A dynamic writing by Erik Johnsen
If you enjoy the game of chess, you can also learn about life at the same time, if you see the analogies.
To play the game of chess, or life, means that inevitably, you will have adversaries or opponents.
You are on one side, or the other. Either way, a side is chosen. Also, to play the game of chess, or life, a side has to be chosen. Perhaps the king is represented by your body, mind, and soul. The king is your spirit and your life force, the game is not over until the king, or your spirit and life force, is taken. But so long as the king, or your life force, goes on, the game continues. In the game of life, you choose an adversary, and the game is on.
The king has many pieces at his disposal with which to fight. These pieces are your qualities that make you who you are as determined by your genetics and upbringing: primarily your physical makeup and structure, and your intelligence. Your intelligence consists of your ability to memorize, your ability to piece together information, your ability to calculate, your ability in communication, etc. But, you are a dynamic system subject to change and the pieces at your disposal will change accordingly, over time.
But, what is more important than the pieces at your disposal, is how you choose to use those pieces. How are you going to use those pieces in chess, or
Who is your adversary? Your adversary might not necessarily be another single individual, but it might be a competing group, a competing company or corporation, a competing nation, or an inner struggle you may have within yourself, such as an addiction. Your adversary might also be a goal you are seeking to accomplish, and all of the obstacles that stand in your way, keeping you and that goal apart. Regardless of your adversary, all adversaries have a weak spot - a heart - a life force, where if this life force is cut out, or removed, then the adversary can no longer function, it becomes defunct.
You can expend your resources, trying to eat away at your adversay, but it may take an equal or greater amount out of yourself. Rather than focusing on eating away at the perimeter, or taking away a little at a time, try and focus on getting to the life force of your adversary. This requires more time, involvement, and concentration in contrast to eating away at your adversay, little by little. But focusing in this manner is the wiser path. For example, create diversionary tactics to throw off your adversary, so that your adversary believes you are going in one direction, and they direct their resources in that path, when they are actually creating the opening that you have planned for.
If you try and eat away at your adversary, little by little, it will become easy for them to see what you are doing, and thus your strategy will prove ineffective because your strategy is in plain site of your adversary, all based on how you are choosing to use your pieces.
In general you want to move your pieces towards the opponent's king as fast as possible while at the same time trying to keep your opponent's pieces as far away as possible from your king. One strategy is to keep your king in close proximity behind your other pieces, using your king as an effective piece to back them up, just as long as your are pieces are close enough to jump in easily and protect the king if necessary. If you see your opponent's pieces gradually moving closer to your king, it is a bad sign. If you are having trouble moving your pieces towards your opponent's king, you need to try harder.
Notice in the above figures that white is advancing his pieces toward the enemy king while using his own pieces as a barrier for his own king.
Do not put your spirit, or life force, on the front lines, because
Destroy Pawn Barriers Protecting Enemy King
One key is to try and blow away any pawn barriers in front of the enemy king. Once this is done, a big part of the offensive strategy is complete. Then the other enemy pieces have to try and compensate for the defensive positions the pawns had, turning some enemy pieces more into defensive ones than offensive, while you can keep all your pieces offensive and continually advance them towards the enemy king. Perhaps even pinning lower pieces against greater ones.
Think Offensively
Always think about making an offensive move before a defensive one. It is better to be on the offense rather than defense. You want to have an attacking mentality, not a retreating one. The attacking mentality will help you win the game, the retreating mentality will help you lose the game.
Flip an Attack on You
Sometimes defensive maneuvers must be taken to avoid losing certain pieces, but sometimes if an opponent puts an attack on your piece, you can flip that attack and return a more threating attack.
Use the Rooks
The rook can be a crucial component to your success, but usually it is stuck behind pawns. If it can be freed early in the game, before your opponent has a chance to free his rooks, then it can allow you the upper hand. Usually this means castling, or moving pawns out of the way.
Don't stack pawns
It is best to avoid stacking the pawns vertically, this can block your pieces and allow openings for your opponent.
Never underestimate your opponent
If you pull a trick on your opponent early in the game, and it appears as if you are closing in on him, still always look at all your opponent's possible moves, because they might surprise you.
Avoid Moves That Could Result in a Loss of a Move
if you are opening the game, and you can move a piece where a pawn or lower piece can attack, which will force you back, then there typically isn't much point in moving there. This usually means you in a sense lose a move while the enemy has advanced a piece forward.
Letting Enemy Attack First May Help You Gain Position
When it comes to trading pieces, sometimes it's best to let the enemy attack first. You see, he attacks you, by advancing a piece of his forward, but then you return capture on him, by advancing your piece forward. So in the end, you have a piece forward. If you attack first, by advancing a piece forward to capture, then the opponent will advance his piece forward capturing your piece. So in the end, the enemy has a piece forward.
Pinning
Get Your Enemy to Stack His Pawns
If black wants to get the bishop after taking his knight, black has to take with the pawn. This allows an opening for white through blacks pawn defense.
Pawn Up Along the Enemy's Double-Pawned File
The pawn that is along the enemy's double-pawned file, make sure that pawn is at least one square ahead of the pawns to its side. This will keep the enemy from inching up the first pawn along the double pawned file to an enemy pawn so the enemy can un-double his pawns, eliminating your advantage.
Sometimes Castle Can be Viewed as a Loss of a Move
Sometimes you have the momentum going in a certain area when a castle really isn't necessary.