All Blog Posts
Search Blog
Sort By
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 every opening, they try to recall the theory or ideas…
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 addressing rating ranges from 0 to 1800 to ensure that…
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 position and understand the situation on board. He goes ahead…
When (and Why) was En passant Invented in Chess? With Examples
The En passant rule was invented between 1200 and 1600 in Europe (some sources specifically state 1561), along with the introduction of the two-square first move for pawns, castling, and…
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 two rooks moving across the board, constantly giving checks, and…
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 without exposing a more valuable piece or putting your king…
Can You Castle After Being Checked?
The short answer is YES....and NO. See why in this example: In the position above, Black just played Bb4+ checking the White king. As with the rules of chess, White…
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 opponent, whether human or computer. Most of us prefer to…
Why Am I So Bad At Chess? Here Are 4 Possible Reasons
Is it taking you forever to really get a grip of chess? After several months or years of playing, you still SUCK. You've either improved by a tiny margin in…
Can a King Check Another King in Chess?
This answer is a simple NO. There is no way in chess that you can use your king to check your opponent's king or vice versa. Let's explain why: In…
How Does a Knight Move in Chess?
The knight is the only chess piece that moves in a weird way compared to other chess pieces. Every other chess piece moves horizontally, vertically and diagonally but the knight…
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 where you have an edge over your opponent. It could…
Why Are Rooks More Important Than Bishops?
Before jumping to a conclusion, let's have a look at how each piece moves. The bishop in chess moves in a diagonal fashion as can be seen in the position…
Do I Have To Say Check In Chess?
No, you don't need to. Saying check after an attack on an opponent's king used to be required but it was abandoned in the early 20th century. In fact, there's…
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 only chess piece that can actually jump over other pieces,…
What are Chess Notations?
You must've seen some chess videos from top events, and each time a player makes a move, they record it down on a paper. Why is that? Is it compulsory?…
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 people playing chess. In this post, we'll share with you…
Is Barron Trump A Chess Master? Fact Check
The claims that raised the question "Is Barron Trump a chess master?" emanated from an article published on a website called THE DAILY CHRONICLE: "Everyone knows Barron Trump is the…
How To Avoid Stalemate in Chess: 7 Tips To Follow
You're sitting on the other side of the chessboard and your eyes are laser-focused on the board. You played the opening perfectly and as you predicted, your opponent makes an…
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 gold. But among them all, the most aesthetically pleasing is…
How Long Does it Take to Learn Chess? A Quick Look
Before answering this question, we want you to understand that there's a huge difference between learning chess and mastering chess. You can actually learn the basics of chess within a…
How To Stop Blundering In Chess
We've all been there. Moving your rook to a3 only to remember that you left your bishop on c1 hanging but it's too late. Your opponent captures it and you…
How To Get To 1800 Chess Rating With Advice From Experts
Wondering about how to get to 1800 chess rating? Honestly, it depends on what level you're starting from. If you're a total beginner that just learned the rules of the…
How to Plan a Chess Tournament?
Perhaps you're trying to organize a chess tournament for kids in your school or employees in your workplace but you have no prior experience. No worries, you've come to the…
Can Bishops Jump in Chess?
The answer to the question is NO. Bishops can't 'jump' in chess. These long-ranged pieces only move along diagonals and can't move over other pieces. If the Bishops happen to…
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, especially with the spike of interest in the game of…
Which Chess Piece Can Only Move Diagonally?
There are six(6) distinct chess pieces, and four(4) of them can move diagonally. The four chess pieces that are allowed to move diagonally are the BISHOP, KING, QUEEN and PAWN.…
The Chess World Reacts To The War Between Russia And Ukraine
The war in Eastern Europe has received massive attention from around the world, and the chess community has not abstained from the matter. So far, we've seen several entities stand…
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 an opposing king with two knights but you can't force…
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 the player in possession of the queen having to follow…
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 your queen to decisively win but hold on... First, you…
5 Of The Best Chess Puzzles Out There (What We Love)
Everyone loves a good puzzle, especially when it comes to chess. Chess puzzles or problems are like food for the brain – they train you to find best moves or…
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 a lot of stress. Chess sets come in different sizes…
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 a reality for just a handful of players in comparison…
What is Chess and How To Get Started?
Chess is a two-player game that involves moving 32 pieces on a board with 64 checkered squares. It's a game of strategy and tactics, where each player tries to outsmart…
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 move is usually made for strategic or tactical reasons, such…
