What Is My Opponent Planning? – The Key to Real Progress in Chess

What Is My Opponent Planning? – The Key to Real Progress in Chess
By Darko Polimac, FIDE Trainer

If you’re rated between 400 and 1200 on Chess.com, you’ve probably been told to “think ahead” or “develop your pieces,” but today I want to share a secret that often gets overlooked—and it’s one of the most powerful ideas that separates improving players from those who stay stuck:

Always ask yourself: What is my opponent planning?

This one question can transform how you play.

Most players at the beginner level get very excited when they see a threat of their own—maybe a hanging pawn or an undefended piece. They rush to grab it without thinking about what their opponent wants to do.

Let me tell you: chess is not a solo activity. Your opponent is not a statue. They have ideas too. If you ignore them, you will keep falling into traps, losing material, and wondering why your rating doesn’t improve.

Let’s say your opponent just played a quiet move like Re8. At first glance, it doesn’t look dangerous. But wait—what if they’re preparing ...e5 to open the center and unleash their pieces? If you ignore this and play a random move like h3, you might suddenly find yourself under heavy pressure.

This is why you must ask yourself after every move:
What is my opponent threatening?
If I were in their shoes, what would I play next?

This small habit will save you from countless tactical disasters.

Think of a chess game as a conversation. You speak (your move), your opponent replies (their move). But if you don’t listen to what they are trying to say, you’re just talking to yourself—and in chess, that’s how mistakes happen.

When you train (especially while solving puzzles or playing games), pause before every move and try to answer these:

• What changed with my opponent’s last move?

• Are any of my pieces in danger?

• Are they creating a threat, even if it’s not obvious?

This habit may feel slow at first—but soon it will become automatic. And trust me, your blunders will drop, and your rating will rise.

As a FIDE Trainer with over 25 years of experience and thousands of students, I’ve seen it again and again: the biggest leap in improvement happens not when students memorize openings, but when they start understanding what their opponent wants.

The moment a student starts spotting threats before they happen, chess becomes clearer, more enjoyable—and the wins start piling up.

If you’re serious about improving and tired of jumping from one YouTube video to another without a clear plan, I can help. I offer personalized chess coaching based on proven methods that helped many players, young and adult, go from casual to competitive—and most importantly, to enjoy the game at a deeper level.

Send me a message if you're ready to start training smarter. I’ll show you how to think, not just what to play.

Train smart. Think ahead. And always ask: What is my opponent planning?

Darko Polimac, FIDE Trainer