Move your pawns toward the center of the board while opening up your stronger pieces for easy movement. The most common yet very efficient path would be to move the king’s pawn 2 spaces forward (e4 for White, e5 for Black) and then the queen’s pawn forward 2 spaces (d4 for White, d5 for Black), if it is not at risk after the opponent makes their move. This formation allows you to develop bishops, increases castling speed, and forms a defensive but less offensive fortress with the right moves. Your opening moves will also be dependent on whether you are Black or White. Since White moves first, you’ll want to move in on the attack and try and control the game. Black should hold back and wait a bit more, letting White expose themselves with a mistake before attacking. Never move the same piece twice unless it could get in trouble and be taken. The more pieces you move, the more your opponent needs to react to you. Don’t make too many pawn moves. The goal of a good opening is to develop your major pieces efficiently, and moving too many pawns can give your opponent a tempo advantage. Try not to move the queen out too early. Many beginners make the mistake of moving their queen out early, but this can leave your queen vulnerable to attack, causing you to have to move it again and lose a tempo. Keeping these principles in mind, check out the list of opening moves used by Grandmasters at modern tournaments.
The Ruy Lopez is a classic opening to get bishops out and attacking. Move your king’s pawn up two spaces, then your knight up f3 (as White). Finish by pushing your king’s bishop all the way until it is one space in front of the opponent’s pawn. [1] X Research source The English Opening is a slow, adaptable opening. Move the c2 pawn up 2 squares (c2-c4), then follow with the g2 pawn (g2-g3) to free your king’s bishop (if Black moves to the center) or the queen’s knight, (if Black moves along the sides). [2] X Research source Try the adventurous King’s Gambit. Used by grandmasters from Bobby Fisher onward, this exciting opening can put beginners off-balance early. Simply move both king pawns (e2 and f2) up two spaces with the opening move. Black will frequently attack early, feeling like they have you opened up, but your pawn wall will quickly cause them problems. [3] X Research source Try the Queen’s Gambit to control the center of the board. White moves the queen’s pawn to d4, drawing out Black’s pawn to d5. White typically retaliates with bishop’s pawn to c4. This maneuver brings the game out to the center and opens up the lanes for your queen and bishop to move. [4] X Research source A good defense to a Queen’s Gambit is the Queen’s Gambit Declined. After the opening moves, start by moving your king’s pawn to e6. You’ve now opened up a path for your bishop to attack. If he moves their knight to c3, you can move your bishop to b4, pinning the knight.
A good defense to a Queen’s Gambit is the Queen’s Gambit Declined. After the opening moves, start by moving your king’s pawn to e6. You’ve now opened up a path for your bishop to attack. If he moves their knight to c3, you can move your bishop to b4, pinning the knight.
As White: king’s pawn up 1 (e2-e3); king’s bishop to c4; queen to f3, queen to f7. [5] X Research source As Black: king’s pawn moves up 1 (e7-e6); king’s bishop to c5; queen to f6; queen to f2. Countering Scholar’s Mate: Pull your knights out as blockades if you see Scholar’s Mate happening—chances are good they won’t sacrifice a queen just to take your knight. The other option is to use a nearly identical move, but instead of pushing your queen up, leave her back on e7, in front of your king.
Supported Middle is when you move slowly into the center of the board with several pieces. Knights and bishops support from the fringes, able to move in and take pieces if you get under attack. In general, this slow development is more common. Using the Flanks is a very modern style of play that controls the middle from the outsides. Your rooks, queen, and knights run up both sides of the board, making it impossible for your opponent to move into the middle without being taken.
Unless you are forced to, the best method is to move your pieces in turn. Don’t move the same piece twice unless you must defend it from an unexpected attack or make a vital attack. You don’t have to move each piece, however. Advancing your pawns won’t help you win as it breaks down a vital defense line protecting your king.
Clear the path between your king and rook by moving the bishop and knight (and potentially your queen). Try to keep as many pawns as you can in place. You can do this on either side. In the same turn, move the rook and king together, where they meet, and swap their positions. So, if you’re castling on the king’s side, you would end up with the king on g1 and the rook on f1. [7] X Research source Note that the king and the rook can not have moved once before castling. If they do, the move is no longer allowed. You can also castle queenside. Clear the queen, queen’s knight, and queen’s bishop out of their starting squares. Then, move your king two spaces and move your rook directly to the king’s right in one move. In a chess tournament setting, make sure to move your king first, then the rook. If you move the rook first, that’ll count as one rook move, and not a castle. Part of what helps you win at chess is your ability to read your opponent without letting them read you. Don’t begin your move until you are sure it is the right move. You want to be thinking several moves ahead at all times. This means knowing where each of your pieces can move in any situation and predicting how your opponent will react to your moves. This skill isn’t always easy to gain and will take practice.
Pawn = 1 point. Knight = 3 points. Bishop = 3 points. Rook = 5 points. Queen = 9 points. [8] X Research source Chess pieces are sometimes referred to as “material. " Having a material advantage going into the endgame can give you much better chances of beating your opponent. Most of the time, the bishop is stronger than the knight. However, there can be exceptions.
You have the advantage in position, center control, and development. The fewer pieces are on the board in total, the less of an advantage you have and the easier you can defend against. The opponent is cramped or stuck in a corner. When you have them locked in, it is more difficult for them to move or maneuver many pieces, but fewer pieces can get them out of the jam and free again. You have fewer pieces than your opponent. If you have more pieces than them and the advantages are otherwise similar, start taking pieces. You’ll open up new attacking lanes. You would double-up pawns. A doubled pawn is when you have one pawn in front of the other. This makes them both much less useful and clogs up your side of the board. However, if you can make your opponent double pawns as a side-effect of an even trade, this could be a useful move. [10] X Research source You’re trading a bishop for a knight. In general, bishops are better than knights. There are many exceptions to this, though, so you have to take into account the situation.
You have the advantage in position, center control, and development. The fewer pieces are on the board in total, the less of an advantage you have and the easier you can defend against. The opponent is cramped or stuck in a corner. When you have them locked in, it is more difficult for them to move or maneuver many pieces, but fewer pieces can get them out of the jam and free again. You have fewer pieces than your opponent. If you have more pieces than them and the advantages are otherwise similar, start taking pieces. You’ll open up new attacking lanes. You would double-up pawns. A doubled pawn is when you have one pawn in front of the other. This makes them both much less useful and clogs up your side of the board. However, if you can make your opponent double pawns as a side-effect of an even trade, this could be a useful move. [10] X Research source You’re trading a bishop for a knight. In general, bishops are better than knights. There are many exceptions to this, though, so you have to take into account the situation.
Develop multiple pieces (rooks, knights, queen, bishop) early and often. Get them out of their starting spots to open up your options. Control the center. The center of the board is where the action happens. Protect the king. You can have the best offense in the world, but leaving your king open is a sure-fire way to lose at the last minute. [11] X Research source
A pin where the king is the more valuable piece behind the pinned piece is an absolute pin. The pinned piece can’t move at all. A pin where a more valuable piece other than the king behind the pinned piece is called a relative pin. The pinned piece can move but at the cost of a more valuable piece. A pin where a piece isn’t behind the pinned piece is called a situational pin. The pinned piece can’t move due to leaving a resource open to the opponent (tactic, attack, files, etc. ). Sacrifices are when you allow your opponent to take your piece. The only catch is knowing that you can take their piece right back. They may take it, and they may not—the important thing is that you’re in control. [12] X Research source
Forking is most easily done with the knight, as its unusual movement lets it attack multiple pieces hidden behind others. Try to fork the most valuable pieces. The best possible fork is the fork of the king and queen. This is called a royal fork. A fork is most effective when it forces your opponent to react to it immediately, such as attacking the queen or putting the king in check.
Am I safer than where I was before? Do I expose this piece, the king, or another important piece? Can the enemy quickly put my piece in danger, making me move back and “lose” a turn? Does this move put the enemy under pressure to react to me?[14] X Research source
Queens only reach their full potential with support. Most players instinctively watch the opponent’s queen, so use yours to force pieces into the line of your rooks, bishops, and knights.
Moving your pawns to either d4/d5 or e4/e5 opens up your bishops to move and helps you claim the center squares. Get the bishops out early and use their long-range to your advantage while developing rook and the queen. [16] X Research source
Opening: This is where you set the tone of the game. Your first 4-5 moves develop a lot of pieces quickly and begin fighting for the board’s center. You can go offensive, taking the fight to them, or defensive, holding back and waiting for them to make the first move. The Middlegame: This exists purely to set up your endgame. You trade pieces, seize control of the middle of the board and set up 1-2 lines of attack that you can spring into motion at any time. A trade-off now may be beneficial, but you have to know how losing a piece affects your chances to win at the end. Endgame: There are only a few pieces left, and they are all incredibly valuable. The endgame seems like it is the most dramatic stage, but really most of the work has already been done—the player who “won” the middlegame and ended up with the best material should wrap it up with a checkmate.
When behind in material, exchange pawns and go for a draw. If you are behind in material, exchange pawns because it increases your chances for a draw. If you exchange all the pawns and your opponent only has a bishop or a knight, he will not be able to checkmate you. If you are ahead, exchange pieces and not pawns. If you exchange all the pieces and you are ahead in pawns, it increases your chance of queening and winning the game. Pawns become more valuable as the game progresses so you want to keep them.
Perpetual check is when you force the opponent into a position where they cannot avoid going into check. Note, you don’t actually have them in checkmate; you just have them in a position where they are not in check, but cannot move in a way that doesn’t put them in check. Frequently done with a last-ditch attack on the king, leaving the opponent stuck between attack and defense. Stalemating: When a king is not in check, but cannot move without going into a check. Since a player cannot willingly enter the check, the game is a draw. Threefold Repetition: If the same position has repeated itself three times, a player can claim a draw.
Lack of material. There are a few scenarios where winning is physically impossible: Just two kings on the board. King and bishop against a king. King and knight against a king. King and two knights against a king. [17] X Research source
Just two kings on the board. King and bishop against a king. King and knight against a king. King and two knights against a king. [17] X Research source
Look online for problem sets, or check out a book on chess strategy at the library, as they will all have practice problems.
Try to detect your opponent’s mistakes. If you think that your opponent made a mistake, start the attack. Don’t start a premature attack without a prompt, though, as that can result in you losing the game. Attack their pieces, open the position, and try to attack with every move. It will get easier with practice. If there are no more attacking moves, improve your position and attack again on the next moves.
Play an unexpected move. For example, if they expect you to play a particular move, see if you can play something else instead. Of course, don’t play a move if it’s bad, but search for good unexpected moves. Complicate the position. Increase the tension, don’t exchange pieces, and try to get more piece contact. Though this may confuse yourself, it will become natural with practice, and you will win games.
If there are no weaknesses, you have to create them. Start with a pawn break (when you make contact with the enemy’s pawn using your’s) and attempt to foresee what your opponent will do. Make sure your pieces are all helping out.
To prevent your opponent’s plans, first find what they are. Think about what you would play if you were them. After you found a good plan for them, find a way to prevent it. Try to be as active as possible while doing this. Don’t go into full defense mode.
Take notes during chess lessons. Later, you will be able to review the things you learned during the lesson.
Listen to your coach. If your coach says to do tactics, do it. They are experienced in this area and know the right way around.
