How do you win chess?

There are two ways to achieve a high win rate in games. One method is simple and effortless, while the other necessitates hard work and provides more satisfaction.

The easy approach involves competing against weaker opponents, resulting in frequent victories. However, this method lacks joy as it becomes tiresome and merely involves teaching beginners. To illustrate, take a look at this example where my opponent, with the white pieces, launches a shallow attack, which may have succeeded against weaker opponents. Within just nine moves, he finds himself in a losing position, with his attacking chances gone and three pawns down without any compensation. This game is not something I take pride in, as it is too easy due to the weakness of my opponent.

On the other hand, the difficult way to win numerous games involves studying and preparing openings, investing effort in the middle game, and refining endgame skills. Here is a game against a former Ohio state chess champion. Although not without errors, it is a complex and thrilling game, featuring an uncommon sacrifice of my queen, a brilliant and decisive "quiet move," and ending with an entertaining checkmate in the center of the board.

As the reader, I encourage you to go through the moves of both games and determine which one was more enjoyable to play. The first game demanded minimal effort, while the second one required four hours of dedication. However, the second game was undoubtedly worthwhile.