To play good chess.. Well, I'm not a FM/IM/GM for that matter, thus I'm not going to teach you about all the tactics, strategy, outposts, opening, weak squares, pawn structures, endgame, middlegame, bad bishops, imbalances, plans, etc. coz I'm not qualified (yet). But, if you're an average player, just like me, then I guess these tips could help you at least improve your game and yourself.. 1. To play good chess, Play till the last blood! By that, I mean if you're down a piece, don't keep on playing while your thoughts are "Damn, I'm losing. I'll lose. Just beat the crap out of me." What you should be thinking is,"Oh, you got my piece!? I'll make your life like a living hell!" Yeah, it's true. Mistakes sometimes happens. But, what you should be doing is to make your opponent's "winning" advantage as hard as possible to be reached. Make your opponents think more. Make your opponents frustrated. "Why does this guy can still hold up!? I've got him down already!". Build his/her anger and frust. AND take advantage of every little mistake he/she does! And sometimes they'll make an even BIGGER mistake because of that. I got a share of wins (and some losses as well) because of this. Try it yourself. Try playing with a piece up against Chessmaster and you'll know how frustrating it is (even more if you lose), assuming you're an average player just like me. 2. To play good chess, play the person Sometimes, the best move theoretically is not the best move practically. What you need to do is to play to put your opponent into positions that they're not comfortable with AND you're comfortable with. No, you don't need to analyze each of your opponents' games (if you do that then I salute you). Just play a few moves and you'll get the idea. If he prones to simplify then he'd like an open game. If he closes the pieces and pawns to himself probably he'd prefer closed game. You only have to keep your options open and act accordingly. Even easier, just choose an opening or gambit that is not quite popularly played. My personal favs are the King's Gambit (white) and the Latvian Gambit(black). Yeah, managed to pocket a few prizes thanks to these openings. But I suggest you not to rely much on openings as this will not help you much in improving your overall game. 3. To play good chess, Play with a clear mind Yeah, just like before a taking test, play with a clear mind. You won't be able to think and even make silly mistakes if you don't play with a mind focussed on playing chess. Avoid oily food (for me, at least) and thoughts of your game before or other stuffs. You lose if you think you have won the game, though you don't. The game ends when it ends and NOT before it ends. Got that? Good. 4. To play good chess, Read chess books / Use chess programs ! Yeah, this is an important step. You won't go far without these chess utilities. Maybe you're thinking that you will learn as you play. Yeah, you will. But that's too slow and you'll not really understand your wins and losses. Just think. You learn as you play. So, how many hours do you play chess? Alright. What about the chess books and chess programs? How many years of experience and studies have been put into those? More than a lifetime. Reading, though maybe boring for some of you, is a very important step in increasing your chess to the next level. But, thanks to the technology, you can even learn from the computer, which is much more fun, engaging and effective! Personally I really love the ChessMaster series! If you're serious, then consider getting chess engines that would help you analyze your games, point out all the mistakes you do in a game. Chess programs are just like your personal mentor and tutor! Some of the good engines are Fritz and Ruffian. Also get free PGN readers like ChessCat. Killer Chess Strategies and Chess Success Secrets are also a great bargain as they also offer more than $240 value of chess e-books and programs for free. You'll need to spend a lot more if you want the 'physical' books. Of course, you can always go and borrow from your friends or chess clubs. Well, I guess that's all for now. With those little tips you should be able to at least have a 'feel' for your game, and get wins! Thanks for reading my article! Hope you play good chess and able to reach further in your chess journeys! =) Cheers. P.S.: If you're interested in getting chess e-books, then I recommend these for beginners/intermediates: 101 Killer Chess Strategies Also offers Over $240 free bonuses including The Ultimate Chess Tutor Software Program, 1000's of visual training exam examples and actual Tournament Matches from Masters such as Bobby Fischer, Alexander Kotov, Puzzles and more... Chess Success Secret Also include "Chess Strategy" by Edward Lasker and "121 Chess Problems" which will help you a lot in increasing your tactical prowess!
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