Improving Your Chess Skills

How would you be able to improve your chess skills? Many people will tell you that the best thing you can do is improve chess game through practice. Even before 1886, when the first world championship of chess was organized, the game of chess was very competitive. People always regarded chess champions as great intellectuals who tend to propel the game to greater heights every time they play chess.

At the moment Viswanathan Anand, who started playing chess while he was six years old and won loads of tournaments, is the current World Chess Champion. Today, Viswanathan is the most renowned master of chess.

There are however many people that would have liked to develop their chess skills from an early age, but did not have the chance to do so. This however, can’t be used as an excuse not to be one of the better chess players in your region or even country.

Don’t forget that everything is possible. Where there is a will there is always a way. One very important aspect of playing chess is self-confidence.  If you lack this you will definitely make mistakes. Confidence actually plays an important role in everything you do. If you think that you can’t do something, you will probably not be able to.

You might consider using a chess clock in order to improve. Like this you can improve your complete game play and see the big picture. With it you will be able to use strategies that will help you win more games. If you get cornered you will most likely go into a kind of trance, like many humans do. Scientifically, this phenomenon is named the fight or flight response. By using a chess clock, you will be trained to make use of the body’s natural responses and channel its benefits to give you a better perception of the situation you’re in.

If you play an official chess tournament you will also have to adhere to the chess clock. Often people spend a lot of time on their early strategies in a game and play a bit less effectively as the game lasts and make their moves too fast. Almost everybody knows about the importance of the first moves in a game, but you should not just focus on first moves.  Focus throughout the entire game and follow the bigger picture.

Because chess is such a dynamic game, you must really consider every move you make thoroughly because you cannot always stick to a certain strategy since the opponent’s moves should be considered at all times. Chess grandmasters know this very well because experience has taught them so. With this in mind, it is always a good idea to condition your mind to look at the bigger picture, but also remember to be vigilant in your games and think on your feet.