BANTRY Chess Club member Mike Burniston says that every chess game has an opening, a middle game, and an endgame.
‘In the opening, control the four central squares by moving the central pawns two squares. Then, move your knights, bishops, rooks, and queen, usually in that order. Castling (moving the king two squares towards a rook, and the rook jumps over the king) is crucial to safeguard your king. Most importantly, avoid moving the same piece twice until you’ve moved all of them once.’
In the middle game, look for weaknesses, he advises.
‘A fork (attacking two pieces, especially with a knight) or a pin (where a minor piece can’t move because the major piece it shields would be lost) can give you an advantage.
‘Place rooks on open lines to control more space, and aim your pieces at the enemy king.
‘Use pawns to damage the opponent’s defences.
‘In the endgame, focus on promoting a pawn into a new queen rather than checkmating. The king becomes stronger in the endgame, so use him to support pawns.
‘Remember, pawns cannot move backwards, so think carefully before advancing them.’
His best tip of all, though, is to enjoy your chess!
