How do I get better?

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5.
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key. Centralized piece control more squares.
3. (King Safety)
4. Connect your rooks. There should be no pieces between your Rooks.

The objective of development is about improving the value of your pieces by increasing the importance of their roles (Piece Activity).  Well-developed pieces have more fire-power than undeveloped pieces and they do more in helping you gain control.

Now we will look at 5 practical things you can do to help you achieve your development objective.

They are:

1. Give priority to your least active pieces.

• Which piece needs to be developed (which piece is the least active)?
• Where should it go (where can its role be maximized)?

1. Exchange your least active pieces for your opponent’s active pieces.
2. Restrict the development of your opponent’s pieces.
3. Neutralize your opponent’s best piece.
4. Secure strong squares for your pieces.

Don’t help your opponent develop.

There are 2 common mistakes whereby you will simply be helping your opponent to develop:

1. Making a weak threat that can easily be blocked
2. Making an exchange that helps your opponent to develop a piece

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.
2. Look for forcing move: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board.
3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.
4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.
5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

1. Stop playing blitz, and bullet.  Play longer time controls of at least G45, or longer.  
2. Follow Opening Principles:

• Control the center.
• Develop minor pieces toward the center.
• Castle.
• Connect your rooks.

1. Study tactics...tactics...tactics.  One of my favorite quotes is this: "Until you reach Master, your first name is tactics, your middle name is tactics, and your last name is tactics”.
2. Double Check your moves.  Before making a move, ask yourself: "Are my pieces safe?"
3. After your opponent moves, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"
4. Analyze your games WITHOUT a chess engine, then have someone stronger go over the games, or post them online for review.
5. DO NOT memorize openings. Learn and understand the pawn structure, and piece placement for the opening you wish to learn.
6. Learn Basics Mates:

• K vs. KQ
• K vs. KR
• K vs. KRR

1. Learn Basic King and Pawn endings.

• KP vs. K
• Opposition

1. Have Fun!

Hey thanks for the suggestions. I guess the reason I don’t play longer time controls is because I don’t want to spend an hour on something that results in a loss.

Then you need to reword your post to: "How do i get better at speed chess"

Chess Openings Resources for Beginners and Beyond...

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

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

Opening traps (the kind you often see as recommendations for amateurs) are based mostly on the opponent not paying attention. If there's unprotected material in your position, check if your rival can reach it with tempo (like a check, a double-attack, etc.). If your rival is already pressing with several pieces, check if he can "invite more people to the party" (GM Seirawan, talking about "piece activity").

This article may be of some help too: https://www.chess.com/blog/Nicator65/how-does-an-amateur-play-the-opening-level-amateur

Most traps that people know are in the main,, main lines, like e4,e5. Players tend to always go for some type of catch there, cause almost everyone knows some gambits. That is why I play other lines like d4, c4 or the reti (which is kind of d4 also).

Other thing is, follow the basic principle of the gambits. Only take once, then let that pawn go and develop. However some gambits wants you to take so the pawn can walk on by. I personally dislike gambits, since it is a cheap shot win and has more to do with tricks than skill. Many players think they are clever and learn all the gambits and yes, they win a lot of games. However they don't learn positional play and strategy, since they rarely practice it. This means when their gambit fails they become weak players and gets destroyed.

My advice on openings. Forget about attacks, until you have all the minor pieces out, except if you see a forced win attack, but also take into account your defenses in those cases. Only make 1-2 pawn moves and get those pieces out. Being one move behind can become a problem fast.

But it could be the best hour you ever spent! If you are worried about losing it is simply unlikely you will ever get much better. 

There are three things you need to do to get better at anything: doesn't matter whether it is chess, drumming or design: practice, practice and practice. Maybe you should reword your question as - how do I get better without putting any work in and without losing any games?

Two aspirin, & sleep it off.

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Study

I have a channel that goes over openings, good gambits and things like that. If you want to learn those types of things then click https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXYjOKeyT-KCwK09Bvvxwg?sub_confirmation=1. Please subscribe as well. Thank You.

I wish people would be honest and phrase these types of posts correctly.  They should all say: 

"How do I get better playing speed chess?"

really true

Best advice ever. 

Thanks SoupTime for all this overwhelming but useful information. Do you recommend dailies then? Or is that too long a timespan? And what do you consider minor pieces? Pawns?