"No one will regret the time dedicated to chess, as it will help in any profession" – Tigran Petrosyan
Chess is a game you can easily learn and play if you put in the right amount of dedication and practice. Once you know the basic rules, how the pieces are moved, how to checkmate and understand some chess vocabularies, the sky becomes your starting point in the game.
It is one of the most recognized tabletop games in Nigeria and globally. The game of chess has inspired one of the most popular Netflix series watched by over 62 million people in recent times: The Queen's Gambit.
To become a grandmaster which every aspiring chess player aims to become, you will have to invest a lot of your time in constant practising, tutorials, research and whatever it takes to become a pro.
You need to understand that there will be a lot of failures to get a lot of wins in the game of chess. Every failed move is a learning curb to becoming a pro chess player. The game is also beneficial in the integral development of anybody’s mind. It has a combination of art, science and sports in it.
The game of chess is highly recognised in Nigeria and at the time of writing this article, international Master Oluwafemi Balogun has emerged as the new National Champion of chess in Nigeria at the just-concluded National Chess Championship in Lagos.
Learning Chess for some people can be considered as difficult, which I know isn't necessarily the truth. However, you may see it. I will be giving you some useful tips in this article that will help make the journey of getting started easy.
Let's go!
You Need A Chess Set
Once you have decided that you want to learn how to play the game of chess, the next step that is required of you that will help the learning process is to get a good chess set.
There are various chess sets for all tastes and budgets. You can get a chess set in Nigeria for as low as ₦1,500 depending on your budget and you can even get a customized gold pieces chess set. It all depends on ye budget and taste as earlier stated.
Every beginner needs their own set to learn, practise and consider tactics, strategies, and sequences before playing real opponents.
A complete chess set includes:
- A board with 64 tiles (32 black and 32 white).
- 16 pawns (8 black and 8 white)
- 2 kings (1 black and 1 white)
- 2 queens (1 black and 1 white)
- 4 bishops (2 black and 2 white)
- 4 knights (2 black and 2 white)
- 4 rooks (2 black and 2 white)
You can also get a chess clock to manage the pace of your games and of course, a notepad and pen to write down moves, what you have noticed or learnt. The purpose of the clock in the game is to keep track of the total time each player takes for their moves and ensure that neither player overly delays the game.
Outline Your Goals And Expectations
There are a lot of questions you may have asked yourself before deciding you wanted to get started with learning the game. The questions and your reasons for wanting to learn the game should all be a part of what you write down as your objectives. Some questions you should ask yourself are:
Do I just want to learn how to play the game?
Do I already know how to play the game and just want to improve?
Am I looking for the opportunity to play with experts?
Do I want to become a tournament player?
How much am I willing to use to learn: My Budget?
How much time am I willing to invest in learning and improving?
The answers to these questions will help define how you’ll go about learning to play or improving your game.
Your goals as a beginner will be different from that of an advanced player. As a beginner, you are more concerned about learning the game, about the pieces, their moves, the rules of the games and so on. At this level, you can learn from another player or research and teach yourself. Advanced players on the other hand already know how the game works and are more interested in expert strategy, sequences of moves, improving their game and winning their opponents.
Online Chess
If you are not sure about investing some money into learning chess and just want to test the waters, then it is advisable to consider playing chess games for free online. There are even free chess lessons and resources you can also use online without having to pay a single naira.
There are also several websites where you can play chess against people all over Nigeria, globally or even against computer opponents. You can also use this avenue to practice improving your game and trying out new techniques and tactics.
Playing online chess games will also allow you to build your confidence and strategy which will then aid you to move on to play against other opponents. Some of the many websites you can try out are:
- Chess.com
- Lichess
- Chessable
- The Internet Chess Club (ICC)
Your Budget For Chess Lessons
Now that you are interested in taking chess lessons to learn or improve your game, the next thing you should consider is your budget.
Having a budget will help during your search process for the best way to receive your lessons. Some of the factors that usually affect the cost of a class are:
- Your location
- Your level: beginner, intermediate or advanced
- Your earnings
- Your objectives
- Type of class: Physical one on one or online classes
- Your understanding of the game
- Type and location of the tutor you have in mind
- Number of hours you want to invest in the learning process
Once you are aware of these factors, you can then work out how much you can spend on chess lessons to help you improve your game. You can get affordable physical one on one or online tutors who take chess lessons on Supeprof Nigeria for as low as ₦500 per hour.
Finding The Right Chess Tutor
Finding the right tutor will go a long way in affecting your desired result. With the right tutor, learning chess can be made easy and fun.
When looking for the right tutor to teach you all about chess or how to improve on the game, you need to consider your level, how many games you’ve played, any tournaments you’ve participated in, your rank, etc.
One of the reasons why outlining your objectives is important is because knowing what you want to achieve will help you find the right teacher for you. You’ll need to find someone who can teach you at your level and help you to play better.
You should consider researching about any tutor you decide to choose. You also need to remember that a person is a grandmaster or an expert chess player does not necessarily mean that they are a good tutor.
There are qualities you should be after and one way of determining if a tutor might be right for you is by having a chat with them and reading reviews about what students have to say about them.
Form The Habit Of Checking Tutors' Profiles Online
If you have already decided that you want to take chess lessons, of course of the steps to achieving that is looking for a tutor. There is always a tutor out there that would match exactly what you are looking for. One way of determining if a tutor will be right for you is by checking their profile.
From their profile, you can get information like their rates, education, the number of students they have successfully taught, their chess record from tournaments and their chess club to see how they play and what they can teach you.
You should also check their profile for reviews about that. This will give you an idea of who they are and what to expect.
Get Involved with Chess Culture
To become well enlightened in the game, you need to be up to date with all chess activities happening in Nigeria and globally. Knowing the game’s biggest events can be useful knowledge to draw upon when playing. Thanks to the internet, you can always read what's happening in the chess world and be up to date.
Join A Chess Club
There are several chess clubs you can join in Nigeria like The Orchid-Lekki Chess Club (OLCC), The king's school, Lagos, The Nigeria Chess federation. Once you’ve signed up with one, it is an opportunity for you to play games against the other members of the club regularly.
Chess Tutors On Supeprof Nigeria
You can get hundreds of chess tutors all over Nigeria regardless of the state you are located. Superprof Nigeria has the most competitive prices when it comes to tutoring. Our prices range ₦500 - ₦5,000 per hour.
You do not have to get stuck with a particular tutor on Superpof because more than 98% of the tutors offer the first hour of their lesson for free. This is an opportunity for you to determine if the teacher is good enough for you to continue.
Each tutor on the platform has a profile where you can read up about them. Some of this information on their profile can help you determine if the tutor has the kind of skills, experience and teaching methodology you are looking for before contacting them for a lesson.
You can also read reviews left by other students they have thought to have an idea of what to expect and to determine if they would be a good choice for you.
On a final note, you must cultivate the habit of practising and being patient while learning the game of chess. You will lose some games and you will win some. Remember that Rome was not built in a day.
You are on your way to becoming a grandmaster. Good luck!
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