In my humble opinion, the endgame is the most important. But most of you may argue that "well, if I can't even get past the opening, how am I supposed to get to the endgame in the first place?"

That's a reasonable argument.

I would have to say that a thorough study and examination of the endgame is a good start. There are a ton of books on the subject, and any chess manual covers the endgame in some sort of detail.

In my next blog I'm going to include a list of books that you MUST have in in your chess library. Capital M. Besides, it's a good investment especially if you are to dramatically improve your game. That includes beating your dad, your nemesis at the local club, or simply improving your chess rating on your next open tournament.

Anyway, item #1 I mentioned was the opening. The opening is of almost equal importance. I know a lot of people that know practically every opening (myself included). I recommend learning, practicing and analyzing games that include the opening of your choice. For example, if you are playing against white a safe opening to start with is the King's Indian Defense (1..g6) or the Sicilian Defense (1..c5). Against black you could study the Ruy Lopez or any 1. e4 (opened) or 1. d4 (closed) opening. With any basic opening there are dozens of main variations, sub-variations, even names that sound like a French dish.

On item #2 I'm going to "skim" over it, as I find it to be introspective. That is not to say that the middle game isn't as important as the opening or endgame. The middle game in chess catches the tail-end of the opening and the beginning transposition of the endgame. Now, bear in mind that a lot of games can end at this point.

Finally, this is probably going to be my favorite part of this blog. My opinions can be a bit biased at times, but for the most part I'm going to be as subjective as possible.

I'll go ahead and say that chess is almost dead in the Great State of Connecticut. There is very little interest in the game, not enough scholastic funding or monthly tournaments, etc. However, I'm beginning to feel a bit more confident about the future of chess in Connecticut. (I suppose this is generational?) I see a renaissance arriving.

For now, stay tuned for more on the wonderful world of chess...