When playing chess, are you able to calculate the next moves in advance? It's harder than it looks, but you can learn too. Once you have mastered this visualization exercise, you will find that you can calculate many more moves than you ever thought you could, and the next time you play a game, you will never be satisfied with doing it without thinking!
Steps
Step 1. Prepare a chessboard
Make sure you use one with algebraic notations - they will help you read your moves and play from both sides, so you can study the game and remember each player's moves, analyzing them.
- On the bottom you will find the lowercase letters from a to h. On the side you will find the numbers from 1 to 8.
- Each box has its own coordinates. The first square on the board, for example, is a1.
- To describe a move, start by capitalizing the first letter of the checker. Then type the box it moved to. If two different pieces starting with the same letter can move into the same square, include the original square of the pawn as well.
- Each piece is called with the initial of its name. In the case of a pedestrian it is not necessary to capitalize the initial: just write the coordinates of the destination square. Castling is marked as 0-0 on the king's side and 0-0-0 on the queen's side.
- There would be other rules to explain about the rules of reading a chess game but, for now, just try to follow the directions and start practicing visually.
Step 2. Play the following moves on each side:
1. e4 for whites and 1. e5 for blacks. In the scorecard it should look like this: 1. e4 e5.
- Then play a 2. Ac4 Rf6.
- Then pass to 3. Cf3 Rg6 4. Cc3 Rxg2. Using a lowercase x indicates that that token has eaten another. In this case the queen has captured the pawn on g2.
Step 3. Start practicing
While you will need to calculate the white player's moves, display those on both sides.
Step 4. Analyze what happened before
The queen ate a pawn. Losing a pawn or a pawn, like it or not, is certainly not positive: but on the other hand, moving the same piece twice in the opening is not a good idea, as is not moving the queen first, since it is such a powerful pawn. to be often targeted. Greed can get any player in trouble, especially when you choose to attack before the pieces are arranged properly. Often and willingly, the pieces that are not protected can fall victim to your opponent's strategy. With these things in mind, let's see if there is a way to fight back.
Step 5. Calculate
Find five possible moves. You will only be able to do one: this is what it means to calculate with three moves ahead. It is not enough to choose a move and put it into practice. You have to find as many as possible and analyze them all, identifying the best possible move and trying to understand how effective it can be. Among the best chess players there is a rule that says: look at all the pieces and hit. In this case, you have a very effective move at your disposal. Look at the board for a moment and try to figure out which one it is. Then move on to the next step, but try to view it yourself first.
Step 6. Begin the viewing process
Did you find Axf7? Here's the move we were talking about! Then move on to the part relating to the visualization: do not touch the pieces, proceed mentally.
- Try to visualize what the keyboard will look like after playing Axf7. Imagine the position of the pieces.
- Viewing the position of the pieces, ask yourself: What options does the black player have to save himself from check?. How many possibilities are there? Precisely, there are 3: the king can capture the bishop on f7, he can move to where the queen was on d8 or he can advance on the e7 space.
- Imagine the king capturing the pawn on f7. Displays the new positions taken by the remaining pieces after these two moves. Try to keep the image in mind.
- So ask yourself what the white player could do. What move can he make in this new position where the black king is on the f7 square? Try to think of the various alternatives and try to identify the most successful one, remembering to always take into account all the pieces and any chess pieces. Did you find something effective? You could play CG5, but this move has some problems. The queen watches over that square and may capture your token. How can it be moved? You could, for example, move the rook to space g. Where could the queen go at this point? On a single box. Imagine it moving to h3. Now you can checkmate with the knight. Notice anything else about the CG5 move? Yes, it is a very bifurcation. You ate the queen. You sacrificed the bishop to eliminate the queen - not bad.
- Do you see any alternatives for the black queen? no. Probably the black player can only move the rook to g1 to take advantage of it as much as possible. Can you reverse the order of the moves to avoid this reaction? What if instead of immediately moving Axf7 you did it after chasing the queen on h3? You will be able to eat it while minimizing losses. By doing so, however, you may have revealed to your opponent a clue to your strategy.
Step 7. Keep practicing
After completing this exercise, you will have visualized in advance the three moves following yours. In a real game, try to analyze more than just your move. Repeat this project for all situations you find yourself evaluating. The more you can move forward and the more you will be able to visualize the next two, three or four moves, the better you will be able to play chess.
Advice
- Consider all the pieces, the possible captures and any chess.
- Don't rely on the first option that comes to mind. It would only work in case your opponent makes the worst possible move. Always play as if your opponent sees your traps and as if you could lose if your strategy fails and your position worsens. Use the petty strategy only if it improves your position, not if it makes it worse.
- Try to predict your opponent's strategy in order to prevent it.
- Remember that isolated pieces are eaten. If a token is defenseless, try to prevent any attacks that might hit it.
