immensely, which is far more critical then just learning openings and defences.
Understanding is better than diamonds and gold my friends, it's the greatest treasure in life, and those who find it have wisdom which is the real gold in life, but with much wisdom comes sorrow! What I mean is, you can spend far too much time in life doing frivolous and unprofitable things, so don't just dedicate your time to understanding one game alone, Chess will help you apply what you learn to life as well, and I tell you this because understanding is seeing that "Everything is relative" indeed.
You can apply much from chess to life, I call it "3rd Level Chess", which is where you start seeing what is relative, and to give you a better example I'll explain it in a simple context. A queen is like a woman and pawns are like children, you would want to protect your woman and children correct? Do you now see how everything is relative?
Likewise, your knight is that person who fights for you in life, maybe it's your father or mother, but they fight to help you win, and everyone needs your attention, especially those fighting for you! I hope that this post has helped you see there are a lot of ways to learn, chess hopefully can expand your context and understanding on a different level, and with enough study of the game you might even be able to apply what you learn in real life, but that's entirely up to you.
Every time you play chess, you need to have a solid plan of action, meaning you need to know what you plan on playing, and playing it to the best of your ability requires a lot of practice, but eventually you will get good enough at an opening for white or a defence for black. Therefore, it's imperative to learn other openings and defences, because coming to a gun fight with a pocket knife is going to get you hurt bad.
Having a Swiss Army Knife isn't good enough if your opponent has a gun opening on you, meaning they can smoke you fast because your defence is weak against their opening, and for this reason, it's imperative to learn which openings are better against certain defence and how to play them, or on the inverse, which defence to play against a particular opening. For example, using the Evan's Gambit effectively, a variation of the Italian Game, can literally lead to a huge advantage for White, and it is a very aggressive opening indeed!
Emanual Lasker in the 1890s found a way to defeat this gambit effectively, here is one of his games that showcases how he defeated the gambit, and the reason I showed you this is, you will often run into this opening against white. Also, Mikhail Tal, one of the most aggressive players in chess found a way to defeat the Caro Kann, and here is a video of him doing just that!
Of course for a long time the Evans Gambit and Caro Kann Defence were considered great chess openings/defences, they truly are, but as you can see any chess opening or defence can be defeated! Another example is by Semyon Alapin, who invented a very witty chess opening for white to defeat multiple famous openings, but mainly it is used to crush the Sicilian Defence.
In the video below you will find some great tips on which openings to learn by rating, it's helpful to master the basics first, and then learn to memorize & master the variations of multiple openings, yes it is a lot of work indeed. Chess has a massive learning curve, it's going to take you years to get great at it, at least 5+, and so if you don't have the commitment to learning on this level, then chess probably isn't for you.
A lot of people love chess, there are millions of players worldwide, it's a game of wit, strategy, and requires your undivided attention and focus to prevent you from making blunders and mistakes, therefore it's best to dedicate a space or place to give chess your total attention. It's too hard to play chess if you are distracted, it really is, and so you will need some quite time to focus on the game, also learning the game as well. (Studying Openings / Strategies / etc.)
Once you have acquire enough skills, learned a few openings, traps, and mastered the basics, you'll be well on your way to utterly destroying most of the local wannabe masters. Remember this though, planning is everything, therefore, before you even make your first move, decide how you will come with the attack, and that's because the old adage "The best defence is a great offence." is truly the bottom line in chess.
The greatest weapon in your repertoire is your mind, it's how you think that helps you win games, and one of the best opponents you'll ever face is one who has a definitive plan of attack. It's just that you need to learn which attack to bring against any particular defence your opponent is playing, because of this you'll find many Grand Masters will delay coming out with an opening, or mask what their opening is to confuse their opponent, which is another weapon to add to your repertoire.
Chess is very tricky, it's easy to fool a guesser, and if you don't know what you are doing, you'll probably get steam rolled by someone who does know how to win. I've seen a lot of players with no decisive plan of attack, they may know openings, but that's where it ends for them, and that's because they don't truly know how the opening wins ultimately. (E.g. the main attack plan.)
This is why the infamous Queen Attack and Fried Liver Attack are extremely good against novice players, they simply do not know how to handle these simple attack plans, and of course there is the Greek Gift, which is very effective against even good players. Overall your focus should be learning as many attack strategies as possible, this is why puzzles are good at helping you learn tactics that win games, and finding the check against the King or even the Queen will help you maintain control over your opponent, and open up even more or even better attacking positions.
Mikhail Tal was one of the greatest Grand Masters of the the Attack, his games were so vicious that even other GMs feared playing against him, and that's because they knew if there were any weaknesses in their defence, Tal would exploit it to checkmate every time! Speaking of time, it's time for me to go, but before I do, I'd like to remind you that writing blog post cost time and money, and all I'm asking in return is that you share this blog to help it become something more than just writing on a wall, thanks!
Master Levy Really Knows Chess!
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There is a long road that leads to nowhere, then there are roads that lead to somewhere, and becoming a master is definitely a multiple year endeavor. Therefore, if you don't have the stomach for dedication, determinedness, and commitment, then it would indeed be a pipe dream for you to become a Master, at best. However, if you are determined to become a Master, then you will need to utilize a few tools, follow a prescribed path, and master chess openings, from every angle.
The best angler in the game, read Chess Engine, is Alpha Zero, which works wonderfully on the Nibbler Chess GUI App (PC with a Nice Video Card Required), the reason you need this app and engine is, well it's faster than Stockfish at analyzing, and it's even smarter than Stockfish, but the main reason is you will need it to analyze your game to find better moves! A Chess Master is one who has learned an opening with every variation as well, knows by heart every move, and can perform the opening at least at 90+% accuracy, meaning you can't make mistakes or blunders!
Yes, chess is a game of memorization, but you need to pick a solid opening first, which I've outlined for you in the "Best Chess Strategies" blog post, and my personal favorite openings for White are the Scotch Game and the Jobava London System, which are exceptionally good openings. You can play the Scotch Game multiple ways, either via Gambits, or just solid playing vs various openings, it doesn't have a win rating like the Jobava London, and I've seen Grand Masters (GMs) play it successfully vs other GMs, but the Scotch Game is so much more versatile and fun than the Jobava London System. (To me that is.)
Moving forward here, after you pick and opening you like, you'll need to review your games, and learn the best moves in each instance of play, this way you can vanquish future opponents with killer moves! It's very easy to get to 1800++ rating if you master at least 4 openings, two for White & two for Black, and that's going to take you a while trust me.
Memorizing multiple variations for an opening is no easy feat, but if you are dedicated, practice every day, and really work hard, you'll be at least a master of those 2 openings. Though to reach Grand Master, you'll need to master more than just 2 openings, for sure, because you will be playing against people who really know their openings, and that's going to be quite a few years of practice indeed!
The secret is practicing a lot, you need to live and breath chess, daily, and once you have been able to defeat people consistently online, then you are probably ready to go to a real tournament and see how you do. Don't get discouraged if you bomb out, it requires a lot of patience and focus to win tournaments, truly, and every master must have a signature weapon, which is your best opening.
I'd also highly recommend becoming very familiar with every opening you can, even lesser openings like the Grunfeld Defense, because making huge blunders will cost you the game, and that's something you have to eliminate before you are ready to try to take on real Chess Masters. I've seen even Grand Masters make blunders in chess, but it usually in Blitz (5 or 3 Min) and Bullet (1 Min), and don't listen to the chess engines, mistakes and blunders are still possible even by GMs!
I've watched the World Champion make blunders and mistakes, but still win, it's just that in 10+ minute games, you won't see it very often, and mistakes can cost you the game easily against a real Chess Master. I'm not teaching the steps to becoming an actual rated master here, therefore, if that is the direction you choose, you should research that topic, and if you are really just seeking to smoke the pants off of the locals, then you just need to master 4 openings.
I say 4 openings because you need at least 2 to handle most of the main openings, each one is specific in what it can defeat broadly, if played well, some openings are more limited in scope, and others are much more broad, like the London System, which also includes the Jobava as well. Some openings are not great because they are easy to destroy if your opponent knows what they are doing, these openings usually fall into the Gambit category, but make no mistake, some Gambits are indeed top notch, like the Evan's Gambit from the Italian Game, which is one of the best openings in chess!
If you pay close attention to the highest rated Grand Masters, learn what they play the most, and study their game well enough, well you could easily defeat most of your opponents playing like these GMs do. Assuming you aren't playing a GM mind you! These are the basics of the road to becoming a master, whether you become an officially Titled Master or not, and that road is yours for the choosing entirely, because not everyone has the money and time to dedicate to that road.
"..only the top 20 or so chess players in the world could make a living at it..." - Stanford Mag
Oh yes, I almost forgot about my favorite openings for black, the King's Indian Defense and the Caro Kann, both of which are very strong indeed. If you are a serious brainiac, then these openings will test your ability to play well indeed, and you can learn a bit more from this guy about some of the topics I've covered here, because he's definitely big into learning from Chess Engines.
Lastly, you get the results you pay for, meaning, if you are cheap, then you will get cheap results, though you can learn a lot from Grand Masters in videos, but you will need to be better equipped to win with actual books to reference, quality Chess GUI Apps, and more importantly a chess coach! Having a chess mentor makes all of the difference in the world, even the best of the Grand Masters today truly know how to play because they were mentored by Grand Masters! (Like Garry Kasparov)
Here's an example of top 2 Chess Engines "Going At It"!
