by Moe Zilla

Created on: January 27, 2008

Chess attacks will only succeed with careful preparation. But well-chosen moves can lay the groundwork for those later crucial success.

Here's some high-impact moves to consider.

* Develop potential. In the early stages of the game, this is the single most important consideration. The value of a piece increases if it can travel further across the board, or has the potential to reach many other squares. This is why one of the most popular openings involve moving the king's pawn. That single move opens a path for both the queen and the bishop! Remember that when the game starts, all pieces are helplessly trapped behind a row of pawns. "Developing" pieces is what unlocks their potential.

* Threaten attacks. Sometimes a single move can throw an opponent into defensive mode - stopping the advance of crucial pieces while they shore up their defenses. A pawn doesn't even have to reach the eighth row and become an attacking queen. Just that possibility will trigger a fierce series of preventive moves. The same is true for any piece moved into a strategic position. If nothing else, it ties up the opponent's pieces with countering new possible attacks.

* The fork. Threatening an opponent's piece usually just results in a defensive counter-move which protects that piece. But the solution is simple: threaten two pieces. Moving a knight to the middle of the seventh row can simultaneously threaten a rook and a queen (on the king's side) - or both the rook and the king (on the queen's side). The capturing piece is often captured in turn, but it's still possible to come out ahead if the opponent loses a more valuable piece. In some cases, it's even possible to fork two pieces with a pawn!

* Castling can be very valuable. Castling is the only chess move where two pieces change position on the same turn. It usually protects the king, moving it behind the undeveloped outer pawns, and brings the rook closer to the center where it can attack the middle of the board. Once all knights and bishops have been moved from the back row, castling also places the two rooks into "communication," allowing one to protect the other. Maneuvering one rook behind another creates the possibility of a very powerful two-piece attack.

* "Discovering" moves. One of the most thrilling combinations in chess is a "discovered check," where moving one piece clears the path of attack for a second piece which places the opponent's king in check. The opposing player must then eliminate the threat of check on their next turn, which usually leaves the moved piece free to make a second move on the following turn. Using the extra turn wisely can sometimes allow the capture of a valuable piece, or at least a chance to secure an advantageous position.

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