(Please don’t actually play the Scholar’s Mate)
There are three special moves in chess that you need to learn.
Here you’ll find everything else you need to know before your first game of chess.
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Hey, I’m Marc Cressac! I grew up in the rural parts of France, later moving to Berlin for my master’s degree in engineering. Today, I am a freelance consultant in the civil engineering space. Out of boredom and the love for chess I started Chessily.com besides my professional work.
P.S.: Click on my name or picture to learn more about me and Chessily
There’s no question about it: Chess is a complicated game with a nuanced rule-set. Even the pros sometimes forget the intricate details. Which is why we set up a whole section dedicated to common beginner questions you might have. Sorted by pieces, moves and general questions. Browse around!
Have you ever asked yourself what a certain chess term means?
From “a” like artificial castling to “z” like zwischenschach – you’ll find explanations for even the most niche chess terms in our exhaustive glossary.
Why Is ChatGPT So Bad At Chess? (And Gemini, And Claude) ChatGPT is bad at chess because it never sees a board. It reads a list of moves, rebuilds the position in its head every single turn, and writes the
How Often Do Chess Games End In A Draw? (We Counted 408,178) Chess games below master level almost never end in a draw. We counted 408,178 rated games across six openings and found that 3.9% of them finished level. That's
Chessable Review: Is Chessable PRO Worth It? Chessable is the best tool in chess for remembering moves, and PRO is not what most people think it is. It's a marketplace: you buy each course separately, and the $74.99 a year
Lichess vs Chess.com: Which One Should You Actually Use? Lichess and Chess.com are the two biggest chess platforms in the world, and both are genuinely excellent. The honest answer is that neither is better overall: Lichess gives you everything free
How to Overcome Chess Plateaus: Tips for Breaking Through A chess plateau can be a frustrating experience for many players, especially when you feel like you’re putting in the effort but not seeing the results. This article aims to help
Chess Etiquette: The Dos and Don’ts of the Game As a chess player, you’re most likely already familiar with the basic rules and strategies of the game. However, beyond the chessboard, there’s an often overlooked aspect that’s equally important: chess
The Influence of Artificial Intelligence on Chess: A New Era of the Game In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of the chess landscape, changing the way chess players approach the game, improve their skills, and
The Most Common Chess Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Chess is a complex game that requires deep thinking, strategy, and careful planning. As a chess player, you probably already know how critical it is to learn from your mistakes
How Chess Can Help Your Brain Chess is often referred to as the game of kings for a good reason – it challenges the mind and offers a myriad of cognitive and mental health benefits. In this article, we will
Bobby Fischer Tries To Convince Magnus Carlsen To Defend is Championship Title in 2023 As we celebrate the beginning of the Chess World Championship 2023, we thought it would be fun to share a light-hearted, fictional conversation between two of
Are Puzzles Useful For Chess Improvement? Chess improvement is a journey that every player embarks upon, regardless of their skill level. One of the most popular tools in a chess player’s arsenal is the chess puzzle. But are puzzles useful
The Checkmate Trap: Understanding and Overcoming Chess Addiction Chess is a captivating game that has enthralled players for centuries. While it’s a fantastic way to exercise the mind and engage in friendly competition, some individuals may develop an addiction to
Are Chess Players Good at Math? Chess has always been considered a mentally challenging game that demands a great deal of cognitive skill. But does being good at chess necessarily mean you’re also good at math? In this article, we’ll
Stockfish vs. GPT-4 (Bing AI) in a Game of Chess In this article, we will conduct an experiment to compare the performance of two artificial intelligence systems: GPT-4 and Stockfish. GPT-4 is the newest and most advanced language model from
How To Get Chess.com Premium For Free Chess.com is one of the most popular online chess platforms in the world, with millions of players and thousands of features. I’m sure you also know that a Chess.com Premium Membership significantly improves
How Far Ahead Do Grandmasters Think? Ever wondered what separates a chess grandmaster from the rest of us? One of the key factors is their incredible ability to calculate ahead in the game. In this article, we’ll delve into the
We Asked ChatGPT For The Best Chess Openings. Here’s What It Said. It is well-known that ChatGPT doesn’t make for a good chess player. But, it does have quite a lot of knowledge when it comes to the history of
Chess.com Premium – Monthly or Annual Membership? Chess.com probably offers the most complete and competitive premium subscription money can buy in the chess world today. You’ll get to play as much as you want, analyse your games, use chess improvement
Why Am I So Bad at Chess? And What To Do About It Have you ever found yourself asking “Why Am I So Bad at Chess?” after losing a game? Well, you’re in good company. We all have! Chess is
We let Stockfish Play Against ChatGPT… In the name of chess science, we wanted to see what would happen if we let the strongest publicly available chess engine (Stockfish 15.1) play chess against the new OpenAI chat bot called Chat
How To Stop Blundering in Chess Losing is part of the game of chess – it’s inevitable. But losing because you blundered is incredibly frustrating and makes you want to through your mouse (or chess pieces) through the room… at
How To Improve at Rapid Chess Who doesn’t love a game of Rapid chess? It requires quick thinking abilities, laser-sharp reflexes and the ability to make decisions under increasing pressure. However, a lot of chess players struggle with getting their
10 Mind-Blowing Chess Facts and Statistics In this article, we’ll look at some astounding chess trivia, statistics and facts that will amaze both seasoned expert as well as chess beginners alike. From the longest tournament game to the earliest known
How To Play Chess Together Online With Friends for Free Playing chess is an awesome way to spend time. Especially if you play it against friends (or enemies for that matter)! In our step-by-step guide, we will walk you through
Chess.com Review: Is a Premium Membership Worth It? Are you really a chess player if you don’t know about Chess.com*? Well, in case you really don’t know the largest online chess website, let me give you a brief breakdown. Chess.com
Why Do Chess Players Resign Early? If you’re a regular enjoyer of chess tournaments, you might have noticed that chess players (especially Grandmasters and other top players) tend to surrender their games way too early (at least from a non-pro
ChessMood Review: Is It A Good Investment?The review in short:ChessMood at a glanceAspectVerdictWhat it isA course platform built around complete opening repertoiresFormatVideo courses taught by grandmasters, plus supporting materialBest forImprovers who want a structured repertoire rather than scattered studyWeakest forPlayers
Aimchess Review: Is the AI Tool Actually Worth It? Aimchess* has made headlines as the #1 AI-based chess tool, with over 100.000 users registering in 2021 alone. That is certainly high praise for a tool that has only been launched
Chess and Money – Can Chess Even Be a Career? For the vast majority of people, chess is as much a hobby as it is a souce of joy. But for some people, it can also be a source of
How To Get Better at Bullet Chess Pressure, adrenaline, mouse-slips and the eventual rage after losing: Who doesn’t love a match of bullet chess? But why is it then, that improving at bullet chess seems so much harder than getting
How To Stop Chess Rage and Tilt We all know the feeling of rage and anger after losing a chess game due to a blunder or running out of time. What follows is a spiral of negative emotions that leads
Chess and Insanity: A Look at the Facts For centuries, chess has been considered a strategic and intellectual game. But some believe that the intense focus and mental strain required to play the game can lead to insanity. Is there
Chess and Intelligence: A Look at The Facts Chess is a game that is often associated with intelligence. Many people believe that being good at chess means that you are smart. But is that really true? In this article, we
Can Chess Cause Stress? While playing chess can provide many benefits, including improved concentration, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking, it can also cause stress. In fact, some people find the intensity of chess to be overwhelming and avoid playing the
Does Chess Relieve Stress? Chess is a beloved game that has been played for centuries. Not only is it a fun and challenging way to pass the time, but it can also have numerous benefits for your mental health. In
Does Playing Chess Burn Calories? If Yes, How Many? Chess is often thought of as a sedentary activity, but recent research has shown that it can actually be a good way to burn calories. In this article, we will explore
Is Chess a Sport? While chess is a recreational activity for most, whether chess constitutes as a sport or not has been the subject of many debates in recent years. While it might seem like a useless discussion at first,
How To Get To 1500 Elo in Chess Its in every chess players nature to feel the urge to improve and get better at the royal game. However, as with every skill, improving at chess involves a lot of hard
How To Get To 1500 Elo in Chess Its in every chess players nature to feel the urge to improve and get better at the royal game. However, as with every skill, improving at chess involves a lot of hard
7 Tips to Improve Your Chess As a game, chess has been around for centuries. It is a game that has been enjoyed by people of all ages and from all walks of life. For some, it is simply a
Every Kid Should Play Chess. Here’s Why. Admittetly, the title might be worded a bit too firmly. But there is no doubt that chess has a lot of benefits, both cognitive and social in nature, that every child should at
Blindfold Chess: Playing With Your Eyes Closed Ever had the feeling that playing chess the normal way is too easy? We’ll… we certainly haven’t. Still, if you’re looking for an extra challenge, you might enjoy playing chess blindfolded. Let’s see
Armageddon Game in Chess: Explained When the best of the best chess players face each-other in tournaments, draws are a common occurence. The almost mistake-free play of Grandmasters makes it hard for either player to gain a lasting advantage. Unfortunately,
Grandmasters in Chess: The World’s Best Players The title of Grandmaster is the most prestigious and highest FIDE title in chess. In this article we’ll be answering every question you might have on the topic of GMs. Let’s go! What
Candidate Masters in Chess: Everything On The Title Perhaps you have heard of the term “Chess Grandmaster” before. But you might not have known that there are several other FIDE titles, that chess players can obtain. In this article, we’ll
Zugzwang in Chess: Everything You Need To Know Since you aren’t allowed to skip moves in chess, situations can arise, in which every move a player could make, worsens their position. This is called being in zugzwang; German for “compulsion
Simultaneous Exhibitions: Explained A simultaneous chess game (more commonly known as a simultaneous exhibition) is a type of chess exhibition, in which one player (known as the host) plays against several other players simultaneously. Let’s learn more about simuls together!
Open Files in Chess: What They Are And Why They’re Important In chess, open files can be an important line of attack for long range pieces such as queen or rook. Let’s find out what open files are and how
Half-Open Files in Chess: Everything You Need To Know Half-open files (or sometimes called semi-open files) are files on which a single pawn is placed. They can quickly turn into a weakness for the site whose pawns are placed on
Chess Arbiters: Who They Are and What They Do If you’ve ever seen a chess tournament, whether in real-life or streamed online, you’ve undoubtedly seen them: Chess Arbiters! Over 14.000 Arbiters are currently serving in the world of competitive chess,
Greek Gift Sacrifice In Chess The Greek gift sacrifice (also called the classical bishop sacrifice) is a common sacrifice in the middlegame of chess. Let’s find out why this sacrifice is so powerful and what to be aware of, when
The Fifty-Move Rule in Chess The fifty-move rule in chess is a rule designed to prevent chess games from lasting infinitely long. Let’s look at what exactly the 50-rule move is and what its implications are for chess. What is
Dead Position in Chess: Explained in Detail Ever heard the term “dead position” in chess and asked yourself – what even is that? Well, today we’ll find out and learn the two different types of dead positions we have in
The Back Rank Checkmate in Chess The back rank checkmate, also referred to as the corridor mate, is a common checkmating pattern that occurs, whenever a player delivers a mate on their opponent’s back rank. Let’s look at what exactly
The Arabian Mate in Chess: Everything You Need To Know The Arabian mate is a checkmate pattern in chess, which uses the rook and knight to deliver checkmate. It is one of the most common checkmating themes, and also one
Can a King Take a Queen in Chess? King and queen are pretty much exact opposites in chess. The king being the slowest; the queen the most capable attacking piece. For that reason, beginners often are unsure, whether the king
How Much is Each Chess Piece Worth? In chess, we assign each piece on the board a value in the form of points. These valuations are not inherently important for the game itself, but they can help evaluate a given
How Does The Queen Move In Chess? The queen is the most powerful piece in chess. She has incredible movement capabilities as well as raw attacking power. But, with great power comes great responsibility! So, let’s look as how the
How Does The King Move In Chess? The king is by far the most valuable piece in chess; lose your king and you’ll lose the game! Reason enough to learn the king’s movement by heart. So let’s dive right into
Can You Have More Than One Queen In Chess? Each player starts a game of chess with exactly one queen. Meaning, at the beginning of the game there are two queens – one white, one black – on the chess
How Does The Knight Move In Chess? The bishop is one of two minor pieces in chess (the other being the knight). He is a valuable strategic asset, thanks to his long-range attacking capabilities. But before you can master the
How Does The Knight Move In Chess? The knight is arguably the chess piece with the most unconventional movement pattern of them all. Before you can master the king’s game, you’ll have to learn the abilities and movement of all
How Does The Pawn Move In Chess? The pawn is the most numerous, but also the weakest piece in chess. Each player is equipped with eight of them, forming the front line of the battle on the board. Reason enough
How Does The Rook Move In Chess? Every piece in chess moves in a unique way across the playing field. In order to master the game of chess, one has to learn the movement of all the pieces first. Which
Can a Pawn Move Backwards in Chess? The vast majority of chess pieces can move both forwards and backwards within their respective movement rules. But does this hold true for the pawn as well? In other words: can the pawn
Which Chess Piece Moves Diagonally? You might ask yourself which chess pieces are allowed to move diagonally. Well, you’re in luck! In this quick guide, we’ll tell you exactly that, and dive a bit deeper into the movement all all
Is a Queen Better Than a Rook and Bishop? Assessing and comparing the value of multiple chess pieces can be a tricky undertaking. So it comes to no surprise that beginners often ask, whether the queen is better than a
Can a Pawn Take a King in Chess? If you’re new to the game of chess, you might ask yourself whether it is possible for a pawn to kill (or take) a king. The answer depends on your definition of
Can The Queen Move Like a Knight in Chess? The queen is well-known to be the strongest piece in chess, at least in terms of her movement and agility. The knight, on the other hand, is a very special piece,
Bishop or Knight: Which is Better? A common question beginners often ask, is whether the bishop or the knight is better in chess. This is a totally fair and important question, as – especially in the opening – exchanges between
Chess is no longer a simple board game played between two players. Today, we have so many different chess products and services, that even enthusiasts find it impossible to know which ones are the best fit for their needs. This is why we founded Chessily Reviews. We want to narrow down the options and provide recommendations based on the needs and preferences of you, the chess player.
