Taishi's Chess Tips for Future Grand Masters

Hello guys, senior graduate, the first chess champion of HIS, and the leader of the former chess club, Taishi Ogawa here. As a four-time full-time chess champion, I would like to dedicate this article to my passion for the game. I would like to see the game of chess grow further even after I graduate from HIS. In this regard, I have composed a list of tips and advice that I would like to give to students who want to enhance their skills in this awesome game. This includes general advice that has led me to multiple victories and can be easily incorporated into both beginner and intermediate-level games. 

 

Here they are:

1. Be able to analyze the board and the motive of the opponent

If any of you have watched YouTube Chess videos, one thing you always hear the grandmasters say is, “Look for checks, captures, and threats.” 

This is always used by high-level players for doing simple calculations and analysis of the board, both for your own move and the opponent's move. Remember, the situation on the board is always changing; the opponent’s move might look insignificant but might be significant, and a blunder can be avoided by doing this quick procedure: 

“Can he check me anywhere? Can he capture anything? What is he threatening to attack? Why did he move that piece?”

And as Chavanin Pisankunakit said, don’t forget that EN PASSANT EXISTS!!!

2. Know when to keep or trade pieces

There are two occasions you should consider when to trade all the pieces on the board and when to keep them. In general, if you are ahead by pieces or even a few pawns, simplifying the board is always an advantage. Each piece taken causes more significant changes to the game and reduces the opportunities your opponent has for their turn.

On the other hand, when facing a stronger opponent, it may be more advantageous if there are more pieces on the board, as then a chance for a trick or for the opponent to blunder a piece will increase, and there are greater tactical moves to be done on a complex board.

3. Know your pieces

The biggest difference between beginner and intermediate players is how they treat their pieces. Each piece has its advantages and disadvantages. While a pawn may look like nothing when facing a Queen, its greatest strength comes in numbers. As pawns are often in the very front of your attack, they are the walls and what holds your position together. When they are in a staircase-like formation, they are practically unstoppable, and the reward of a pawn reaching the very end of your opponent's line can often signify victory. In a similar fashion, always combining the strength of two different pieces can lead to a greater tactical advantage. For example, the previously mentioned pawn staircase formation can really help your bishop. Let's say you have a white bishop, and the opponent has a black bishop on the board. If you lay all the pawns on the black squares, then the opponent's black bishop can do nothing against the pawn, while your bishop can move through the pawn formation. There are also other things like fianchetto, which you can google if you aren’t satisfied with the provided link.

4. Develop your board

Knowing point 3, it is also important to equally prioritize the development of all your pieces. Don’t just send the knight to the front, as a single piece will be quickly overwhelmed and, as a result, most likely die because he is alone (and sad).

5. King to safety

This goes hand in hand with point 4, but remember, YOUR KING IS WORTH MORE THAN YOUR LIFE, IF YOU LOSE HIM, YOU LOSE EVERYTHING. In this regard, it is important to always prioritize castling as a move that must happen relatively early in the game. Though, of course, don’t just castle because you can; returning to the 3rd point, if your pawns are stretched too far forward and too weak to guard the King, then expect pieces to be able to easily sneak into the King’s den and finish him off. In the same regard, watch out for back-rank mates and give the King breathing space by doing simple actions like pushing one pawn forward.

6. Time

Take note of the clock, and don’t rush or take too much time. One of the most common ways I made my opponents easily blunder was to play fast in a comfortable position when they weren’t. It must be human psychology or something, but when we see the opponent play fast, we tend to subconsciously try to play at the same speed without giving much thought to it. Remember, most chess games end in the first twenty-five moves or so. Know when to think and know when to play. If you are also good enough to calculate the game and see the future mentally, then it would also be good to predict what the opponent would play and think of a counter to that move before it happens.

7. Relax

Lastly, if you blunder, sometimes you can get away with a good poker face. Instead of screaming “argh” when you blunder, maybe if you stay with a smug face, the opponent will think it was purposeful or, better yet, not notice at all! So remember, this is also a game of psychology.

8. Practice

In my 2nd tournament at this school, I faced a senior. While I beat him at the time, when we met a year later, he was way above my level. The answer to why he got so good? He loved doing puzzles, and he played chess puzzles daily on chess.com. This meant that his brain slowly, over time, recognized patterns on the board, and knew where to push to put me in a worse position. So remember, skills don’t come naturally. A 200-IQ man can easily be beaten by a guy with a feel for the board, so it's always good to practice. This also helps you with checkmates, as your brain will be able to see through complex checkmating patterns over time.

I do not want to yap any longer, so I will just list a few more things that you can google and develop on your own. “Openings: Have a few in your repertoire”. Ramming: involves stacking pieces like Queen + bishop or rook + rook to crush through a pawn wall or a defense. 

I will end this by saying that the most important golden rule is to have fun and practice good etiquette and sportsmanship. First and foremost, this game is meant to be enjoyed by friends, not something you are forced to pick up for some EIR credit.
If you are reading this and wish to contact me, my email is taishidordzhe@gmail.com or taidordz on Instagram. I will be happy to answer any questions relating to the game.

Lastly, thanks to Mr. Cooke for not only inspiring me to grow as a person but quite literally pushing me to gain a new skill, which is playing chess. I started my freshman year with 700ELO and graduated with 1850. Thanks to everyone for the support, and thanks to Theo and Mr. Pangier for giving me the chance to write this article as a fair-off gift for the yearbook. Love and peace.