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Arguably one the World’s greatest technical board game played by millions over the globe, a unique battle between minds on a board of 64 squares, checkered pattern and with it’s unique pieces, the game of chess from it’s existence was between two players playing to outsmart their opponents using strategies and skills acquired by critical thinking, training and consistent practice.
Due to man’s adventurous tendencies,  more variations, controls and rules have emerged as the game has evolved through the contributions of scholars, organizations and masters of the game. An example of the first match between a human and a chess engine is a perfect scenario of how things gradually changed…Nowadays all chess players now have access to engines , software’s and various chess platforms.
History of chess before this development dates back to 1500 years ago, although there are controversies as many hold various opinions of the origin of the game. Although chess is widely believed to be derived from the Indian game “chaturanga” around the 6th century a few still believe that the game was originated in china. All this theories on it’s origin may not be necessary in modern times as more people are focused on promoting the sport rather than debating about its origin as a game , this is because of the wide spread of chess through various parts of the world…In Europe chess arrived in the 10th century where it acquired it’s  characteristic recognizable checkered pattern and gradually evolved into it’s current state in the 15th century…..Chess in the 15th century was marked by the era of the romantic chess which was followed by scientific , hyper modern and the new dynamism eras. In 1886 the first world chess championship was held followed by the establishment of the world chess federation in the 20th century.
Today, in the world of chess, development has encompassed theoretical, organizational and technological advancement with the use of computers for analysis, training and preparation, organizing and online gaming and more. As technology keeps on advancing so does the game of chess as several software’s , engines and more have been developed to solve problems chess players may likely face in their quest to understand the game.
HOW THEN CAN A PLAYER PUSH PAST HIS LIMITS WITH THE AID OF COMPUTERS / MODERN TECHNOLOGY TO GAIN MASTERY OF CHESS?
As a chess player the easiest task is getting your rating from maybe 1500-2000 , pushing to achieve more after getting to this level is a really hard nut to crack as most club players get stuck and end up getting a maximum peak rating of around 2100 or 2200+ even when they put in their best in a bid to achieve greater heights. This obviously happens because of the absence of a qualified coach or personal trainer to guide this player which might be result of having big dreams without the financial backings to follow up…In the event of not being able to afford a world class coach most players find solace in the role played by chess engines as they ensure development with a required level of discipline from the player.
There are various chess softwares one can use to develop their chess skills such as chess base, SCID-chess data base software, shredder, fritz and more. A lot of players starting out chess may have heard about this softwares from club players and have acquired them with the intent of improving.
Acquiring this softwares is a great step towards improvement but knowing how to use it and what to use it for requires setting a goal. For instance a player may want to improve specific skills in his play…this is a major determining factor on how this player would use a chess software.
Here are some vital tips on how to use a chess software when in search for development.

1. Opening preparations: With reference to chess base, openings trainer is a feature in chess softwares that allows you to gain mastery of an opening through drills and also create your own opening repertoire. The opening trainer is used to learn openings although its main function is to organize your already prepared variations. With the opening trainer one is able to engage in drills for both black and white, repeat drill, mark openings and load pgn’s which gives the trainer more options in the drill. Using this package definitely leads to mastery in the openings and avoiding inaccuracies and mistakes that prove to be detrimental in competitive tournaments.

2. Analysis: Tactical analysis and assisted analysis cannot be overemphasized as the best way to improve is to analyze your own games and detect errors, mistakes and also outstanding rare moves….With tactical analysis a player is able to analyze a single game …Using chessbase, analysis can be done through the analysis section on the tab which gives you the options of engaging in tactical and assisted analysis. The assisted analysis shows how good your possible moves are, with green highlighted squares to show good moves and red for bad moves. It is no new news that analysis is key to development as this activity ensures accuracy in future games which leads to positive results.

3. Annotated games: Access to annotated games provided by this chess softwares can be likened to a library which can only be utilized effectively by studying its contents diligently. The games provided should be studied with the aim of understanding the underlying principles/ theories behind every variation.
While playing out this games, it is important to take into consideration how these players build up attack, defend unfavorable positions and also embark on technical maneuvers.
4. Practice: Practice makes perfect so try to play chess frequently with all available softwares as it gives you exposure as you are able to play with players with different approaches to chess all over the world. A lot of platforms for chess players possess features that enable players study, analyze, play and do more using them.
Using your chess software in the right way will determine how long or short your learning curve will be. Build your skills by training right.