Tag Archives: chess

What are some relevance of Chess and MMA?

2
Posted by ChessTeacher on January 26, 2010 – 2:12 pm
Filed under Guest Posts
Tagged as chess, chess and mma, chess vs mma, mma, mma pound for pound

Guest post by Bj Dina

Chess and MMA are two very different games and even finding any relevance between the two could be ridiculous to some. After all, chess tests the power of the mind while MMA tests the strength of a body. Although it sounds very interesting but how can they have anything in common? MMA chess would answer this question.

The whole game would be played in a huge chess board, as huge as one square being the size of a boxing rink. They would have positions like the queen, king, bishop, pawns, knights and the rooks. The players could move from one square to another keeping in mind the conventional rules of chess. It might sound a little geeky to you and surely, it is difficult to imagine MMA players on a chess board and even playing with the strategies of a game of chess but it is just the starting.

So, when a player while moving to another square occupies the piece of the opponent, the opponent moves out of the game? No, that is exactly where the real MMA starts. Just when a player steps into the square of the opponent team, he can only capture the piece after a one-to-one MMA match. This is where it differs from chess. In a game of chess, the player can easily capture the opponent’s square while in MMA chess it is impossible. The one, who wins the match, gets to stay in the square and it could be in favor of any of the player.

There are a group of people who feel that MMA chess is a very unfair game. Yes, it does consist of two teams with many players but every match for a position is always decided by a one-on-one match. Moreover, after the loss of a player the team can plan strategically so that a strong player of their team could fight against a weaker player of the opponent’s team. So, it is not really unfair.

There are other games too, which are an amalgamation of a combat sport and chess, like chessboxing. But this one is very different from MMA chess. It includes alternate rounds of chess and boxing among the players and it does not consist of multiple players. It consists of 11 rounds in total. If there is a stalemate in the final round of chess, then the one, who wins the boxing round, wins the match.

A game of MMA chess is very exciting for spectators. Such a game can hardly be predictable. As teams could frequently change their game plan in order to win the match, it would be fun to watch it. But to be a pro in MMA chess, the player should be equally good in both the games, i.e., MMA and chess. He has to simultaneously work on his mind and body to win such a game. The plus point of MMA chess is the huge chess board. The fight between the two opponents in chess square adds to the excitement.

MMA Pound for Pound is similar to ranking in chess.

New Ideas?

5
Posted by ChessTeacher on January 6, 2010 – 1:59 pm
Filed under General Chess
Tagged as chess

It’s been quite a while since we have done any blog post. I am running out of ideas. But there is a good news, yesterday I bought some new books and I shall post something this week.

Chess tips: Essential tips for beginners to control middle game

3
Posted by ChessTeacher on December 18, 2009 – 4:50 pm
Filed under Guest Posts
Tagged as beginner chess, Beginner Chess Tips, ches tips, chess, chess games, chess middle game, middle game chess, middle game chess tips, middle game strategy

Guest Post by Paul

The most interesting and challenging part in the fascinating game of chess is the middle game. It is this part of the game that would witness the real battle between the minds of two players of same capability. Ironically, it is this part of the game for which there is not much literature or straight-forward short-cut formula that one can adopt. With constant practice, however, one can gain experience and expertise in the middle game strategies. Using online chess or playing chess using the computer and the Internet in online chess websites is one of the best ways to learn the game and also gain expertise in a relatively quicker time.

What is the middle game? Where it starts and where it ends? There is no concise answer for these questions. One can say that the middle game starts when the opening game ends and the middle game ends when the end game starts. This seems to be vague, but, in most cases, it is sadly true because there is very thin line of difference and there is not much clarity.

Typically, the opening game should come to an end in less than 12 moves by which a player is reasonably expected to have developed his pieces and taken positions. But that seldom happens in the game and there is no set rigid rule that signals the beginning of the middle game.

The middle game is the real battlefield in the game where one is expected to use all his knowledge and thinking capability to the maximum extent. It is a minefield full of tactics and strategies.

To have a better and challenging middle game, it is imperative that you have a good opening game where the major pieces are well developed, the king is in a safe and secure place, and there is enough scope for free movement of the pieces. If there is some inherent weakness in the opening game, then it is unlikely that you can have better control over the middle game.

I would like to share with you some of the tips that would be of help to you in approaching the game with confidence.

In majority of cases, the opening game follows some of the time-tested and proven opening theories or opening variations such as French Defense, Roy Lopez opening, King’s gambit, Caro-Kann etc., Many people would have memorized the first few moves of each variation and can move the pieces to appropriate square, with no second thought, in a flash. But this can be followed only for the opening part. Once you enter into the middle game stage, you should start thinking a bit more deeply and concentrate more on the positional advantages of the various pieces.

You need to think not about the materials on hand, but also the positional advantages of the pieces. For example, if you have your queen side bishop at c1 and the king pawn in e2 moved to e3. If there is also a pawn at b2, then your white bishop is cramped as it can move only to d2 square and nothing more can it do. Thus not just the material but also the position of the pieces and their merits and drawbacks relative to the position should be assessed and analyzed, so that you can chalk out your plans well.

Before zeroing on a particular move, you should, for a split second, place yourself in opponent’s shoes and see what type of response can he give to your moves. This analysis and consequences of the opponent’s response should also be analyzed and then proceed with your decided move.

You should also use the analytical ability and foresight for planning your next 2 or 3 moves. Having planned for the next couple of moves, you can proceed further in the middle game with confidence. However, you should always bear in mind that a plan should not be a rigid one. The success or failure of your next planned move is dependent not on your plan but mainly on the response from the opponent’s move in his turn. If he foils your plan or makes a counter attack, you have no other option but to put your present plan to the back-burner and start working on a new plan. This does not mean that you should cease from planning your moves. By careful planning, you will get a better perspective of the game, which is essential for deploying tactics and strategies.