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A chess opening is a beginning of the game of chess when both players start developing their pieces. There are many different opening systems. Some chess openings are rather quiet whereas others are quite aggressive. Chess openings can be divided into a few categories:
- Open games: 1.e4 e5
- Semi-open games: 1.e4, Black plays other than 1...e5
- Closed games: 1.d4 d5
- Indian defenses: 1.d4 Nf6
- Other Black responses to 1.d4
- Flank openings (including English, Réti, Bird's, and White fianchettos)
- Unusual first moves for White
It depends on your preference and personal character which opening you choose to play. Here, I present a few of my favorite chess openings. As you may see, I am a pretty aggressive chess player so you better watch out when you get to play me in a tournament! ;)
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A chess endgame is the closing part of a game of chess that typically comes after the middle game. However, the transition from middle game into endgame may be either very gradual and not clear at all, or just the opposite after massive exchanges of pawns and pieces. Indeed, there are not too many pawns and pieces left on the board during the ending phase of the game which simplifies analysis in certain types of endgame positions whereas in others may be still very complex at least for a human player. Strategic concerns are very different in the endgame as opposed to the middle game and opening. Among others, pawns are much more important as they often stand a real chance to get promoted to a queen which would usually decide the game. Interestingly, the king becomes a strong piece in the endgame oftentimes fighting actively in the center of the board or helping mate the oponent's king (see diagram).
!!! THE GOLDEN RULE OF CHESS ENDGAME !!!
| As a rule of thumb, the stronger side, i.e. the one enjoying material advantage, should exchange pieces (knights, bishops, rooks and queens) and avoid exchanging pawns!!! The defending side should strive to do just the opposite!!! |
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The Café de la Régence in Paris was an important European center of chess in the 18th and 19th centuries. All important chess masters of the time played there including Paul Morphy, François-André Danican Philidor (who often met with Benjamin Franklin), Legall de Kermeur (Philidor's teacher), Jules Arnous de Rivière, Adolf Anderssen, Samuel Rosenthal, Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant, and Lionel Kieseritzky. Why don't you make yourself comfy now, sit back and relax indulging yourself into some fun chess activities, like:
- practicing tactics
- practicing typical endgame positions
- playing online with the computer (Fritz chess engine)
- playing online with a human opponent
- watching super strong players battle each other in a live game of chess
- chess trivia
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