Noob Chess Player Questions

I will recommend you to get all 9 books of Artur Yusupov: Boost your chess. You will improve, I promise you. :-)

BOOKS DO HELP - I play lots of opponents who play over & over making the same errors.

When I have money... :P

Try the library. Used book stores. A club nearby ... borrow one?
Place a free add in a penny saver, "looking for books on chess."
There are lots of chess books sitting on peoples selves never being opened.

1. There are many ways to study chess, but as for a beginner, I suggest you play as much you can to feel how chess works. In my opinion, the best setting is 5+3 or any 5 mins with increment. (Increment is very important-- to make sure that we will not lose/win by time)

2. For now, tactics, tactics, tactics! Yes there are a lot of things to do, but just for now! Why? Let's count.. how many games you lose because you didn't know the pawn endgame theory, and how many game you lose because you blunder a piece or get checkmated somewhere!

3. practice, practice, practice!! no need to explain this one I guess :)

Experience and tactics are very important fundamentals for a beginner.

a trick i used to defeat a 1920 uscf equivalent in my first few club games and get a draw with another is to look at stoping your opponent moving his knights by accurate pawn moves then trying to limit his bishops you will find players soon get frustrated by this and make mistakes. also spend time to look at every single moves conurtations, i looked at every move for 8 plies ie 4 moves usually.