i need good chess tips please. :]?

Question

I just started playing chess a few months ago and I'm not very good. Like I can think ahead and anticipate my opponent's moves but I need some tips that will help me win quicker and spare a few pieces! ha ha. Please help, I have chess club tomorrow! :]

Answer 1

Before you read this, I must caution you...please do NOT panic! :-)



CHESS STRATEGY

OPENING:

Four Primary Opening Goals
·Control the Center
·Develop all pieces
·Safeguard the King
·Hinder your opponent
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Twelve Common Mistakes Made in the Opening
1.Exposing your King
2.Losing material
3.Failing to castle
4.Attacking prematurely
5.Losing control of the center
6.Moving the same piece twice
7.Not developing all pieces
8.Developing the Queen too early
9.Pawn-grabbing
10.Blocking pieces with pawns
11.Making unnecessary pawn moves
12.Giving useless Checks

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THE MIDDLEGAME

Three Goals in the Middlegame
1.Checkmate the enemy King
2.Win Material
3.Establish a winning Endgame

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Five Step Approach
I.Analyze the position
II.Determine your goals
III.Define tasks
IV.Develop candidate moves
V.Choose the best candidate move

IAnalyze Position

a.Seven factors to analyze

1.King Safety
a.Is the King safely castled, or is it exposed or restricted?
b.Are enemy pieces near or aimed at the King?
c.Are sufficient defenders available near the King?
d.Do open or potentially open lines lead toward the King?
e.Does the King have safe flight squares?


2.Material Status
a.What is material count for both sides, and do each piece’s activity (or lack of it) modify the point count?
b.What is the composition of any disparity?

3.Possible Tactics
a.Any immediate or potential tactical opportunities?
b.Does my opponent have any tactical weaknesses I can exploit?
c.Can you force or induce any weaknesses?
d.Do any tactical weaknesses exist in MY position?

4.Piece Placement and Mobility
a.Are all the pieces safe, active and mobile?
b.Are any pieces confined, blocked or hindered?
c.Are the pieces coordinated and defended, and do they cooperate?
d.Are any pieces inactive or tied to menial defensive tasks that a pawn or less valuable piece could perform?

5.Pawn Structure
a.Are the pawn formations strong, or are there weaknesses (isolated, doubled, backward)?
b.Do any “holes” exist in the pawn structure?
c.Are all the pawns protected?
d.Are there hanging pawns?
e.Are any pawns passed?
f.Is there a pawn majority?
g.Are the pawns mobile or blocked?

6.Control of Important Squares?
a.Which side controls the center squares and those around both Kings, or other significant squares??
b.Is the control semi-permanent (pawns) or temporary (pieces)?
c.Can controlling pawns or pieces be exchanged or deflected?

7.Tempi
a.Which side has the greatest number of moves existing on the board, and how valuable are those extra moves?

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TACTICAL AND POSITIONAL STRENGHTS AND WEAKNESSES:

·Tactical Strengths Include:
1.Batteries (doubled/tripled pieces acting along a file, rank or diagonal toward an enemy piece or vital square
2.Pins on enemy chessmen

·Tactical weaknesses include
1.Exposed King
2.Vulnerable back rank
3.Unguarded pieces or pawns
4.Pinned pieces and pawns
5.Pieces in a line
6.Pieces vulnerable to Knight fork
7.Pieces with no retreat
8.Overworked defenders
9.Unstable defenders
10.Vulnerable vital guards
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Frequent Tactics
1.Superior force
2.Pins
3.Skewers
4.Knight forks
5.Double attacks
6.Discovered attacks

Less Frequent Tactics
1.Overworked defenders
2.Vital guards
3.Removing defenders
4.Deflecting defenders
5.Sacrifices
6.In-between moves
7.Vulnerable back rank
8.Interference
9.No retreat
10.Trapping pieces
11.Desperado
12.Zugzwang
13.Queening combinations
14.Underpromotion

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·Positional Strengths Include:
1.Control of center
2.Center pawn on our fourth rank vs. enemy pawn on his third rank
3.Superior development
4.Greater space control
5.Strong outpost
6.Control of open file
7.Doubled Rooks
8.Rook(s) on the seventh rank
9.Control of open diagonal
10.Half-open file
11.Bishop pair
12.Bishop vs. Knight
13.Mobile pawn wing
14.Offside pawn majority
15.Advanced pawn chain
16.Advanced pawn wedge
17.Advanced pawn
18.Passed pawn
19.Protected passed pawn
20.Outside passed pawn
21.Better King position
22.Available tempi


·Positional Weaknesses Include:
1.Restricted King
2.Open lines toward the King
3.Cramped position
4.“Bad” Bishop
5.Isolated pawns
6.Doubled pawns
7.Backward pawns
8.Hanging pawns
9.“Holes” in pawn structure
10.Weak-square complex

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FOUR KEY QUESTIONS

(AFTER EACH OPPONENT MOVE)

1.What is the THREAT?
a.Was my opponent’s last move a check or capture?
b.Does it threaten a check or capture on the next move?
c.Does it attack or pin any of my pieces or pawns?
d.Does it threaten to improve the position of any of his pieces or pawns?
e.Is there a positional threat? (e.g. occupying an outpost, doubling Rooks on open file, securing a Rook on the seventh rank, creating a passed pawn, isolating or doubling any of my pawns?)
f.Does his last move portend and prepare any long-term threats (e.g. a Kingside attack)?
g.Try to determine the purpose of your opponent’s last move.

2.What has CHANGED?
a.Does my opponent’s last move create any new weaknesses with tactical or positional possibilities for him or me?
b.Is he concentrating his forces?
c.Has he pinned or unpinned any of his or my pieces or pawns?
d.Are any pieces, pawns, or important squares in his or my position now unguarded, or inadequately guarded?
e.Has he created, removed, or attacked any vital guards?
f.Is the protection of weak points in his or my position still adequate?
g.Has his last move left any pieces en prise?
h.Created any weak pawns?
i.Exposed or restriced his King?
j.Created a vulnerable bank rank?
k.Learn to Recognize what has CHANGED with each move


(AFTER EACH OF YOUR MOVES)

1.Does this move IMPROVE MY POSITION?
a.If defense is not required and no immediate tactical or attacking opportunities exist, try to IMPROVE YOUR POSITION by:
i.Activating dormant pieces
ii.Opening key lines for attack
iii.Seizing outposts
iv.Contesting open files and diagonals
v.Doubling Rooks on important files
vi.Posting a Rook strongly on the seventh rank
vii.Shifting pieces toward the major attacking sector, or
viii.Increasing the scope of blocked or immobile pieces

2.Is this move SAFE?
a.If I make the contemplated move, does my opponent have any move which can hurt me (cost me material or position) immediately or soon?
b.Will my King and all of my pieces and pawns be adequately defended?
c.Would my opponent have any dangerous checks or captures?
d.Would my move create any weaknesses?
e.Would (or could) my move lose material?
f.What is my opponents best reply to my contemplated move?
g.Would it refute my move?
h.Which side would stand better after my opponent’s best reply to my move?
i.Avoid playing moves which help your opponent

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MISTAKES TO AVOID IN THE MIDDLEGAME:

1.Unguarded pieces and pawns
2.Exposure to:
a.Checks
b.Pins
c.Skewers
d.Knight forks
e.Doubled attacks
f.Discovered attacks
3.Weak pawns
a.Isolated
b.Doubled
c.Backward
4.“Holes” in Pawn Structure (potential enemy outposts)
5.Moving pawns in front of your castled King (except for flight squares or to safely attack)

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Now don't panic... just look at these items one by one... talk to your friends if any of the terms are unfamiliar to you (a lot of them will be, as you're just starting out). Or, you might be able to google them and learn about them yourself...just google the term, along with the word "chess" and hopefully, you'll find a link to a site explaining each unfamiliar term.

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Some books I'd recommend:

1) A World Champion's Guide to Chess - Susan Polgar
2) Chess Tactics for Champions - Susan Polgar

Bruce Pandolfini has a lot of excellent books out, many of them geared to beginners/novices... ask your friends for some recommendations.

Learning tactics will be the most important thing for you right now...do NOT worry about studying openings at this point...

Also, learn how to play basic endgames... this will teach you how various pieces work together in combination, and that is much easier to learn when there are just a few pieces on the board (as in the endgame) than when most pieces are still on the board.

Yasser Seirawan has an excellent series out as well... you can check out:

1) Play Winning Chess
2) Winning Chess Endings
3) Winning Chess Tactics

There are other books in the series on Strategy, Openings, Brilliancies and Combinations...but you don't need to worry about those at this point...get some experience first.


I'd also recommend "Logical Chess, Move by Move" by Irving Chernev... this book contains 33 Grandmaster Level games, and EVERY move of every game is explained as to why it was made (or why it shouldn't have been made).

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Later on, you can take on more advanced books...but for now, just study tactics and endgames, and learn good opening PRINCIPLES (not individual openings)... by Principles, I mean:

1) Don't move more than two pawns in the opening
2) Develop your pieces to their best squares, and develop knights before bishops
3) Castle early to protect your King, and unite your Rooks, but not TOO early...castling early will let your opponent know where your King's going to be for the rest of the game. If possible, leave castling options open for Kingside AND Queenside.
4) Control the Center, either directly with pawns or indirectly with long distance pieces
5) Try to prevent your opponent from accomplishing these same goals.
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And finally, try to learn something from EVERY game you play... don't worry too much about winning and losing when you're starting off... and remember, you can learn just as much, if not more, from games you lose than from games you win. (You learn more from better players than from players you can easily beat).

There's a lot to learn in chess...but it's the greatest game ever invented... just have fun with it... and best of luck to you!

Answer 2

No one is usually very good when they first start playing, so you are normal. One of the main strategies is to try to get control of, and hold the middle positions of the board. Part of winning comes from loosing a lot! Become observant of opponents who always make the same moves and use the same pieces. If you take their favorite pieces, it will tend to throw their game off. It also depends on the level of your opponent. Don't worry about sacrificing some to win some, otherwise your game will be slow and laborious. Computer chess is okay, but it lacks that human element, and is not as much fun to me as playing a real person. But, if you play computer chess on it's lower challenge levels, where you tend to win more often, you may learn something. One other thought, would be to go to a local library or bookstore, and check out a book that teaches chess to young children. These books I have found to be very helpful for anyone who is new to the game, regardless of age! I would avoid the books by the so called "masters and grandmasters". They tend to be boring, and recreate games that have already been played. Rarely are they instructional, and are not really helpful for novice players.

Answer 3

The instant success formula for beginners is to put your pawns in the center and develop your pieces. If you do this you are already better than 99% of all chess players who usually push pawns forward one square for no reason and neglect development.

If you want to win against other beginners than attacks against f7 are often successful. I am not saying this is a good strategy against best play, but you can win many games against beginners with the 4 move checkmate by just play 1.e4 2.Bc4 3. Qh5 4. Qxf7#. If you do not understand what this notation means look up 'algebraic chess notation' on google.

If you are trying to compete against good players, like you might find at an online chess server, you need to get a basic grasp of tactics. I can recommend the book 'winning chess tactics' by yasser seirawan as it is an excellent introduction to the basic tactics which take advantage of the fork, the pin, and the skewer.

A good website to learn these basic tactics and what amounts to a real crash course in basic tactics is the site http://chess.emrald.net Spend an hour or so each day trying to solve these tactics, but don't rush yourself. The site scoring is based on quick answers but as a beginner you shouldn't risk not understanding what is going on. If you fail the question, make sure you look at the correct answer and try to understand it. It will seem very confusing at first.
I remember the first time I looked at a Bobby Fischer game all the sacrifices confused the living snot out of me. But now when I look at the same games, while it is still confusing, I understand much, much more than I did back then. For your reference I am rated 1803 USCF (united states chess federation) so I have a little bit of experience and skill when it comes to this.

Remember, chess is 99% tactics. And among players rated below master level, most games are decided by a tactic which results in the win of a piece or more. That is why you should spend a great deal of time learning tactical methods.

That doesn't mean you should neglect learning the basics of positional chess such as effective squares to develop the pieces, and I can recommend the entire yasser seirawan series that starts with "play winning chess". When you get a little more experienced than you can move on to "reassess your chess" by Jeremy Silman.

Maybe this answer was overkill, but keep in mind you can spend as much time as you want on chess and even an hour a day doing the things I mentioned will make you much, much stronger than just about anyone else you ever play unless you're playing at a chess club or online.

Answer 4

If you want to play chess you need to be patient. There is no quick way to finish off your opponent. Because if there is, then all the chess players in the world won't have to wait for 2 hours playing the game. If you don't have patience, and can't wait to knock out your opponent, then quit playing chess.
All you need is practice and patience. Good luck on your chess club tomorrow!

Answer 5

I KNOW HOW TO WIN IN THREE MOVES!!!! however the move is very obvious and dosen't work on skilled players. my best tip: make sure you castle keep you king blocked in by pawns. the knight is the queen killer. try and think a few moves ahead make them play your game.

Answer 6

Go to www.google.com or www.askjeevs.com

And type in chess tips.
You should get plenty of good websites.

Best Of Luck<3

Answer 7

always look before you move
always think before you even touch your pieces
pawns are the deciding factor in an endgame
never surrender, never give up until all is loss

Answer 8

Study the end game.
Can you checkmate your opponent's king with only a king and rook? with a king and queen? with a king and two rooks?

Answer 9

Study up on some gambits. After that just keep playing.

Answer 10

use pawns on the sides first

Answer 11

wear a low cut top