How to Gauge One's Chess Skill

Your chess talent will be proven with the self-test provided by chess grandmaster Jonathan Levitt. You can find out more about this test in his book, "Genius in Chess."

You would need some basic material on how the chessboard is laid out. Players well-versed with chess notations need not read this part and can go to the actual exam. The chessboard is composed of eight rows and eight columns. Each column and row is assigned by a chess notation known as algebraic notation. Each column is marked with a lowercase letter from "a" to "h" beginning from the white player's left square. So, "a" is white's left column and black's right column. The rows are designated from "1" to "8" starting from white's side. So, "1" is white's first row and black's first row is identified as "8". Each of the squares is designated by the letter of its row and number of its column. The bottom leftmost square of the white player would then be designated as "a1" and black's bottom leftmost square is "h8." You can get a better picture by visiting the website mentioned above.

What you need for the test:

1. chessboard 2. timer or clock 3. 1 white knight 4. 1 black queen.

Objective

The white knight has to pass through all the squares without taking the black queen or putting the white knight in danger of being captured by the black queen.

Rules

You have to position the white knight on b1 and the black queen on d4. The sequence in which the knight has to move is c1, e1, f1, h1, a2, c2, e2, g2, h2, and so on until it reaches g8. The knight can visit again a certain square without following the order but only, for example, if it is needed to get from c1 to e1 and then you have to return to the sequence.

This quiz must be taken only once and you have to time yourself. According to the author, Jonathan Levitt, you have "real chess talent" if you can finish the test in ten minutes or less.

Unwavering concentration and the will to learn is what is needed to pass the quiz. You should plan the moves the knight has to take and do it as quickly as possible. Not all of the players who took the exam made it passed c1.

The solution to this quiz and the results of some of the best players of chess are in the resources link of my chess tips site.

Get a break and try it!

You shouldn't worry if it takes you longer than ten minutes to finish the quiz. Remember, it's not about memorizing the moves but to be able to plan your move.

Those people who just memorize the movements, but do not learn strategies in chess, will have trouble with the exam. Thinking strategically, not just memorizing moves and tactics, is essential to real chess aptitude. You also need to be skilled with the algebraic notation so as to get your bearings around the chessboard. You learn these skills from experience, continuous learning, and training.

Chad Kimball has been fascinated with chess since he was a small kid and now works as an editor and publisher. He is the reason for uploading an exciting resource to the world wide web: "The Grandmaster Strategy Video Training Library."

This set of twenty-nine training videos and fourteen training books contains hours of instructions, and 2,213 pages of winning strategies in chess for the price of 1 chess book at the bookstore. These twenty-nine videos allows you to boldy defeat your opponent. You can go online and check this amazing chess game resource site.