Beginner

Hey Guy's, just joined the forum here. I just started playing chess again, havn't played since I was a kid. But I have free time on my hands and thought it would be a good way to keep my mind sharp. I've downloaded a play aginst machine version, and play everyday, it's been a good way to learn. Havn't won a game yet! Even on the 'very easy' setting, it kicks my ass every time. When I learn enough, I'll start playing 'humans'. I'm blown away at how deep this game is. But don't know how you could stare at the board for hours, since at times there are only a few choices at moves. I don't have internet at my house so I can't just 'play on line', have to find free wifi. Anyway, it's been fun so far...

First thing, try not go after books for a while.

Keep this points in mind:

1- Control of the center

2-Developing pieces

3-Safety of the king (Castle, as soon as possible, king side prefered).

Whenever you are online with your free wifi, try the tactics and endgames trainings here on the site. 

Don't try to memorize openings, but to understand the reason of their moves.

Try to replay your games (mainly those you lose)  analyzing them, try to find out which your mistakes was.

Books can help, but not now, at your level.  They should become boring, and should be waste of money to do so. and the books will end up forgotten on a shelf.  If you really feel like to have a book, choose very carefully, one book only.   And surely not an opening book.  

Another good idea is to try to join a chess club to play overt the board  (OTB) games, this would really help you.

Also try to avoid playing blitz and bullet games.   

Welcome, and greetings from Brazil.

Possibly helpful:

Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf

Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf

The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/

Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1949)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf

Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf

Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)

http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html

Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/

A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf

of course not!

https://www.chess.com/forum/search?keyword=begginer&sortby=post_count

opps, forgot I am muzlled

If you can a book, get World' Champion Guide to Chess by Polgar. This book will teach you things a beginner should know. It also contains many tactics problems that are essential for improvement.

There's also plenty of resources here on Chess.com to help you learn the game too. There are plenty of threads in the forums (such as https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/the-beginners-guide-to-chess, which is right next to your thread as I type) and the other tools such as Tactics Trainer. Chess.com has a whole section of them in the menu - see under "Learn"

Thanks Guy's, and greetings from Maryland USA!  The game I downloaded was by "Jorge Pardo Surrano". Free Chess. Got it from download.com. It shows you where you can move a piece and  has a buzzer when you make an illegal move. I'm getting better at it but realize that it's possibly impossible to beat a computer, it knows all possible moves it can make and I can make.

Has a human beaten a super computer? I've downloaded the videos you mentioned from youtube. I still don't understand the tactics. How can you have a tactic when the game is constantly changing? I'm supprised at some of the moves the computer makes, like giving up the queen. I've very gladly said to myself "Die Bitch!!!" Please excuse my language.

But it's so much fun, even though I'm playing a machine. Getting off topic here but, I don't understand some of the rules,why they made them that way, what was the thinking behind them. For example, why can't the King fight back when in check, why does it have to try to excape? If I were a King and someone was trying to kill me, I'd try to take them out, like with a sword. But in check, at least in my game, I have no choice but to run. If I were to play on a real board with a friend, I'd change that rule, we'd both agree to it. I've also had a Knight that had a clear shot at the Black Knight across the board, but for some reason it would not move. I don't know all the deeper rules yet. I well look into joining a chess club. Thanks and good to be here!

I'd be careful about downloading stuff from Download.com. They frequently add a wrapper to the download that may contain unwanted adware, malware, etc. It's safer to get stuff from the original authors. Even then, you need to check out the downloads with antivirus software.

I'm not an expert by any means, but I don't think you've received the best advice so far.

I played chess just for fun and was never any good. But about a year ago I started actually trying to improve my knowledge of the game. And in that time period I've raised my rating by nearly 200 points from a very modest attempt at studying. I'll give you my best summation of what I've done to improve.

• Practice tactics a lot. I remember thinking exactly what you think now, "how can you have a tactic when the game is constantly changing?" You will be surprised at how useful they are. Pick up "Beginning Chess" by Bruce Pandolfini (arguably the best chess teacher alive). It's mostly tactics that he encourages you to set up on a real board (as do I). But what's really great is that Pandolfini is better than anyone at simplifying chess strategy so anyone can understand. He explains the different types of attacks and you'll quickly see how they're useful. And eventually you'll start seeing them in your games (because right now you don't), and use them to gain a free piece here or there.
• I still have not studied any openings. I don't think they're useful to most players, let alone beginners.
• Instead of studying openings, study the basics of opening strategy. One other person did mention the basics to most opening strategies. Generally, within your first 10 moves you should attempt to do the following:
  • Control the center (You will mostly use your pawns for this, and support your pawns, as well as controlling even more of the center with your minor pieces)
  • Develop (This is absolutely crucial). Developing means to get all of your minor pieces involved in the game. Get your knights and bishops off the back row in the beginning so that they're actually useful, either supporting your pieces, attacking important squares, or trapping your opponent's pieces so they are unable to defend.
  • Protect your king. For the most part, this is done by castling. When your king is unprotected, your opponent can chase it around the board as well as employ tactics to put you in check to take other pieces. And as a side note, if you castle your king, do NOT move the three pawns in front of the side you castle on. There are many exceptions to this, most commonly moving either the a or h pawn (depending on which side you're castling) forward a square to limit the movement of the opposing bishop. But for the most part, those pawns need to be protecting the squares in front of your king. That's how your king is safe.
  • Connect your rooks. Your rooks are strongest when they are connected, supporting each other. This is easily done when you're developing properly and able to get your minor pieces and queen out of the way so your rooks are directly connected.
  • Do not move the same piece twice. Almost all of these rules have exceptions, this one especially. But for the most part, you should not be moving the same piece twice in the first 10 moves unless it's for a good reason.

People can feel free to add or correct anything I've listed above. But tactics are going to be incredibly useful to you in the beginning. Learn basic strategy to go along with this (like, you shouldn't be trading pieces if you're down in material. likewise, you should be trading pieces if you're up in material).

A king can only capture a piece that isn't protected by another piece. The idea is you can never allow your king to be captured so you can never move your king to a square where upon your opponents next move they can capture it. Another way of putting it is, your king can never be in check upon the completion of your turn, so if you take a piece with your king and an opponents piece is attacking that king, or square that the king is now on, it's in check and you can't have your king in check before your opponents move.

A knight goes in a capital L shape using three squares. A knight can jump over other pieces as well, but it can't jump from one side of the board to the other in a single turn. Only Bishops, Rooks, and Queens can move that fast.

Seriously? Pretty sure he knows the basic rules of how pieces move.

Op:

Here is something you can do if you haven't already. When you finish a game, win or lose, use the chess.com computer analysis to determine the accuracy of your moves in that game. Take note of all inaccuracies and blunders and try to figure out why they are bad moves. And if you get stuck, there people on here who will give you some advice regarding a specific game.

Op asked: "...why can't the King fight back when in check, why does it have to try to escape?"

The King can fight back as long as the square it attacks is in range and is not protected by another enemy piece. A very important rule to remember in chess; the King can NEVER place himself onto or cross over an attacked square thus placing him in check. Likewise, no piece may move if such a move places his King in check.

The basics of each phase of the game

 

Opening:

Follow the Opening principles:

1.      Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5

2.      Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key

Ø  Complete your development before moving a piece twice or starting an attack.

Ø  Move pieces not pawns.

3.      Castle

4.      Connect your rooks

Ø    By move 12, you should have connected your Rooks, or be about to do so.

 

Middle game:

When you have completed the Opening Principles, you are now at the middle game.  Now you need to formulate a middle game plan.  The middle game is a very complicated part of a chess game.  A simple way to develop a middle game plan is to perform the following steps.

1.      Scan your opponents 5^th, and 6^th ranks (3^rd, and 4^th if your black)

2.      Look for weak pawns, and or weak squares.

Ø  Weak pawns and squares are Pawns, and squares that cannot be defended by another Pawn.

Ø  Knights are excellent pieces on weak squares.

Ø  When deciding on weak squares, and weak Pawns to attack, the closer to the center the better

 

End game:

Start with the basics:

1.      Learn basic mates – KQ vs. K, KR vs. K, KRR vs. K

2.      Learn Opposition, and Key Squares

3.      Learn basic King and Pawn endings

1.      Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5

2.      Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key

3.      Castle

 

4.      Connect your rooks

You have a document with those principles in your computer, don't you?

You certainly dont think im going to type this out each time?

That would be good for chess.ignoramus.com.

We're not so sophisticated here but we're not helpless tots.

I didn't, but I wanted to be sure.

By the way, I had an interesting idea. People hate reading, so we could make a stupid meme with the opening principles so that no more "I want an aggressive opening for xxx" are posted.

Something like this: