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Chess cheats that actually work

Many people search for “chess cheats” to win more often. The good news: some tricks give you an edge honestly. The bad news: engine help during a game against a real person almost always ends in a ban.

Why engine help during online games is a bad idea

Chess.com, Lichess and other sites compare your moves with engine moves and watch behaviour patterns. Accounts with suspicious accuracy are closed and ratings are reset. You also learn nothing: without help you play exactly as before.

Honest “cheats” that really help

1. Review every lost game

Load the game into game review. The engine shows where the blunder was and what to play instead. Ten reviewed games teach more than a hundred played blindly.

2. Opening traps

Players at every level fall for the same traps: Scholar's Mate, Légal's Mate, the Philidor trap. We collected them in Chess traps.

3. “What if” checks

After the game, put a critical position into the analysis board and test your idea. “Opponent threats” shows what you missed.

4. Practise against the computer

Play the computer one level above yours and use hints. That is fine here — your opponent is not a person.

5. Three questions before every move

What does my opponent's last move threaten?
Which of my pieces are undefended?
Do I have a check, a capture or an attack?

This habit removes most blunders.

Try it on the boardPosition analysis

Use the engine for study and analysis. Engine help in rated games against people is forbidden by every major chess site.

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