Comprehensive advice for improving your game

Since so many people come to the forums seeking tips on how to improve their game, I figured, "why not get all of the best tips in one place, and create a thread offering comprehensive advice for people of all skill levels?" And so I did just that. Below is a list of what I believe are the most important principles that a chess player needs to follow. Regardless of your current skill level, I can almost guarantee you that if you manage to follow all of the advice below, you will become a better player than you are now.

Anyway, here's the list:

1. Know your openings

2. Don’t fall into your opponent’s traps

3. Use your pieces effectively

4. Create good positions for yourself

5. Use tactics to win material

6. Play moves that are difficult for your opponent to respond to

7. Take advantage of your opponent’s mistakes

8. Evaluate complicated positions carefully

9. Don’t make unnecessary errors

10. Make effective use of your chances

11. Try not to let your king get checkmated

12. Use your time well

13. Don’t resign when you are not in a losing position

14. Try to avoid making moves that worsen your position

15. Play accurately in the endgame

It's broken because if both you and your opponent play like this you won't be better.

Well, you can say that about all chess advice, can't you?

10/10 best advice -IGN

I know all about letting your King get checkmated, but how do you prevent your King from getting checkmated?

That's a great question! Admittedly my knowledge in the area is limited; however, I would postulate that one way to do so is to avoid putting (or leaving) your king in positions where your opponent is able to checkmate you.

Gee, I never thought of that. I think you know more than your letting on. Great Advice!

good!

While were being glib i have a list of ways to find happiness in life! If you can do all these things your happiness in life will improve! 

1. Don't be sad

2. Make sure you are very handsome

3. Have lots of money

4. Make sure that your father is the king of your country

5. Make sure your mother is the queen of and married to the king before and after you are born

6. Be the eldest male amongst your siblings. 

7. Marry a supermodel whose parents are the king and queen of another country. 

8. Be really really fast and smart

9. Be a virtuoso with all musical instruments.

10. Be as strong as the next two strongest guys in the world combined. 

There they are ten simple steps to achieving happiness, your welcome!

I usually stick to one rule: make the best move at each turn. In a pinch, you can settle for second or third best, except of course when not possible because only one move wins or draws. Therefore, safest to always play only best moves.

No, don't worry - that wasn't mean at all! In fact it's completely fitting with the tone of this thread.

Cheers and thanks so very much for sharing your kind and vast knowledge and experience.

Hope to play with you one day, Macer75  Stay Chesswise

1. Bring an internet gun

2. In the chance you are playing online bring an internet gun

Ajttja! Great to see you back!

macer75 wrote:

Try not to let your king get checkmated

ok

1: Breath Heavily.

2: Smell as bad as you can.

3: Call the arbiter over every time its your opponents move

4: Keep a fizzy drink and open it when its your opponents move

5: Grind your teeth

6: Shake the table gently

7: Sometimes, read a chess book before playing

Those are all great tips! However, I'd like to make a slight modification to #7 - while it is true that reading a chess book before playing can be helpful, often times it is more helpful to read the book while you are playing. And it can be even more helpful to take advantage of recent technolgical developments, and consult chess-related resources other than books while playing.

Stop losing

ALWAYS WIN