20 chess tips! · Top Chess Community

Jun '24 (edited) • GENERAL

20 chess tips!

Welcome to TCG! I am glad that you are seeing this post. This series summarises key tips for every player to improve.

Obey opening, middlegame and endgame principles.
Look for candidate moves, checks, captures, threats.
I encourage you to use openings where the c-pawn is advanced. Such as English and Sicilian.
Calculate as clearly as you can.
Find out what weaknesses and strengths the moves have.
If you're on chess.com, use Focus mode. Go to Settings -> Live Games -> Always use Focus mode -> Save
There are great tactics like removing the defender, overloading, etc. Look out for those.
Make sure every piece has a job.
Make sure most of your pieces are protected to prevent future blunders.
You are allowed to play a6/h6/a3/h3 once everything else is settled and active.
If you don't know what to play, make you least active piece more active.
Trade your bad pieces for good ones.
Always prepare well before a risky attack.
When something looks suspicious, calculate it and decide whether it's a trap or not.
You can have Sneak 100! Create a threat or attack a weakness while retreating at the same time. Your opponent might not realize it.
Make your opponent annoyed. Constantly create threats.
Don't get tunnel vision. While attacking the enemy, you also need to look after yourself.
ALWAYS analyze your games. Lost? Good! Learn from your mistakes.
Don't relax until game is over.
NEVER resign! What if your opponent disconnects? You never know.