Chess fun facts

Today I’m going to reveal some facts about chess that tells something about the popularity of the game, the age etc.

-Chess was originally invented in India, by that time chess had the name Chaturanga. The bishop and queen were much weaker than nowadays. The game of chess as we know it and play today was made in the 1500s, with some changings in the rules of Chaturanga.

-605 million people around the world knows how to play chess, 285 million people plays chess via the internet, and 7.5 million players are registered players. At least according to Susan Polgars blog.

-Chess is called the game of kings, because for many centuries it was played primarily by nobility and the upper classes.

-The knight’s role has been stable over time. Even in the earliest versions of the game, it represented the cavalry and had the unique ability to leap over its opponents.

-The word “checkmate” comes from the Persian phrase “shah mat,” which means “the king is defeated.”

There’s a lot more to chess than most people know!

Next blog post will be about Chess software, so be sure to check back on this blog tomorrow!

Oh, and I’ll add this picture to todays blog. It was just too awesome to be left unused.

 

Albert Einstein teaches chess!

 

How I got to the 1800s -true internet story!

Just a few months ago, I was rated around 1300 ELO, after having played a lot of games. I was frustated, how could it be that I couldn’t improve faster?

Well, I know a lot of improving chess players would like to know how to improve faster, and it’s understandable. Many are just seeing their fruitless efforts occupating all their time. Now, the first thing one must ask himself if he really wants to become better at chess, and dedicate the time for it. If the answer’s yes, keep reading.

If you want to improve at all, dedicate at least an hour a day to chess while you are in the pre-1800s. After that, it gets harder to improve, but that’s another story. Just practice for an hour every single day.

Now, playing chess is great, it’s what it’s all about, right? Yeah, it is, but studying basical tactical themes should be your top priority. Learn a couple of themes, such as removing the defender, pins, skewers etc.

After you have learned some of these themes, play a game or two, and try to implement it into your games. After you have had the succes of doing that, go trough your games, and watch what effect it had on your game. Basical tactical themes such as the ones previously mentioned are used by every good player, even grandmasters. It’s your arsenal against the opponent. Remember this, tactics is the key to winning in chess.

I studied, and study, very much at a site called Chesstempo.com! it’s a great site, where one can study tactics. However, before going into that, make sure to learn some of the basical tactical themes.

Pins

Skewers

Removing the defender

Distraction

Forks

I’ll also recommend this YouTube channel, Jrobichess ! It’s a great channel for the improving player. He teaches some of the basical tactical themes on there, and it shouldn’t be too hard to learn them. Remember to practice them afterwards on chesstempo!

How to improve your chess!

Hey!

I suppose you know the feeling of the need for improving. Improving your chess. You’re stuck, maybe around the 1500s, maybe the 1800s. You want to know how to improve your chess. And fast!

The truth is that you can’t improve your chess from day to day. I suppose you already knew that, but still, don’t get caught up in trying to improve too quick.

I can give you some advices on how to improve faster though, advices that have worked for me!

1. Play as much as possible!

Playing a lot of chess will increase your tactical and positional understanding. Play games with time enough for you. Playing 1 minute bullet games won’t improve your chess.

2. Study tactics!

Studying tactics is essential for developing in chess. There’s a great site called chesstempo.com that offers thousands of tactical problems! It’s free, you can also choose to pay for a membership though, and get some perks. Like, endgame problems too.

3. Listen to music you like while studying and playing!

Okay, this may sound a bit weird, but you know, I’m actually doing better while listening to The Real Slim Shady. At least it seems so.

 

Hi!

Hi!

I am Jonathan Jessen, an experienced chess player, rated 1800+ ELO, and a chess coach. I have studied chess seriously since late 2010, and I have found ways of improving steady and fast.

I have known the rules of chess since I was six years old, I am fourteen years old now. I therefore have alot of experience with chess.

I coach with Skype and Chess.com for 7$ per hour. I coach online.

-Jonathan Jessen