starting out help :/

So I´m a beginner, I was hoping you could advice me about how I should begin studying, what I should get and read, what is enough. Something for me as a beginner and then something I could use as I learn more.

I have chessbase 9 and am starting to use the opening key and the other methods, or learn to read it, understand it rather. Is that enough even on expert level, chessbase?

Where should I start, I just can´t decide, so much stuff to choose from :/

It depends on what you want to accomplish. The goal of chess is not to become so good that you can win all the time. I am an average chess player now and can usually surprise people rated higher than me when I play them. My advice is to play about 10 chess games and learn from them. If it was a lost, find out where did you start losing. If you won, how did you win. If you can understand why you win some games and lose others then you are becoming a better chess player. Start playing chessbase 9 on easy and see if you can win. Most chess computers are quite strong even on easy. Read as many chess books as you can and learn from them. As far as openings you don't need any for white or black, just start with the center pawns or the pawns in front of your king and queen. Remember that each move must have a purpose and you will avoid making bad moves that give up your piece for free.

Learn the scholar's mate (4 move checkmate) and the fool's mate (2 move checkmate)  (see fool's mate picture in my profile) these are common beginner traps that beginners fall into. Fool's mate can easily be prevented by not moving the f-pawn or the pawn in front of the bishop on the king's side on your first move.

I was a beginner, but learn to become better through playing many chess games and learned why I won/lost each one. Any questions? I will be happy to help if I can.

thanks :) some good advice there

There are a couple of books that can help.  I would start with Lev Alburt's Comprehensive Chess Course Volumes I & II.  Then get a tactical puzzle book.  Sharpen Your Tactics by Anatoly Lein is a good one, probably the only puzzle book you'll need for a few years.  Then get an introductory opening book, nothing fancy, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess Openings comes to mind.

Then play and annotate your games.  A few points here.

1.  Be preapared to lose a lot!

2. You will only spot really big mistakes in your annotations, don't worry, you'll get better.

3. Try to stick with one type of time control.  (I assume you'll be playing on line)

4. Put your games in a database.

5. Use them as a jumping off point.  See what kind of positions you do well in & which you do poorly in.  After awhile you will begin to see trends and try to play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses.

Author Igor Khmelnitsky, reccomends a 80-20% split for beginers.  So you should play 80% of the time and study 20% of the time when you are rated 1000. As you get stronger this slides in the other direction. When you are rated 2000 you should play 20% of the time and study 80% of the time. 

Hope this helps.

The previous comments help a lot. Thanks.

I couldn't find "The Complete Idiot's Guide for Chess Opennings", but I have "The Complete Idiot's Guide for Chess" which has a section for opennings. The Idiot's Guide is rated higher than "Chess for Dummies" in Amazon.com which has both books for a discount price along with reviews. lulu.com is also a good place to look for discount prices on chess books.

 Try this link.

You got me there. Guess I should have followed my own advice and looked on Amazon instead of the Idiot's Guide web site. Oh well, thanks.

I thought you tried amazon.  I've searched for titles there before, and sometimes if you don't type in the EXACT title you get no results.  I've read through that book a few times at Barnes and Noble and it seems pretty good.

I would also get Chessmaster 9 or 10 (they both have great tutorials and great teaching tools. Version 10 has openeings you can practice too. You can get version 9 for about $10 and version 10 for about 20. It's a great program for learning & playing.

If you want to know the truth I think I spelled "openings" wrong on the Idiots Guide site. Sorry.

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess" is highly rated and has 58 reviews in Amazon.com that might be worth skimming. I own the book, but I have trouble getting into books. So I've been skimming the reviews to generate my interest in reading and studying the book.

thanks alot guys :)

"The Everything Chess Basics Book" is endorsed by the U. S. Chess Federation.