Once the moves are familiar, games are usually decided in the centre and in short-range fights. The notes below are judgements you can use at the board, not slogans. After a game, use hints and replay to look again at the move you missed.
Take a centre you can keep
Pawns step one square, so the centre stays empty longer than it does in later chess. Plant one or two pawns and a ferz on squares that protect each other before you race for the last rank. Bring the rook out a little later, and do not open a file the other rook already owns.
Treat the ferz as a close adviser
The ferz steps one diagonal. It is not a later queen. Keep it near the king, on a neighbouring square, or beside a pawn that is squeezing space. A ferz left too far away often cannot get back.
Decide the alfil’s landing squares early
The alfil leaps two diagonals and is not blocked in between, but it never leaves its color complex. Look two leaps ahead before you jump. Trading an alfil for a rook only pays when you already own that file.
Do not rush a bare king
Taking the opponent’s last piece besides the king can win, but not if they can bare your king on the next move. Count the remaining mobile pieces before you trade everything off. Stalemate also wins, so driving the other king into a corner is sometimes cleaner than another check.
Practice one idea per game
Use a local-AI game and choose one focus, such as keeping the ferz near the king. Review one or two turning points afterward instead of trying to fix everything at once.
Questions
Why shouldn’t I storm the centre the way I would in chess?
Pawns here never take a double step, and there is no en passant. The centre has to be taken one square at a time. If you send a pawn too far, the ferz and alfil cannot follow.
Why does a hint sometimes look weak?
Hints use the same search as the AI level in the sidebar. On a gentle level, the hint thinks like that level. It does not secretly switch to the strongest setting.
Should I jump the alfil as soon as I can?
Not always. The alfil can only land on its own color complex. A random leap can put it on a square with no way back. Look two leaps ahead, then move.
In the ending, should I go for mate or a bare king?
Mate if you can see it. When only a few pieces remain, first check whether the other side can bare your king next. If you cannot count it cleanly, keep pressing the king instead of giving pieces away to strip the board.
