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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…

    July 15, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Weird Chess Openings with Animal Names
  • 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…

    September 10, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    1. e4 – King's Pawn Opening
  • 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…

    September 6, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    The London System
  • 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…

    March 9, 2024
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Benko Opening
  • 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.…

    December 13, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Ian Nepomniachtchi taking his medal at the ceremony of the 2021 world chess championship
  • 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…

    November 21, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Alireza Firouzja
  • 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…

    December 29, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Nodirbek Abdusattorov Wins World Rapid Chess Championship 2021
  • 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…

    December 28, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Ian Nepomniachtchi Slugs It Out With Russian Billionaire Businessman
  • 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…

    June 6, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    stalemate in chess
  • 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…

    June 2, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Queenside Castling
  • 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…

    January 23, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Exchange Sacrifice in Chess
  • 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…

    April 22, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    A boy studying a chess board
  • 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…

    April 20, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Fischer playing against Spassky
  • 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…

    September 6, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    is Chess an Olympic Sport
  • 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…

    November 30, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    FIDE Rating Progress of 1000+ player
  • 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…

    September 6, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Ding Liren thinking about a chess position
  • 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…

    September 11, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    English Opening
  • 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…

    March 9, 2024
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Giuoco Piano
  • 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…

    September 11, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    The Italian Game
  • 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…

    September 10, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Vienna Game
  • 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).…

    September 11, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    caro-kann defense
  • 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…

    September 10, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Benoni Defense
  • 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…

    September 10, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Grünfeld Defense
  • 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,…

    May 30, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Black chess pieces
  • 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…

    April 22, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Black chess king in hand on a white background
  • 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,…

    May 24, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Black king chess piece stands while White king chess piece is fallen
  • 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…

    May 22, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    How the queen moves in chess
  • 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…

    August 16, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    All you need to know about Pawns in 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…

    September 29, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    A man concentrating at a game of chess
  • 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…

    April 25, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Chess players playing in chess club
  • 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…

    May 18, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    growth chart diagram to explain chess improvement
  • 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…

    May 18, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Chess players playing and calculating chess moves
  • 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…

    January 7, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Josh Waitzkin
  • 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…

    January 7, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Fischer playing against Spassky
  • 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…

    June 14, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Underrated chess players
  • 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…

    July 5, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Top ten players likely to overthrow Magnus Carlsen
  • 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,…

    August 21, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    African Chess Grandmasters
  • 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…

    September 6, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    The Dark Side Of Chess
  • 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…

    December 8, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Chess Memes
  • 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…

    July 18, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Stalemate vs Checkmate
  • 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,…

    March 15, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    FIDE Trainers’ Commission
  • 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…

    November 30, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Man in front of chessboard
  • 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…

    June 22, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Fide logo
  • 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.…

    November 28, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    How to become an International Master
  • 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…

    January 7, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Bishop and Knight Checkmate
  • 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…

    February 8, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Avoiding stalemate on the chessboard
  • 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…

    February 8, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Hand of chess player holding up a black knight above a chess board
  • 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…

    January 15, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

  • 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…

    April 17, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    How Wooden Chess Pieces Are Made
  • 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…

    June 11, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    game of thrones chess set
  • 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…

    January 24, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    10 Best Chess Sets Under $100
  • 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…

    May 30, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    How the chessboard is set up
  • 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…

    June 24, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    English Opening
  • 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…

    September 11, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    English Opening
  • 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.…

    September 10, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Reti Opening
  • 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…

    February 3, 2024
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Larsen's Opening
  • 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.…

    January 4, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    chess tactics
  • 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…

    April 28, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Pin in chess
  • 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…

    September 18, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    double attack in chess
  • 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…

    September 10, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    X-ray Attacks
  • 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…

    November 20, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Popular Chess Variants
  • 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…

    January 4, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Three player chess
  • 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…

    January 17, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Four player chess rules
  • 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?…

    September 27, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Careers in Chess
  • 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…

    January 22, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    FIDE World Cup 2023 Closing Ceremony
  • 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…

    September 11, 2023
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Hand showing dollars
  • 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…

    July 15, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Weird Chess Openings with Animal Names
  • 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…

    August 30, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    10 openings named after popular chess players
  • 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.…

    December 14, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Chess Gambit
  • 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…

    October 6, 2021
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    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…

    December 25, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    chess endgame
  • 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…

    January 24, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Chess 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…

    October 9, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Chess Books
  • 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…

    May 18, 2022
    Chessforsharks Editorial Team

    Centralized chess pieces
  • Chess For Sharks News & Announcements

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