A beginner's thought process

This has been an interesting topic to me for a while.  What criteria do different levels of players use to find good moves?

After we first learn, nearly all legal moves are equally plausible in any given position.  The only way we really distinguish between moves is if the move immediately threatens something.  In a practical sense this is useful not only because our peers will lack tactical patterns and blunder checking skills, but it also gives us as beginners a chance to practice basic visualization and tactical skills.

However in a purely objective sense, direct threats are more or less useless as a primary factor in considering the strength of a move.  So what do strong players base their evaluations on?  The answer is a bit like chess itself... simple to state but it's full implications are beyond any of us to master.

The most fundamental unit of strength in a position is mobility.  Mobility even defines the basic unit count (1 for a pawn, 5 for a rook, 9 for a queen etc).  And to immobilize the king means you've won the game.  A close second is the idea of activity, which is weather or not a piece has a useful function.  Mobility may be thought of as the means by which you're able to get a piece to preform a useful function (attack a weakness or defend one of your own weaknesses are useful functions).

As a newer player many fineries of the game are useless to even discuss.  Instead, playing many practice games where you try to build fundamental skills like visualization and blunder checking are what's useful.  The reason I even mention mobility is as you slowly add to your knowledge of the game the idea that all advantageous are intimately related to mobility is useful to keep in mind.

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And finally, to tie this into your games, I often see you attacking a piece when it does you no good.  You have to assume your opponent will not let you have any cheap shots :)   Instead try to put your pieces on  useful squares.  In general bishops like long diagonals and to not be hemmed in by friendly pawns, rooks like open or half open files, knight like advanced outposts.  Defending a weakness or attacking a weakness is activity also.

As a side note, some of the most vulnerable weaknesses are also the most immobile :)  That is to say, pawns.

In your 2nd game (check our your move 17)

 After 4.Nxf3  What a great example :)  Notice white is not a full pawn down because his position will enjoy superior mobility/activity for some time.

5. This attacking move does not increase your position's activity.  Especially in a gambit opening you have to really press for a lead in development.  Piece moves have preference (pieces are non-pawns)

It also ignores black's threat, BxN and if you recapture with your queen the d pawn falls.  If you recapture with the pawn your pawns are weak on the kingside.

6.Bb5+  Another attacking move.  Black can force it back.

7.Ba4  I like Bd3 better.  Central squares afford you more mobility (can swing to either side for activity).  Plus it would be nice to challenge black's centralized bishop.

8. You develop a piece with a gain of time, good move.

9. Not a useful square.

11. Leaves d4 undefended and posts the knight on an awkward square.  Bb3 instead kicks the queen and improves your bishop at the same time.

16. 0-0-0  White is now fully developed with his rooks "connected" (they can see each other) and all his other pieces off his back rank and castled.  Good job.

17. Rook on half open file aim through the bishop at the weak f6 pawn, now that's what I'm talking about! :)

The rest falls under ironing out the fundamentals.  Watch for tactics, check your opponent's last move for the threat and so forth.  Hope some of that helps.

I'd say that just about made up for his blunder on the 38th move. 

 You have a good starting knowledge of the game.  What I would recommend now (as well as for your opponent) is to learn how to force checkmate with king/queen, as well as with king/rook (also known as the "basic mates").

For example, at move #57, your opponent (black) moved...Rg2.  Then you moved 58. Bb1.  Black could have simply pushed his pawn to 58....b2.  And threaten to queen that pawn.  He was probably "afraid" that you were going to take that pawn with your bishop (and subsequently capturing your bishop with his rook) since he probably didn't know how to force checkmate with just his king and rook.

When he was able to finally queen his pawn (after trading his rook for your bishop), he stalemated you as well, when it shouldn't have been the case.

I definitely suggest reading/studying how to checkmate when you only have queen or rook left.  You don't want to have the game end in a draw when you should have clearly won it by being up a rook or queen.   If you already know how to perform those mates, then disregard this message.  :)

Do a simple search on YouTube and you should find tutorials on how to execute the basic mating patterns. :)

Good luck!