Jayden’s Chess Journal Edition #1

Your guide to learn about the wonderful world of chess!

Welcome all Chess Players,

My name is Jayden Mathura, and I have been a chess instructor at Chess University since 2023, I am very excited to announce my very own chess newsletter!

Each edition will feature tips, tactics, puzzles, and even a little chess history to further our chess knowledge. This newsletter will be accessible to all levels but will be especially helpful for beginners, or anyone interested in learning more about chess.

So let’s get right into our first edition!

💡Puzzle #1

Black just played the move Nh6, what is White’s best move?

✅Solution:

White’s best move is the awesome Bc5#. This move is checkmate because white covers all of the Black King’s escape squares. The White Queen covers both g8, f7, and e8 squares. The Bishop on c5 covers the d7 square, leaving the Black King hopeless.

♟️Tip of the Week

“Checkmate is closer than we think”

Checkmate does not always require a stunning tactic. Just like in Puzzle #1 we just have to look for squares that we control around the King. Sometimes chess can be complicated, but most of the time it can be simpler than we make it to be!

Chess History

In this section, we are going to take a periodic look at the game of chess throughout the centuries and see the evolution of chess into its modern form.

Let’s begin, chess was invented in Ancient India in the 6th century CE, and was known as Chaturanga. The pieces represented the military units common of the period, infantry, cavalry, elephants, chariots, generals, and finally a King.

Chess then spread to the Middle East around the 7th century where it became more familiar with its present form. Finally, around 1000 CE, chess made its way into Western Europe where it would undergo massive changes, and usher in a new Era of playing.

Next week we will take a look at the oldest chess game on record!

🚨Course Alert!🚨

If you are a beginner or intermediate player (1200 and below) and are looking to improve your analysis skills, check out my free, online course on Chess University.

That wraps up this week’s edition of Jayden’s Chess Journal

I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, and I am excited to go on this awesome chess journey with you. Keep a look out for next week’s edition, until next time!