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Featured Posts
How To Get Better At Chess: A 12-Step Guide
Chess is a game that requires a lot of focus, practice, and hard work. When a player starts learning the…
How To Be A Chess Grandmaster In 11 Detailed Steps – ChessForSharks.com
The grandmaster title is the ultimate achievement in chess, second only to the world championship. 600+ players have earned the…
The Best Chess Books of all Time: From Beginner to Advanced
Reading chess books is one of the primary ways a chess player acquires knowledge. However, the most instructive and suitable…
How To Play Chess For Beginners: Learn Rules, Moves, Setup, Efficient Tactics & Strategy
Did you recently encounter a fancy-looking game, and you'd like to know more about this mysterious game? Would you like…
![](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Resource-7-reasons-you-lose-at-chess.png)
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DownloadOpenings
10 Weird Chess Openings with Animal Names
We have always been fascinated with the creative and amusing names of some chess openings. Openings like these are usually…
![Weird Chess Openings with Animal Names](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/top-ten-wierd-chess-openings-named-after-animals-1-768x402.jpg)
What is the Best First Move in Chess?
The opening moves of a chess game are crucial in setting the tone for the rest of the game. The…
![1. e4 – King's Pawn Opening](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-29-at-10.39.14-768x768.png)
How To Play The London System With Ideas For White And Black
The London System is one of White's most popular 1. d4 openings. It's considered a system because White can play…
![The London System](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-13.27.46-1-768x768.png)
How To Play the Benko Opening For White And Black
The Benko Opening (also known as the Hungarian Opening) is a unique opening that begins with 1. g3. It is…
![Benko Opening](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-03-09-at-11.32.05-768x767.png)
Chess News
“It Was More Logical For Him [Dubov] To Remain Neutral” – Ian Nepomniachtchi speaks in
Ian Nepomniachtchi, former world championship contender has come out to clear the air regarding the recent Dubov vs Russians controversy.…
![Ian Nepomniachtchi taking his medal at the ceremony of the 2021 world chess championship](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/FB_IMG_1639400098346-768x512.jpg)
Alireza Firouzja Breaks 2800, Becomes World No 2
Grandmaster(GM) Alireza Firouzja just became the new world #2 after crossing the legendary 2800 rating barrier. The 18-year old Grandmaster…
![Alireza Firouzja](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/FB_IMG_1637525092097-768x432.jpg)
Nodirbek Abdusattorov Wins World Rapid Chess Championship 2021
Pleasant surprises make everything sweeter. Seeing underdogs triumph in a field of favorites makes the crowd go wild. Chess has…
![Nodirbek Abdusattorov Wins World Rapid Chess Championship 2021](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/FB_IMG_1640747307983-768x420.jpg)
Ian Nepomniachtchi Slugs It Out With Russian Billionaire Businessman
December 24th brought about an exciting atmosphere of Chess in Russia. The Central Chess Club located in Moscow organised a…
![Ian Nepomniachtchi Slugs It Out With Russian Billionaire Businessman](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/dsi4uas69z1iwkqsfpe662lrpg8o11s5.jpeg)
Chess Basics
What is Stalemate In Chess?
A stalemate is a type of draw that occurs when your opponent is unable to make any legal moves to…
![stalemate in chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-27-at-13.01.48-768x767.png)
How To Castle Queenside In Chess
The game of chess is a game of strategy; It involves both the art of attack and defence. Every chess…
![Queenside Castling](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-27-at-11.23.24-1-768x767.png)
What Is the Exchange Sacrifice in Chess?
An exchange sacrifice is a chess move where a player trades their rook for the opponent’s bishop or knight. This…
![Exchange Sacrifice in Chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-19-at-13.33.50-768x767.png)
What Is Material Advantage In Chess?
Material refers to the number of pieces and pawns on the board. An advantage in chess refers to a situation…
![A boy studying a chess board](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/pexels-vlada-karpovich-6115011-1-768x512.jpg)
Question And Answers
Why Is Chess So Popular? Here Are 5 Reasons
It's no longer news that chess's popularity has boomed in recent years. You turn here, you turn there, you see…
![Fischer playing against Spassky](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fischer-spassky-768x478.jpg)
Is Chess an Olympic Sport? A Quick Answer
Chess is one of the world's most popular games, but it's not actually recognized as an Olympic sport. Here are…
![is Chess an Olympic Sport](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/ChessOlympics1.webp)
What Elo Do You Start at in Chess?
The FIDE rating system is based on a player’s performance in their first event(s) and is dependent upon the strength…
![FIDE Rating Progress of 1000+ player](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-30-at-06.58.37-768x365.png)
Can Chess Cause Stress?
Short answer is YES. Chess can actually cause stress. While playing chess can provide many benefits, including improved concentration, problem-solving…
![Ding Liren thinking about a chess position](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/1681409864050.png)
Openings For White
The Complete English Opening Repertoire for White and Black
The English opening is a unique type of opening where White seeks to control the center without using the e…
![English Opening](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-23-at-11.43.48-1-768x768.png)
How To Play the Giuoco Piano For White And Black
The Giuoco Piano is one of the most popular openings in the chess world. It is derived from the Italian…
![Giuoco Piano](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-03-09-at-18.25.11-768x767.png)
How To Play The Italian Game For White And Black
The Italian Game is one of the earliest openings to be introduced into the game of chess. It is a…
![The Italian Game](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-22-at-13.52.44-1-768x768.png)
How To Play the Vienna Game For White And Black
The Vienna Game is a dynamic and flexible choice for White players who love to start a game with the…
![Vienna Game](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-03-08-at-20.54.01-768x768.png)
Openings For Black
How To Play The Caro-Kann Defense For White And Black
The Caro-Kann Defense is a solid and careful opening Black can use to combat the king's pawn opening (1. e4).…
![caro-kann defense](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-28-at-11.14.47-1-768x768.png)
How To Play The Benoni Defense For White And Black
The Benoni Defense is an exciting way Black can challenge the queen's pawn opening. The opening is an excellent choice…
![Benoni Defense](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-28-at-15.09.36-1-768x768.png)
How To Play the Grünfeld Defense For White And Black
The Grünfeld Defense is a defense for Black that is named after the Austrian player Ernst Grünfeld. The starting moves…
![Grünfeld Defense](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-28-at-10.31.09-1-768x768.png)
10 Of The Best Chess Openings For Black
The opening is an important aspect of any chess game. More often than not, whether a player wins or loses,…
![Black chess pieces](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/bigstock-Chess-Pieces-768x512.jpg)
Chess Pieces Movement
Can The King Jump In Chess?
No, the king cannot jump in chess. It's probably easy to mistake the king for the knight which is the…
![Black chess king in hand on a white background](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/iStock-1440724497-768x512.jpg)
Can A King Kill A King In Chess?
In chess, the king is the most important piece on the board. It can move one square in any direction,…
![Black king chess piece stands while White king chess piece is fallen](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/pexels-sebastian-voortman-411207-768x512.jpg)
How Does The Queen Move in Chess?
The queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard. She can move any number of squares vertically, horizontally or…
![How the queen moves in chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-10-at-23.19.43-768x770.png)
All you need to know about Pawns in Chess
Introduction What are pawns? Pawns are foot soldiers in chess. They are regarded as such because they carry the least…
![All you need to know about Pawns in Chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/IMG-20210816-WA0003-768x614.jpg)
Chess Advice
How To Get Better At Chess: A 12-Step Guide
Chess is a game that requires a lot of focus, practice, and hard work. When a player starts learning the…
![A man concentrating at a game of chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/18a22740-78fa-4567-954f-311ccae09e7a-768x512.jpeg)
How To Start A Chess Club in 5 Easy Steps
The entire essence of chess depends on having someone to play with. There can be no chess game without an…
![Chess players playing in chess club](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/SAVE_20240320_092802-768x512.jpg)
How To Improve Your Chess Rating For Beginners (From 0-1800)
In this short guide, you'll learn some proven ways to improve your chess skills and rating. We'll do this by…
![growth chart diagram to explain chess improvement](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/WhatsApp-Image-2024-03-16-at-10.16.49-768x512.jpeg)
How To Improve Your Chess Calculation in 9 Steps
When a chess grandmaster sees a chess position, the first thing that comes to his mind is to assess the…
![Chess players playing and calculating chess moves](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/How-to-improve-your-chess-calculation-in-9-steps-768x512.jpg)
Chess Players and History
A Biography of Josh Waitzkin (and Why He Stopped Playing Chess)
After watching the award-winning movie 'Searching For Bobby Fischer', a lot of people ask this familiar question: "Does Josh Waitzkin…
![Josh Waitzkin](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/josh_training_taichi.jpg)
Bobby Fischer vs Garry Kasparov: Comparing Two Legends
As a chess fan, you must've wondered what a match or even a game between some World Champions across different…
![Fischer playing against Spassky](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fischer-spassky-768x478.jpg)
Top 5 Underrated Chess Players in History
Chess, as we know, is a game that has been in existence for centuries. Some chess players have played the…
![Underrated chess players](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/images-1.jpeg)
Top 10 chess players likely to dethrone Magnus Carlsen
The chess world is currently blessed with a host of players that would’ve probably borne the World Champion title if…
![Top ten players likely to overthrow Magnus Carlsen](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Top-ten-players-likely-to-overthrow-Magnus-Carlson3-1-768x768.jpg)
General
African Chess Grandmasters: Who They Are And Why They Are So Few
According to the Oxford dictionary, the word "MASTERY" means comprehensive knowledge or skill in a particular subject or activity. However,…
![African Chess Grandmasters](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/IMG-20210819-WA0057-768x525.jpg)
The Dark Side Of Chess (And What Can Be Done)
Chess in all its broadness, is a game that unites people from the ends of the earth. People find solace…
![The Dark Side Of Chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/SAVE_20210906_045432-768x384.jpg)
16 Hilarious Chess Memes From The 2021 World Chess Championship
This article presents a compilation of funny chess memes with inspiration gotten from the 2021 world chess championship match between…
![Chess Memes](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/FB_IMG_1638844087594-768x769.jpg)
Stalemate vs Checkmate: All You Need to Know
The game of chess is a battle of minds. It is an arena where only the strongest minds and the…
![Stalemate vs Checkmate](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot_20230502-180845_lichess.jpg)
Fide Titles
How to Become a FIDE Certified Chess Coach?
Being a certified chess instructor is a fantastic method for chess players to earn more money with their chess talents,…
![FIDE Trainers’ Commission](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/trg_header-768x252.jpg)
What is the Lowest Title in Chess?
The Candidate Master (CM) title is the lowest title in chess, which is awarded to players who surpass an official FIDE rating…
![Man in front of chessboard](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/shutterstock_73070908-768x510.jpg)
FIDE Chess Ratings: The Who, What, Why and How
One way that chess players track their progress and measure their skill level is through the use of FIDE chess…
![Fide logo](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/jhhjhv.png)
How To Become an International Master
The International Master title is awarded to chess players who are strong but not quite at the level of grandmasters.…
![How to become an International Master](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/20231004_174017_0000-768x768.png)
Checkmate Patterns
Learn The Bishop And Knight Checkmate: Understanding The Chess Pieces
This pattern works by limiting the opponent's king to a corner of the board, where the bishop and king take…
![Bishop and Knight Checkmate](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-21.png)
How To Carry Out The Queen And King Checkmate in Chess
The queen and king checkmate happen frequently in chess games. Many games conclude in King + Queen vs. King, with…
![Avoiding stalemate on the chessboard](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-10-at-21.05.47-768x768.png)
Can You Checkmate With Two Knights?
The short answer to this puzzling question is YES and NO. Confused? Let's break it down. Technically, you can checkmate…
![Hand of chess player holding up a black knight above a chess board](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/photo-1628867578032-f00002d78a6d-768x512.jpeg)
How To Play The Two Bishop Checkmate
The king and two bishop checkmate is another basic checkmate that occurs in chess games. While this type of mate…
![](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-15-at-09.11.29-768x766.png)
Boards And Pieces
How Wooden Chess Pieces Are Made
Chess pieces come in different forms: plastic, ceramic, aluminium or wood. Some of the luxury ones are even made with…
![How Wooden Chess Pieces Are Made](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-19-at-12.46.31-768x400.png)
The Game Of Thrones Chess Set (And Characters Represented)
It is not news that chess is a way of life. An excellent chess player can see life through the…
![game of thrones chess set](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/81jlRGHgqPL._AC_SL1500_-768x472.jpg)
10 Best Chess Sets Under $100
Every true lover of the royalty game of chess must have that trusted set that serves as a getaway from…
![10 Best Chess Sets Under $100](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/IMG_20220124_144537-768x1024.jpg)
How To Set Up A Chessboard Easily
The chessboard has 64 squares, 32 are dark and 32 are white. There are 32 chess pieces, 16 of which…
![How the chessboard is set up](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/chessboard-1024x768-1-768x576.jpeg)
Flank Openings
An Introduction To Flank Openings
Flank openings are openings where the earliest moves do not emerge from either of the centre files (c and d…
![English Opening](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-16-at-11.21.18-768x768.png)
The Complete English Opening Repertoire for White and Black
The English opening is a unique type of opening where White seeks to control the center without using the e…
![English Opening](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-23-at-11.43.48-1-768x768.png)
How To Play The Reti Opening For White And Black
The Reti opening is a hypermodern opening that was created by one of the pioneers of hypermodern chess, Richard Reti.…
![Reti Opening](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-30-at-20.57.35-1-768x767.png)
How To Play The Larsen’s Opening For White And Black
The Larsen's opening is an unorthodox or flank opening that starts with 1. b3. b3 is an unconventional opening that…
![Larsen's Opening](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-02-03-at-19.06.10-768x767.png)
Tactics
12 Important Chess Tactics You Should Know
Chess Tactics is a move or a combination of moves that pose one or more instant dangers to an opponent.…
![chess tactics](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sbb23mj301961.webp)
What is a Pin in Chess? A Beginner-Friendly Guide
A pin is a common chess tactic where your opponent attacks one of your pieces, and you are unable to move it…
![Pin in chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-12-at-20.01.41-768x766.png)
What is a Double Attack in Chess? – ChessForSharks.com
You're sitting across from your chess opponent, staring at the board, wondering how to gain the upper hand. A clever…
![double attack in chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-09-18-at-12.43.57-768x765.png)
X-ray Attacks vs Skewers
The x-ray attack and skewer are two powerful tactics in chess that every chess player must know and understand. In…
![X-ray Attacks](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-09-10-at-22.27.34-3-768x771.png)
Chess Variants
Popular Chess Variants You Probably Didn’t Know Existed
What makes a game or sport more fun than its original form is its variants. Variants of a game or…
![Popular Chess Variants](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IMG-20211119-WA0007-1-768x384.jpg)
How To Play Three Player Chess: A Simple Beginners Guide
Chess is a popular strategy board game that is played worldwide. There are over 600 million people that play the…
![Three player chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/images-35.jpeg)
Four Player Chess Rules You Should Know
For over two hundred years, people have invented and reinvented several variants for four player chess, formed by adding a…
![Four player chess rules](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/images-2022-01-17T020622.326-768x358.jpeg)
Chess Career
Top 10 Exciting Careers In Chess To Earn A Living
You're a chess player—a chess freak even, but you don't earn from it. It's difficult to earn from it, right?…
![Careers in Chess](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SAVE_20210927_085212-768x384.jpg)
How Much Do Chess Players Make? A Close Study
The top 50 chess players in the world make over $100k each year and that mainly comes from playing for…
![FIDE World Cup 2023 Closing Ceremony](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/369999845_1276686529692448_4477433910575910357_n-768x512.jpeg)
How Much Do Chess Grandmasters Earn?
As a chess grandmaster, a big part of your income comes from winning prize money at major chess tournaments. The…
![Hand showing dollars](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/moneyy.jpg)
Unconventional Openings
10 Weird Chess Openings with Animal Names
We have always been fascinated with the creative and amusing names of some chess openings. Openings like these are usually…
![Weird Chess Openings with Animal Names](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/top-ten-wierd-chess-openings-named-after-animals-1-768x402.jpg)
10 Openings Named After Famous Chess Players
There are thousands of openings (along with variations) in chess theory. Many chess players discovered chess openings and stamped their…
![10 openings named after popular chess players](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/10-openings-named-after-popular-chess-players-768x770.jpg)
Top 10 Popular Chess Gambits To Try Out
As chess players, our styles of play sometimes depend on our mood and, of course, the importance of the game.…
![Chess Gambit](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/IMG-20211213-WA0026-768x384.jpg)
Endgame
5 Endgame Concepts You Must Know to Play Better Chess
At a point in the game, you say to yourself "Stockfish ought to take a few lessons from me". You…
![Endgame](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IMG-20211005-WA0014-768x384.jpg)
Chess Endgames: The Great Element Of Chess Mastery
Introduction Chess is categorized into three phases; the opening, the middlegame, and the endgame. The phases are identified to enable…
![chess endgame](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2024-01-24-at-11.31.13-768x768.png)
Books
10 Of The Best Chess Books For Intermediate Players
A huge portion of chess players gets stuck on the intermediate level. This is why attaining mastery in chess is…
![Chess books](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/6abeb516-a652-4eb1-89f2-a493f1c958eb-768x1024.jpeg)
The Best Chess Books of all Time: From Beginner to Advanced
Reading chess books is one of the primary ways a chess player acquires knowledge. However, the most instructive and suitable…
![Chess Books](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/WhatsApp-Image-2024-01-05-at-10.19.31-768x1024.jpeg)
Middlegame
Improve Your Chess Middlegame With These 12 Helpful Tips
Many players have a good understanding of how to play the opening. They follow the good ol' opening principles: For…
![Centralized chess pieces](https://chessforsharks.co/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2023-11-30-at-17.07.38-768x765.png)