5 Tips To Help You Win Your First Spell Chess Game

By now, you've probably heard of Spell Chess. This new variant brought a little bit of magical razzle dazzle to the chess world, enchanting some of your favorite content creators like GM Hikaru Nakamura, IMs Levy Rozman, Eric Rosen, and others. 

And if you've ever tried to join them and play Spell Chess, you probably noticed that it's even more complex than regular chess! But as always, you don't need to worry because we've got you covered. Watch the video below, or keep on reading to learn 5 tips to win your next Spell Chess game!

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1. Watch out for rook jumps.
2. Keep more than one piece between your king and the enemy army.
3. Only use a freeze spell after your opponent or when you have a clear attack.
4. Threaten multiple king captures.
5. Beware of the memeiest of en passants.

1. Watch out for rook jumps.

Going for Scholar's Mate in regular chess is bad enough, but doing it in Spell Chess can land you in a world of hurt. 

Remember that your opponent has a jump spell. If you land your queen on the a- or h-files, your opponent can use a jump spell to capture your queen with their rook. It's sort of embarrassing to get tricked like this when attempting to be tricky, so maybe just don't try to do it. 

2. Watch out for when there's a single piece between a king and an attacking piece.

Many Spell Chess games end with a piece jumping over another to capture the enemy king. However, this can only happen if there's a single piece between a king and its attacker. The king is untouchable if two pieces are lined up on the file, rank, or diagonal that leads to a king. But beware! Even when there are two pieces defending the king, players can still use tactics or tricks to remove one of the king's defenders to win the game.

This is important both when you're attacking or defending. Don't let your opponent catch you by surprise, and also be on the lookout for opportunities to attack their king. 

3. Only use a freeze spell after your opponent does or when you have a clear attack.

Here's the thing about freeze spells. They're very powerful. Unfortunately, your opponent can also use the very same powerful freeze spell as you. If you use a freeze spell without a clear attack in mind, your opponent can freeze you back to defend themselves.

In the example below, Black attacks the white king. White tried to defend themselves by freezing Black's attacking piece and creating a threat of their own. However, Black can use a counter-freeze to neutralize White's attack and, more importantly, keep the white king in place to preserve their original attack.

This is why you should only use the freeze spell after your opponent (to defend yourself) or when you have a concrete attack (or both, like in the example above). But what would a "clear attack" be? Well, the next section is about the clearest and most powerful attack in Spell Chess. 

4. Threaten multiple king captures.

Forks and double attacks are very strong tactical motifs that can help you win the game in regular chess. They're powerful because your opponent will have a hard time defending against both threats simultaneously, leading to material loss.

The same concept applies to Spell Chess when you make multiple king capture threats. The only difference is that, instead of material loss, your opponent will suffer from game loss. Harsh. 

The thing is, even if they use a freeze spell to defend against one of the threats or even capture one of your pieces, your other piece will still be free to capture the king. A classic example is this opening trap, where you freeze your opponent's defenses so you can have time to create a second threat.

While there is a defense against this opening trap (can you find it? Let us know in the comments!), the concept still stands

5. Beware of the memeiest of en passants.

While en passant is not really forced, it certainly is one of the most satisfying moves in chess. It feels like arcane magic, something far more powerful than frivolous freezing and jumping spells.

Believe it or not, en passat can get even better in Spell Chess. In this variant, it's actually possible to capture two pieces simultaneously with en passant. While it does require cooperation from your opponent, it's still worth mentioning—maybe your opponent knows how to appreciate the beauty of this move and won't hesitate to be a part of it. 

It can only happen if one of your pawns is attacking a piece on the sixth (or third) rank, and your opponent jumps over it with their pawn. Unlikely? Yes.

But oh, when it happens...  

Do you have any other tips to help other members of the community win their next Spell Chess game? Share them in the comment section below!