chess

Chess is extremely popular nowadays, whether you wish to play it online or in the good old-fashioned way. Back in December 2022, the chess.com platform reached 100 million users. If you wish to play chess online, you can always use that platform to find yourself a suitable partner, get your matches analyzed, climb through the ranks, join groups, and more. You can even use the platform’s dedicated mobile app to play chess anytime you want, whether you wish to play against another person or against the computer.

Becoming good at chess requires a lot of study, preferably entire years. At the same time, it’s somewhat mandatory to lose numerous chess games, as you know that old saying of Confucius: the master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.

The good news is that the more you study and play chess, the better you will become. Chess grandmasters such as Gary Kasparov, Magnus Carlsen, and Hikaru Nakamura have all played numerous games before reaching the Hall of Fame of Chess players. Who knows, maybe you’ll be among them one day as well! Here’s what you need to do:

Keep practicing

It may sound like an old cliche, but it’s absolutely true that you need to always practice chess in order to become better. But don’t just practice at the junior level against the computer. You need to gradually increase the difficulty of your games as you become better. Playing against your computer is a good idea before diving into the real world and playing against a real person. However, playing against a close friend or even an enemy is a good idea if you believe that you’re the type of person who’s more motivated by real human interactions.

Whether you play against the computer or against a friend or relative, never stop playing chess! Play as often as you can, regardless of how much this may sound like a boring cliche. Just as you need to hit the gym often to stay in shape and have your muscles at the right level, it’s the same with chess. Unless you play it as regularly as possible, it’s pretty much impossible to become better at playing it.

If you reach a certain level as a chess player, such as an advanced player, for instance, it would be a mistake to waste time playing with beginners or at a beginner level on your computer. You should always try to push yourself forward and not just comply with mediocrity. Playing chess at a lower level than the one you’re at, even from time to time, is a bad idea. Chess is an incredibly complicated game in which you constantly need to force your limits if you want to become better.

Study games and strategies

You can watch chess games of grandmasters to learn to think like they do. The internet is teeming with chess games of grandmasters such as Kasparov or Magnus Carlsen, which means that you simply can’t afford to miss them! They are even analyzed by experts so that you will have a better understanding of how those top chess players make their moves.

YouTube and many other platforms are also teeming with chess lessons. You are free to study those lessons to try to improve your own style by integrating those ideas into your future games. Chess coaches are always happy to share their understanding of chess, from basic lessons such as how to move the rook away from a threat to complicated mating maneuvers.

It’s especially important to focus on openings and checkmates in chess while you study, as those are probably the most important parts of a chess game. You need to understand the reasons behind each move, as well as the risks that come along with it.

Study YOUR games and identify YOUR mistakes

Don’t just be that kind of person who believes that they never make mistakes. If you want to learn some good chess, it’s mandatory to face your mistakes and learn how to get rid of them in your future games. Chess.com can help you out with that, as the platform can provide you with an analysis of each of the chess games you play. However, this might come at a monthly subscription fee, but it’s still totally worth it if you’re determined to become the best chess player in town.

Don’t forget that we all should learn from our mistakes and that we shouldn’t be afraid of losing. Surely, we must try to avoid losing as much as possible, but the idea is that we don’t have to give up if we lose. Losing should make us stronger and more aware of our mistakes, as well as of how we can overcome them, and it’s the same when it comes to chess.

Solve chess puzzles

Solving chess puzzles regularly is also a great idea to improve your game. Instead of playing a whole game, you can just solve a puzzle, such as one that gives you the pieces in a certain position, and you have to find the right checkmate maneuver in two moves, for instance. You can find such chess puzzles in apps, online platforms, and puzzle books.

Remember: in chess, any rule can be broken in the end. Grandmasters constantly break the rules in chess. But until you can afford to break the rules, you must know, study, and master them thoroughly.

Francis E. Hagopian

I’m Francis E. Hagopian, and I’m the voice and vision behind Billionaire365.com. For the last 15 years, I’ve lived and breathed Silicon Valley culture, arming myself with insights and know-how that I can’t wait to share with you. Think of me as your personal guide in the intricate maze of technology. I specialize in translating the complex into the understandable, so you can turn knowledge into power. This isn’t just about staying in the loop; it’s about giving you the tools you need to excel in a digital age. When you’re looking for reliable tech insights, know that I’ve got your back.

The vast majority of us are in love with action and RPG games when we are children or teenagers. Who has never played games such as GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Call of Duty, FIFA, and so on? But as we mature, we naturally tend to give more attention to board games such as chess, backgammon, Monopoly, and so on.

Nowadays, when it’s almost impossible to imagine our lives without our smartphones or laptops, board games can also be played online or on the computer. In other words, you can play those classic board games directly on a display rather than doing it the old-fashioned way.

Therefore, let’s find out which board games you can still play in 2023 without the danger of getting bored, shall we? Behold our selections:

Chess has a long history behind it, as it was invented during the 6th century by the Indians. Few board games will put your mind to work as much as chess can do. This is a highly strategic board game that millions of people play today, and the best chess players out there also have very high IQs.

To play chess, two players will confront one another using pieces that resemble armies. They’ll have to do everything to advance their troops, capture the opponent’s piece, take advantage of the queen’s overwhelming powers, and ultimately capture the king of the opponent. Capturing the king wins the game, although it’s a lot more difficult than it sounds.

Monopoly

Monopoly can train you to become a true investor and entrepreneur. It’s a board game in which you play the role of a mayor of a town, meaning that you have authority over properties to do with them as you please. You have to invest and find a purpose for your properties in this game, as well as try to become even richer. The famous American entrepreneur and investor Robert Kiyosaki recommended this game as well for those who are willing to become rich. Surely, he doesn’t say that you can become rich by simply playing Monopoly. Instead, he claims that this game can teach you some of the entrepreneurial strategies you need to try to become a rich person.

Scrabble

Scrabble is one of the classic word games out there, and it has been popular for entire decades. It was created by Alfred Butts almost a century ago, and it was later refined and trademarked by James Brunot.

Those who play Scrabble need to use letter tiles to create words on the game board. You will obviously need a good understanding of a language if you want to be a good Scrabble player. Each of the letters has a point value, while the goal is to score the most points as you create high-scoring words.

Sorry!

Sorry! is considered a classic family game where as a player, your job is to move pawns around the board as you aim to become the first who gets all of their pawns from the start to the home space. While nobody can deny that Sorryl includes a fair amount of strategy, the truth is that you also need luck to prevail while playing it.

Sorry! was created way back in the 1920s and trademarked about a decade later. The game was initially inspired by Pachisi, meaning an ancient Indian game. In Sorry!, there is a deck of cards that tell the movement of the pawns, while players have to strategically navigate their pieces while using special cards that allow them to move in different directions.

Feel free to tell us about your own favorite board games in the comment section!

Francis E. Hagopian