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01. Before Begin - As A Chessplayer, you lose games from time to time—like all chessplayers.

Naturally you want to improve your play. Is there something special or unique about your problem? I don't think so. Only a few of us can become masters; yet the rest of us can achieve respectable playing strength with a reasonable amount of application.

02. 8 Bad Moves - In the original starting position of a game of chess, the pieces are not ready for action. The process by which we advance them to squares on which they can attack and defend and maneuver freely is called "development."

If we develop the pieces slowly or ineffectively, their action is limited. Their attacking ability is slight, and the initiative passes into the hands of our opponent.

03. White Pieces - One of our most important tasks in the opening stage is bringing out our pieces so they will play an active and aggressive role.

Because White enjoys the theoretical advantage of moving first, there is always a likelihood that his development will proceed more rapidly than Black's. For White, neglected development may mean nothing worse than losing the initiative. For Black, the same sin may mean losing the game.

04. Black Pieces - If you accept the view that White has some initiative by reason of being the first to move, you will doubtless agree that in actual practice White often loses that initiative with great rapidity.

When you are playing Black, you can snatch up White's lost initiative and become the aggressor, if you realize just what is happening.

05. Advantage In Material - Have you ever stopped to think that the strongest move on the chessboard—aside from actual checkmate—is the successful queening of a Pawn?

To obtain a new Queen so cheaply is the equivalent of winning your opponent's Queen!

06. Brilliant Combinations - We all enjoy playing over brilliant combinations. They give us thrills that cannot be equalled by any other aspect of the game. It would give us even greater pleasure to make such brilliant plays in our own games. But many of us feel that these combinations are a matter of inspiration, and hence the exclusive property of the masters and other first-rate players,

07. Checkmates - Though there are many aspects of chess that require study, the checkmate process remains the basic bit of knowledge required of every chess player.

Most players, although they need and would like to have more knowledge about checkmates, find that is unfortunately hard to come by. Most of the checkmate positions we ordinarily see are from made-up or composed problems. These often have elements of striking beauty, but they lack practical value. We do not see how they can be applied in our own games.

08. Key Openings - ALAPIN'S OPENING: 1 P—K4, P—K4; 2 N—K2

This is a poor opening for White because his Knight's development is not aggressive and because it blocks White's King Bishop. (See Diagram 40:)

ALBIN COUNTER GAMBIT: 1 P—Q4, P—Q4; 2 P—QB4, P—K4

Black's counter gambit is premature and unsound. After 3 QPxP, P—Q5 Black must rely on tricky play to compensate for his minus Pawn. White gets a clear advantage by straightforward development.

Glossary - ATTACK: A move or series of moves with the intention or threat of checkmate or winning an advantage in material or position.

CASTLE: To play a special move with King and Rook that is possible only when the King has not moved previously in the game. To castle on the King-side involves moving the King to KN1 and the King Rook to KB1. In castling on the Queen-side, the King goes to QBI and the Queen Rook to Ql.

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