Chess Strategies

I REALLY suck at chess, I need strategy. If you are a good player, please help! I need strategy!

I suck too but here's my 2 cents.

Open with a center pawn, move pieces before pawns and knights before bishops, look around not ahead and if you find a good move, don't play it because you might find a better one. Some think that castling gives away your address but it's not about that, it's about securing your king and mobilizing the rook. Command open files with the rooks and keep thm connected. If you get forked, try to protect one forked piece with the other. Try to keep your pawns connected and his doubled because the back one is weak. Attack a pinned piece before he can get out of the pin. When you move a piece, you probably removed the protection from something else, so check for that. Try to get good at at least one opening. How many would know all the traps in the Falkbeer Counter Gambit (declined) Closed Variation by transposition? I think a very common failing is that we don't work as hard on our opponents moves, then we get taken by surprise. Long ago I found out that you don't learn by playing because you never know why you lost, you learn by studying! I found Fred Reinfeld to be a great author and teacher because he stuck the explanation in right where you didn't understand. Good luck.

BTW: Fred Reinfeld is dead but his books are so good most are still in print and I think the best of them is called Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations. The book has no annotations, it's all diagrams so don't need a board and each chapter explores a tactical theme. In one, you might have to find nothing but knight forks, in the next, pins, then scewers, etc. The solution won't be on the next move, you'll have to engineer the fork or the pin. Very instructive and doable.

Good Positional Chess, Planning & Strategy Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/introduction-to-positional-chess-planning-strategy

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

You probably need to mostly work on checkmate patterns and basic tactics. For developing the strategic aspects of you game, I recommend this book: http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2013/01/logical-chess-book-review.html

I agree that Reinfeld's books are very good for beginners and novice players. Even experienced players can gain a lot from "1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations", as mentioned by @2BillyBob2. A companion book to that one, "1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate", is also excellent. Grouping the exercises together by theme trains your mind to be aware of the tactical elements in a position.

I've written several posts aimed at helping players like you who might not be able to afford a coach. Here are some links to those posts:

1. How to Improve at Chess: Ultimate Guide
[https://www.chess.com/forum/view/for-beginners/how-to-improve-at-chess-ultimate-guide]
2. Jumpstart Your Chess Journey: Proven Tips for Beginners [https://www.chess.com/forum/view/for-beginners/jumpstart-your-chess-journey-proven-tips-for-beginners]
3. From Good to Great: Mastering Piece Arrangement on the Board [https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-lessons/from-good-to-great-mastering-piece-arrangement-on-the-board]
4. Mastering Piece Trades: Transforming the Chess Battlefield [https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/mastering-piece-trades-transforming-the-chess-battlefield]
5. Practical Endgames Demystified: Techniques for Victory [https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/practical-endgames-demystified-techniques-for-victory]

I hope you find these resources helpful in your chess journey. If you ever feel like you'd benefit from personalized coaching, feel free to reach out to me. Keep up the good work and remember, every game is a learning opportunity!

My playstyle revolves around concepts developed by ai in several games. I control the board and suffocate my opponent eventually and slowly preventing all good moves