How to win chess games?

Avoid mistakes and exploit any mistake your opponent makes.

The biggest reason people struggle in lower-level chess is because of blunders. They make them in almost every game.

A mistake can instantly put you in a bad position, no matter how well you played earlier: if you had great opening knowledge, great positional skills, great endgame skills, whatever; a single mistake can change everything (you lose a piece or get checkmated).

So, how do you avoid blunders? Follow this simple algorithm:

While avoiding blunders is crucial, I also share a few basic principles with my students. These principles help them figure out what to do in each part of the game - the opening, the middlegame, and the endgame. Understanding these simple principles is like having a map for your moves. I provide my students with more advanced algorithms that incorporate these fundamental principles. When you use this knowledge along with being careful about blunders, you're not just getting better at defending. You're also learning a well-rounded approach to chess. Keep in mind, chess is not just about not making mistakes; it's about making smart and planned moves to outsmart your opponent.

Think before you make your moves. Is there a threat? Is this move safe? Is there a possible checkmate? This helped me improve my rating a LOT.

Play better than your opponent.

Fight like Mayweather - patient, technically solid, give nothing away, when the opportunity materializes then counterattack viciously and give your opponent no chance.

read gothams new book!

I was playing in a tournament at the Fredericton campus of UNB when a guy had a heart attack right at the chess board. His opponent won on time.

After the ambulance crew came and took him away, the tournament director walked over to his board, looked at it for a few seconds, said "He was losing anyway." and walked away.

Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond.....

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

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

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