Summer vacation is fast approaching, and with it comes the destruction of all your normal routines. Kids are home all day, or maybe you need to find activities that double as childcare. To make sure the kids do more than just watch YouTube shorts and eat all your snacks, try signing them up for fun chess activities that boost their brainpower!

Why Chess?

Every parent tries to strike just the right balance during the summer holiday of fun and growth opportunities. That can look different depending on what your child enjoys. While we want to keep their bodies active with outdoor activities and the pool, keeping those brain cells firing is just as important.

A boy is jumping for joy at the beach while a golden sun sets behind him — Summer is about having the time for some balance--sunny days and brainy plays can co-exist.
Image by Mynor Bejarano from Pixabay

Chess can help stave off the “summer slide” by strengthening important skills such as pattern recognition, focus, and short-term memory. Chess is more accessible than many activities for children for two reasons. One, it doesn’t require loads of expensive equipment and shoes to play. Two, chess is open to kids with physical or other challenges that make team sports or outdoor activities less possible or appealing. Adverse weather and heat waves won't affect chess camp like outdoor sports. Finally, chess is forever! People play chess throughout their lives, often coming back to it as adults. It’s a lifetime skill that lasts longer than those popsicle stick stars (which we also love, don’t get us wrong).

Chess Camps

Day camps are the most popular summer chess offering for chess schools and scholastic clubs. Many chess schools offer multiple sessions during the summer. Scholastic chess clubs often have a one-week camp for club members. Day camp has many advantages. One, it immerses your child in chess, helping them grow their skills and excitement for the game. Two, they will be playing and socializing with the same group of kids during the week, providing an opportunity to make friends that last beyond camp. Three, a day camp can cover childcare needs for working parents of elementary-aged kids.

They may not work for everyone, however. Day camps can be pricey, so be sure you know the total cost before you sign up. Make sure you understand any “extras,” like lunch options, transportation, or equipment fees. If you are providing your own transportation, pay attention to drop-off and pick-up times, as there may be charges for missing them. Lastly, be sure the camp you pick is a good fit for your child’s interests and skills. A serious scholastic training camp may be too much for your beginner. Conversely, a "fun" camp may not interest a very experienced player.

Other Camp Options

Online Camp: Many areas do not have chess schools or clubs close enough for in-person day camps. An online chess camp may be the solution for you! These camps may include video lessons, one-on-one video coaching, daily exercises and puzzles, and games with other kids in the camp. A virtual camp may be a good option for you if you’ve got a reliable internet connection, computer, and a kid who enjoys virtual sessions. If your chess kid doesn’t like being on camera or speaking up, this option might not be the best fit.

A girl is sitting outside with a laptop computer with a happy but puzzled expression on her face — Puzzles can sure be puzzling. Image by Nicola Giordano from Pixabay

Overnight Camp: If you have a committed chess kid, you may want to consider one of the overnight chess camps. These tend to be focused on serious competitors who want to advance their ratings and standing, rather than casual players or beginners. While it does provide the “sleep-away camp” environment, you may be required to travel with your child. One place to start your search is the US Chess Affiliate Chess Camps page. If you’re willing and able to invest in an overnight camp, your chess kid is in for a fantastic experience.

Community Chess

If you don’t want to commit or don’t have access to a camp, there may be other community options. Libraries or parks and recreation districts often have chess programs that meet weekly.

Libraries may have a club that meets all year long, or special programs for the summer. All you will need is a library card to register! Make sure you pay attention to any age requirements. One wonderful thing about libraries is that almost everything is free or very low-cost. You can also hang around in the air conditioning with younger siblings or get some work done while you wait. Free wi-fi, comfy chairs, and books to suit everyone will make the library a favorite destination.

Parks and rec districts are great for all kinds of summer fun. If yours offers chess, you’re lucky! Be sure to sign up early, as these affordable classes fill quickly and collect a waitlist. They may have a chess camp or weekly class for kids. Make sure you look at the wide range of offerings while you’re there. Swim lessons are another staple of the parks and rec catalog you don’t want to miss.

Two young boys play a game of chess on a rock cliff with a stunning vista of trees and mist — Extreme outdoor chess might be a fun challenge! Image by hauthuy from Pixabay

One really fun thing to look for is chess outdoors. Many communities have a park or botanical garden with a giant chessboard. Stone chess tables are common at parks as well. You may need to bring your own pieces or improvise, but you can always do a simple game of fox and hounds (the pieces chase the king) with two or more kids. Moving your body as a piece really reinforces that chess knowledge, too!

Chess at Home

Kids love playing chess against their parents, especially when they can win! If you’re not a chess player, it’s not hard to learn the basics of the game. If you are a skilled player, consider using a handicap to even the odds for your chess kid. Many experienced players will remove one or more of their own pieces before the start of the game to make it fairer.

Keep a chessboard set up in a convenient and central location. If all the siblings know how to play, don’t be surprised if a spontaneous game erupts. You can also play a “correspondence” game by moving pieces as you have time over several days. Sidewalk chalk on the cul-de-sac is another way to bring a chessboard outdoors.

Movies and books about famous chess kids are always a hit—just add popcorn! For the younger set, Queen of Katwe is an inspirational story of a young girl who learned to play chess and turned her life upside down. Your older kids will be fascinated by Searching for Bobby Fischer, the story of Josh Waitzkin, a chess prodigy whose life story continues to evolve. If your young chess kid prefers to read, grab a copy of “Tani's New Home” by Tanitoluwa Adewumi. This incredible story follows the author’s journey from refugee in Nigeria to a champion chess player in New York City.

Chess Away from Home

When you’re traveling, see if you can find chess landmarks in the cities you’re visiting. The World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis is an educational and entertaining stop. No trip to New York City would be complete for a chess kid without observing (or playing!) the chess hustlers in Washington Square Park. Historic chess clubs like the Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco have regular nights where visitors are welcome. If you’re traveling further afield, Reykjavik, Iceland, has the highest concentration of grandmasters in the world.

A picture of the chess room inside the Mechanic's Institute with four chessboards set up, a demonstration board, and many pictures of the history of the club on the walls — The Mechanic's Institute in San Francisco is the oldest continuously operating chess club in America. Photo by Frank Schulenberg used under the Wikimedia Commons license

Chess Ideas for Travel

Summer travel means coming up with activities for the plane, train, or automobile. Chess is a good choice to keep the kids quietly entertained. There are several compact and easy-to-carry options.

A Travel Chess Set: A magnetic travel chess set makes playing full games of chess convenient and portable. If you’re short on space, a checkbook-style board like the Checkbook Magnetic Travel Chess Set makes games portable while preserving your game in process.
Puzzle Books: Chess puzzles are always a popular way to keep kids busy and learning. Puzzles are great for travel because they can be brought out as time permits. They’re easy to stow again when it’s time to get back on the move. “Parker's Chess Adventure” by Dave Schloss is a fun storybook/puzzle book with 100 puzzles and coloring pages at the beginning of each chapter for even more fun.
Chess Apps: Most families travel with their devices now, even if they don’t allow much screen time. A chess app on a tablet or phone can be screen time you feel good about. ChessKid is one of the best options for safety and kid-friendly play. Since bot opponents can be played offline, it’s a good choice for travel.

Good Times Ahead

With this wide variety of summer chess options, you’re sure to find something to interest your chess kid. Whether you’re dropping them at a day camp, doing exercises together on a plane, or simply playing a game in the living room, it’s a smart and fun way to keep those brain cells active. Solve the puzzle of “bored” kids with a strategic infusion of chess!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: Shouldn’t kids be outside playing in the summer?

It’s important for kids to have unstructured time to daydream, use their imagination, enjoy physical activities, and socialize with friends. Summers often give kids the freedom to do these things. That said, having a few special activities to look forward to can make summer even better. Chess is a proven brain booster that might be just the ticket during those sweltering summer days when the AC is attractive. For kids who don't enjoy athletics, it’s an opportunity to make friends and learn good sportsmanship. Summer should have a balance of different kinds of activities, and chess is great one to include.

Question: What does a kid need to attend a chess camp?

One of the great things about chess is how affordable the basic equipment is! You won’t need special clothing, shoes, or bags of spendy sporting goods. Your camp should give you a list of items to bring, so watch your emails and their website. If you like to plan ahead, make sure you have a standard chess set and chess clock in a carrying case, a lunchbox, and a reusable water bottle. A “nice to have” item might be a scorebook with pencils to record games. As a bonus, all these items will continue to serve their purpose after camp is over!

Question: Is it safe for kids to play chess online?

Yes and no. There are safe apps for kids to play chess online, like ChessKid, and there are safety options that can be enabled for some other apps like Lichess. The main thing you need to avoid is a chat function. Chat isn’t necessary to play chess, and it’s the single biggest issue for kids online. Parental controls and account review are also good tools to have. Use proximity to see your controls are functioning as you expect for a while. As with all internet access, parent supervision and appropriate use ensure a safe and fun experience.

Chess can help stave off “summer slide” by stimulating important skills like pattern recognition, focus, and short-term memory. Chess is more accessible than many activities for children for two reasons. One, it doesn’t require loads of expensive equipment and shoes to play. Two, chess is open to kids with physical or other challenges that make team sports or outdoor activities less possible or appealing. Adverse weather and heat waves won’t affect chess camp like outdoor sports. Finally, chess is forever! People play chess throughout their lives, often coming back to it as adults. It’s a lifetime skill that lasts longer than those popsicle stick stars (which we also love, don’t get us wrong).

The undisputed gold standard of chess sets is the time-tested Staunton design. Its ubiquitous lines are unmistakable, appearing in the least expensive plastic sets and the highest quality luxury sets. The set is more than just the sum of its pieces, however. Read on to learn something you didn’t know about the most popular chess set design in the world.

1. The Staunton Chessmen and the Northern Upright Design

In the Regency and Victorian Eras, drawing room chess sets were often quite delicate and tall. The Barleycorn design is one example. Several intricately turned segments made up the finished chess pieces. The aesthetic was a high slender profile with elaborate ornamentation. This made the pieces both expensive and breakable, relegating chess to more genteel spaces. The Northern Upright design was not a complete departure from its predecessors, but it was a drastic simplification.

Slender chess set in black ebony and natural boxwood face off in close-up — The reproduction Northern Upright chessmen from House of Staunton show significant simplification from the ornamentation of other Victorian sets like Barleycorn and St. George. Photo: House of Staunton

While these pieces still had both turned and carved elements, the heavier, flared base and simple body must have inspired the design of the Staunton. The Northern Upright was popular as well, selling throughout the 1800s. All good design borrows the best elements of its predecessors, right?

2. Designer? One (or More) of These Guys

While Howard Staunton’s name was on the chess set, there isn’t broad agreement on who designed it. Nathaniel Cooke registered the design. He was a publisher who likely had family ties to the manufacturer, John Jaques (of Jaques of London). Jaques of London was already an established sporting goods company, selling a wide range of items, including chess sets. Howard Staunton was the “World Champion” at the time, though there was not a standardized way to determine who was number one. It’s highly likely he had input into the new “player forward” design. No partnership agreement between the men survived. So who is the real designer? It’s reasonable to assume John Jaques did most of the designing, with input from the other two.

3. Celebrity Endorsements and Influencers in the 1800s

If John Jaques designed the set, why did they call it the “Staunton Chessmen” after Howard Staunton? Name recognition, of course! Howard Staunton was well known in English and international chess circles, and his endorsement helped make the chess sets easier to sell. He was not shy about self-promotion, either, using his position as a chess columnist for the Illustrated London News to laud the new design as “incomparably superior” to any prior designs.

Line engraving of Howard Staunton with curly hair and a beard — Howard Staunton, Engraving from Wikimedia

While we don’t have the details of his arrangement with Cooke and Jaques, we can assume that Victorian Era influencers scored their payout in similar fashion to modern influencers. Whether it was a percentage of sales, a small commission, or a lump sum payment, you can be sure that Howard Staunton was getting a cut of the profits for lending Jaques his name. It would surely please him to know his name persists for the design and its variants all over the world!

4. You Can Buy an Exact Replica Today—or the Real Thing

Because the Staunton set was a mass-produced item, there are still quite a few antique sets around. While they aren’t as affordable as they were in 1849, they’re still a reasonable item for a collector. Some recent auction prices in late 2025 for an original Staunton I found were between $350 to $2000. Because of the simplicity of the design, these antique sets are often completely playable with some signs of wear or a few “replaced” pieces. If you’re not interested in antique equipment, you can buy an exact replica from Jaques of London, including the certificate and signature reproduced on the box. Of course, there are many alternatives that still boast the clean lines and elegance of the Staunton design, but it’s interesting to find a product that has endured in its original design for over 175 years.

5. Staunton Is the International Standard

If you asked anyone in the world to draw a chess piece, odds are they’d draw something from the Staunton set. Even the vast majority of chess clipart mimics Staunton chess pieces! Because the pieces are easy to recognize no matter where you’re from, they’re on chess boards around the world. What you may not know is that the Staunton design has been the official standard for international play by FIDE since 1924. This recognition of the Staunton's ease of play has also made it the overwhelming favorite for scholastic and tournament chess. You don’t want your players confused at the board for even a few seconds, nor do you want the pieces to break or topple over. The Staunton is perfect for all types of play by anyone.

A man in a red jacket and red hat looks at his position on the chess board for a game in progress — Tournaments use durable plastic versions for most play. Photo by Florian Cordier on Unsplash

6. Staunton Chess Sets Are Practical

The Staunton chess set was revolutionary, designed for players and intended to provide the best experience across all kinds of play. Sets prior to the Staunton were ornate, decorative pieces played in a genteel manner. The Staunton dispensed with the elaborate small details that caused pieces to tip over and break. The simple, turned shapes are easier to produce and more stable, especially when weighted. There are few delicate pieces to break off. For a chess player who wanted to play often and with gusto, these pieces were just right and lasted a long time.

7. The Staunton Chess Set Helped Promote Chess

Image shows a chessboard set up for play with wooden pieces from white's point of view. — It's easy to see how this Staunton set will stand up well to household play.
Image by eloiroudaire77 from Pixabay

One of the reasons so many of the original Staunton sets still exist today is how popular they became. Because of their ease of manufacture, the price was reasonable for a working-class household. The durability of the simple pieces meant they stood up to rough and spirited play at the coffeehouses and in “rougher” establishments. Another major advantage of the Staunton is that the pieces are universally recognizable. Anyone in the world can sit down at a Staunton set and play without confusion. The Staunton was truly a set for everyone.

8. Staunton Sets Belong in Famous Places

Chess has many historic matches people talk about and study long after they’re over. For some of the more famous matches, designers made a custom chess set to commemorate the occasion. One set we know well was designed for the Fischer v. Spassky World Championship match in 1972, held in Reykjavik, Iceland. A classic Staunton design with a sturdy, almost cheerful knight, it has been faithfully reproduced in the Reykjavik II Set. Interestingly, our own Frank Camaratta designed a special set for the ill-fated 2005 Fischer v. Karpov match in Iceland. While the match didn’t proceed, Fischer indicated through his intermediary that he approved of the set.

Clubs may have their own variation on the Staunton as well. The Mechanics Institute in San Francisco has their own version of the classic design with heavy weighting and chunky, sturdy knights. It was originally designed for a simul exhibition by Jose Raul Capablanca in 1916 at the club, and the last of the original sets was finally retired in the 1970s! Like many famous sets, a replica version of the Mechanics Institute set is available for players who love chess history and (possibly) need their pieces to take abuse.

A Clear Winner

If you have a contemporary chess set, odds are it’s based on the Staunton design in some way, if not a direct descendant. Scholastic chess and tournaments all around the world use durable plastic Staunton sets. Collectors hunt down rare antique sets and variations to enjoy and display as part of chess history. Serious chess players have luxury versions to admire while they’re in use. We hope you’ve learned something new about the chess set in your game room. Maybe we've inspired you to get your first Staunton set!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: Is a Staunton chess set worth the money?

Playing chess with a beautiful chess set can enhance your enjoyment of the game in two ways. In a practical sense, the Staunton design is sturdy and durable, so this is a set that can last you a lifetime even with regular play. You don’t have to handle a Staunton like it’s made of eggshells! It won’t tip easily thanks to the weighted base, great for the fast chess that’s in vogue now. From an aesthetic viewpoint, a Staunton can be a beautiful accent to any well-appointed room. It’s a set that can be left out at all times to enjoy and play at your leisure, available in many different variations and materials. It’s the decorative accent that you want in a functional, fantastic chess set.

Question: What defines a Staunton chess set?

The Staunton chessmen created in 1849 have not changed much. Staunton pieces are simple, turned shapes with flared bases. Weight in the bases increases stability. The bases will vary in size slightly, but will all have the same design. The major and minor pieces are simple and mostly created as one piece. The king and queen have simple finials, while the bishop has a notch. The knight varies a great deal. Knights range from very intricate and lifelike to a bit blocky. Staunton design is available in inexpensive plastic sets for tournament and scholastic chess all to way up to luxury bone or wooden chess sets. If Howard Staunton were thrown into 2026, he'd recognize his namesake right away.

Question: How does Staunton compare to other chess sets?

There are a few reasons why the Staunton design has ruled the chess sets for so long. The design is elegant and attractive, with the added benefit of being easy to manufacture. It’s sturdy and enjoyable to play with. Added weight makes the pieces stable for fast chess and solid in the hand. The most impactful contrast, however, is the instant readability of the Staunton pieces. Modern and figural chess sets can be beautiful and innovative but often take a little getting used to. Different shapes and aesthetics can make the set confusing. Antique reproductions of sets like the Barleycorn have the same challenges the Staunton minimized. The Staunton has endured because no one has conceived a better all-around design.

Your best friend who beats you every time you play, your boss who plays chess tournaments, and Magnus Carlsen are all good at chess, but how do we distinguish between them? Well, Magnus Carlsen is a chess grandmaster, and your friend just learned how to do the ladder checkmate. The chess world ranks its players using a rating system known as Elo. It's a number that goes up and down as you play based on your results, and it helps to make sure you are playing players of a similar skill level.

Chess game being played. — Credit: Pexels/Lars Mai

What is a Chess Rating System?

Your chess rating is a number that updates after each game you play. Whether you play online or in over-the-board chess tournaments, you will have a chess rating based on where you play. Winning raises that number, while losing decreases it. That is how the Elo system operates. For some, this rating can mean a lot. Players who are going after the grandmaster title are desperate to surpass the 2500 rating, while a beginner will also be ecstatic to cross the 1000 mark.

Arpad Elo

When I first got into chess, I assumed Elo was an acronym of some kind, but in fact it is named after the creator of this rating system. Arpad Elo was a Hungarian-American chess master who invented the chess rating system, in which players gain or lose rating points based on their performance relative to their opponents'. The Elo system was adopted by FIDE in 1970.

Rated versus Casual

Not all chess has to affect an Elo rating. Lots of chess clubs and meetups have casual play all the time. Official tournament games, though, affect your rating. To add to your USCF rating, you must participate in an official, rated tournament. These ranked games provide an official rating you can monitor throughout your chess journey.

How to Get a USCF Rating

Most people do not understand right away how to even become a rated chess player. One of the most commonly asked questions I heard at beginner chess tournaments was “How do I get a rating?” The answer is simple: play in an official USCF chess tournament! The first step is to become a USCF member. Once you have your USCF member number, you will be ready to register for a tournament. When you first play, you will be unrated. That means that you will not have an official chess rating until you have completed your preliminary games. So, don’t worry about your rating at first, and just play!

Finding Tournaments

If you want to become a rated chess player, you need to find local chess clubs or local tournaments. By finding where chess players gather, you will likely find someone running an official chess tournament.
You can also check online for local tournaments. By finding and registering for a local tournament, you can earn your official rating! You can find tournaments listed on the USCF website or similar online resources. Make sure the listed tournament is classical-length and rated.
Another option is to travel to a bigger tournament. Those big tournaments can make for fun travel opportunities. Look for open tournaments in larger cities near you that include beginner sections; they could be a great opportunity to play your first tournament.

Overcoming Your Fear

Playing your first chess tournament is a stressful affair! Not only is playing a chess game difficult, but making sure you know where to go and when to be there is a stressful part of the process. Make sure you read the tournament's details properly and know when your first round starts. Once you are there, ask the tournament directors if you have any questions. Ideally, you could go with friends or play somewhere you are already comfortable. But even if you can't, you should still play a tournament. Once you are at the board, it's just chess!

After Playing, How Can I View My Rating?

After playing your first game of rated chess, you will have what’s called a “provisional” rating. Then, once you have played twenty-five games, you will get your official USCF rating. During your provisional period, expect more fluctuations in your rating, similar to an online rating system. When you first start playing, you may lose lots of games. The best approach is to play without fearing wins or losses and to let the rating points fall where they will.

The Point of the Rating System

Why does a rating matter? As a new player in chess, having a rating actually benefits you. Even if you lose lots of games, your lower rating will mean that you play other players that are a better match for your skill level. By just playing casual games at the chess club or casual meetups, you may never get a proper match up with someone who is also a beginner. But by having a rating, you can be paired with other players who are at a similar level. This is true all the way up the rating ladder. As you improve, you will play other players who are improving alongside you.

Chess Players Winning and Losing

How does the rating system actually work? In the Elo system, defeating a lower-rated player gives you fewer points than beating a higher-rated one. And, if a lower-rated player defeats a higher-rated opponent, they gain more rating points than if they beat an equally rated player. As a new player, there is some upside to playing a higher-rated player, and some players might even be nervous about playing a lower-rated player who has been improving!

Becoming a Master and Beyond

Many new players become obsessed with their rating and may even aspire to become a grandmaster. In order to be a grandmaster in chess, you need to be at least 2500 rated, as well as meet some other qualifications. It can be helpful to view becoming a grandmaster as what it really is, reaching the top of a sport. Most people who play pickup basketball on the weekends have no real aspirations to play in the NBA. Why, then, do chess players expect to be able to join the ranks of the elite?

Other Levels of Achievement in USCF Ratings

There are other levels of chess players at the club level, known as Class E to Class A. These levels help categorize players, and they can serve as motivation to improve.

Class levels:

Class E: Under 1200
Class D: 1200–1399
Class C: 1400–1599
Class B: 1600–1799
Class A: 1800–1999
Expert: 2000–2199
National Master (NM): 2200 and above

If you are a Class E player, it's exciting to know that you have lots of room to improve. If you're more experienced, remember not to look down on players who are still learning and developing.

Online Ratings for Chess Players

Most chess players, even if they are unfamiliar with USCF-ratings, are aware of online chess ratings. It is likely you know your Chess.com or Lichess.org ratings right now! These online ratings work very similarly to a USCF rating. When you win games, your rating goes up, and when you lose, your rating goes down. If you beat a higher-rated player, you will earn a few more rating points.

Rating Disparity

It can be confusing, though, because not all ratings are made equally! Even within the same websites, ratings such as puzzle ratings can be wildly inflated for players who spend a lot of time solving them. It’s also possible that rapid or blitz ratings are not equal. Between the two primary chess websites, there is also a difference in the ratings. A 1500 on Lichess is not equal to a 1500 on chess.com. A USCF rating is also generally going to be lower than a player's online rating. Do not be discouraged if you find you have a lower OTB rating; that is normal.

All Ratings are Good Ratings

I have seen far too many players, especially new players, become very invested in their chess rating. One thing I love about chess is how easy it is to track your progress, but that can also become a curse. Try to be okay with where your chess rating is, but also know that most people can improve if they work on the proper things.

Improving Your Chess Rating as a Beginner

If you are brand new to chess, there are a few things that you can do that will cause you to win games and immediately improve your chess rating. You can learn basic checkmate patterns, tactics, and piece protection. If you do those three things, you could easily go from 100 to 1000.

Checkmates

There are so many players who can reach winning positions but are unable to convert them into checkmate! Learn some basic checkmates like the ladder checkmate, the king and queen checkmate, and others, and you will improve.

Tactics

By learning basic tactics like forks and pins, your rating will shoot up. I call basic tactics superpowers on the chessboard. It’s almost unfair if you play a game, know the tactics, and your opponent doesn't. Practice basic tactic patterns by solving puzzles to improve.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a good chess rating?

All ratings are good chess ratings! Even a 500-1000-rated player would probably beat your average person who only knows how the pieces move. Just by being 1000 rated, you are already better than most people in the world at chess!

How good is a 2500 chess rating?

2500 is top-level chess. This is the rating requirement for the grandmaster title. Most players play their whole lives and never reach this level of chess.

How do I get a chess rating?

You can get an official USCF rating by playing in an official USCF-rated tournament. If you want a generic online rating, then you just need to play games on a website like Lichess.org, to see how you compare against others in your rating range.

Is an online rating the same as a USCF rating?

Generally, a USCF rating will be lower, while online chess ratings are more inflated. So if you are 1000 online, you may not be that high over the board.

How do I get a better Rating?

Play more chess and do more chess tactics! Improving at chess is just like improving at any other sport or instrument; you have to practice. Play games and do tactics puzzles in order to improve and win more.

The chess world ranks its players using a rating system known as Elo. It’s a number that goes up and down as you play based on your results, and it helps to make sure you are playing players of a similar skill level.

What are the best chess strategies for beginners? There are many to mention, but in this article, we’ll focus on eight core strategies that, once followed, will improve a beginner’s game dramatically.

While learning chess strategy might not be as exciting as learning brilliant tactics or opening traps, the players who stick to these foundational principles will quickly find themselves sailing ahead of their peers.

Even if you’re familiar with these principles, be sure to check out the examples provided. Each of them has been carefully selected to enhance even an intermediate player’s understanding of the strategy described.

Developing key strategic principles is key to success for beginners.

8 Chess Strategies for Beginners to Improve Fast

1. Control the Center

Of all chess strategies for beginners, the one you’ll hear time and again is: Fight for control of the center. This means using pawns and pieces to control as many central squares of the board as possible. In simple terms, central control allows you to control more of the board, and therefore more of the game.

In the example below, White has focused on developing and controlling central squares, whereas Black has wasted precious time on opening moves that fail to control the center.

Squares d4, d5, and e5 are all controlled by White, while e4 is controlled equally by both sides. Can you see how White can gain full control of all four central squares?

A chessboard diagram showing one of the best chess strategies for beginners: Controlling the center. — The red squares are controlled by White. The yellow square is controlled equally by both sides.

Answer: e5! Because Black failed to occupy e5 with a pawn, White is allowed to push its e-pawn forward to attack Black’s knight. Where will the knight move? Because Black has little central control, the knight has no good squares to move to! If it moves to g4, another pawn will kick it again. Black’s best move now is to retreat the knight to e8, ceding white control of all four central squares.

With a head start in development and massive freedom of mobility, White can continue building its advantage from here. This example clearly demonstrates that whoever controls the center tends to control the game.

2. Castle Early, Wisely, and Keep Your King Safe!

Most chess players find the most exciting part of chess is going on the attack, but first, you need to make sure your king is safe. The quickest way to achieve king safety is to castle your king behind a solid wall of pawns.

In the example below, Black has castled early behind a solid pawn structure to keep the king safe and develop its rook. White, on the other hand, has delayed castling, a risky strategy, especially when the central files are clear! White must now castle quickly, but to which side?

A chessboard diagram showing one of the best chess strategies for beginners: King safety. — Because the e-file is clear, White must castle immediately to protect the king.

Answer: O-O-O (queenside castling). Because White’s queenside has a much better pawn structure than the kingside, it will serve as better protection for the castled king. Furthermore, in this example, queenside castling also immediately plants a rook on the open d-file where, with the queen, it will exert significant pressure.

3. Place Rooks on Open Files

In the previous example, White develops a rook to an open file by castling. Mostly, however, you will have to move your rooks manually to control open or semi-open files (files that contain no pawns or only enemy pawns). This is one of the most important chess strategies for beginners that many players miss!

We join the previous example game several moves later. Now, both sides have developed their rooks to open and semi-open files where they can exert enormous influence on the game. Can you already see some of the tactical opportunities this strategy has created for the upcoming moves?

A chessboard diagram showing one of the best chess strategies for beginners: Rooks on open files. — **Controlling the board.** Rooks can become extremely influential in the middlegame when placed on open files.

Answer: White’s rook on the f-file is lined up with Black’s queen. If White can move the bishop and knight, they can deliver a discovered attack on the queen. Black, however, may get there first! Its rook on the d-file that is lined up with White’s queen. Now, if Black plays Ba3+, it discovers the rook to capture the queen on the following move.

This example shows us that rooks on open files frequently give rise to x-rays and discovered attacks. It also reminds us that strong chess strategy is the best path to tactical opportunities!

4. Look for Forcing Moves: Checks, Captures, and Threats (CCT)

In the previous example, Black might miss the winning move if another crucial principle was missed: On every move, look for forcing moves: Checks, Captures, and Threats! Forcing moves help to keep you in control of the game, pushing your opponent to make predictable defensive moves rather than creative attacking ones.

Scanning for a check, capture, or threat also prevents you from missing chess tactics—even when defending. If you can find a forcing move, you might be able to turn the tables on your opponent and launch a counterattack!

In the example below, Black has just played Nxd4, threatening White’s pinned knight on f3. Before looking for ways to defend, White should look for forcing moves: Checks, Captures, and Threats!

A chessboard diagram showing one of the best chess strategies for beginners: Forcing moves. — **Attacking to defend!** Looking for checks can sometimes provide surprising solutions.

By first playing Bxf7+, White forces Black’s king to capture on that square. From here, White can give a further check with Ng5+. This simultaneously uncovers the queen to attack Black’s light-squared bishop.

In the end, White turns the tables to gain a superior position and material. It all started with a simple scan for checks, captures, and threats. Remember, the best way to defend is to attack!

5. Create an Outpost

In chess, an outpost is a piece placed in the opponent’s half of the board that’s difficult to threaten or capture. The most common type of outpost is a knight protected by a pawn, but you can create outposts with other combinations of pieces, too!

An outpost is dangerous because, from its advanced position, the piece can reach more squares in the enemy camp. This is especially true of knights because they are short-range pieces. Only within the opponent's half of the board can knights attack the vulnerable 7th and 8th rank squares.

In the example below, White has just landed its knight on an outpost on e6. While the two sides are equal in material, the outpost immediately hands White a big advantage. Just look at how many attacking possibilities emerge from this single move!

A chessboard diagram showing one of the best chess strategies for beginners: creating outposts. — Some say a knight on the 6th rank is equal to a rook!

Firstly, White’s knight threatens Black’s rook, forcing it to move. Secondly, it hits g7, where White could easily mount a mating attack further down the line. Thirdly, it controls d8 to support its passed pawn on the d-file to achieve promotion. Furthermore, Black must be extremely careful to avoid placing its pieces where the knight could fork them!

This outpost on the 6th rank is especially troublesome because there are no black pieces left to threaten the knight. Without pawns on adjacent files or a minor piece to trade off, Black might even be forced to sacrifice a rook to eliminate this now extremely powerful piece!

6. Improve Your Least Active Piece (LAP)

So, it’s your move: you’ve completed your scans for checks, captures, and threats, and you've tried to find an outpost for one of your pieces. What if you still can’t find an opportunity? The answer is: Improve your least active piece (LAP).

By moving your least active piece to a more active, influential square, you’ll be controlling more of the board, and more of the game. In the example below, White has no checks, captures, or threats to make, nor is there an immediate chance to make an outpost. How, then, can White improve its least active piece?

A chessboard diagram showing the LAP principle. — *Hint:* An inactive piece is one that controls fewer squares of the board.

Answer: Ba3. On its present square on b2, White’s bishop is cramped by Black’s long pawn chain and is bearing very little influence on the game. Just by moving to a3, the bishop suddenly controls a long diagonal, which is every bishop’s happy hunting ground!

Incidentally, did you notice another benefit of Ba3? It also prevents Black from castling kingside. Since queenside castling also doesn’t look safe for Black, its king may remain stuck in the center where White can x-ray attack with its rooks and queen. If White can open the center, it might even lead to a winning attack!

7. To Win the Endgame, Create Passed Pawns

Chess endgames are often won by the player who succeeds in promoting a pawn first. Many beginners, however, fail to realize that the golden ticket to pawn promotion is to create a passed pawn. A passed pawn is a pawn that has a clear pathway to the last rank, without enemy pawns standing on the same file or on adjacent files.

In the example below, Black has just played ...e5 to challenge White’s pawn on f4. What should White do?

A chessboard diagram showing how to create passed pawns. — Remember, creating a passed pawn could be your ticket to win the endgame!

Answer: f5! Instead of trading pawns, White can create a passed pawn by pushing it to f5. Now that Black has no pawns to block or capture the pawn, it will be much more difficult to prevent its path to promotion.

While Black might try to block the pawn’s progress with one of its pieces, that piece will then be locked into defensive duty and severely restricted. Later, White can attempt to undermine the blocking piece to win promotion.

8. Rooks Belong Behind Passed Pawns

Once you have created a passed pawn, the next step is to place a rook behind it. Because rooks move in the same direction as pawns, they’re the ideal pieces to support your pawn’s progress towards promotion.

We join the same game again a few moves later. White has correctly placed its rook behind the passed pawn to support its journey up the board. Because the pawn is protected by the rook, White is free to move its knight. Can you see how useful that knight outpost is now? How will White win the game?

Attacking the defender on the last rank is often the path to pawn promotion.

Answer: Nh7 or Ne6. Either of these moves attacks Black’s only piece that prevents pawn promotion. Black must now sacrifice its rook or allow White to promote the pawn.

Just look at how effective those three strategies for chess beginners turned out to be: a knight outpost, creating a passed pawn, and placing the rook behind it all combined to win the game!

Chess Strategy for Beginners - Our Conclusion

The winning chess strategies for beginners don’t need to be elaborate or complex to be effective. Just by following these eight simple principles consistently, you'll naturally find yourself controlling more of the board and more of the game.

You might be amazed at how effortlessly opportunities to attack emerge from your solid strategic foundations. You've seen how effective the strategies are in the examples. Now go and apply them to real games! Good luck!

Chess Strategy for Beginners FAQs

What is the best chess strategy for beginners?

There’s no single chess strategy that’s better than the rest, yet important chess strategies for beginners include quick development, central control, king safety, and looking for forcing moves.

What is the 20-40-40 rule in chess?

In chess training, the 20-40-40 rule is a broad guideline that advocates spending 20% of chess study time on openings, 40% on the middlegame, and 40% on the endgame. It’s not a hard and fast rule, however—some chess coaches recommend instead allocating study time according to their student’s strengths and weaknesses.

What are the 3 C's in chess?

The 3 C’s of chess is a shorthand for three of the most critical chess strategies in beginner chess: control the center, castle the king, and connect the rooks. Adhering to these three principles ensures strong development, king safety, and rooks that defend one another.

What is the best first move in chess?

There are several strong first moves in chess, but the best for most players are 1. e4 (the King’s Pawn Opening) and 1. d4 (the Queen’s Pawn Opening). While the King’s Pawn Opening is the natural choice for attacking players seeking an open game, the Queen’s Pawn Opening is a sensible choice for those looking for a more solid, positional game.

Want to get better at chess? Learn 8 powerful beginner strategies, from king safety to outposts and passed pawns, and start turning solid positions into consistent wins.

One of the first exciting things a new chess player wants to do is select a chess set and often a chess clock. There is a huge amount of choice out there, and it can be much easier if you know exactly what you’re getting.

This guide is designed to make it easy. Read on to quickly learn about top chess sets and clocks for beginners, and my pick for the best of both.

A photograph of a chess set with the pieces in the starting positions. — Credit: Curtis Butts / Unsplash

How to Choose a Chess Set

As a beginner, the first step in choosing your chess set is figuring out your priorities. If you care a lot about aesthetics and quality, you may want to jump straight in with a wooden chessboard. If you are looking for something simple and affordable, you may want plastic pieces and a soft material board.

Asking yourself some simple questions can be a good place to start getting an idea of which chess set will work for you. How will you use your chess set? How much are you willing to spend? Do you want it stored away or on display?

As you’ll see in this guide, there are plenty of excellent chess set and clock options to choose from.

Why a Beginner Needs a Chess Clock

A chess clock may seem like a nice addition, but not essential for someone new to chess. Here’s my pitch for why it's a must-have for beginners.

However you see yourself playing chess, there is a huge likelihood that you will eventually use a chess clock and probably pretty regularly. If you want to join a chess club or eventually play in a tournament, you will need to be very familiar with this piece of equipment. The sooner you get used to it, the better.

Even if you are a casual player, you will likely want the variety and benefits of time-controlled games. Playing speed chess with your friends is just one reason a chess clock quickly becomes handy. Wherever and however you play chess, a clock can help you improve, explore different versions of chess, and enjoy the game more.

Photograph of a chess set and clock set up outside with two older people playing. — Chess clocks are often used for casual play, not just tournaments. Credit: Artyom Kabajev/Unsplash

Chess Sets for Beginners

The following will help you narrow down which set to start your chess journey with. Check out these brief descriptions to see which type of chess set appeals to you.

Wooden Chess Sets

This is the most classic option and often what beginners are drawn to. A simple and classic wooden chess set with Staunton Pattern pieces is an excellent place to start.

Wooden chess sets are great for everyone. Properly maintained, they can be kept for a lifetime, and common wood pieces can be easily replaced if lost or damaged. Wooden sets are pleasant to use, with the feel, weight, and sound of the pieces appealing to many people. Wooden sets offer a variety of storage options and can also be featured in a room.

For many beginners, the classic wooden chess set just feels right. The long history, familiarity, aesthetic, and quality materials make it an exceptional choice for anyone.

Ultimate Tournament Chess Set

In wooden chess sets, the Tournament Chess Set is an excellent choice for beginners. The combination of high-quality wood, a folding board, simple yet elegant pieces in their familiar design, and a choice of storage bags makes this an excellent kit that a beginner can keep for a long time.

A photograph of a folding wooden chess board. — Folding tournament chess board in mahogany and maple with notations.

You can also select from a variety of woods for the board and pieces. This is largely a matter of preference and allows you to make customizations to your chess set.

Golden Rosewood Chess Pieces in the Staunton Pattern.

Vinyl Board and Plastic Pieces

If your first chess experiences were at school or at a club, then you will likely be familiar with these classic sets. Vinyl board and plastic piece sets are excellent for beginners because they are affordable, durable, and easy to store or travel with.

Often with a white and green color scheme, the vinyl board is designed to be long-lasting, easy to clean, and stackable or rollable. The plastic pieces are comfortably weighted and similarly easy to care for. For these reasons, they are popular with chess clubs and schools.

A photo of a vinyl chess board and plastic pieces. — A tournament regulation chess set with plastic pieces and a vinyl board.

Tournament-Regulation Chess Set

For a specific vinyl board and plastic piece set, I recommend the tournament-regulation option. These are a comfortable size to play with, and naturally, they prepare you well for the kind of dimensions and movement you would need in a chess tournament.

They come in a variety of colors, the pieces are single weighted, and two extra queens are provided for pawn promotion.

The Best Clocks For Beginners

You may make your decision on which chess set to purchase intuitively, but chess clocks can be a trickier choice to make. Here are two top choices of the digital and analogue varieties.

Digital Chess Clocks

Digital chess clocks are much more common these days. If you are looking to play in tournaments and clubs, they are likely to be the better choice. Common types of chess clocks are DGT, Tap N Set, and Chronos.

Using digital chess clocks is fairly simple. The display generally shows each player's time, the increment in use, and which timer is active. Some have move counters and low time warnings.

DGT Chess Clocks

DGT, standing for Digital Game Technology, is the industry standard and an excellent pick for a beginner chess clock. They are effective, simple to use, and highly programmable. In other words, you can create a wide variety of time controls and increments. They display tenths of a second, and the buttons are built to withstand quite aggressive tapping.

The DGT 2500 and 3000 are used in official chess tournaments worldwide. A more affordable version is the DGT North American Digital Chess Clock. It has a more streamlined interface, built-in timing presets, and large, durable buttons. It is a best seller for a reason: easy to use, reliable, and suitable for preparing for competitive play.

Photo of the DGT North American Digital Chess Clock. — DGT North American Digital Chess Clock

Analog Chess Clocks

Analog chess clocks are for those who prefer the mechanical, simple, and classic appearance. There are plenty of varieties in plastic, wood, and metal. They work using a spring-winding mechanism. Pressing the button will simultaneously stop one player's clock from unwinding and start the other's. The simple and elegant methods have been in use since the early days of competitive chess.

The key downside of analog chess clocks is that they are not programmable and their displays are not as detailed. This means you cannot use time controls with increments or clearly see fractions of a second.

Wooden Mechanical Chess Clock

There is a wide variety of simple and affordable analog chess clocks. One strong choice is the wooden mechanical chess clock. The appearance is much simpler than digital options, as we see here.

The two clock faces show each player's remaining time, and the red flags show when a player has run out of time. Extremely simple to use, the clocks can be wound to different time settings and require no batteries, using a simple wind-up mechanism. While they do not offer the diverse settings of the digital options, a wooden analogue chess clock is completely functional, looks great, and can last a beginner for a very long time.

Final Picks

My final chess set recommendation for beginners is the Tournament Chess Set. It combines everything a beginner needs, featuring a chess set and clock. The high-quality wooden board and pieces mean it can last you a lifetime and make it an attractive fixture if you want to keep it set up. The foldable board makes it easy to store and travel with. Finally, it’s reasonably affordable and regulation size, so it makes for excellent preparation for competitive play.

As for chess clocks, the DGT North American Digital Chess Clock is also the best all-round option. It is more affordable than other DGT options, yet offers all the necessary time-control variations and helpful presets, and features a clear, streamlined display. Whether you’re looking to play casually or prepare for tournaments, it is an exceptional choice.

To select a combination folding wooden board, pieces weighted to your specification, and a selection of chess clocks, try the Design Your Own House of Staunton Deluxe Tournament Combo.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best chess clock to buy?

My pick for the best chess clock for beginners is the DGT North American Digital Chess Clock. It is affordable, easy to use, playable with extremely fast time controls, and usable in tournaments.

How to set a chess clock for beginners?

How you set a chess clock depends on whether it is analog or digital. With some digital chess clocks, you can use the preset buttons for different time controls. Alternatively, you can use the arrow buttons to set the time. Use the arrows again to set the increment next, using a second button or preset.
For analog chess clocks, you simply need to wind the clock to the desired time control using knobs on the back. They use standard clock faces, so you need to set the time on that basis. For example, for a 5-minute game, you would set the clock at 5.55, so 5 minutes would need to elapse before the small hand reaches 6 and the player's flag falls.

What is the clock rule in chess?

There are many rules in chess related to the clock. One lesser-known one is that you must press the clock with the same hand you used to make your move.

What does 10 10 mean in chess?

10 10 is a time format in chess in which each player has 10 minutes to make all their moves, and an increment of 10 seconds is added after every move. This is a relatively common Rapid Time Control in chess.

As a beginner, the first step in choosing your chess set is figuring out your priorities. If you care a lot about aesthetics and quality, you may want to jump straight in with a wooden chessboard.

I still remember the first time I opened one of my uncle's chess cases without permission.

I was maybe nine, convinced I could sneak a look at his pieces, put them back, and nobody would ever know. You know I got as far as the knight before it slipped out of my hand and hit the floor.

The crack was small but it was there, and I spent the next ten minutes trying to convince myself it wasn't that bad before quietly putting it back and never mentioning it to anyone.

My uncle noticed immediately… Of course he did.

The thing is, that knight was part of a set he'd owned for nearly twenty years.

One unguarded moment and it was damaged.

Which is more than I can say for how most of us treat our sets as adults. For a lot of players, it's something chosen carefully, invested in, and genuinely cared about.

And yet the case it travels in is almost always an afterthought.

That's exactly what this article is here to fix.

Whether you're carrying a starter set to a friend's house or transporting a tournament-grade set across the country, the right chess case makes all the difference.

Let's find yours.

A Brief History of Chess Cases

Chess has been around for roughly 1,500 years.

I think that means players have been figuring out how to transport their pieces without losing a pawn down the back of a camel for almost as long.

Early chess sets were precious objects, hand-carved from ivory, bone, or wood, and owned almost exclusively by people wealthy enough to commission them.

You didn't exactly toss those into a saddlebag and hope for the best.

Early storage solutions were simple wooden boxes or cloth pouches, nothing sophisticated. But they did the job for sets that rarely left the house anyway.

Things got more interesting as chess became less of an aristocratic pastime and more of a genuinely popular game.

By the 19th century, chess clubs were forming across Europe, tournaments were being organised, and players were actually travelling with their sets on a regular basis.

Suddenly storage was about getting them from one city to another in one piece.

The Staunton pattern was standardized in 1849, and with it came the first real push toward purpose-built chess cases.

Once everyone agreed on what a chess piece should look like and roughly how big it should be, manufacturers could actually design storage around those dimensions.

Fast forward to today and the options are almost overwhelming but the basic problem hasn't changed in 1,500 years.

The solutions, thankfully, have come a long way since the camel saddlebag.

The 7 Best Chess Cases Worth Buying

Here are seven that I think are the best ones out there.

Reproduction of the Circa 1862–1864 Mahogany Slide Top Chess Box

If you care about how your set feels to store, not just where you put it, this one is worth your attention.

It's a compact mahogany box built specifically for library-sized pieces, which means your pieces actually fit properly instead of rattling around with room to spare.

Chess case — Mahogany Slide Top Chess Case

The red interior sets it apart from every generic box you've seen, and the signature plaque on the lid gives it a quiet collector's touch.

The slide-top keeps things simple without feeling cheap. This is for the player who wants the whole experience to feel considered, right down to where the pieces sleep at night.

Carton Pierre Casket Reproduction

I saw this chess case and had to issue my heart a formal warning. Be still, my neogothic little heart.

Because look at it.

Just look at it.

It looks like something Bram Stoker would have kept on his writing desk, right next to the inkwell and whatever correspondence he was writing to terrify people with that week.

The ornate detailing, the velvet lining, the casket shape that makes absolutely no attempt to be subtle about what it's referencing.

I respect it enormously.

But here's the thing: underneath all that gloriously dramatic exterior, it's also a genuinely well-made chess case.

It's a reproduction of the original caskets used for classic Staunton sets, built with the kind of craftsmanship that makes you want to open it slowly and deliberately, preferably while a thunderstorm is happening outside.

The velvet interior holds your pieces with care, and the exterior detailing is the kind you find yourself studying longer than you planned.

It's not designed for large modern sets, so checking your piece compatibility before buying is non-negotiable.

But if you want a chess case that feels collectible, that becomes part of the story rather than just a container for it, nothing else on this list comes close.

Slide Top Chess Box

Sometimes you just want something that works without making a fuss about it.

This is that chess case.

The slide-top opens cleanly, the removable pillow lining adjusts to your specific set, and two interior compartments mean you're not digging through a pile of pieces every time you want to play.

It also holds an extra queen on each side, which sounds like a small detail until you actually need one mid-game.

It's just solid, reliable storage that does exactly what it's supposed to.

Slide Top Chess Box — Elm Burl Finish

This is where I'd start paying attention to how the box looks on my shelf… not just what's inside it.

The elm burl finish gives you that natural, slightly unpredictable grain that makes it look anything but mass-produced.

Underneath the good looks, it's the same practical setup as the black-finish version: slide-top lid, removable lining, and ample space for a full set with extra queens.

Slide Top Chess Box — Brazilian Rosewood Finish

That deep, rich tone does a lot of work on its own, and you don't need any additional detailing because the wood carries the whole thing.

It's built around the same reliable structure as the others in this family, easy slide-top access, lined interior, space for a full set, but visually it sits a level above.

If your pieces are already leaning premium, this is the chess case that actually keeps up with them.

Small Red Burl Premium Chess Box

I'd reach for this when I want something compact that still feels like it was made with care.

The red burl wood, brass hinges, and proper clasp make it feel like a finished product rather than an afterthought, which isn't something you can say about every small box in this price range.

Inside, the lined and divided compartments mean your pieces aren't knocking into each other every time you move it.

It's built for smaller sets, so it's worth checking your king height before buying.

Burlwood Pattern Chess Box

This is the one I'd recommend when someone wants the look without agonizing over the price.

The Burlwood pattern gives you that textured, characterful appearance without the premium cost of the real thing.

Inside, it's lined, practical, and laid out simply.

How to Care for Your Chess Case

Here's something most people don't think about until it's too late. You buy a beautiful chess case, put your pieces in it, and then treat the case itself as if it's indestructible.

It isn't.

And a damaged case is just a more expensive way of leaving your pieces unprotected.

The good news is that looking after a chess case is genuinely simple once you know what to avoid.

Clean the exterior based on what it's made of

A wooden case needs a soft, dry cloth and nothing aggressive.

No spray cleaners, no furniture polish you grabbed from under the sink without reading the label. If it needs more than a wipe down, use a product specifically made for wood and apply it sparingly.

Leather cases need a proper leather conditioner every now and then to stop them drying out and cracking along the seams.

Vinyl wipes down easily with a barely damp cloth and needs very little else.

Take care of the interior lining

The felt or fabric lining inside your chess case is doing the actual protective work, so treat it accordingly.

Shake it out gently every so often to remove dust and debris that accumulates without you noticing.

If the lining starts lifting at the edges, a small amount of fabric-safe adhesive fixes it before it becomes a bigger problem.

Avoid getting the interior wet under any circumstances because damp lining is how you end up with pieces that smell like a problem you can't quite identify.

Check your clasps and hinges regularly

This is the one people skip entirely until a clasp fails mid-journey and the case swings open at exactly the wrong moment.

Give your clasps and hinges a quick check every few weeks, especially if you travel with your set regularly.

If something feels loose or stiff, deal with it early.

A tiny drop of oil on a stiff hinge takes thirty seconds. Replacing a piece that fell out of a case that swung open takes considerably longer and costs considerably more.

Store it away from sunlight and moisture

Direct light fades wood, dries out leather, and weakens fabric lining over time.

Keep your chess case somewhere stable, away from windows and out of rooms that get very humid or very dry.

A Case Worth Caring About

My uncle never replaced that knight.

The cracked one sat in his chess case alongside every other piece for years, and after a while, nobody even noticed it anymore.

It just became part of the set. He probably would have replaced it eventually, but I think a small part of him liked having a piece with a history.

That's the thing about a chess set that's been properly looked after. It accumulates character without accumulating damage, and there's a real difference between the two.

The right chess case is what makes that possible. It's not the most exciting purchase you'll make for your game, I'll be honest about that.

But it might be the most important one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best material for a chess case?

Wood and leather are the most durable and visually appealing options. For travel, hard wooden cases with felt lining offer the best combination of protection and longevity.

How do I know if a chess case will fit my pieces?

Check your king's height before buying anything. Most cases list compatible king heights in their specifications, and matching that measurement correctly saves a lot of frustration.

Can I store my chess board inside a chess case?

Some cases, particularly briefcase and combination designs, accommodate a folding board alongside pieces. Standard boxes typically store pieces only.

A chess case isn’t the most exciting purchase you’ll make for your game. But it might be the most important one. This guide introduces the best options that are genuinely worth your attention.

When someone, especially an adult, gets into chess, one of the first questions they ask is whether or not they could become a grandmaster. There is something inherent to the human condition that makes us think that, maybe, somehow, we missed our calling, and we could actually be a secret genius. A new chess player thinks they might have stumbled into their gift and could actually become a great chess player. The reality is that you are good enough to beat your friends and family, but becoming a grandmaster is incredibly difficult. But, is it impossible?

The road to chess grandmaster is closed to many. — Credit: Pexels/David Mcelwee

What Is a Chess Grandmaster

It is a difficult road to the grandmaster title. To become a chess grandmaster, you must reach a FIDE rating of at least 2500 and earn three GM norms in officially recognized international tournaments. Most grandmasters are players who have been dedicated to chess since childhood. Think of becoming a grandmaster like becoming a professional athlete in a major sport. If you are going to make it to the NBA or the MLB, you need to have been playing basketball or baseball since as early as you could pick up the ball. In this case, as early as you could push a pawn.

Understanding the Chess Rating System

What does it mean to have a 2500 ELO rating? ELO is a system used to measure chess skill across various platforms. If you're familiar with online chess, you know about similar rating systems on sites like Lichess or Chess.com, where winning or losing affects your rating based on your opponent's strength. The specific rules and calculations are less important. Just win games, and your rating increases. Over-the-board ELO operates similarly. In the US, a USCF (United States Chess Federation) game typically adjusts only your USCF rating. Most beginners start with a rating between 500 and 1000, but this applies only to USCF ratings.

Other Chess Titles

Grandmaster is not the only FIDE title on the way to the top of chess. There are a number of other titles, and all of them are impressive milestones.

Candidate Master (CM)

The CM title is awarded by FIDE to players who reach a FIDE classical rating of 2200. This is still an impressive achievement, but it is 300 rating points below the GM rating threshold.

FIDE Master (FM)

FM is similar to CM but requires a FIDE rating of 2300 or higher. This is a highly impressive accomplishment, representing a significant step up from a national master's level, as international ratings are more challenging to attain.

International Master (IM)

An International Master must attain a FIDE rating of at least 2400, which is 100 points below a GM. In addition, they need to earn IM norms, which make becoming an IM more challenging than achieving an FM or CM. To earn the title, players must secure three IM norms and meet other requirements, such as playing a certain number of games, competing against players from different federations, and facing other titled players.

What are Grandmaster Norms?

Grandmaster Norms in chess are specific performance standards achieved during a tournament that demonstrate a player's level of skill. Tournaments designed for those seeking Grandmaster titles must meet specific criteria for a norm to be earned. These include the player having a high enough performance rating, the tournament comprising typically 9 or more games, and opponents of adequate strength from various chess federations. When both the player and the tournament meet these minimum conditions, the player can earn a GM Norm, a key step toward earning the Grandmaster title.

The Fight For Grandmaster Norms and Rating

It is not uncommon for a player to reach the IM level and then be unable to meet the required number of norms or the required rating to become a grandmaster. Still, these players are incredibly gifted players who have achieved a high level of play.

Essential Skills and Knowledge for Chess Players

One aspect of becoming a Grandmaster that some overlook is the sheer amount of work required to study and learn chess. Not only do you have to spend hours and hours learning opening theory, but you have to master middlegames and endgames completely. No grandmaster has not spent days studying what most of us would consider to be the most boring and mundane (and complex) endgames!

Opening Theory

Achieving the status of a grandmaster requires extensive knowledge of opening theory, allowing you to play ten, fifteen, or even twenty moves ahead in every game. This involves memorizing all your openings and preparing for any moves your opponent might make. For many, this is one of the most obvious distinguishing factors between CM and GM. Grandmasters have a depth of opening memorization matched with a complete strategic understanding of the positions those openings reach.

Middlegames and Tactics

A Grandmaster reaches a middlegame position, ready and fully understanding it. Unlike club players, who are often surprised by the positions they reach and have to spend time understanding the new middlegames. You also need strong midgame tactics and good awareness of tactical motifs. The key difference between good players and all-time greats is consistency! While you might spot a tactic 90% of the time, a grandmaster rarely misses it. This consistency must be proven every game. Anyone can sometimes play at a grandmaster level in one game, but to become a GM, you must do so consistently in every game.

Endgames

Endgames are another area where Grandmasters set themselves apart: positions, memorization, and theory that Grandmasters must master. If you are an aspiring grandmaster, know that you cannot escape learning and mastering endgames. The best players can visualize a winning endgame, whatever it may be, and play toward that position without worrying whether it is, in fact, a winning one. Endgame study is just more memorization, more knowledge, and positional understanding that grandmasters have.

Training and Development

So, how do you gain all of this knowledge if you do want to become a grandmaster? Players who achieve that milestone typically receive intensive chess coaching from a very young age. Early exposure to chess is one of the strongest predictors of whether a player might become a Grandmaster. Like many chess coaches, I often get asked, “Could I still become a grandmaster?” Usually, this question comes from adult learners who believe they can still improve. The unfortunate truth is that unless you start playing chess before age ten, reaching the Grandmaster level is unlikely. But, you could still aspire to be a titled player! Reaching CM level as an adult is not unheard of.

Chess Coaching

Like elite athletes, Grandmasters start playing chess early and often receive coaching. This consistent training helps them learn essential openings, middlegames, and endgames. They also learn fundamental skills such as chess notation very early, allowing them to study legendary world championship matches and solve numerous chess puzzles to improve their skills.

Number of Grandmasters

It is difficult to know exactly how many Grandmasters there are worldwide. Because it is a title you hold for life. Many players have held the title. But their rating, or level of play, has gone down as they have aged. Still, there are more than 1,850 Grandmasters today. Compare that to 1950, when there were 27. Some suggest there are too many Grandmasters and that the title is devalued by the sheer number. But I think that undersells the sport of chess. Sure, not all 1850 chess grandmasters may be at an elite level. However, not everyone who ever played in the NBA can still dunk a basketball. But it doesn’t make the players currently playing any less venerated.

Super Grandmaster

To fill the linguistic need for a way to separate all Grandmasters from those at the very top, people have begun to use the term Super Grandmaster. It refers to the top players, typically the around 40 or so rated above 2,700. Whether or not we think the term is necessary or not doesn’t really matter, because it has become widely used and accepted. In most sports, there are the elite that rise to the top, but we still don’t take away from the others that fill out the game. A grandmaster is an impressive title that requires immense work and skill. Taking that achievement away would be a mistake.

Can Anyone Be a Grandmaster?

The unfortunate truth of becoming a grandmaster, or reaching the top of any sport, is that you have to be very fortunate. Not just fortunate to have skill and ability, but also to be in a position to succeed, both by your location and your financial situation. At some point, if a player wants to become a chess grandmaster, they will most likely need to travel and play internationally. Obviously, this is not obtainable by everyone. Even just receiving top-tier coaching for a promising young student is a costly endeavor. If you or your child has dreams of becoming a grandmaster, know that it is not an easy road, but with enough resources and skill, you have a chance if you start early. It is a hard road, but if you get on the right one and go the right direction, you can dream big.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many grandmasters are there in chess?

While it is difficult to know exactly how many grandmasters there are, most estimates put the number at around 1,850 worldwide.

What is the average chess grandmaster's salary?

Grandmaster is not a position that immediately provides a salary. But if you are a grandmaster, then you can make more as a chess coach and sometimes as a player.

Who is rank 1 grandmaster?

The former world champion, Magnus Carlsen, is still the world's number one-ranked player.

Can I become a grandmaster?

If you are quite young, skilled, dedicated, and have the financial means to support a tournament lifestyle, then there is certainly a chance. But if you are new to chess, it is best to focus on improving your game step by step and becoming the best player you can be.

There is something inherent to the human condition that makes us think that, maybe, somehow, we missed our calling, and we could actually be a secret genius. A new chess player thinks they might have stumbled into their gift and could actually become a great chess player. The reality is that you are good enough to beat your friends and family, but becoming a grandmaster is incredibly difficult. But, is it impossible?

To the outsider, chess may look like a garden-variety board game. What’s to be upset about? The players may look cool and collected on the outside, but turmoil inside may be at family Monopoly night levels. Even grandmasters at the top of their game, like former world champion GM Magnus Carlsen, have had outbursts at the board or emotional reactions to losses. Before you flip the table, take a peek at our tips for keeping your emotions in check.

What Is It About Chess That Fires Up Emotions?

Chess is a trial of your skills against another human in pure intellectual combat. While the game should be cordial and played with mutual respect, the intense focus and hours of preparation required can make it feel like a high-stakes proposition.

A military themed chess set is arranged on a chess board with some pieces out of focus in the foreground — Fighting a proxy war on the chess board can be stressful. Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay

Three Negative Emotions Common in Chess

Anxiety: Being nervous before any kind of competition is completely normal. Many players spend hours in preparation. Sometimes, those nerves don’t settle at the board. Higher levels of anxiety can hurt your game by preventing you from concentrating or causing careless or impulsive errors. Indecision due to anxiety is a common way players get into time trouble as well.

Anger: Chess players can find themselves angry at their opponent or angry at themselves. Prolonged anxiety boils over into angry lashing out, or a situation at the board sparks a conflict. A rude opponent, a rule violation, or cheating can all cause you to lose your cool. A classic catalyst is a player’s own blunder—mad at yourself is still mad.

Disappointment: There have been heart-breaking losses in chess competition. Favorites who played badly, champions who had a bad day, all the way down to kids who missed a move at a scholastic tournament. GM Vasyl Ivanchuk famously broke down after losing the 2024 World Blitz Championship to GM Daniel Naroditsky due to time. No one wins every game, and it’s natural to feel sad and disappointed.

Positive Emotions Chess Can Provide

Obviously, if it were all bad, no one would play chess. Studying and playing chess can give you a sense of personal accomplishment as you improve. You'll have friendship and camaraderie with fellow players. Some chess players enter a state of calm, flow during a game. Last, but certainly not least, it feels good to win! Chess can make you feel a wide range of emotions.

When Can a Chess Match Lead to Emotional Territory?

Conflicts between players are only one issue at the board. These common pitfalls happen to every chess player at one time or another.

A woman has her head in her hands — That feeling in the pit of your stomach is called "learning." Photo by MART PRODUCTION for Pexels

Blunders: The most common chess mistake that touches off emotions is a blunder. A blunder is an incorrect move that immediately shifts the game in your opponent’s favor. Blunders are often obvious right after you’ve made them. Here’s the truth about blunders: Everyone makes them! The most seasoned player can tell you about the sick feeling in the pit of their stomach when they realize what they’d done. It does not guarantee a loss, however! It may be possible to battle back, or your opponent may miss the opportunity or make mistakes of their own, trying to capitalize on yours.

Chess Blindness: You may also become aware during a match that you’ve missed something critical, even though you haven’t blundered. Chess blindness is the situation in which a chess player loses track of their position on the board. It can result in vulnerable material or overlooked positions. It’s natural to feel foolish when you realize what you missed.

Tips for Avoiding a Chess Board Crashout

Take Care of Yourself First

Before a match, nerves can make it harder to remember your self-care, but it’s never more important. Showing up at the board in a less-than-ideal state can’t always be avoided, but taking care of these three big items will help.

Sleep: By far the most impactful thing you can do for your body is get adequate sleep before a match. Try to plan your travel so that you have enough rest. If you’re traveling across time zones, some people find melatonin or other sleep solutions help. Get to bed early the night before the match and avoid screens. It’s extremely common to make impulsive decisions when you’re exhausted.

Eat: You’ve probably heard the term “hangry” used to describe the anger that springs out of nowhere when someone is hungry. Low blood sugar can also cause brain fog and headaches. Don’t skip breakfast on tournament day. Choose something with a good amount of protein and some healthy fats to keep your blood sugar on an even keel. Snacks like string cheese, nuts, and raw veggies travel well and won’t spike your blood sugar (or anxiety) like sugary foods or drinks.

Drink water: Drinking water in enjoying a moment right now, and for good reason. Those ubiquitous water bottles help people stay focused and calm. If you’re dehydrated, your body will send signals to get a drink that often feel like irritability or anxiety. Take a page from athletes and boost hydration the day or two before your match with a few extra glasses of water. Starting the day “topped up” in the water department will help keep you focused—then drink a normal amount during match day.

Black and white water bottles sit horizontally on a cloth with a hand on each — Do you drink from the white water bottle first? Photo by cottonbro studio for Pexels

Five Strategies to Help Manage Emotions During a Match

You’re ready, rested, and at the board. Your best laid plans aren’t going how you wanted. What can you do to keep emotions from affecting your outcome? Start at the top of the list and work your way down to regain your equilibrium.

Control Your Breathing: An easy and always available strategy to calm your emotions is controlled breathing. Breathing in a deliberate pattern can provide a little reset to your equilibrium, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS counters the “fight or flight” response of the sympathetic nervous system, relaxing and resetting those nerves. Try box breathing for an easy beginner method. Breathe in for four, hold your breath for four, breathe out for four, and hold your breath for four. This is a discreet and simple reset!
Focus on the Present: Because chess is all about strategy and visualizing lines of play, focusing on the present may seem difficult, but it’s a slightly different meaning here. If you’re starting to spiral on an anticipated bad result, you may miss a winning move. Refocus your energy on the board in front of you. Assess exactly where you are and what the next best move is.
Positive Self-talk: Affirmations might seem a little corny or woo-woo, but believing in yourself has a powerful effect on your mental health. You can’t recite a mantra at the board (no talking!), but you can remind yourself that you belong there. A little internal pep talk is a very common strategy for athletes and other competitors to psych themselves up during competition.
Visualize Success as a Process: Many people think “envisioning success” is solely about the result. Coaches know the real power lies in envisioning success as the process of succeeding. Rather than narrowly defining success as a win at the end of the game, consider all the steps in-between and how you might conquer those. If your game can’t be derailed by a mistake, rather rerouted, it will help keep you from melting down over one mistake.
Rest and Reset: Most chess tournaments have you playing more than one game over the course of day. Those breaks are important! Make sure to use the time to eat something, drink some water, and let your mind destress and relax. Taking a break outside, especially if it’s sunny, can be particularly refreshing. Acknowledge the games you’ve already played and then let them go. The only way forward is...well…forward!

A man in jeans sits in a field of grass and smiles at the camera — Touching grass might be just what you need to return to the board ready to play. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio for Pexels

The Etiquette of Winning and Losing

A congratulatory handshake and acknowledgement of “good game” should be considered the bare minimum of chess sportsmanship. It goes without saying that pounding the table, throwing pieces, or shouting are well out of bounds. Chess players can be sanctioned or asked to leave a tournament for throwing a tantrum at the board. Preserve your chances and your reputation, even if all you can manage is a head nod and handshake.

Psychologists have a strategy you can use in these situations called “act opposite.” When you have negative emotions in a place or time where expressing them isn’t appropriate, pick the opposite emotion and temporarily switch your outward demeanor to match. You may be sad, angry, or disappointed, but “putting on a happy face” can preserve your reputation and help reset your nervous system. Once you’re out of the public eye, take the time to process those negative emotions privately and (hopefully) constructively.

Winning a match spawns a whole different range of emotions. Elation, relief, satisfaction, triumph, or mixed emotions are all normal. As your opponent deals with their loss, keep decorum in your celebrations. There will be plenty of opportunities to bask in the glow of victory without gloating in front of the defeated player.

Special Circumstances: Fair Play and Disputes

While the vast majority of matches demonstrate squeaky-clean adherence to fair-play rules, there can be technical and ethical violations. If you think a player has violated the rules, whether through a mistake or cheating, those concerns should be raised with the Tournament Director (TD) in accordance with the rules of that chess tournament. Keep a few things in mind when considering reporting a violation:

You should not confront the other player directly during or after the match. The arbiter or TD is there for this reason.
Always leave room in your philosophy for a misunderstanding on your own part until the facts have been reviewed.
Take a minute to calm down and review your facts (and the rule book) before you talk to the TD.

Whatever you do, don’t run to the internet with unproven allegations. Social media is brutal, and just making the allegation can be enough to ruin someone’s reputation even if they didn’t do anything wrong. Summoning an internet mob will not make the situation better, even if it salves your ego for a moment. Leave your phone in your pocket and go outside for some deep breaths.

Emotional Regulation Improves with Practice

Like many skills, emotional regulation needs to be practiced regularly for optimal performance. Chess builds these skills in people of all ages. Anxiety, anger, perfectionism, and frustration are all part of the game of kings. Next time you’re having a tough day at the board, these tips will help you rule those emotions with a steady hand.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: Is chess good for your brain?

Absolutely! Chess is great for your brain! Chess has been widely studied by researchers interested in brain health, and it’s shown to improve cognitive function, short-term memory, and focus. It can even help with emotional regulation. Children and adults who play chess regularly may score higher on tests of cognitive abilities. You may even stave off dementia or lessen its effects with chess practice. It’s smart to play chess for brain health—and it might make you even smarter.

Question: Who is the best chess player ever?

Ask three chess players, and you might get three different answers to this question. It’s tough to know for sure, given the long history of chess, but the top of the list is most often GM Garry Kasparov. Kasparov was World Champion from 1985 to 2000, playing countless brilliant games against both human and computer opponents during that time. Other contenders, like GM Bobby Fischer or GM Magnus Carlsen, don’t have the same longevity at the top, though Carlsen is still playing.

Question: What are the three Cs in chess?

The basic pillars of strategy in chess are referred to as the “three Cs.”
Control the Center: From start to finish, the player who controls the center of the board by strategically placing pieces will have an advantage. Focus on this from the first move.
Castle Your King: The most valuable defensive move you can make to protect your king is castling as soon as you have the opportunity.
Connect Your Rooks: Rooks are powerful pieces that can control a large portion of the board. Coordinating the positions of your rooks will create many possible patterns for check/checkmate opportunities.

Chess is a trial of your skills against another human in pure intellectual combat. While the game should be cordial and played with mutual respect, the intense focus and hours of preparation required can make it feel like a high-stakes proposition.

The Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit might not be the catchiest name for a chess opening—amazingly, however, it might just be the highest-scoring! After trawling through hundreds of legitimate openings for White, we’ve yet to find one that boasts a better win rate among amateur players.

By sacrificing a pawn and gaining a tempo early on, White launches into a galloping attack, very much like the Stafford Gambit but with reversed colors. Because you’re playing with the White pieces, however, you’ve got even more momentum!

If you’re wondering how you’ve never heard of this chess opening before, stay tuned! Not only will we present the staggering statistics, but we’ll also show you how to exceed them with crushing attacks against the common lines.

HOS Mens Shoot-25 — Choosing the right opening can rapidly change your results

The Highest-Scoring Opening in Amateur Chess?

The Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit might be known by very few chess players, but that only contributes to its astonishing success rate. Because very few opponents know about this well-kept secret, most will answer with weak moves or stumble into one of the many deadly traps in store.

Let’s take a look at how the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit stacks up against other super-high-scoring openings for White. Statistics are from chess matches played on Lichess.org among players rated between 1000 and 2000 across all time controls.

Opening for White	Win Rate
Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit	62%
Göring Gambit	61%
Deutz Gambit	59%
Double Danish Gambit	57%
Muzio Gambit	57%
Vienna Gambit	57%
Scotch Gambit	55%
White’s Average	50%

At 62%, the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit wins 12% more games than White's average opening.

Indeed, the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit really is the highest-scoring legitimate chess opening we’ve come across so far! Note that these statistics don’t include lines where Black plays inaccurate moves such as the Fried Liver Attack.

Two Ways to Reach the Boden-kieseritzky Gambit

The Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit can be reached either through the Bishop’s Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Bc4) or the Petrov Defense, aka. the Russian Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6).

In the Bishop's Opening, the line to reach the gambit is 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxe4 4. Nc3 Nxc3 5. dxc3. This is the most reliable way to reach the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, as it relies solely on the opponent playing natural moves.

If, however, you are shooting for a different opening but your opponent plays the Petrov Defense, the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit is a fantastic way to turn the often dull, dreary Petrov Defense into a firecracker of an opening! The line follows: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3 Nxc3, 5. dxc3

Either way, you reach the following position, where your opponent is unwittingly forced to navigate a minefield of tactical traps!

A chessboard diagram showing the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit. — White is already half developed, while all of Black's pieces remain on their starting blocks!

How Will Black Respond to the Boden-kieseritzky Gambit?

Playing an opening like this is always brimming with suspense. You've just laid the board full of traps for your opponent to stumble into. What will they do next?

5...d6 – Disaster for Black

Black’s most common answer to the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit is 5...d6. At first glance, it appears to be a reasonable way to defend the e5 pawn, but it’s a disastrous choice.

In response, White launches the Boden-Kieseritzky signature attack on f7 with 6. Ng5. It’s only now that Black notices that there’s simply no good way to defend. It's best option is to block the attack with 6... Be6, but White’s follow-up is worse than it looks! What would you do now as White?

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxe4 4. Nc3 Nxc3 5. dxc3 d6. 6. Ng5 Be6

A chessboard diagram showing the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit. 5...d6. — **Hint:** Notice how Black's b7 pawn is hanging!

Answer: 7. Bxe6 fxe6 8. Qf3. Surprise! Instead of simply recapturing on e6, White double-attacks a checkmate on f7 and Black’s b7 pawn. Black can no longer escape without losing its rook or the entire game!

5...Nc6 – Still Losing!

The other natural-looking way for Black to defend its e5 pawn is 5...Nc6, but it’s barely any better than the previous variation. Again, White replies with 6. Ng5, hitting f7. Black’s favorite way to defend is 6...d5.

6...d5

After 6...d5, play normally continues. 7. Bxd5 Be6 8. Nxe6 fxe6. Continue by capturing Black’s knight on c6: 9. Bxc6+ bxc6. This leaves Black’s pawn structure in a shambles—doubled-isolated pawns on both the c- and e-files!

A chessboard diagram showing the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, 6...d5 — After decimating Black's pawn structure, get your queen into the game to clean up the rubble.

Continue your attack with 10. Qh5+, ready to capture on e5 on the following move. Black must now move its king to d7 to save losing its remaining e-pawn on the following move. It’s not hard to see why White should easily win from here!

In All Other Lines, Capture With the Bishop!

After 5...Nc6 6. Ng5, Black is left with no other way to prevent your attack on f7. If your opponent tries something like 6...Qf6, 6...Qe7, or the cunning 6...Bc5, it’s better to capture it with your bishop. This displaces Black’s king and makes further attacks very easy. But why not capture with the knight?

Let’s take one example. After 6...Bc5 7. Nxf7, can you spot Black’s tactic to equalize?

A chessboard diagram showing a mistake for White in the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit. — *Don't get carried away!* You might be in a winning position, but Black can counterattack too!

Answer: 7...Qh4 forks White’s light-squared bishop and checkmate on f2. Black avoids losing material and castling rights!

5...Bc5

Occasionally, you’ll come across an opponent who seeks to defend f7 by castling. They’ll usually do this by answering 5...Bc5. Once again, it’s a very poor choice!

Instead of capturing the free pawn on e5, play your usual favorite: 6. Ng5. Black’s most common way to defend f7 is now to castle, but you have yet another tactic up your sleeve! Continue with 7. Qh5, and the board looks like this. Just look at Black's dilemma!

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nxe4 4. Nc3 Nxc3 5. dxc3 Bc5 6. Ng5 O-O 7. Qh5 h6 8. Nxf7

A chessboard diagram showing the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, 5...Bc5. — *Worth remembering!* This tactical motif, seen in the Stafford Gambit, also applies to the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit.

White is threatening checkmate on h7 and renewing the lethal threat to f7! Black has no way to avoid both. After 7...h6, capture with your knight (8. Nxf7). In the follow-up, don’t be afraid to sacrifice your dark-squared bishop on h6! This is often all that's needed to crack Black’s remaining defenses and secure a quick checkmate.

Black’s Best Answer to the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit: 5…f6 or 5...c6

Of course, there are ways for Black to avoid the carnage of the Boden-Kieseritzky gambit, but both are fairly counterintuitive. In only 13% of chess matches does Black play 5...f6, and 5...c6 is played in only 4%. In any case, you still have great chances of winning by the middlegame if you know how!

5...f6

5...f6 is a strange-looking yet clever move for Black that both defends the e5 pawn and prevents White’s favorite move, 6. Ng5. It’s also the chess engine’s favorite choice, supposedly giving Black a -0.5 edge. Yet moving the f-pawn is a risky strategy for Black. White still has a trick up its sleeve for a deadly attack, but first, castling is needed to get the king off the e-file.

After 6. O-O, Black must beef up its defense on e5 to avoid disaster. Why? Let’s take Black’s favorite next move, 6...c6. White can now go ahead and capture 7. Nxe5. Can you see why White is now winning?

A chessboard diagram showing White's attack after 5...f6. — **Hint:** Whenever the f-pawn is moved, experienced players always look for checks on the exposed diagonal.

Answer: White is threatening 8. Qh5+ with all kinds of vicious tactics to follow. At best, Black will come out a rook down. If they avoid being checkmated, that is! See if you can see how.

5...c6

The other strong answer to the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit is 5...c6, preparing for 6...d4 to block White’s bishop. Once again, however, it’s only strong if your opponent plays extremely accurately! In response, go ahead and capture Black’s pawn on e5. Black will now play 6...d4, but the move only blocks the bishop but doesn’t really threaten it! White can simply castle instead. Can you see why?

A chess opening diagram showing White's attack after 5...c6. — More tricks?! If Black captures the bishop, it'll be in deep trouble.

Answer: If Black captures the bishop, the d-file is flung open for a queen trade. After 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8, your knight can pounce on f7 to strike a fork and win Black’s rook: 9. Nxf7+. Black’s stranded king is now also exposed to completely open central files for you to continue your attack with your rooks!

Brief Recap

The Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit is relatively simple, yet you might still need a summary to jog your memory from time to time!

Against most responses from Black, continue with 6. Ng5 to attack f7. See if you can exploit the tactical opportunities that inevitably follow.
Against 5...f6, continue by castling and then capture on e5 if your opponent fails to overprotect the pawn. Look for chances to play Qh5+.
Against 5...c6, capture (6. Nxe5), castle, and look out for the chance to trade queens and score a fork on f7!

Conclusion

The Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit might just be the highest-scoring opening for White in amateur chess—and not without good reason! The extra tempo gained by sacrificing a pawn forces Black to play extremely accurately—and seemingly natural moves often lead to disaster.

Whether you reach this tricky chess gambit via the Bishop's Opening or Petrov’s defense, your opponent only needs to play normal, legitimate moves to enter into your favorite territory.

By practicing the very best lines we’ve described here, you can likely achieve even better than the 62% win rate against sub-2000 rated opponents. See if you can!

The Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit FAQs

What is the best answer to the Petrov's Defense?

If you’re looking for an exciting and extremely high-scoring answer to the Petrov's Defense, the little-known Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit makes a powerful choice.

What is the best chess gambit?

In amateur chess, the highest-scoring gambits include the Double Danish Gambit, the Vienna Gambit, and the Scotch Gambit. Interestingly, current data suggests that the very most successful chess gambit of all is the rather obscure Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit.

Is the Bishop's Opening any good?

The strength of the Bishop’s Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Bc4) depends a lot on how you play it. Because it can often give rise to sharp attacks on f7, many continuations such as the Fried Liver Attack and Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit score very highly for White.

Is the Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit only good for blitz chess?

Not at all—it's great for all time controls at the amateur level. In fact, statistics show that it scores slightly better in rapid and classical chess matches than in blitz and bullet chess. Remember that longer time controls give you more time to find the best tactics to punish an opponent’s errors!

The little-known Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit might be the highest-scoring opening in amateur chess! Learn the key traps, tactical ideas, and attacking plans that punish natural moves and lead to swift victories.

So, you want to reach a 2000 chess rating? This is a difficult goal, but with enough hard work and persistence, it should be within reach for most serious chess players.

Unlike trying to become a grandmaster (which, realistically, is extremely unlikely if you begin pursuing it later in life), a 2000 chess rating is eminently possible if you follow the right study program. It’s ambitious, yet achievable!

In this article, you will learn:

How strong a 2000 chess rating really is.
What sort of training should you undertake in pursuit of this goal?
Our recommended resources to improve each facet of your game.

How To Reach A 2000 Chess Rating — Images from chess.com

How Strong Is A 2000 Chess Rating?

A 2000 chess rating is a high level of chess. Anyone who reaches this milestone can justifiably call themselves an advanced chess player.

Here are some characteristics of 2000-rated chess players:

They have a specialized opening repertoire and have memorized considerable theory.
They can calculate complex tactics and can spot simple tactics almost instantly.
They very seldom make unprovoked blunders.
They understand high-level chess strategy concepts.
They have undertaken serious work on the endgame.

But what does a 2000 chess rating actually mean? Rating players can be confusing because different organizations use their own chess rating systems. Here are the main ones:

FIDE rating (from the International Chess Federation).
National rating (e.g., US Chess Federation).
Online rating (from websites such as chess.com and lichess).

Of these, the FIDE rating is the most difficult, whereas online ratings are more generous. For example, a player rated 2000 online may be rated only 1700 when judged by the FIDE Elo system.

To make things even more complex, each organization offers different ratings across different time controls. Some players with strong powers of tactical intuition might be able to get to 2000 under a fast time control, such as blitz chess, but will struggle to replicate the feat under slower time controls, which require strategic depth and highly accurate calculation.

With all that said, let’s assume that you want to reach a 2000 USCF chess rating under the classical time control (or the equivalent in your country, if you live outside the US).

A 2000 rating ranks the holder inside the top 5% of USCF tournament chess players.
A 2000 rating also officially earns the “expert” designation at USCF tournaments.

How challenging this goal will be for you depends greatly on your starting point.

If you are currently a beginner, reaching 2000 will take many years of dedicated effort.
However, if you are already a strong intermediate player (say, 1700-1800), it may be possible to reach 2000 within 12 months with the right training program and the discipline to stick to it.

Now, let’s take a look at what the key pillars of your training program should be in order to reach the 2000 chess rating.

#1: Opening Study

A 2000-rated chess player needs to go beyond the opening fundamentals. Simply following the rules of thumb taught to beginners, such as “develop your pieces” and “do not move the same piece twice in the opening,” will no longer be enough to get good middlegame positions at the 2000 level. Your opponents will have memorized their opening theory, and so must you.

Therefore, to reach a 2000 chess rating, you need to:

Find an opening repertoire that matches your strengths as a chess player.
Commit to memory the most important lines of the repertoire you select.

Different openings lead to different types of middlegames. This means that your choice of opening repertoire ought to be different if you thrive in sharp, tactical dogfights than if you are better in slow, strategic middlegames.

An excellent all-round guide to opening play is Practical Chess Openings. It covers every chess opening in a single volume, allowing you to experiment with different systems before deciding on the opening repertoire you want to concentrate on.

One final piece of advice when it comes to the opening: if you want to reach 2000, it’s time to abandon trappy openings such as the Stafford Gambit. While these may work at lower rating levels, your opponents at the 2000 level will know the refutations to openings like these.

#2: Tactics Training

As the popular tactics training book The Woodpecker Method noted, a very high percentage of decisive chess games at the 2000 rating level are won or lost through tactics.

The statistics quoted in the book indicate:

1800 - 2000 elo: 72% of games decided by tactics.
2000 - 2200 elo: 63% of games decided by tactics.

The implication is clear: if you improve your tactics, you will improve your chess.

Greater tactical acumen results in:

Spotting more opportunities to win material or checkmate through a tactical sequence.
Offering fewer such opportunities to your opponents (i.e., blundering less).

The key with tactics training is to make it a regular part of your routine. Doing 30 minutes every day is much better than cramming a long, multi-hour session once per week.

Also, make sure to complete tactical exercises at an appropriate level for you. If they are too easy, you are wasting your time. If they are too difficult, you risk getting frustrated. GM Jacob Aagard suggests you should aim to get around 70% of the tactical exercises correct to maximize the benefit you gain from your tactics training sessions.

The tactics book you select depends on your current level, but if you are already closing in on the 2000 chess rating, then Improve Your Chess Tactics will be a great option. It contains 700 practical lessons and exercises - more than enough to keep even the most dedicated tactics student busy for quite some time!

#3: Chess Strategy

As Bobby Fischer once said, “Tactics flow from a superior position.” 2000-rated opponents rarely offer tactical opportunities unless they are first outplayed via positional chess. To make the tactics appear in your games, you need to become adept at chess strategy.

Chess strategy is all about what to do when there are no forcing sequences available. In such situations, you must come up with a plan while also keeping an eye on your opponent’s plans.

Here are a few of the concepts you must master to compete at the 2000 rating level:

How to improve your pieces and worsen enemy pieces.
Identifying which trades are good and bad for you.
Creating pawn weaknesses in the enemy camp and targeting them.
Opening or closing lines in different areas of the board.
Which pawn breaks to aim for.

There are many excellent chess strategy books. However, Aron Nimzowitsch’s My System stands out as a classic chess strategy guide. This book is also eminently readable, being responsible for some of the best-known chess aphorisms of all time.

#4: Play Against Stronger Opponents

The best way to improve at chess is to play serious games under classical time controls against strong opponents. By subjecting yourself to stiff competition, you are forced to raise your level to match theirs.

Whenever you sign up to a chess tournament, try to play in the highest section you can. While you may have to endure some pain in the form of losses in the short term, it will do wonders for your chess in the long term.

As José Raúl Capablanca put it: “You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player.”

Just as important is to review your games after you finish playing them. Every chess game you play contains lessons - but you will only unearth these lessons if you take the time to conduct a thorough review! You can do this post-game with your opponent, with the help of a chess coach, or with the assistance of a computer engine.

Ben Johnson’s book Perpetual Chess Improvement contains a great deal of practical advice about how to get the most out of your games and your post-game analysis.

#5: Endgame Technique

One of the main differences between beginner / intermediate chess players is endgame proficiency.

Lower-rated players do not get much experience in the endgame, since most of their games are decided before an endgame is reached. However, as you rise through the ranks, more and more of your games will be decided in this phase of the game - making it more and more important to take it seriously.

A 2000-rated chess player should have a solid grounding in theoretical endgames such as:

Philidor position.
Lucena position.
Triangulation.
Distant opposition.
How to defend in worse positions (such as king and knight vs. king and rook).

Silman’s Complete Endgame Course can be the perfect companion on your journey to a 2000 chess rating. The book is structured to introduce the must-know endgames gradually. You won’t be presented with the knight and bishop checkmate until you “need” to know it!

Final Thoughts

Reaching a 2000 chess rating will not be easy - but then again, the fact that it is such a challenge is what makes achieving that magical 2000 milestone so special to begin with!

Along the way, you will be sure to face many setbacks and moments of frustration. Higher-rated players will defeat you. It’s part and parcel of the road to 2000. Do not lose heart. Remind yourself that every loss is a lesson that builds your player strength.

Good luck!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is A Good Chess Rating?

What constitutes a “good” chess rating is rather subjective. However, anyone who gets to a rating of 1400 is well beyond being a beginner / casual player.

Is A 1200 Chess Rating OK?

A rating of 1200 represents decent competence in the game. It is above the average rating on online chess websites such as chess.com. Therefore, 1200 is a quite respectable chess rating.

How Good Is A 2500 Chess Rating?

A 2500 chess rating is extremely strong. A player with a 2500 rating has achieved true chess mastery. The vast majority of chess players will never reach this rating, even if they take the game seriously for their entire life. Reaching a FIDE classical rating of 2500 is one of the requirements for being awarded the grandmaster title, the most prestigious title in chess.

How To Improve Chess Rating?

Improving your chess rating requires understanding what your weaknesses are, and creating a training plan to address them. If you don’t know what the weakest part of your game is, try asking yourself: “why am I losing most of my games?” Once you know the answer to this, you will be better placed to fix this weakness and improve your chess rating.

Want to reach a 2000 chess rating? This article explains the 5 different types of training you should do to become an advanced chess player!