Chess: Play The Computer, Play In Real Time, Or Play To Learn Moves
Chess is a game where you either have the skills for it, or you do not. If you are determined to learn it, but you do not have anyone to play against, there are online chess lessons that can give you an opponent. There are three ways this breaks down so that you are learning and playing at the same time.
Play to Learn Moves
There are programs that teach online chess lessons. These programs will show you where to move, how to move, and why you should move this piece to that position on the board. They are ideal programs from the standpoint that it is difficult for some people to remember how chess pieces move and to see more than two or three moves ahead. While it is a game of strategy, you also have to predict how your opponent will counter-move for up to five or more moves ahead in the game. That is hard to see without being taught all of the possible moves.
Play the Computer (Simulated Matches)
Computers were designed to do a lot of different things, but teaching people to play chess has been an ideal thing for computers. The numerous algorithms involved in playing a game of chess play to a computer's strengths as a computational device. The computer already has mapped out, from the first move to the last, how it will play a game of chess against you. Set the level of difficulty from beginner to Grand Master and play against a machine's brain to see how good you are and how good you can become.
Play in Real Time
This is a program for online chess play against thousands of other chess players. Available opponents pop up inside the program, and you agree to their matches. You are playing in real time too, even though your opponent could be as close as next door or as far as some European or Asian country. It might be four in the afternoon for you when you play, but your opponent may be having a difficult time sleeping and is up at four in the morning in another country. Regardless of the time differences and locations, you are learning how to play chess and play it well from each other, and that is exactly what you should be doing as often as you are able. A living opponent in chess is best because the living opponent will make equally as many mistakes as you.
