How about a nice game of chess?

[Observer]

You appear to have put the settings to random special positions. This is going to be a really strange game.

My copy is here: http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=100985122

[A Joe in the Bush]

K, I am really not good at chess. I have to set the computer to Beginner in order to win.

[RawToast225]

You appear to have put the settings to random special positions. This is going to be a really strange game.

My copy is here: http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=100985122

Yeah, it's Chess 960. It's just a game setting I like to play

[Quiver]

I sort-of want to learn how to play Chess. Any advice on how to go about that? Where does one start?

[A Joe in the Bush]

Try Chess.com I guess. It lets you play against the computer, and offers Puzzles to improve your skill level.

 

I learned just by playing against people. I watched their tactics and copied them.

[Observer]

Often a good trick to Chess is learning a solid opening. Usually having a set of opening moves planned out helps the midgame kind of play itself. I have no idea what anybody else uses, but for white I usually recommend the King's Indian Attack, and for black the Sicilian Defense. One of the most important things, though, is understanding to perfection exactly what each piece is capable of, knowing the value of pieces in the event of a trade, and looking carefully enough at the board before moving so as to avoid stupid mistakes.

Know that pawns are some of the best pieces on the board, because no piece will ever dare enter their attack zone because they'll always get caught. Know that the Queen is often a paper tiger, and things get in her attack zone all the time because she can't afford to attack them back. Know what each piece is worth, it what positions, and when you should and should not trade. 

 

It sounds complicated, but it's actually not that difficult once you get the hang of it. Chess is a game with fairly simple gameplay rules. It's just applying them that gets tricky.

[Kobold King]

Often a good trick to Chess is learning a solid opening. Usually having a set of opening moves planned out helps the midgame kind of play itself. I have no idea what anybody else uses, but for white I usually recommend the King's Indian Attack, and for black the Sicilian Defense. One of the most important things, though, is understanding to perfection exactly what each piece is capable of, knowing the value of pieces in the event of a trade, and looking carefully enough at the board before moving so as to avoid stupid mistakes.

 

I have been playing chess for years and I have no idea what either of those are.

 

Quiver, do you have basic understanding on how the individual pieces move?

[Observer]

The King's Indian Attack is a flexible offensive option for white.

The Sicilian Defense is widely viewed as the best opening black has in response to white's best opening.

 

Links for all who want. I'd suggest them because they're powerful and fairly easy to arrange even if the other player tries to stop you.

[A Joe in the Bush]

What Defense/Offense are you using?

[Observer]

I was planning on running the King's Indian Defense, a very passive and reactive playstyle for black, but when you didn't take the middle I switched to a more aggressive variation and lodged my pawns in the center of the board, and then covered them with the knights when things got hairy. So I'm still running a very loose KID formation, but it's all out of order and the whole style has changed with the game.

 

EDIT: The castled formation I've made on my kingside, with the King tucked in behind the pawns/bishop and hidden beside the rook, is basically the mark of a King's Indian formation. Normally I'd have gotten to that formation earlier, but better late than never.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Observer

[A Joe in the Bush]

Huh. The total extent of my strategy is to get my Bishops and knights out early, since I've noticed in my Live games that most people consider them nonthreatening.

[Observer]

Added my other challenge games to the OP. Anybody else have their one links?

 

Bishops and Knights are worth 3 points a piece. They're powerful when played right, but they become paper tigers if their target simply isn't worth dying over. For those who don't know, the bishop can only stay on the same color of square. One bishop is stuck to dark squares, the other to light. White's light bishop is usually the best one, since it can attack a castled black king. The reverse is true for black.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Are you going to put Scores in the OP?

[RawToast225]

The reason I like Chess 960 is because it throws the whole game  out of whack. There are no opening moves to memorize, no patterns to fall back on, it's just you and the opponent doing your best to outsmart each other with what they are given. I find this form of the game to be more telling than the regular one because it's more personal.

 

Just so you know, I never memorized any play styles and I never plan to. I just play the best defense I can think of in a normal defense and win about half the time. All you need to do is get used to how the pieces move. Once you have that down, you can defend and attack well. It's basic Art of War stuff.

[A Joe in the Bush]

I just sent out challenges for everyone.

[Observer]

The reason I like Chess 960 is because it throws the whole game  out of whack. There are no opening moves to memorize, no patterns to fall back on, it's just you and the opponent doing your best to outsmart each other with what they are given. I find this form of the game to be more telling than the regular one because it's more personal.

 

Just so you know, I never memorized any play styles and I never plan to. I just play the best defense I can think of in a normal defense and win about half the time. All you need to do is get used to how the pieces move. Once you have that down, you can defend and attack well. It's basic Art of War stuff.

 

Huh, I've heard of 960, but up until just now I'd never actually made the connection. 

No matter how this game goes, I'm rematching. Gonna have to keep playing until I can get back into the swing of things.

[RawToast225]

I look forward to this and many more games! For those who care, our game is pretty dang good.

http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=100985122

[Observer]

If by "dang good" you mean me blundering away special pieces for no good reason, yeah. Pretty dang good =P

[Observer]

re: http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=100985122

For future reference, move 14, moving the pawn to g6, was the critical moment there.

If you had responded with Bishop to c3, my plan would have sunk, thanks to the extra threat on the middle. After the pileup and the loss of your rook, there was pretty much no other way for the game to go.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Observer

[RawToast225]

Ooh, I missed that! Thanks, man! I'll do better this time

[A Joe in the Bush]

In the Computer Workout section, there's a setup called Rook and Pawn Basics. The only way to beat that setup is to cheat the game.

[Observer]

I believe the point of that workout is to draw the game, as victory isn't really possible anymore. Could be wrong though, I can't fully load that one.

[Queen Elsa Steelheart]

I'm going to create a account on this website. I'll post my name on it here where I do it.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Queen Elsa Steelheart

[A Joe in the Bush]

I actually finally beat it. Got Checkmate with a King and a Queen. It took over a hundred turns though.

[Queen Elsa Steelheart]

Just created an account and my name is QueenElsa1