Chess and Magic: How you can apply chess principles to improve your commander game.

This week on the podcast, The Thought Vessel Show, available on Spotify, we delved into the distinct phases of chess and their surprising application to Magic: The Gathering. I also pledged to provide an in-depth exploration of chess theory and its relevance to Commander. Here are ten chess principles that seamlessly apply to the Commander format:

1) "Control the Center of the Board" - In chess, the central area is crucial for its strategic advantage. In Commander, the concept of the "center" varies based on your deck's strategy, such as combat for aggro decks or life totals for aristocrats. Controlling your center ensures the implementation of your game plan.


2) "The Knight on the Rim is Grim" - Just as in chess, placing your pieces strategically is essential. Support cards, like haste enablers and sac outlets, enhance your deck's efficiency, allowing your impactful cards to shine.


3) "Don’t bring out your Queen too early" - In both chess and Magic, deploying your most powerful piece prematurely can lead to unfavorable consequences. Overextending in Magic, akin to exposing your queen too soon in chess, can result in vulnerability to board wipes and loss of tempo.


4) "Castle Early" - In chess, castling is a defensive maneuver to protect the king. Similarly, in Commander, players often focus on ramping without considering protection. Including low mana value removal or creatures that block early on can shield you from potential threats.


5) "If you must lose a piece, get something for it" - Accept that in Magic, as in chess, there are times when the best move isn't available. It's crucial to make the least detrimental move and derive some benefit from the situation.


6) "If you’re cramped, trade pieces to open things up" - Trading removal one-for-one can be essential. While saving powerful removal for significant threats is ideal, in certain situations, removing smaller threats can be crucial for advancing your game plan.


7) "Everyone Blunders. Champions Blunder Less" - Acknowledge that mistakes happen. Every game should be an opportunity to learn and improve, ensuring that you don't repeat the same errors.


8) "When it is not your turn, look for tactics and combinations" - Utilize downtime during opponents' turns to analyze their strategies and devise counterplans. Being attentive can provide a strategic advantage.


9) "Use Chess Databases to Study" - In Magic, we lack a program like stockfish, but we have resources like EDHREC and Moxfield for decklists, and commander gameplay videos for learning new strategies and synergies.


10) "Recognize transpositions from main line play" - In Commander, the universal consensus often dictates the perceived threat. Exploit the predictability by making unexpected moves, taking advantage of hidden knowledge, bluffing, or revealing answers others may not anticipate.

By integrating these chess principles into your Commander gameplay, you can enhance your strategic thinking and overall performance in EDH. If you have an suggestion for the blog or our podcast, The Thought Vessel Show on Spotify, send us an email at thoughtvesselshow@gmail.com.