Average Chess Joe Blog

Hey there!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my site. My name is Joe, and I’m a chess fanatic! No really, if I’m not online playing chess then I’m scouring the internet for the latest chess news, reading books about the history of chess, or bragging to my girlfriend about my latest opening.

My blog is designed for the average chess Joe. I’ll give insights on how to improve your game, talk about the latest chess news, and detail some fun facts about the history of chess.

You can find me on lichess or chess.com.

See you on the board!

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Blog Posts

Where was chess invented?

The History of Chess – Part 3: The historical roots of chess Previously I instructed you about the fabled origins of chess. But these origin stories are more legend than reality. So what do...

Chess is more popular then ever!

Who/What/When/Where & Why? On February 2nd, Chess.com claimed the #1 spot in the apple app store. The app has leapfrogged classic games (sudoko) and clickbait games (parking jam 3D) alike on it’s quest for...

Giri Steals Steel Tournament Crown

Who/What/When/Where & Why? The Tata Steel masters tournament, a premier international chess tournament, finished yesterday with a new champion, Anish Giri. Giri bested top chess players such as #1 Magnus Carlsen, and fellow GM’s...

Paul Morphy

Top 50 Chess Players: Paul Morphy

Placing inside the top 10 with the 8th spot on our list of the Top 50 Chess Players of all time is Paul Morphy! The Basics of Paul Morphy Full Name: Paul Charles Morphy...

The Fabled Origins of Chess

The History of Chess – Part 2: Who invented Chess? Last time, I told you that Chess is over 1500 years old! That’s right, not even Montgomery Burns can boast of being around when...

Attack the pinned piece   

The Chess Tactic of the week is “Attack the pinned piece.” What is a chess pin? Before we dive into our weekly chess tactic, we first need to understand the basics. Most importantly, what...

Chess bot Mittens’ snark is worse than its bite

Who/What/When/Where & Why? On the 1st of January, the gargantuan chess website chess.com unleashed the new “Fab-Five” of chess bots. The bots are knowledgeable, quirky, and have “cat-like” reflexes. You guessed right…all the chess...

Discovered attack   

The Chess Tactic of the week is “Discovered Attack.” What is a discovered attack? A discovered attack occurs when a player moves a piece to generate an attack on their opponent by a previously...

The Most Beautiful Game

The History of Chess – Part 1: Why Chess? I often must remind myself that my favorite pastime, a two-dimensional, 64-square board game, isn’t just a passion of mine, but an obsession of the...

Top 50 Chess Players: Reuben Fine

Coming in at the 28th spot on our list of the Top 50 Chess Players of all time is Reuben Fine! The Basics of Reuben Fine Full Name: Reuben C. Fine Life: October 11,...