TIPS
Chess Wars is played with most of the same rules as regular Chess, so many of these tips will apply equally well to
regular chess as well. In Chess Wars, the special squares and added opponents add a new layer of complexity. Think
ahead and try to anticipate the other player(s) moves. Be smart and cunning and you will dominate the board.
General Strategies
Keep these moves in mind and always look for where there might be opportunities to put them into play:
- Pinning: forcing an opponent piece into a position where it cannot move without putting itself in danger
- Skewering: manoevering a rook, bishop, or queen into a position where it can safely attack an opponent's piece, behind which is another piece. If either moves to avoid the attack, the other is sacrificed.
General Rules of Thumb
- Try to dominate the center of the board
- Always look for weaknesses, areas where opposing pieces can be taken without risk.
- Be aware of your own weaknesses and try to manoever pieces to fix those holes in your defenses whenever possible.
- Try to put your opponent(s) on the defensive. Force them to react to your moves rather than the other way around.
Piece Values
Often the game of Chess requires deciding whether to sacrifice one of your pieces for the opportunity to capture an
enemy piece. Of course, you're going to want to know whether you're making a good exchange. Keep in mind the following
point values:
Queen - 9 points
Rook - 5 points
Bishop - 4 points
Knight - 3 points
Pawn - 1 point
The king, of course, is priceless. Consider these point values to be general guidelines. There are situations
where a pawn may be one of the most vital pieces in your game. And you may find yourself in a situation in which
sacrificing your queen for the capture of a knight wins you the game.
PIECE TYPE STRATEGIES
PAWNS
- Pawns work best as blocking agents to help manoever and pin your opponents.
- Try to keep your most of your pawns close together, advancing more or less in unison.
- Pawn doubling (putting one pawn directly in front of another) is generally avoided in Chess. In Chess Wars, your pawns have a little bit more freedom of movement, so you can do more to avoid situations like that.
- When a pawn moves, it necessarily loses control over the squares that it could previously kill on. Make sure you consider your options carefully.
ROOKS
- Try to place on an "open file", where they are not blocked in any direction
- Rooks can do a lot of damage if they can get between two pawns or bishops where other pieces are unable to block them
- Maneuvering two rooks, one behind the other, is known as "double rooking". This can allow you to move one rook ahead to make a kill while it is effectively covered against retaliation by the threat of anihilation by the second rook.
KNIGHTS
- Keep knights away from the edge as much as possible, unless you are going for a portal square. The knight only has 8 possible squares to move to, it's best to keep as many of them open as possible.
- Knights are good at being able to threaten multiple pieces at the same time. If you see the opportunity to move your knight into such a position, it may be in your best interest to take it. When 2 enemies are threatened, it is known as a "Knight Fork". When more than 2 are threatened, it's called a "Family Fork".
- Use of the portal squares requires taking your knight away from the main action, usually for a few turns. In the mean time you are limiting the other actions you may be able to take. Use the portal squares sparingly.
BISHOPS
- Try to keep the diagonal squares relating to your bishops as free from your own pieces as possible
- Bishops are particularly useful in pinning manoevers. If you see such an opportunity, don't hesitate to take advantage of it.
Playing Chess well takes a lot of patience and strategy. There is a lot more to learn than what has been sumarized here.
But if you keep these guidelines in mind you will be off to a good start.
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