# Tell me about chess **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** chess\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398 "2022-09-28T15:45:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/1 "2022-09-28T15:45:38Z")
My bf plays chess, mostly in video. He pulled out his set the other day and tried to teach me. It wasn’t helpful, as I was told how my pieces could move but not their purpose. Any tips for learning? Is it as difficult as it seems? I have checked out Chess for Dummys to start. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/2 "2022-09-28T15:50:54Z")
It takes practice. Don’t get discouraged. Chess is an easy game to learn but is challenging to master unless you are a certified whiz. There are many books on chess for every level of play, so once you get the basics, you can start reading about strategies or look for information online. If your BF has been playing for a while, it will take you a while to catch up to him… but eventually you will, or you’ll quit in frustration as I did. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/3 "2022-09-28T15:56:24Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > If your BF has been playing for a while, it will take you a while to catch up to him Unless you cheat. 😜 ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/4 "2022-09-28T16:00:44Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Unless you cheat. But that would be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/5 "2022-09-28T16:08:11Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > But that would be wrong But it could be done using high tech hidden video cams and a state of the art ear bud. And imagine her bf’s surprise! ---
**Author:** ![Caldazar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Caldazar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldazar)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/6 "2022-09-28T16:09:15Z")
Yes, initially it is as difficult as it seems. There are many pieces, they move differently, and there are a bunch of rules. Initially, I’d recommend not worrying about winning or losing. Instead: - First focus on trying to play a game without making any illegal moves. Just hitting this goal takes many games. - After that, focus on playing an all-legal-move game where you capture your opponents pieces when possible. - Next, learn approximate values of pieces. Generally, pieces with higher mobility have greater value than pieces with lower mobility. Play an all-legal-move game where you only capture your opponents pieces when you can take them for free (you don’t lose a piece in return) or you capture something that is of greater or equal value compared to what you give up in the process. Achieving just these three goals will take dozens to hundreds of games. By the time you can reliably do the above three things, you would be an intermediate-advanced amateur player. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/7 "2022-09-28T18:35:23Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > Any tips for learning? Is it as difficult as it seems? I have checked out Chess for Dummys to start. That’s a good place to start. There are youtube videos too. The game can be learned by children - there are WAY harder games to learn. You’ll get the hang of it. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/8 "2022-09-28T19:10:27Z")
Hi, I’m a retired professional chess teacher. Chess is not difficult to learn (although it has great depth!) There are 6 different pieces (and some of them move in similar ways.) The purpose of the game is to capture the enemy King, so that is the most important piece. To give you an idea of the strength of the other pieces, they can be roughly ranked in terms of ‘pawns’ as follows: Queen = 9 Rook = 5 Bishop + Knight = 3 Pawn = 1 If your boyfriend wants to teach you, I strongly recommend you start with just a few pieces each and practice first moving them, then playing for checkmate. King + Queen v King is mate in around 10 moves. King, Rook + Rook v King is mate in about 8 moves. Both of these are fairly easy. For later on, there are three special moves to learn in chess: - castling (using a King and Rook) - promotion (using a pawn) - en passant (using a pawn from each side.) It will take a little time before you are ready for your first full game, as you will have charge of 16 pieces! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-chess/972398/9 "2022-09-28T21:02:14Z")
I’m not a chess expert. But here’s some concepts that helped me. Forks: Try to position a piece so it threatens two different opposing pieces. This means your opponent can defend one of them but you’ll still be able to capture the other one. Exchanges: Beginners often feel the need to defend all their pieces; this can be a mistake. You need to be willing to sacrifice pieces when the situation is right. In exchanges you are making moves that capture an opposing piece at a cost of one of your own. This is good for you if the pieces you captured was more valuable than the piece you lost (losing one of your bishops to capture one of your opponent’s rooks, for example). And if you get ahead by a piece, you want to start making exchanges even for pieces of equal value. The fewer pieces that are on the board, the stronger that one-piece advantage is. Also, learn the end games. If you have a king and a queen and a pawn and your opponent only has a king and a queen, you should be able to force a win. But you need to know how to maneuver your pieces. Finally, here’s a quick guideline to get you started in a game. There are seven things you should do in your first ten moves; advance your two center pawns, advance your bishops, advance your knights, and castle. If you do these, you’re probably in a decent position.