4 Chess Tips and Tricks That Every Player Needs to Know

With the resurgence of worldwide interest in chess after the success of The Queen’s Gambit, many newcomers to the game are trying to learn the ropes and discovering how hard the game is!

Chess is famously known as a game of wits. While it looks like checkers, it’s more complicated and requires more careful planning. 

Seasoned chess players know the tips and tricks required to have a successful game, but it takes practice to perfect your methods. We’re here to get you started with a few chess tips. 

Keep reading to start developing your chess strategy.

1. Never Act on Impulse

This is the most important thing that you need to know when it comes to chess, and it’s the hardest thing for many newcomers to master. No matter how good you think a move is or how threatened you feel by your opponent, don’t act on a whim. 

A good game of chess requires patience. Always assume that your chess partner is thinking two steps ahead of you and that their current move is either setting up the next one, or it’s a distraction. 

When it’s your turn, look at the entire board and take a moment to consider what you’re doing. 

2. Use Your Whole “Team”

When you first get started, it’s easy to want to stick to a few pieces per game. You may not remember the roles of all of the pieces, or you may have a hard time keeping track. 

This is a mistake. You have all of these unique pieces for a reason, so take control of the board and use them all. 

This takes some trial and error. As a beginner, you’re still learning how each piece can move, and you’ll make some mistakes that result in losses. Try not to stress about it. It’s part of the learning process. 

3. Study and Visualize

People have been playing chess for over 1,000 years. This means that many people before you have developed chess tricks and strategies that stood the test of time. If you want to be an expert chess player, you need to take advice from centuries of experts. 

You can use Chesspen.com to learn about some of the more common strategies that players use so you know how to respond to them in a game.

Once you’ve learned, you can start to visualize in real-time. What move can you set up? What move is your opponent setting up and how can you sabotage it? 

4. Start With Two Spaces

When you start your game, you have the option to move your pawn one space or two. Our suggestion? Start with two.

Starting with one feels like the safer move, but unless you have a plan, it’s best to give yourself extra room. By moving two spaces, you free up more of your pieces in the back, which gives you flexibility during the first stages of the game. 

Use These Chess Tips During Your Next Game

As a beginner, you’re going to spend a lot of time losing games. This can be discouraging unless you frame it as a learning process.

By using these chess tips, you can start developing your own chess strategy. Over time, you’ll start to improve and win your own chess games. Everyone starts somewhere, but you have to play to learn!

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