A veteran chess player, Amichai Vardi spends significant time analyzing the moves that he makes during games and their contributions to his subsequent win or loss. As any chess player knows, Amichai Vardi explains the opening moves of any game prove critical. Below, he has listed a few tips for consideration during these moves.

1. Play according to your personal style. Never take an offensive position if you primarily play defense and vice versa. Set the stage to play to your strengths, not your weaknesses.

2. Consider your opening moves the foundation for a later strategy. Each move should work toward a long-term goal. When players think in the short term, they make unnecessary moves and waste time.

3. Always defend and fight for the center. Place your pieces strategically to gain and maintain control of the ground between you and your opponents. At the same time, consider your opponent’s thought process to avoid falling into a trap.

4. Study and deploy traditional opening moves. Some of these strategies take hours to memorize because of their complexity. Instead of trying to mimic them, learn from them and create your own strategy.

    Author

    Based in Thousand Oaks, CA, Amichai Vardi is a design engineer at Medtronic.

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