Hey guys, I'm new to chess and I really want to improve my chess games. I have been playing a lot but no progress at all :( . I wonder what do you guys think in a chess game, how to make a proper move, when to make a move ?
Thanks :)
Thanks :)
if possible join a chess club with proper training. if that is not possible look for beginner tipps videos on youtube. learn an opening (white and black) you are comfortable with (for example spanish and sicilian) you are gonna be comfortable with.
daily tacitics + blitz (don't play under 3 minutes otherwise you gain nothing) is helpfull.
especially: analyse games after playing so you learn from your mistakes.
daily tacitics + blitz (don't play under 3 minutes otherwise you gain nothing) is helpfull.
especially: analyse games after playing so you learn from your mistakes.
Think about candidate moves. watch john bartholomew on youtube.
There are many resources also on this site, when browsing lichess on a computer you have a "learn" tab. check it out.
There are many resources also on this site, when browsing lichess on a computer you have a "learn" tab. check it out.
It might help to get your hands on a copy of "Think Like a Grandmaster" by Alexander Kotov. It's basically a whole book devoted to answering this very question.
That said, I'm not sure how I would have found it as a beginner; probably a little hard going. The most important piece of advice I can give is this: you need to train yourself to be able to calculate. And I mean *train* yourself; it's not something people are born doing, it's something people learn through practice.
I did this by sitting with the tactics trainer here on lichess and going through tactics; and when I say "going through", I mean I would sit with the tactic open, stare at the screen calculating moves, and refuse to input my move until I had absolutely calculated every possibility. I considered it a personal failure if the move the computer gave back had never crossed my mind. Sometimes I would spend 30 minutes on a single tactic, but I didn't give up (mostly out of personal pride). This very quickly boosted my tactics rating from ~1800 up to >2000, and I genuinely play better chess as a result.
The book I recommended above gives more good advice: sit with a board, set up a complicated position (preferably from a real game), and spend a good amount of time analysing that position. Ask yourself questions as if it were a real game, calculate lines, try to find out what the best moves are in the position. Don't move any pieces; force yourself to think in your head. After you're completely sure of your calculations, write down your move (and any other important thoughts), then - and the book is too old to recommend this, but I recommend it - check with an engine.
Finally, here are a few things I think during a game. I try to think about each of these things more-or-less every move. It gets easier with practice!
- What, if anything, was my last move threatening, and does my opponent's move stop that threat? If I threatened checkmate last move, and my opponent didn't stop that, then it would be a shame to forget about that threat!
- What does my opponent's last move do? What are they trying to accomplish with that move? Should I be trying to prevent that (prophylaxis), or do I have more direct ideas (checkmate threat/material gain)?
- What's my overall plan? For example, I might be: trying to develop my pieces, attacking on the kingside, probing for weaknesses, trying to win an isolated pawn, trying to blockade an isolated pawn, trying to defend against an attack, or something else entirely, depending on the position.
- What might my opponent be planning, and how can I stop that? If I were in my opponent's shoes right now, what move would I want to make? Should I be worried about those moves (probably yes!), and what moves can I make to stop or delay those threats?
- What opportunities does my opponent's last move open up for me? Say, they moved their queen; was their queen defending any pieces, which I can now capture? Do I have time to capitalize on that, or are they threatening more important things?
- What are the material imbalances? This influences my overall plan. If I'm down a pawn but have two bishops, then I would probably like to open the position and attack my opponent, if possible (either to win material or give checkmate). Conversely, if I'm up a pawn and my opponent has two bishops, then I want to keep my king safe, consolidate my pawn and try to trade pieces. If I've sacrificed a piece to open lines towards my opponents king, then I don't care if I drop a couple of pawns; by that point, I need to be focusing on checkmate. If I've sacrificed an exchange, then I need to stay active and try make sure my minor piece is worth a rook.
Of course, the move you eventually decide on should be backed up with some concrete calculations, hence my advice at the beginning: train yourself to be able to calculate.
That said, I'm not sure how I would have found it as a beginner; probably a little hard going. The most important piece of advice I can give is this: you need to train yourself to be able to calculate. And I mean *train* yourself; it's not something people are born doing, it's something people learn through practice.
I did this by sitting with the tactics trainer here on lichess and going through tactics; and when I say "going through", I mean I would sit with the tactic open, stare at the screen calculating moves, and refuse to input my move until I had absolutely calculated every possibility. I considered it a personal failure if the move the computer gave back had never crossed my mind. Sometimes I would spend 30 minutes on a single tactic, but I didn't give up (mostly out of personal pride). This very quickly boosted my tactics rating from ~1800 up to >2000, and I genuinely play better chess as a result.
The book I recommended above gives more good advice: sit with a board, set up a complicated position (preferably from a real game), and spend a good amount of time analysing that position. Ask yourself questions as if it were a real game, calculate lines, try to find out what the best moves are in the position. Don't move any pieces; force yourself to think in your head. After you're completely sure of your calculations, write down your move (and any other important thoughts), then - and the book is too old to recommend this, but I recommend it - check with an engine.
Finally, here are a few things I think during a game. I try to think about each of these things more-or-less every move. It gets easier with practice!
- What, if anything, was my last move threatening, and does my opponent's move stop that threat? If I threatened checkmate last move, and my opponent didn't stop that, then it would be a shame to forget about that threat!
- What does my opponent's last move do? What are they trying to accomplish with that move? Should I be trying to prevent that (prophylaxis), or do I have more direct ideas (checkmate threat/material gain)?
- What's my overall plan? For example, I might be: trying to develop my pieces, attacking on the kingside, probing for weaknesses, trying to win an isolated pawn, trying to blockade an isolated pawn, trying to defend against an attack, or something else entirely, depending on the position.
- What might my opponent be planning, and how can I stop that? If I were in my opponent's shoes right now, what move would I want to make? Should I be worried about those moves (probably yes!), and what moves can I make to stop or delay those threats?
- What opportunities does my opponent's last move open up for me? Say, they moved their queen; was their queen defending any pieces, which I can now capture? Do I have time to capitalize on that, or are they threatening more important things?
- What are the material imbalances? This influences my overall plan. If I'm down a pawn but have two bishops, then I would probably like to open the position and attack my opponent, if possible (either to win material or give checkmate). Conversely, if I'm up a pawn and my opponent has two bishops, then I want to keep my king safe, consolidate my pawn and try to trade pieces. If I've sacrificed a piece to open lines towards my opponents king, then I don't care if I drop a couple of pawns; by that point, I need to be focusing on checkmate. If I've sacrificed an exchange, then I need to stay active and try make sure my minor piece is worth a rook.
Of course, the move you eventually decide on should be backed up with some concrete calculations, hence my advice at the beginning: train yourself to be able to calculate.
If you like principles, metaphors and using clever schemes, then search for something like thirty-six stratagems or military strategies. When reading, visualize the quotes or phases as if they were talking about chess.
I watched a video of a GM, he says that you have to practice with tactics, in order to train yourself to calculate difficult moves or positions, and to find the best option. I did it and I found it helpful. Add to this, you can see patterns, not necessarily the same moves, but the same patters when you are playing.
That's it.
That's it.
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