No matter where you are in chess, you can always get better if you know how to play basically. With the right habits and attitude, getting better at chess can be both fun and simple to everyone. To get better at chess, you need to learn the rules, play a lot of games, review your play, practice puzzles, study the endgame, not waste time on openings, and double-check your moves.
Make sure you know the rules
It does not matter if you are not exactly sure of the rules, or if you think you already know the rules of the game. Unless you are already a serious chess player, it’s a great idea to review the basic piece movements and special rules of chess. You can easily find the rules and basic strategies here:
LEARN THE MOVES:
Each chess piece can move only a certain way, and you need more care. For example, a pawn moves straight ahead, but it can only attack an angle, one square at a time. A knight’s move is L-shaped. The bishop moves at an angle, but it also can move more than one square at a time. The rook can move only in a straight line, but it can go forward, back or to the side. The queen, which is the most powerful piece, can move in any direction for any number of squares, but not two directions in one move. Also, the king moves at a stately pace — as a king should — one square at a time in any direction.
Play lots and lots of chess games
You can not get better at anything without a lot of repetition, and chess is no different. Take every opportunity you can to play a chess game well – whether on the go, on your computer, or at home.
Review and learn from your games
Playing without reviewing is usually pointless. Each game contains many mistakes and opportunities. To improve, you need to learn from both. Automated Computer Analysis can help you understand each game you play in.
Do practice chess puzzles
Chess tactics are bite-sized chess problems waiting to be solved. They represent real game situations where you have a chance to win. It’s like playing chess, but skipping ahead to the good part where you are already winning! Try some free puzzles.
Study basic end games
Surprisingly, most chess games do not end quickly, but only after many, many moves and after most of the pieces have been traded away. This will often leave just kings and a few pieces and/or pawns. This is the “endgame”, where usually the goal is to promote one of your pawns to a queen. Learning to operate the endgame will help you win many games. Also, you can practice some of the most common end game drills.
Do not waste time memorizing openings
Many chess players make the mistake of spending time memorizing sequences of chess moves. The problem is that most players don’t know very many openings, or even if they do, the chances they play your specific lines are very small. Just learn good opening principles from the start and don’t stress about memorizing.
Always double-check your moves
One of the most important parts of playing better chess is avoiding making bad moves. Most games are lost by blunders. So, before you move one of your pieces, always do a double-check to make sure that your king will be safe and that you are not giving away any pieces for free.
If you want to play chess well, it’ll take lots of learning and lots of practicing.
Let try your best to be a chess champ!
