The K M Links Game - November 2024 Week...
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Chess Helper
I've been challenged to an online game of chess by an ex. I am rubbish and he is pretty good. I know I'm not going to beat him, but I don't want to look a fool. Is there an app or website that can help me with the best moves to counter his moves?
I don't want to cheat exactly. I just need a bit of help.
I don't want to cheat exactly. I just need a bit of help.
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People use bots. Sometimes directly (the bots play for them), sometimes indirectly (they get a bot on another device or window to give them advice). Similar could be done with chess, but there's less money in it. Personally, with the advances in AI, I'd be very cautious about playing an game for money/kudos against an opponent I could not see.
I'd not play poker anyway, I find it all I bit boring but at least it has a huge element of luck and human flair as well as the mathematical side. hard to get a bot to do that, yes It'll always make the right choices but that dullness would shine through. Chess is pure skill and logic so computers are very good but I can usually tell when I'm playing one and not just because I get my aris kicked, though I have on occasion beaten the machine!
I am not sure how helpful this is or not, but to avoid trying to play the game for you I thought instead I'd suggest an "ideal set-up" that you might try to aim for. Go to the website below and paste this string in the text box:
8/8/8/4N3/5PP1/1P1PPNQP/PBP1B3/3R1RK1 b - - 0 1
http://
(You might need to turn off the check box underneath too).
Of course this is highly dependent on what your opponent does, but there you go, for what it's worth.
A few explanations:
1. The key aim really is to get control of the e5 square. In the above position, I have a knight sitting there, a knight waiting to jump in to take its place, a bishop on b2 aiming right at e5, queen on g3 also keeping an eye on the square, and so on.
2. I'm not clear on the move-order to get here, but if you start off with moves like b3, Bb2, e3 and Be2 then that should get things going. It is reachable, anyway.
3. The position above relies on your opponent doing nothing to stop you, which is surely optimism. But the point is to keep it in mind, asking yourself "what do I want to achieve?" and work towards that as far as possible.
4. If you do get lucky and get most (or all) of the way to that position then from controlling e5 you can look to start to attack. In the diagram I started my kingside pawns moving up the board, even though I castled behind them, but it's clearly optional.
To be honest I'd love to find a place to sit and talk through all this, f4 happens to be an opening I play a few times so you might be in luck that I know something about it! Anyway, I'll keep an eye on the game. Start out be developing, slowly, and keping an eye on e5, and you should be fine.
8/8/8/4N3/5PP1/1P1PPNQP/PBP1B3/3R1RK1 b - - 0 1
http://
(You might need to turn off the check box underneath too).
Of course this is highly dependent on what your opponent does, but there you go, for what it's worth.
A few explanations:
1. The key aim really is to get control of the e5 square. In the above position, I have a knight sitting there, a knight waiting to jump in to take its place, a bishop on b2 aiming right at e5, queen on g3 also keeping an eye on the square, and so on.
2. I'm not clear on the move-order to get here, but if you start off with moves like b3, Bb2, e3 and Be2 then that should get things going. It is reachable, anyway.
3. The position above relies on your opponent doing nothing to stop you, which is surely optimism. But the point is to keep it in mind, asking yourself "what do I want to achieve?" and work towards that as far as possible.
4. If you do get lucky and get most (or all) of the way to that position then from controlling e5 you can look to start to attack. In the diagram I started my kingside pawns moving up the board, even though I castled behind them, but it's clearly optional.
To be honest I'd love to find a place to sit and talk through all this, f4 happens to be an opening I play a few times so you might be in luck that I know something about it! Anyway, I'll keep an eye on the game. Start out be developing, slowly, and keping an eye on e5, and you should be fine.
Just because it's that fun, here's an illustrative game in which Black rather helpfully allows white to get (almost) exactly the position I quoted (see white's side after move 15). From then on, white steamrollers up the king's side, with a lovely little sacrifice on f7 (totally sound, see if you can figure out why Black can't just take the knight back with 18. ...Kxf7 instead).
After that, I found a handy line where White makes total use of e5, with both of his knights and the bishop using that square to wreak havoc.
Finally, five of White's pieces cooperate to give mate on move 25. Of course, you probably won't be so lucky, but it's a fun game all the same and maybe gives you some ideas on what you might look to try in the game proper.
[White "jim360"]
[Black "Some cooperative guy"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "51"]
1. f4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Be2 Re8 7. O-O h6 8. d3 c5 9. Nbd2 Bf8 10. Ne5 Nc6 11. Ndf3 a6 12. h3 Nh5 13. g4 Nf6 14. Qe1 Bd7 15. Qg3 Rc8 16. g5 hxg5 17. fxg5 Nh7 18. Nxf7! Qc7 19. N3e5 Nxe5 20. Bxe5 Qa5 21. g6 Qb4 22. gxh7+ Kxh7 23. d4 cxd4 24. Qh4+ Kg6 25. Bd3# 1-0
After that, I found a handy line where White makes total use of e5, with both of his knights and the bishop using that square to wreak havoc.
Finally, five of White's pieces cooperate to give mate on move 25. Of course, you probably won't be so lucky, but it's a fun game all the same and maybe gives you some ideas on what you might look to try in the game proper.
[White "jim360"]
[Black "Some cooperative guy"]
[Result "1-0"]
[PlyCount "51"]
1. f4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Be2 Re8 7. O-O h6 8. d3 c5 9. Nbd2 Bf8 10. Ne5 Nc6 11. Ndf3 a6 12. h3 Nh5 13. g4 Nf6 14. Qe1 Bd7 15. Qg3 Rc8 16. g5 hxg5 17. fxg5 Nh7 18. Nxf7! Qc7 19. N3e5 Nxe5 20. Bxe5 Qa5 21. g6 Qb4 22. gxh7+ Kxh7 23. d4 cxd4 24. Qh4+ Kg6 25. Bd3# 1-0
OK, so, it's eight moves in now and time to reassess a little.
Looks like your opponent got a bishop to g7 before you could get yours to b2, which is a bit of a shame but never mind. You've both made a lot of pawn moves and that leaves weaknesses that you could target later. But the first priority right now is to finish your development. Unfortunately that's not easy, I think your bishop on d3 is awkwardly-placed and it's effectively shutting your knight on b1 and pawn on d2 in.
Perhaps next move you could consider one (or more) of the following: castling, playing your bishop on a3 back to b2, playing your queen to c2, or -- if your opponent allows it, eg by playing ...Bb7 -- playing your bishop on d3 to b5 with check. The main point there isn't so much the check, but it gets the bishop off an awkward square and doing something useful. Then you can play d4 later possibly and start to untangle your pieces.
Looks like your opponent got a bishop to g7 before you could get yours to b2, which is a bit of a shame but never mind. You've both made a lot of pawn moves and that leaves weaknesses that you could target later. But the first priority right now is to finish your development. Unfortunately that's not easy, I think your bishop on d3 is awkwardly-placed and it's effectively shutting your knight on b1 and pawn on d2 in.
Perhaps next move you could consider one (or more) of the following: castling, playing your bishop on a3 back to b2, playing your queen to c2, or -- if your opponent allows it, eg by playing ...Bb7 -- playing your bishop on d3 to b5 with check. The main point there isn't so much the check, but it gets the bishop off an awkward square and doing something useful. Then you can play d4 later possibly and start to untangle your pieces.
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