Mastering the game of chess requires skill and patience. Fortunately, there are many strategies you can use to outwit your opponent. While you may not be able to outwit experienced players, you can gain an edge by applying some basic-level traps. While you can't set traps, you can put a lot of pressure on your opponent by tactically positioning your pieces. As long as you play and practice regularly, people will have a hard time beating you.
Notes:
Some of the pitfalls in this article assume that your opponent will follow a logical move based on a known strategy. However, he could execute a different strategy. If this is the case, adjust your strategy.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Opening Traps for White Pawns
Step 1. Use Scholar's Mate to checkmate your opponent in just 4 moves
Start by moving the pawn to e4 for control of the center. Opponents will usually respond by moving the pawn to e5.
- Remove the minister (also known as the "elephant") from the back row by moving him to c4 to suppress the opponent's pawn. Opponents will usually respond by moving the horse to c6.
- Move the queen to h5 so that it will threaten the pawn that your minister also attacks. Opponents will suppress your queen by moving the other horse to f6.
- The final step, use the queen to eat the pawns that are on f7 while checking. The opposing king will not eat your queen because she will be eaten by your ministers if she does.
- If you're playing against an experienced person, he'll probably defend using a queen or a pawn to block your attacks.
Step 2. Try using Legal Trap to force checkmate early
Even if you lose the queen at the start, your opponent will lose the whole game if you're not careful. Start by moving the pawn to e4, and your opponent will move his pawn to e5.
- Move the horse to f3, and usually your opponent will imitate this move by moving his horse to c6.
- Run the minister to c4 and let the opponent respond to this by moving the pawn to d6.
- Move the other horse to c3. The opponent will move his minister to g4.
- Move the pawn to h3 so the opposing minister will be forced to return to h5.
- Use the horse to eat the opponent's pawns in e5. Opponents will eat your queen with her ministers.
- Use ministers to eat pawns at f7 while checking. The opposing king will be moved to e7.
- Checkmate by moving the other horse to d5.
Step 3. Use the Tennison Gambit to eat the black queen
This technique may not work against experienced chess players because he will probably recognize this trap and not eat your pieces in the first place. Start the game by moving the pawn to e4. The opponent will move the pawn to d5.
- You might be tempted to eat your opponent's pawn on the second turn, but just let it be so that your trap works well. Instead, move the horse to f3. Opponents will eat your pawns in e4.
- Respond to this by moving the horse to g5. The most logical move for the opponent is to move the horse to f6 to protect his pawns.
- Move the pawn in front of the queen to d3 and let the opponent eat it.
- Use the minister to eat the opponent's pawn that is on d3. Opponents will usually place pawns on h6 to suppress your horse.
- Eat pawns at f7 with your horse. Opponents will eat your horse with the king.
- Move minister to g6 to do checkmate. The opponent must eat the minister, but give your queen a chance to eat the opponent's queen.
Step 4. Try the Halosar Trap to free the fort and impose checkmate
This can only work if the opponent is greedy and eats your pawns. If your opponent doesn't eat your pawn from the start, you may have to use another strategy. Start by moving the pawn in front of the queen to d4, and let the opponent move his pawn to d5.
- Move the pawn in front of the king to e4 and let the opponent eat it.
- Take the horse to c3 and let the opponent respond by moving the horse to f6.
- Sacrifice a pawn by moving it to f3 so that the opponent's pawn eats it.
- Eat opponent pawns with your queen. Opponents will usually move their queen to d4 to eat your pawns.
- Move the minister to e3 to suppress the opposing queen. The opponent will move his queen to b4.
- Casting (swap places between king and rook) so that the rook moves to d1. Opponents will usually move their ministers to g4.
- Move the horse to b5 and let the opponent eat your queen.
- The final step, move the horse to c7 to force the opponent to give up checkmate.
Method 2 of 3: Opening Traps for Black Pawns
Step 1. Sacrifice the pawns and trap the king using the Blackburne-Shilling Trap
This is very suitable to use against a beginner. If your opponent starts by moving your pawn to e4, move your pawn to e5. The opponent will usually move the horse to f3.
- Move the horse to c6. Let the opponent move his minister to c4.
- Move the same horse to d4. The opponent will eat the pawn that is at e5.
- Move the queen to g5. Opponents will usually eat the pawns on f7 to suppress your queen. If your opponent doesn't eat your pawn, this trap will fail.
- Eat the opponent's pawn in g2 with the queen. Opponents will move the rook to f1 so as not to be eaten by your queen.
- Move the queen back to eat the horse at e4. The opponent must move his minister to e2 to protect the king.
- Move your horse to f3 to force checkmate.
Step 2. Perform the Elephant Trap by letting the opponent eat the horse and queen
This trap can't force checkmate, but it will give you an advantageous board position because it has more pieces. If your opponent starts by moving your pawn to d4, move your pawn to d5. The opponent will move his pawn to c4.
- Move the pawn in front of the king to e6. Let the opponent move his horse to c3.
- Take the horse to f6. The opponent will move his minister to g5.
- Move the other horse to d7 so that it is in front of the queen. Opponents will eat your pawns on d5.
- Eat your opponent's pawn on d5 using your pawn on e6. Let the opponent eat your pawn with the horse.
- Move the horse from f6 to d5 to eat the opponent's horse. Your queen will be eaten by the opposing minister.
- Move minister to b4. Opponents will move the queen to protect the king, but you can eat it right away.
Step 3. Use the England Trap by moving the queen early
Let the opponent start by moving the pawn to d4. Move your pawn to e5 and let your opponent eat it.
- Cast the horse to c6, to which the opponent responds by moving the horse to f3.
- Move the queen to e7 and let the opponent move the minister to f4.
- Move the queen to b4 for checkmate. The opponent will protect his king by moving the minister to d2.
- Instead of eating the minister, eat the opponent's pawn in b2 using the queen. The opponent will move the minister to c3.
- Respond by moving minister to b4. Opponents will usually move their queen to d2.
- Eat the opposing minister who is in c3 with your minister. With this position, no matter what moves your opponent makes, you'll be able to eat some of your opponent's chess pieces or checkmate. If your opponent eats your minister using his queen, move your queen to c1 to force checkmate. If your opponent eats your pawn with his horse, you can also win the game by eating the opponent's fort that is on a1.
Step 4. Use the Fishing Pole Trap at the expense of your horse
Let the opponent start by moving the pawn to e4, and respond to this by moving the pawn in front of the king to e5. The opponent will usually move the horse to f3.
- Move the horse to c6. Opponents will usually move their ministers to b5.
- Instead of dodging your opponent's attacks, move the other horse to f6. Opponents will castrate to protect the king.
- Move the horse from f6 to g4. Opponents will suppress your horse by moving the pawn to h3.
- Move the pawn to h5. Let your horse that is in g4 be eaten by the opponent.
- Eat opponent pieces in g4 using pawns. The opponent will move his horse to e1.
- The final step, move the queen to h4 to suppress the opponent's king.
Method 3 of 3: Basic Chess Tactics
Step 1. Position one chess piece in such a way that it can attack 2 opponent pieces
This method works best if you use high-moving pieces, such as horses, ministers, rooks, and queens. Try to find a place that can eat 2 or more of your opponent's pieces on your next turn. Make sure your pieces are not at risk of being attacked for this tactic to work. Even though your opponent can move and save one of his pieces, you can still eat another piece.
- This tactic is called the "fork".
- If possible, try to find a box that can be used to threaten the king and queen at the same time. Your opponent will definitely move the king so you don't lose so you can eat the queen.
Step 2. Use pins (a strategy that makes your opponent go awry) to trap your opponent's pawns
Look at the chessboard and look for strong opposing pieces (such as kings and queens) that are behind the weaker pieces. Position the queen, minister, or rook in a location that allows you to attack weak pieces. Opponents will not dare to move weak pieces because you can eat strong pieces behind them and gain a more favorable position.
If you're lucky, your opponent might not notice you're pinning, and you could eat powerful pieces like queens and rooks
Step 3. Use the skewer (skewer) technique to get the opponent's weak pieces by force
The skewers are laid out in the same way as the pin technique, but the stronger pieces are placed in front of the weaker pieces. In this case, your opponent will have to move their strong pieces to protect them, but you can eat your opponent's weak pieces next time.
If your opponent doesn't move a strong piece when it's his turn, make sure to eat his piece when it's your turn, before your opponent knows it
Step 4. Clear paths to eat enemy pieces so you can perform a discovered attack
Discovered attack is a condition when you move a pawn that gives way to another pawn to launch an attack. If you know that one piece can attack your opponent, but is blocked by another of your pieces, move the barrier piece to suppress the opponent. This works well if you want to force your opponent to make a different move when it's his turn.
- Be careful, the pieces you attack can't eat your pieces. For example, you can't eat the queen with a discovered attack because this piece can move in any direction.
- Discovered check is a type of discovered attack. In discovered check, a piece that blocks another piece will check the opponent's king.
Step 5. Put pressure on the pieces that protect some other pieces
This tactic is called overloading because the opponent's pieces have to work hard to protect other pieces. If you see one opponent's piece protecting several other pieces, try moving one of your pieces to a place that is near that piece. The opponent must defend himself from the attack and leave the other pieces he is protecting.
This tactic can only work if there are still many pieces on the board. Otherwise, the opponent will have plenty of room to escape
Step 6. Force your opponent to move a piece that protects another piece
Opponents may place strong pieces in front of weak pieces. This way, if you eat a weak piece, your opponent will eat your piece. Look for opportunities that allow you to move other pieces to suppress strong pieces. As a result, your opponent has to move the strong pieces and you can attack the weak pieces.
When using this tactic, you will usually lose one piece. However, you're still in good shape because you can eat your opponent's pieces in return
Tips
- Think about each move carefully. Move your pieces in a hurry and without a plan can make you lose pieces, or even lose the game.
- Play against a wide variety of players so you can gain a lot of experience and learn from previous games.
Warning
- Pay close attention to the placement of your opponent's pawns because there is a chance that he will also set a trap against you.
- Some of the tactics in this article may be used to outwit novice players. However, experienced chess players may be able to avoid the traps you set.
