Beginners Tips: Keep It Simple, Play It Safe

During my early years of learning chess, one of my frustration was that I kept falling into tactical traps all the time. I realized that I was not as gifted as others when handling complex positions, so I learned to keep my games simple and play them safe. So today I would like to share some tips that I believe may be helpful for beginners.

Thinking Process

Before making a move, it is important to calculate several moves ahead. Advanced players may want to calculate more moves, but for beginners 2-3 moves ahead are enough. Check each of the opponent's piece which squares where it can go to.

Fast Deployment

During opening stage, it is critical to get your pieces (non-pawns) out as soon as possible. Although there are openings that delay the deployment of the pieces (non-pawns), for beginners it is important to develop your pieces (non-pawns) at an equal or faster rate than your opponent. It is better to get your guns out early than late. Keep it simple. Play it safe.

Material Count

The common mistake that beginners make is that they tend to throw away materials. Be stingy. Do not throw away materials unless you get a worthy compensation for it. At any stage of the game, you must always keep count how many pieces you and the opponent have.

The Command Center

Fight for the center. Those who have control over the center generally have easier task in coordinating their pieces. When you are under heavy fire, a permanent way to disperse the opponent's attack is by retaking the center.

Dangerous Line-Ups

When pieces are put along the same horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines, they are in a potentially dangerous position. Scan around for threats when you put your pieces along the same line. For practical reason, it is better to scatter your pieces along different lines instead. Below is an example of the rooks being attacked on their blindside.