ChessForSharks Blog
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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…
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DownloadChess 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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
How To Play The Alekhine’s Defense For White And Black
The Alekhine's Defense is a hypermodern opening that starts with the development of the knight. The opening is an option…
The 5 Most Effective Ways to Play Against The Sicilian Defense
The Sicilian Defense has been called the most combative opening against 1.e4 openings. It is sharp, flexible, and designed to…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
What is The Deadliest Move in Chess?: The Answer May Surprise You
You sit down for a casual game of chess against a friend, thinking it'll just be a fun way to…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
5 Tips To Become A Better Chess Player
You’ve got to work the RIGHT WAY to make it to the top as a pro chess player. In this article, we’ll…
Understanding The 6 Essential Chess Tiebreaker Methods
In many chess tournaments, multiple players often end with the same number of points. When that occurs, organizers need a…
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…
Is Chess Addictive?
Ever found yourself playing just one more game of chess? You tell yourself you'll stop after this match, but then…
Is Classical Chess Dying in 2025? The Great Debate Between Fans and Professionals
Classical chess has long been regarded as the purest form of chess, dating back to the era of the first…
Why Do Chess Players Resign Early? (And Why You Probably Shouldn’t)
Ever wonder why chess players resign so early sometimes? You're in the middle of an intense match, pieces are captured…
Openings For White
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.…
15 Best Chess Openings For White
Chess has been a popular game for centuries, and one of the most critical aspects of the game is the…
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…
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…
Openings For Black
How To Play The Dutch Defense For White And Black
The Dutch Defense is a flank opening that Black employs to gain control of the e4 square right from move…
How To Play the Berlin Defense For White And Black
The Berlin Defense is a chess opening for Black that stems from the Ruy Lopez which starts with 1. e4…
What Is The Best Response To 1. d4 For Black?
So you're playing a game of chess and your opponent opens with 1. d4, looking to control the center of…
How to Play the Slav Defense? Ideas and Variations For White and Black
The Slav Defense is a chess opening for Black that begins with the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6. It's one…
Chess Pieces Movement
How Were Chess Pieces Named?
The game of chess has been in existence since the sixth century. However, the six pieces used in the game…
Can Pawns Move Backwards In Chess?: Understanding The Chess Pieces
The pawn is the chessboard's worker bee. It's an eager soldier marching into battle, ready to establish a valiant front…
How do Chess Pieces Move?
Now that you know how to set up a chess board, you're asking yourself, how do these pieces move? We'll…
How To Win Chess With Only A Queen
We know you're seeking a shortcut, a way to maybe beat your friend or dad at chess by just using…
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?…
Anand vs Kasparov: One of Chess’s Greatest Rivalries
Anand and Kasparov have something in common as World Champions; both established their dominance in their respective eras. When two…
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…
The Legacy of Daniel Naroditsky
On 20th October 2025, the chess world lost one of its most extraordinary chess personalities. Daniel Naroditsky(born November 9, 1995)…
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 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…
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 a Candidate Master
To become a Candidate Master (CM) in chess, you need to achieve an established classical FIDE rating of 2200. The CM…
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.…
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…
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…
How Does the Secret Zwischenzug Chess Tactic Help You Improve?
Every chess player dreams of pulling off a brilliant tactical sequence, a stunning move that completely catches their opponent off…
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…
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…
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 Many Chess Pieces Are In A Set?
The number of chess pieces in a set is 32, and each player has 16 pieces. Chess pieces in a…
Checkmate Patterns
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…
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…
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…
How to Checkmate With Two Rooks? A Beginner Friendly Guide
Checkmating with two rooks is a common form of checkmate in the endgame, especially in beginner games. It involves the…
Flank Openings
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…
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.…
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…
How To Play The Bird’s Opening For White And Black
The Bird's Opening is a unique opening that starts with the development of a flank pawn (1. f4). That's why…
Chess Hypotheticals
Why Does Elon Musk Hate Chess?
Many famous people have expressed their admiration for chess, but one of the biggest celebrities in recent times and the…
Top 10 Chess Players with the Most Aura
Chess is a game of calculation. But some players bring something more to the board, something that can’t be measured…
Can Online Chess Cheating Be Stopped?
Cheating has always haunted chess, but the digital age has made it more complicated. Online chess brought excitement, convenience, and…
Where Will Online Chess Be in 5 Years?
Imagine logging into a chess site that feels less like a website and more like a living, breathing chess city.…
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…
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…
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…
Chess960: The Ultimate Guide to Freestyle/Fischer Random Chess
What if we could make chess even more unpredictable by adding a chaos factor? Something that could reignite creativity from…
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…
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…
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.…
Top 5 Most Effective Chess Traps for Beginners and Intermediates
There's something very satisfying about springing a well-laid chess trap. That moment when your opponent's confident smile fades as they…
Books
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…
Famous Chess Players Who Wrote Great Books
Some players dominate on the board. Others leave their mark on paper. A few do both, and those are the…
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…
ChessForSharks News
ChessForSharks Summer Showdown 2025: Blitz, Brilliance, and Global Rivalry
When 380 chess players from across the world gathered on Lichess this October, no one expected such an electrifying contest.…
5 Surprising Facts Behind Why We Celebrate International Chess Day
Each year, on July 20th, the global chess community gathers, on and off the board, to celebrate International Chess Day.…
Endgame
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…
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…
Strategy
3 Popular Traps in the Scotch
While the Scotch is sound enough to appear at the top level, it hides some nasty traps that can punish…
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…
Chess Tournaments
ChessForSharks Summer Showdown 2025: Blitz, Brilliance, and Global Rivalry
When 380 chess players from across the world gathered on Lichess this October, no one expected such an electrifying contest.…
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