It isnât too difficult to understand why only a few games carry the global appeal of chess. Considered a thinking personâs game, chess is all about capturing opponent pieces and ultimately checkmating the king. While it sounds like a piece of cake on paper, it takes more than just good intuition to play chess and win frequently. The game is traditionally played on a chessboard, but mainly due to the pandemic, online chess has become a mainstay among players in the US. The Netflix show The Queenâs Gambit also added a great deal in creating a wave of enthusiasm for the nearly 1500-year-old game of chess.
If youâre also a part of the new wave of chess players but still reasonably new to it, you might be on the lookout for ways to get better. Upping your chess skills is essential to making your wins more consistent. Whether itâs for showcasing your skills at a local chess club or defeating opponents online, you can learn how to get better at chess. While it is a complex game, you can still gain a deep understanding.
So, ahead, we unpack how to improve chess game effortlessly!
Also Read: 10 Types of Chess Variants
Top 11 Tips On How To Get Better At Chess
Let’s now look at how to improve chess game in a few easy steps.
1. Know Every Rule
Regardless of whether youâre a serious chess player or not, it always makes sense to review the basic movements of pieces in chess along with its unique rules. One cannot get better at chess games if one doesnât know the exact rules or move pieces correctly. Learning how to play chess directly impacts your probability of winning.
Try joining any local chess clubs if you wish to get this done faster. Think of chess as a social game where you make long-lasting bonds with people. Thereâs absolutely no point feeling good by defeating weaker players. If you need to improve, start by memorizing every chess rule and countering opponent attacks in subsequent games.
2. Donât Overthink About Openings
Thereâs a preconceived notion that youâre likely to lose your game if your opening moves are not strong enough. This isnât necessarily true all the time. Some chess players prefer to believe that they need to spend countless hours understanding and memorizing hundreds of different opening variations. However, most of your opponents may play moves that go against their core strategy based on opponent moves anyhow, rendering all that insane opening preparation entirely useless.
It is evident that many players donât know about chess openings, and even if they do, the chances they play according to the way youâve planned are slim. Learn and exhibit strong opening principles from the beginning and let the proceedings play out. Donât always go by chess books and theories. This is how to get better at chess.
3. Exercise Board Control & The Kingâs Safety
A bulk of the games take place in the middle of the chessboard, where the pieces battle it out for the advantage. If youâre the first player to dominate the mid-section, then chances are, the game can turn out in your favor. This is one of the basic opening principles of chess, as it allows greater mobility for the pieces and gives them access to all parts of the board.
Protecting the king is vital. It is generally advisable to castle early, especially if youâre a newbie in chess puzzles. A castled king is safer than one in the boardâs center, and it helps avoid frustrating checks and checkmates early on.
4. Learn The Endgames
To nobodyâs surprise, most chess games donât conclude quickly; instead, only after dozens of moves and after several pieces have been captured by both players. This often leaves just the kings and a few other pieces or pawns. This is typically referred to as the âendgame,â where the objective is to promote any existing pawns to a queen by getting them across to the other end of the board. Understanding how to navigate the endgame will aid you in winning many games.
Look up chess websites and platforms to learn chess endings better and make more effective chess moves accordingly.
5. Practice As Much As Possible
As the old saying goes, you canât expect perfection in anything without going through the cycle of repetition of dealing with hurdles. The same applies to chess. Use every opportunity to play a chess game â be it on a smartphone or a handheld device, a computer, or on the actual board with friends and family members.
Since each personâs skills and tactics vary, youâll be subjected to a variety of openings and endgames, making your game stronger by the day. Keep practicing until you feel youâre ready for games with skilled opponents.
6. Review And Learn From Games Played
Wondering how do I get better at chess? Well, thereâs plenty to learn from every game you play â be it a new method of navigation, a new strategy, or a new thought process. Such valuable insights can always come in handy while playing chess.
Though it can be expensive, get a chess coach, if you must, to help get better at chess and develop the discipline to think creatively. You can also find chess engines online that help review your moves and understand where you went wrong and what you executed accurately. Knowing your strengths and flaws is the ultimate way to succeed in chess. If it helps, create a database of your own games â offline and online â to see what works and what doesnât.
7. Use All Available Chess Resources
Resources are aplenty when it comes to chess. It helps to utilize everything from books, TV shows, YouTube videos, and other material to become a pro at chess. We can even recommend some books that you should start right away. The list includes â
- Irving Chernevâs âLogical Chess Move by Move â: Teaches you how to ambush the king and also how to play positional chess with queen pawn openings.
- Aaron Nimzovitchâs âMy Systemâ: A solid beginner-to-intermediate level book.
- Alexander Kotovâs âThink Like a Grandmasterâ: A deep, established chess training manual for experts.
- Max Euweâs âJudgement and Planning in Chessâ: Explains how to judge a position depending on space advantage, pawn structure, end-game advantages, king attack, and combinations.
8. Avoid Critical Mistakes
It is crucial to avoid repetitive blunders while playing chess. The long list of mistakes includes playing too many moves with pawns, developing the queen way too early in the game, positioning the king in the center, leaving pieces unprotected, not using rooks efficiently, and playing without a strategy in mind.
Be sufficiently cautious every time you intend to make a risky move, as they can do more damage in the long haul even if they offer some timely captures. Castling ineffectively is a mistake that many chess players often make.
9. Accelerate Speed Of Play
If you think fast, you play fast. While this goes against the conventional mode of play, the online versions of chess call for quicker decisions and fast-paced gameplay. Each game has specific stakes, and each chess variant is played differently. When it comes to blitz or speed chess, what works is how you execute moves faster in an efficient manner.
10. Solve Chess Puzzles Regularly
Wondering how to get good at chess? Solve chess puzzles regularly.
Chess puzzles are a great way to sharpen your tactical skills. These puzzles present positions where you must find the best possible move or combination to gain an advantage. They help improve pattern recognition, calculation abilities, and decision-making under pressure.
Platforms like Chess.com, Lichess, and books like Winning Chess Tactics by Yasser Seirawan offer excellent puzzle collections to practice daily.
11. Maintain Focus & Stay Patient
Chess is a game of concentration and patience. Rushing moves or getting frustrated after a bad position can lead to mistakes.
Train yourself to stay calm, think deeply before making decisions, and always look for your opponentâs threats before making a move. Remember to practice mindfulness and deep focus exercises can help improve your mental endurance for longer games. Remember to gain as many games as possible to gain an upper hand. This is how you win games.
Added Pro Tip: Play against stronger opponents and learn from them
The statement writes itself. You donât gain much by playing against weaker opponents back-to-back. If you wish to up your skills, you should play against people whose chess game is immensely more potent.
Donât worry about failing. The bigger picture is figuring out why you lost and how you can work against that. Every successful chess player has lost in their journey to becoming truly great. So, itâs clearly a matter of willingness on how to improve chess game!
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FAQs
What is the 20-40-40 rule in chess?
The 20-40-40 rule suggests spending 20% of your time on openings, 40% on the middlegame, and 40% on the endgame. This helps balance learning and improve overall chess skills.
How to actually get better at chess?
A few tips you can incorporate are to play regularly, analyze your games, study tactics, learn openings, practice endgames, and solve puzzles. Watching grandmasters and using chess engines can also help improve your strategy and gameplay.
What is the #1 chess strategy?
Control the center. It is one of the top winning chess strategies Placing your pieces in the center (e4, d4, e5, d5) gives better mobility and attack options. It helps dominate the board and limits your opponentâs choices.
Is 1500 a good chess rating?
Yes! A 1500 rating is above average when you play games like chess, meaning you understand strategy, tactics, and planning. Itâs a solid club-level rating and a great foundation for further improvement in chess.
Is 700 a bad chess rating?
Not bad, just beginner level!
A 700-rated player is still learning and can improve with practice, puzzles, and studying tactics. Many players start here before progressing. So, the more games you play the better.
What is Magnus Carlsen’s IQ?
Though not officially confirmed, Magnus Carlsenâs IQ is estimated to be around 190, placing him in the genius category. His deep calculation skills and memory make him a chess prodigy.
