A lie! A trick! A misdirection t’was slick! We are not in Pittsburgh we reside in BC, but puzzled we are as you will soon be.

Chess puzzles are an excellent way to keep your mind for pieces active while not burning out playing game after game in a row. Chess puzzles are typically taken from actual games that have occurred at the professional level. They are typically awkward situations with interesting solutions.

First of all, you are given an objective. “White to Win” means you are playing as white, and that there is a sequence of moves that may or may not checkmate your opponent, but will at the very least put you in a winning position. “White to regain material” means you will not end up in a winning position, but you that you are currently behind and will lessen your deficit through a good trade or trap. “White to draw” is just as it says, finding a pattern of moves that will result in a tie.

Below is a H5P interactive video showing an example of a puzzle!

While I am a big fan of puzzles, I find that they are not very helpful for my actual matches of chess, which typically follow similar patterns since I am rehearsing the same openings over and over again. I could see puzzles becoming more useful in the future when I am expanding my arsenal of tricks and finding myself in more abstract positions, but for now please enjoy another Check Check Check in!