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200 Principles Every Chess Player Should Know!

1: If you control more than half of the squares on the board, you have an advantage.

2: A knight on the rim is grim.

3: Place your pawns on the opposite color square as your bishop.

4: The path from a1 to a8 is the same length as the path from a1 to h8.

5: Leave the pawns alone, except for center pawns and passed pawns.

6: In order to get the most from your knights, give them strong support points.

7: To be at their best, bishops require open diagonals and attackable weaknesses.

8: Rooks require open files and ranks in order to reach their full potential.

9: Don’t bring the queen out too early.

10: Connect your rooks as soon as you can.

11: Develop a new piece with each move in the opening.

12: Don’t move the same piece twice in the opening if you can help it.

13: Develop knights before bishops.

14: A wing attack is best met by a counterattack in the center.

15: Before beginning a wing attack, make sure your center is secure.

16: Centralize your pieces to make them powerful.

17: When choosing between two pawn captures, it’s generally better to capture toward the center.

18: Play to control the center, whether Classically or in the hypermodern style.

19: Castle early and often.

20: Do not move pawns in front of your castled king.

21: Pay particular attention to the f2- and f7-squares.

22: A queen and a rook will always checkmate a naked king.

23: Do not pin your opponent’s f3- or f6-knight to his queen with your bishop until after he’s castled.

24: Never a mate with a knight on f8.

25: When ahead in material, trade pieces, not pawns.

26: When behind in material, trade pawns, not pieces.

27: In situations with three healthy pawns versus a minor piece, the piece is usually superior in the middlegame, while the pawns are usually superior in the endgame.

28: An extra pawn is worth a little trouble.

29: In positions with an unusual disparity in material, the initiative is often the deciding factor.

30: Passed pawns must be pushed.

31: Doubled pawns are a weakness in that they are immobile, but a strength in that they offer half-open files for rooks.

32: Look to liquidate backward and isolated pawns.

33: Fewer pawn islands means a healthier position.

34: If you must accept pawn weaknesses, make sure you get compensation in one form or another.

35: Location, location, location.

36: Exchange pieces to free your game when cramped.

37: Avoid piece exchanges when you control more squares.

38: Break a bind in order to free your pieces, even if it costs a pawn.

39: The move ... d7-d5 is the antidote for the poison in many gambits.

40: Don’t attack unless you have the superior game.

41: You must attack when you have the superior game, or you will forfeit your advantage.

42: Every move is an opportunity to interfere with your opponent’s plans, or to further your own plans.

43: A sustained initiative is worth some material.

44: The initiative is an advantage. Take it whenever you can, and take it back when you don’t have it, if at all possible.

45: A rook on the seventh rank is sufficient compensation for a pawn.

46: Superior development increases in value in proportion to the openness of the game.

47: Attacking two weaknesses on opposite sides of the board simultaneously will stretch out the defense.

48: The bishop pair is usually superior to a bishop and a knight or two knights in an endgame with pawns on both sides of the board.

49: Opposite-colored bishops will usually give the weaker player a good chance to draw a bishop-and-pawn endgame, but can often be a virtual extra piece for the attacker in a middlegame.

50: Don’t grab the b-pawn with your queen—even when it’s good!

51: The double attack is the principle behind almost all tactics.

52: Ignore your opponent’s threats whenever you can do so with impunity.

53: Doubled rooks have more than twice the power of one rook.

54: Hit ’em where they ain’t.

55: Relentlessly attack pinned pieces, weak pawns, exposed kings, and other immobile targets.

56: The threat you do not see is the one that will defeat you.

57: Always check, it might be mate!

58: Never miss a check!

59: Be aware of the numbers and types of attackers and defenders in a convergence.

60: Sacrifice your opponent’s pieces.

61: If you sacrifice material for the initiative, make sure that initiative is enduring, or at least that it can be exchanged for some gain elsewhere.

62: Accept a sacrifice not with the idea of holding on to the material, but with the idea of later gaining something by giving the material back.

63: The only way to refute a gambit is to accept it.

64: A knight, firmly ensconced in a hole deep in the opponent’s territory, is worth a rook.

65: Three minor pieces are usually much stronger than a queen.

66: Maintain the tension in the position rather than dissipating it too soon.

67: The threat is greater than its execution.

68: Pawn majorities should be marched forward with the candidate leading.

69: Attack the base of a pawn chain.

70: Rooks belong behind passed pawns.

71: Blockade isolated, backward, and passed pawns, using a knight if possible.

72: Use a minority of pawns to attack a majority of pawns with the purpose of destroying the pawn structure of the majority.

73: The best defense is a good attack.

74: In Alekhine’s Defense and other hypermodern openings, White has his initiative to defend.

75: Good attacking play wins games. Good defense wins championships.

76: Look through the pieces’ eyes.

77: Play blindfold games.

78: Concentrate on forcing moves.

79: Never miss a chance to attempt to solve any position you come across.

80: Decide on your candidate moves and look at them each in turn.

81: Place your pawns on the opposite color square as your bishop.

82: Place your knight and pawns or your knight and bishop on the same-colored squares; that way they can control more squares.

83: A good knight will overwhelm a bad bishop in an endgame even worse than a good bishop will.

84: Possession of the bishop pair is often compensation enough for weak pawns.

85: A queen and knight complement each other and are often superior to a queen and bishop.

86: Trade off your bad bishops.

87: Trade your passive pieces for your opponent’s active pieces.

88: Trade your opponent’s attacking pieces in order to break the attack.

89: Trade pieces, particularly major pieces, when your pawn structure is healthier than your opponent’s.

90: Exchange your opponent’s blockading pieces in order to make room for passed pawns to march.

91: Exchange your opponent’s defending pieces in order to make room for your remaining attacking pieces to infiltrate.

92: A bad plan is better than no plan at all.

93: A good plan incorporates many little plans.

94: In isolated d-pawn positions, the plans are clearly spelled out.

95: Keep your plans flexible.

96: In pawn chain, opposite-side castling positions, attack where your pawn chain is pointing.

97: Your only task of the opening is to get a playable middlegame.

98: When caught in an opening you don’t know, play healthy, developing moves.

99: In open games, get the pieces developed and the king safe, and do it quickly.

100: In queen pawn games, do not obstruct the c-pawn.

101: As Black, play to equalize.

102: The transition to the middlegame will often require a lot of thought.

103: Look to the pawn structure in order to come up with a plan.

104: Make sure all your pieces are defended.

105: Build up small advantages when a combination is not available.

106: The king is a fighting piece—use it!

107: The aim of most endgames is to promote a pawn.

108: Make use of Zugzwang, triangulation, and coordi- nate squares in endgames.

109: A crippled pawn majority will have difficulties creating a passed pawn.

110: When in doubt, do anything but push a pawn.

111: Style can be more important than strength.

112: Strive to get into positions you are comfortable with.

113: Know your limitations.

114: Know your strengths.

115: Choose the competitions best suited to you.

116: Strive for positions that make your opponent uncomfortable.

117: Don’t be intimidated by a high rating or strong reputation.

118: Don’t take your opponent too lightly.

119: Don’t let your opponent distract you.

120: Don’t feel sorry for your opponent.

121: Play blindfold chess every chance you get.

122: Attempt to solve any position you come across, anytime, anywhere.

123: In figuring out a tactical sequence of moves, choose the candidate moves first. Only then follow them through to their logical outcome, one at a time.

124: In order to see ahead with any clarity, it is necessary to concentrate on forcing moves (those that change the material or pawn structure of a position).

125: Keep every little detail straight in comparing a position in your head with the one on the board.

126: Have the courage of your convictions.

127: Play those positions you know, even if you think your opponent knows more about them.

128: Inferior positions are actually the easiest to play

129: Don’t offer a draw to a superior player when you are winning, unless a draw secures a big prize.

130: Unless you stand to gain big-time, don’t offer or accept a draw early in the game or any time there are chances for both sides, regardless of how strong your opponent is or which color you have.

131: There are no signposts such as “White to play and win” during a game to alert you.

132: Be on the alert at all times for opportunities in any game that you play. They come up when least expected.

133: Strike while the iron is hot.

134: Don’t get bogged down so much in little details that you miss the bigger picture.

135: Trust your intuition—it’s usually right.

136: Check all of your analysis a second time.

137: Check for yourself any published analysis you are relying on using.

138: Combinations and complicated tactical play will usually turn out in favor of the side with the sounder position.

139: Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. They are inevitable. Rather, get in the habit of learning from them.

140: Mistakes tend to come in bunches.

141: After you’ve made a mistake, take some extra time to calm yourself and reassess the position.

142: Don’t overlook subtle mistakes, such as taking too much or too little time for a move, carelessness in researching your openings or opponent, failing to eat right or get enough sleep, and so on.

143: Don’t ever expect your opponent to make a mistake.

144: Transition positions (from the opening to the middlegame or directly to the endgame, from the middlegame to the endgame) are the most difficult to handle.

145: React to an unexpected, strong move by reassessing the position calmly.

146: React to any major change in the position by reassessing the position calmly.

147: Know the difference between a strategic position and a tactical position, and react to each accordingly.

148: Nobody ever won a game by resigning.

149: The hardest game to win is a won game.

150: Physical stamina is sometimes more important in chess than knowledge or analytical ability.

151: Try to get the most you can from any position, at any time.

152: Don’t give up the game until there’s nothing left to play for.

153: Make your decision, then live or die with it.

154: When you see a good move, wait. Don’t play it. Look for a better move.

155: Spend some extra time on an important decision, when the result of the game is on the line. There’s no sense rushing now.

156: Stay out of time-pressure situations unless they are your bread and butter.

157: Take more time on transition positions and decisive moments.

158: Don’t go into a long think over routine moves.

159: Rely heavily on intuition rather than calculation in rapid games.

160: When your opponent is under time pressure, do not rush your moves to minimize the time she has to think during your thinking time.

161: Keep your mind on the game.

162: Focus your chess thinking.

163: Compare your position with similar positions you remember.

164: Think along strategic lines when it is your opponent’s turn and along tactical lines when it is your turn.

165: Use the question and answer format.

166: If you aren’t concentrating because of some dis- traction, perhaps the fault lies with your powers of concentration rather than in the distraction.

167: Find a way to proof yourself against distractions.

168: Disciplining your thinking will go a long way toward improving your concentration.

169: Don’t pay any attention to psychological aspects during a game.

170: Sit on your hands. Think it through first, then take action.

171: Be particularly patient with your pawns.

172: Be patient while waiting for your opponent to move.

173: (Missing)

174: Be patient in your calculation.

175: Be patient in reacting to times of crisis during your games.

176: There are all kinds of situations where luck plays a part in chess.

177: Fortune favors the brave.

178: The good player makes her own luck.

179: Practice makes perfect.

180: Play an opening first, then look up what theory there is on it.

181: There is nothing that will teach you more than a good drubbing by a strong player.

182: Always play at your best.

183: Practice playing endings if you want to master the intricacies of opening and middlegame positions.

184: Devour the games of the masters.

185: Get a teacher, colleague, or even a computer to check all your analysis and ideas.

186: One of the best ways to learn is to subject your own games to intensive analysis.

187: Study the game notes of top players. Learn the way they think in various positions, and imitate them.

188: Supplement your study with practice. The combination of the two is indispensable to a true understanding of the game.

189: Thoroughly enjoy the game.

190: When you have an emotional stake in the game, you work harder, remember more, and come up with better ideas. Losses hurt more.

191: Putting your all into a game will make you a dangerous opponent.

192: You cannot know all there is to know about chess.

193: Understanding is more important than memory.

194: Understanding, supported by memory, is still better than mere understanding.

195: Know the basic endgame positions.

196: Know the basic tactical themes.

197: Making excuses for losing will not help you win more games.

198: Find the real reason things went wrong, and work to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

199: Learn from your defeats, your draws, and your victories.

200: You will get out of chess what you put into it.

200 Principles Every Chess Player Should Know! 1: If you control more than half of the squares on the board, you have an advantage. 2: A knight on the rim is grim. 3: Place your pawns on the opposite color square as your bishop. 4: The path from a1 to a8 is the same length as the path from a1 to h8. 5: Leave the pawns alone, except for center pawns and passed pawns. 6: In order to get the most from your knights, give them strong support points. 7: To be at their best, bishops require open diagonals and attackable weaknesses. 8: Rooks require open files and ranks in order to reach their full potential. 9: Don’t bring the queen out too early. 10: Connect your rooks as soon as you can. 11: Develop a new piece with each move in the opening. 12: Don’t move the same piece twice in the opening if you can help it. 13: Develop knights before bishops. 14: A wing attack is best met by a counterattack in the center. 15: Before beginning a wing attack, make sure your center is secure. 16: Centralize your pieces to make them powerful. 17: When choosing between two pawn captures, it’s generally better to capture toward the center. 18: Play to control the center, whether Classically or in the hypermodern style. 19: Castle early and often. 20: Do not move pawns in front of your castled king. 21: Pay particular attention to the f2- and f7-squares. 22: A queen and a rook will always checkmate a naked king. 23: Do not pin your opponent’s f3- or f6-knight to his queen with your bishop until after he’s castled. 24: Never a mate with a knight on f8. 25: When ahead in material, trade pieces, not pawns. 26: When behind in material, trade pawns, not pieces. 27: In situations with three healthy pawns versus a minor piece, the piece is usually superior in the middlegame, while the pawns are usually superior in the endgame. 28: An extra pawn is worth a little trouble. 29: In positions with an unusual disparity in material, the initiative is often the deciding factor. 30: Passed pawns must be pushed. 31: Doubled pawns are a weakness in that they are immobile, but a strength in that they offer half-open files for rooks. 32: Look to liquidate backward and isolated pawns. 33: Fewer pawn islands means a healthier position. 34: If you must accept pawn weaknesses, make sure you get compensation in one form or another. 35: Location, location, location. 36: Exchange pieces to free your game when cramped. 37: Avoid piece exchanges when you control more squares. 38: Break a bind in order to free your pieces, even if it costs a pawn. 39: The move ... d7-d5 is the antidote for the poison in many gambits. 40: Don’t attack unless you have the superior game. 41: You must attack when you have the superior game, or you will forfeit your advantage. 42: Every move is an opportunity to interfere with your opponent’s plans, or to further your own plans. 43: A sustained initiative is worth some material. 44: The initiative is an advantage. Take it whenever you can, and take it back when you don’t have it, if at all possible. 45: A rook on the seventh rank is sufficient compensation for a pawn. 46: Superior development increases in value in proportion to the openness of the game. 47: Attacking two weaknesses on opposite sides of the board simultaneously will stretch out the defense. 48: The bishop pair is usually superior to a bishop and a knight or two knights in an endgame with pawns on both sides of the board. 49: Opposite-colored bishops will usually give the weaker player a good chance to draw a bishop-and-pawn endgame, but can often be a virtual extra piece for the attacker in a middlegame. 50: Don’t grab the b-pawn with your queen—even when it’s good! 51: The double attack is the principle behind almost all tactics. 52: Ignore your opponent’s threats whenever you can do so with impunity. 53: Doubled rooks have more than twice the power of one rook. 54: Hit ’em where they ain’t. 55: Relentlessly attack pinned pieces, weak pawns, exposed kings, and other immobile targets. 56: The threat you do not see is the one that will defeat you. 57: Always check, it might be mate! 58: Never miss a check! 59: Be aware of the numbers and types of attackers and defenders in a convergence. 60: Sacrifice your opponent’s pieces. 61: If you sacrifice material for the initiative, make sure that initiative is enduring, or at least that it can be exchanged for some gain elsewhere. 62: Accept a sacrifice not with the idea of holding on to the material, but with the idea of later gaining something by giving the material back. 63: The only way to refute a gambit is to accept it. 64: A knight, firmly ensconced in a hole deep in the opponent’s territory, is worth a rook. 65: Three minor pieces are usually much stronger than a queen. 66: Maintain the tension in the position rather than dissipating it too soon. 67: The threat is greater than its execution. 68: Pawn majorities should be marched forward with the candidate leading. 69: Attack the base of a pawn chain. 70: Rooks belong behind passed pawns. 71: Blockade isolated, backward, and passed pawns, using a knight if possible. 72: Use a minority of pawns to attack a majority of pawns with the purpose of destroying the pawn structure of the majority. 73: The best defense is a good attack. 74: In Alekhine’s Defense and other hypermodern openings, White has his initiative to defend. 75: Good attacking play wins games. Good defense wins championships. 76: Look through the pieces’ eyes. 77: Play blindfold games. 78: Concentrate on forcing moves. 79: Never miss a chance to attempt to solve any position you come across. 80: Decide on your candidate moves and look at them each in turn. 81: Place your pawns on the opposite color square as your bishop. 82: Place your knight and pawns or your knight and bishop on the same-colored squares; that way they can control more squares. 83: A good knight will overwhelm a bad bishop in an endgame even worse than a good bishop will. 84: Possession of the bishop pair is often compensation enough for weak pawns. 85: A queen and knight complement each other and are often superior to a queen and bishop. 86: Trade off your bad bishops. 87: Trade your passive pieces for your opponent’s active pieces. 88: Trade your opponent’s attacking pieces in order to break the attack. 89: Trade pieces, particularly major pieces, when your pawn structure is healthier than your opponent’s. 90: Exchange your opponent’s blockading pieces in order to make room for passed pawns to march. 91: Exchange your opponent’s defending pieces in order to make room for your remaining attacking pieces to infiltrate. 92: A bad plan is better than no plan at all. 93: A good plan incorporates many little plans. 94: In isolated d-pawn positions, the plans are clearly spelled out. 95: Keep your plans flexible. 96: In pawn chain, opposite-side castling positions, attack where your pawn chain is pointing. 97: Your only task of the opening is to get a playable middlegame. 98: When caught in an opening you don’t know, play healthy, developing moves. 99: In open games, get the pieces developed and the king safe, and do it quickly. 100: In queen pawn games, do not obstruct the c-pawn. 101: As Black, play to equalize. 102: The transition to the middlegame will often require a lot of thought. 103: Look to the pawn structure in order to come up with a plan. 104: Make sure all your pieces are defended. 105: Build up small advantages when a combination is not available. 106: The king is a fighting piece—use it! 107: The aim of most endgames is to promote a pawn. 108: Make use of Zugzwang, triangulation, and coordi- nate squares in endgames. 109: A crippled pawn majority will have difficulties creating a passed pawn. 110: When in doubt, do anything but push a pawn. 111: Style can be more important than strength. 112: Strive to get into positions you are comfortable with. 113: Know your limitations. 114: Know your strengths. 115: Choose the competitions best suited to you. 116: Strive for positions that make your opponent uncomfortable. 117: Don’t be intimidated by a high rating or strong reputation. 118: Don’t take your opponent too lightly. 119: Don’t let your opponent distract you. 120: Don’t feel sorry for your opponent. 121: Play blindfold chess every chance you get. 122: Attempt to solve any position you come across, anytime, anywhere. 123: In figuring out a tactical sequence of moves, choose the candidate moves first. Only then follow them through to their logical outcome, one at a time. 124: In order to see ahead with any clarity, it is necessary to concentrate on forcing moves (those that change the material or pawn structure of a position). 125: Keep every little detail straight in comparing a position in your head with the one on the board. 126: Have the courage of your convictions. 127: Play those positions you know, even if you think your opponent knows more about them. 128: Inferior positions are actually the easiest to play 129: Don’t offer a draw to a superior player when you are winning, unless a draw secures a big prize. 130: Unless you stand to gain big-time, don’t offer or accept a draw early in the game or any time there are chances for both sides, regardless of how strong your opponent is or which color you have. 131: There are no signposts such as “White to play and win” during a game to alert you. 132: Be on the alert at all times for opportunities in any game that you play. They come up when least expected. 133: Strike while the iron is hot. 134: Don’t get bogged down so much in little details that you miss the bigger picture. 135: Trust your intuition—it’s usually right. 136: Check all of your analysis a second time. 137: Check for yourself any published analysis you are relying on using. 138: Combinations and complicated tactical play will usually turn out in favor of the side with the sounder position. 139: Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. They are inevitable. Rather, get in the habit of learning from them. 140: Mistakes tend to come in bunches. 141: After you’ve made a mistake, take some extra time to calm yourself and reassess the position. 142: Don’t overlook subtle mistakes, such as taking too much or too little time for a move, carelessness in researching your openings or opponent, failing to eat right or get enough sleep, and so on. 143: Don’t ever expect your opponent to make a mistake. 144: Transition positions (from the opening to the middlegame or directly to the endgame, from the middlegame to the endgame) are the most difficult to handle. 145: React to an unexpected, strong move by reassessing the position calmly. 146: React to any major change in the position by reassessing the position calmly. 147: Know the difference between a strategic position and a tactical position, and react to each accordingly. 148: Nobody ever won a game by resigning. 149: The hardest game to win is a won game. 150: Physical stamina is sometimes more important in chess than knowledge or analytical ability. 151: Try to get the most you can from any position, at any time. 152: Don’t give up the game until there’s nothing left to play for. 153: Make your decision, then live or die with it. 154: When you see a good move, wait. Don’t play it. Look for a better move. 155: Spend some extra time on an important decision, when the result of the game is on the line. There’s no sense rushing now. 156: Stay out of time-pressure situations unless they are your bread and butter. 157: Take more time on transition positions and decisive moments. 158: Don’t go into a long think over routine moves. 159: Rely heavily on intuition rather than calculation in rapid games. 160: When your opponent is under time pressure, do not rush your moves to minimize the time she has to think during your thinking time. 161: Keep your mind on the game. 162: Focus your chess thinking. 163: Compare your position with similar positions you remember. 164: Think along strategic lines when it is your opponent’s turn and along tactical lines when it is your turn. 165: Use the question and answer format. 166: If you aren’t concentrating because of some dis- traction, perhaps the fault lies with your powers of concentration rather than in the distraction. 167: Find a way to proof yourself against distractions. 168: Disciplining your thinking will go a long way toward improving your concentration. 169: Don’t pay any attention to psychological aspects during a game. 170: Sit on your hands. Think it through first, then take action. 171: Be particularly patient with your pawns. 172: Be patient while waiting for your opponent to move. 173: (Missing) 174: Be patient in your calculation. 175: Be patient in reacting to times of crisis during your games. 176: There are all kinds of situations where luck plays a part in chess. 177: Fortune favors the brave. 178: The good player makes her own luck. 179: Practice makes perfect. 180: Play an opening first, then look up what theory there is on it. 181: There is nothing that will teach you more than a good drubbing by a strong player. 182: Always play at your best. 183: Practice playing endings if you want to master the intricacies of opening and middlegame positions. 184: Devour the games of the masters. 185: Get a teacher, colleague, or even a computer to check all your analysis and ideas. 186: One of the best ways to learn is to subject your own games to intensive analysis. 187: Study the game notes of top players. Learn the way they think in various positions, and imitate them. 188: Supplement your study with practice. The combination of the two is indispensable to a true understanding of the game. 189: Thoroughly enjoy the game. 190: When you have an emotional stake in the game, you work harder, remember more, and come up with better ideas. Losses hurt more. 191: Putting your all into a game will make you a dangerous opponent. 192: You cannot know all there is to know about chess. 193: Understanding is more important than memory. 194: Understanding, supported by memory, is still better than mere understanding. 195: Know the basic endgame positions. 196: Know the basic tactical themes. 197: Making excuses for losing will not help you win more games. 198: Find the real reason things went wrong, and work to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 199: Learn from your defeats, your draws, and your victories. 200: You will get out of chess what you put into it.