Program for Chess Improvement
The program is interactive and uses Quizzes etc. It contains the following elements:
including how the pieces move, chess notation, use of clocks, stalemate, perpetual check, pawn promotion, castling, en passant, piece touched rule etc.
Checkmating with King and two Rooks, King and Queen, King and Rook, Two Bishops, Bishop and Knight, Two Knights.
Tactical Combinations: There are 20 tactical combinations and 12 themes
First Level
1. the fork,
2. the pin,
3. X-rays / skewers,
4. double attacks, double checks,
5. discovered checks, the "see saw", discovered attacks,
6. back rank and side edge mates,
7. unprotected pieces,
8. trapped piece
Higher Level
9. passed pawn
10. undermining moves,
11. eliminating defenders,
12. decoy - luring defenders away, deflection,
13. overloading,
14. disrupting communication.
15. clearance,
16. tempo,
17. smothered mates,
20. stalemate tactics
Tactical Themes:
1. Weakness of f7 (f2 White),
2. Weakness of h7 (h2 White),"Greek Gift" sacrifice,
3. Weakness of g7 (g2 White)
4. Weakness on e8-h5 diagonal (e1 - h4 diagonal White),
5. King in the centre, or precarious King position
6. Development advantage
7. Rook(s) on open files
8. Long diagonal
9. Knight on the 6th (5th) rank
11. Attacking, active, aggressive Queen position.
12. Exchange sacrifice, major and minor exchange.
D. Basic Chess Endgames
classic won/drawn endgame positions, the opposition
E. The Chess Openings
including the centre and the importance of development, King safety, space advantage, Gambits and compensation/ counterplay, tempo, transpositions, open, closed, semi-open games, pawn structures. Click here
F. Introduction to Chess Strategy
Blockade, over-protection, exchanges/ liquidation/ simplification, outposts, fianchettoes, the two Bishops, light and dark square weaknesses, Bishop v Knight, open files, importance of the 7th and 8th ranks, space advantage / cramped/ passive positions, mobility, prophylaxis, minority attack, Q-side pawn majority, binds, zugswang, luft, hypermodern chess, zwischenzug, Steinitz principles, position imbalances, problem child.
G. The Importance of Pawns
including pawn structure, passed pawns, mobile pawns, doubled pawns, hanging pawns, pawn levers/ breaks, pawn chains, pawn islands, isolated pawns, backward pawns, weak squares and "holes", poisoned pawns.
H. Psychology in chess
"Don't let the opponent put you off" guide
I. Playing games of chess
Friendly, Blitz, against a computer, Club / School Tournaments, Matches, Yorks League [A.G.Sunderland], Congresses [e.g. Huddersfield Congress]
J. Analysing Games of Chess
Using self, friends, teachers/coaches, computer programs
K. Studying Chess
from books, chess videos or computer software.
L. Chess Grades
Rating systems to rate the strength of chess players.
G.M.Peake June 2006