Top 4 Basic Chess Tactics to Win Chess
Tactics represent a large part of the game of chess. Chess tactics allow, for example, for a player to capture an opposing piece without losing the piece that captured it. This extra piece advantage can be different between a win or a loss. In advanced chess, few players leave pieces unguarded, unless it is a trap. Instead, players need to set up tactics in order to take advantage of the opponent’s carelessness. For example, simple knight fork (a fork is a tactic where a piece is able to capture two different pieces from a single position) can force the opponent to choose between two pieces that are left unguarded.
Not all tactics are aimed to capture other pieces. Some tactics improve the position of a player, allowing them to better put together and attack or to defend important pieces. These moves are considered strategic moves. In chess, both strategic and tactical moves are important, but tactics are significantly more important. The ability to set up traps and tactics that take opponents pieces will leave your opponent in fear.
Listed below are the 4 most basic chess tactics to win chess that a new player can learn:
- En Prise An en prise is the most common and simplistic tactic of chess. The piece that is en prise is attacked but not defended, leading to the most simple move in chess — the capture of an undefended piece. For example, if a player leaves a bishop undefended in the same column as a rook, the rook can take the en prise bishop.
- Forks Forks are another simple tactic which involves a piece attacking two or more pieces at the same time. Knights are best known for their ability to fork multiple pieces at once, but every piece has such an ability. The fork forces the opposing player to decide between two pieces.
- Pins Pins are another common tactic that, like forks, force movement on the opponent’s part. A pin is characterised by an attack of a piece in such a way that if it moves, a more valuable piece is exposed. There are two types of pins: absolute pins and relative pins. Absolute pins are when a player spins a king, making it illegal to move the defending piece. A relative pin is when the defended piece is another more valuable piece, such as a queen.
- Skewers Skewers are built similarly to pins, but instead pin a less valuable piece behind a more valuable piece. This forces the opposing player to move the valuable piece to a safe spot, leaving the less valuable piece undefended and ready for capture.