A Classic Chessboard gift for people who love Chess

Playing chess on a physical board with friends and family is fun. Especially, during the holiday season when the kids are at home you can encourage them to play chess with their friends or you can play with them.

Funskool has always been offering high quality toys to kids. This chessboard is another classic from Funskool and the pieces are made of durable material so they don't break easily.

If you are planning to gift someone that loves chess then this chessboard would be a great choice. This is a great product for kids aged above 5 years. Gift it to someone who likes chess and win their heart!

Timeless Chess Book MY System by Aron Nimzowitsch

This book is based on solid principles to live by when trying to improve your game. My System is a complete treatise on how to play better chess and how to think like the masters and win more games.

Unlike books that teach some tactics and traps this book is all about adopting a philosophy to the game. The author himself struggled a lot during his earlier years but after doing deep analysis he extracted the winning strategies that he can rely on to gain more advantages in games.

For instance, he talks about principles like center control, passed pawns, giving up the center, flank attacks and so much more. If you are looking to gift someone who loves chess then this is the best book that will help him/her to drastically improve the game.

Ceramic Coffee Mug Gift for people who love Chess

A Coffee mug printed with the words "I love Chess".

Made of ceramic material and looks good this will be a great gift idea to people who love chess. The printing of words in an artistic way and the heart symbol makes it even more lovely

This mug comes with a great packaging and is something every chess lover will take pride in. This mug can be displayed on a show case or can be placed near the computer. This Coffee mug is even safe to use in a micro wave oven. This can also be used as a gift item for students who win at chess tournaments in school. It is awesome I love it.

Chess Pieces - Ideal uses and Values

The purpose of reading a chess book or learning a tactic or strategy is to gain an edge over others. If you know something that your opponent is not aware of then certainly you have some advantage over him/her.

Once you have learned the right way to move the pieces, its time to learn the guidelines on how to move each piece. While a lot of that depends on the position here are some basic guidelines that you can follow for each piece.

King
As the King moves in only one step in all directions, it is important to put the king in safety early on in the game either by castling it on the King or Queen side. After you have done castling  watch out for any open diagonals through which your opponents Bishop can come and attack.

Rook
Rook  must be brought into action in the middle game when you have open or semi open files.It creates a fire line on an open file. Rook is said to be valid for 5 points.

Knight
Unlike rook, a knight can jump over other pieces and pawns and it carries 3 points. It is very active in the opening and middle games in the end game knight cannot extend its control over too many squares so if you get a chance to exchange a knight for a bishop then go for it. By centralizing the bishop you can control more squares.

Bishop
Bishop can get active in a middle game and it carries 3 points. Bishop can prevent opponent's pawns from becoming passed pawns in the end game. It also performs well in fianchetto positions in some openings. If you are playing against an opponent that is not experienced then try placing the bishop where the rook used to be at the opening. In many cases your opponent may fail to see the diagonal controlled by your bishop.

Queen
This is the most valuable piece and it carries 9 points. It can act like a rook and a bishop.It is not advisable to bring the queen out early on in the game. Queen can be used with other pieces like bishop, knight or rook to stage an attack against the opponent. Watch out for the mobility of Queen as it often gets trapped if it travels far and wide in to the enemy territory. Especially if the opponent's pawns have not left their ranks yet.I hope you find these guidelines helpful will discuss later in the coming days

What Beginners Need to Know about Chess Tactics and Strategy

Today, I would like to give a run down on what new chess players  need to know about tactics in chess and strategic decisions.

Often, I see players sacrifice good positions to gain a tactical edge or to win a minor piece. In some cases players solely rely on tactics and lose against players who have 'positional judgement'.

If a position warrants it, then it is a mistake NOT to use tactics but if position seems to be equal then you have to keep maneuvering till your opponent goofs up somewhere and exploit it thoroughly.

Sacrificing should not be done just for the thrill of it you have to carefully consider the consequences if opponents decide on a different course of action. It so happens in some games your opponent would not take the sacrifice and will attack you from a different point so be prepared with different variations.

From time to time take a good look at the board and ask yourself these questions

What's really going on here?

Is my King in safety?

Is opponent's King unprotected?

Is there a way I can trap my opponents queen or a minor piece?

Does my opponent have any passed pawn that could be hard to check?

Taking a step back from the board from time to time and thinking about these questions will give you more clarity and will help you to use the right tactics and map out a winning strategy.