Tips for chess playing

Please give advice to beginners on how to play chess. And is it worth going through puzzles and lessons in chess.com?

Thanks for answering!

I think puzzles and lessons are personal choice, some people enjoy them but others don't. I enjoy both so it's up to you, give them a try and see what you think. As for playing the game, you'll find plenty of information on the site and in multiple forum posts, the moves of chess are easy enough to learn so start with the basics, the advantages and disadvantages of each piece, each piece has a value but that can go up or down depending on the position on the board, a pawn is a typical example, the lowest value but the only piece that can be promoted so valuable towards the endgame. You have three different parts to each game, the opening, this is moving your pieces at the start of the game into better positions, the middle game, your pieces have been placed well and now you're looking for weaknesses in your opponents position, finally the endgame, this is usually the minor pieces left like pawns and the King but a pawn can be promoted and one bad move can be the difference between a loss/win or draw. You'll learn a lot more as you play and eventually be winning your own games. The most important thing is have fun and enjoy your games 😀

#1
"Please give advice to beginners on how to play chess." ++ Most important is to play and to analyse your lost games so as to learn from your mistakes.

"it worth going through puzzles and lessons in chess.com?" ++ Yes it is good. However, just like you cannot learn to swim or to drive a car from a book you cannot learn chess without playing.

My more generalized advice is to slow down and think about each position you see, whether it be puzzle or games. Additionally, follow the CCT theory, which is identify all checks to the kings, all captures of pieces, and all threats to pieces. This 1) forces you to slow down 2) increases the chances of seeing 1 move checkmates, hanging pieces, under defended pieces. Then, create a study program where you solve some puzzles each day, play and analyze a game each day, then maybe do some type of work like a Chess.com/ChessAble.com interactive course or if preferred, read a chess book. Over time you will see improvement. 

-Jordan

Sloooooow down! I just played over one of the recent games that you lost. It was a 60 minute game, and you gave away your queen before 3 minutes had expired. At your level, clearly, 60 minutes is way too long because you don't have enough knowledge or experience to make use of the thinking time. I would recommend 15/10. (15 minutes for the whole game for each side, with 10 seconds added every time you make a move). But before you make a move,  you must ask a few questions: 1) Am I putting any of my pieces in jeopardy? 2) What is his best response to this move? (Always assume that the opponent will find the best reply). 3) Is there anything I can capture for free? 4) What good thing does this move do for my position? and 4) Do I have a purpose behind this move, or am I just making it to do something? The advice above, too, to watch dozens of master games (chessgames.org is fabulous for this) is excellent. Start with the games of Morphy and just let his genius soak in for a while.

Try to win :smart

Simply thoughtfully process thru the Chess.com Lessons and you will probably do well.

For convenience, here is the Link: https://www.chess.com/lessons

Hi! My name is Lauren Goodkind and I’m a respected  chess coach and chess YouTuber who helps beginners out : 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP5SPSG_sWSYPjqJYMNwL_Q

 Yes, going through the lessons on chess.com is worth it! 

Here’s some more ideas to help you get better.  

-I recommend two books for you: “50 Poison Pieces”   and “Queen For A Day: The Girl’s Guide To Chess Mastery.”  Both books are available on Amazon.com.  Both books are endorsed by chess masters!  

-If you are serious about chess, I highly recommend you hiring a chess coach to help you.  

-Also consider all checks and captures on your side and also your opponent’s side. Always as, “If I move here, where is my opponent going to move?”. Do this for every single move!  

-Play with a slow time control, such as G/30 so you have plenty of time to think before every move. 

-You are welcome to come to my free online beginner chess class on April 9: https://www.chessbylauren.com/blog/OnlinechessclassApril9

Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond

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

Learn the rules and how the pieces move. If terms like castling and en passant sound strange, there’s a hint.

Seems obvious but you would be surprised.

Play wing pawns(c4/c5) instead of center pawns(e4/e5).