Easy way to improve

Hello. I am trying to help todevelop my son. he enjoys the chess game, so i try to keep up with him. started to play myself but not much of luck at winning, my rating whatever this means isnot higher then 700, now 500. i find it very frustrating to wrap my head arround this game...is there an easy way i can develop myself and help my son? i do not have too much time to analyze games or memorise openings and even if i do i haveno idea how to continue the game:(...

I think this is an excellent way for kids to learn (it was developed for schools, but even even adults could use it). The teacher (or in your case the parent) doesn't have to be a good player.

https://www.newinchess.com/The_Complete_Step_by_Step_Method-p-1933.html

Oh, but to answer your title "easy way to improve"

There is no easy way. It takes years of work. The general areas are openings, tactics, strategy, and endgames.

yeah chess should not be the pastime for grown ups.

why do you think so? i want my son to enjoy it, me as well. i do not care if he wins any titles

thank you for the link

well i do not know much about tactics:(

i can play some friendly matches against you while giving insight on your moves and giving some general tips if you want. i'm no master but i love to teach stuff and i think i might be able to help a beginner

Also, there's a study plan in chess.com which you can follow: https://www.chess.com/lessons/study-plan this is my #1 recommendation for now. it has a lot of great free resources for beginners, and if you feel you have mastered everything (which will take some time) you can always go to youtube and watch some video lessons with great teachers like john bartolomew and jerry (chessnetwork)

Hello.

I will present my personal feelings regarding this matter.

In my opinion the question "Is there an easy way I can develop and help my son?" contains actually two topics:

1) Your own chess development and the motivation for it.
Do you want to improve your chess only to help your son or do you enjoy playing chess? I think, that if it is the case you do not enjoy chess and want to improve only for your son (which I find as a admirable motivation), then you will not be able to keep up with development of his. You will lack inner motivation to play and in short time you might (not for sure) hold your son back as he will not have opponent strong enough. 
If you enjoy playing chess, then my personal advice is - play a lot and try to explain yourself the situations on the board. Read some articles and if you want, get some chess books.
Brilliant lessons are published here by IM Silman - his articles helped me a lot. 

2) Help your son to improve in chess
This is a bit terra incognita for myself. I am starting to learn chess myself, but what would be my advice - some chess club if it is reachable for you. Maybe some books for young are available. My basic feeling about chess is that when player does not enjoy the game and learning process, then he will not develop. 

 

Overall I think, that generic advice like "do this, learn that" is correct, but might not help everybody. Learning process is individual and what works perfectly for one, will not work for another. I myself am still searching for mine chess-learning path  

Good luck and try to have both fun learning and playing chess.

 

 

There is no "easy" way to improve in chess, at least not long term. 

hi do not get me wrong, i like chess it is only that even i try to study some games, openings, still playing with humans is not teory...humans react differently each time and tha is the beauty and horror for me at the same time:(...i like practice as i play only 6 moths but it is demotivating to lose so much:(..my son already plays in the club and enjoys it, even to ambitious for a 5 year old:)...i want him to enjoy it more then treat seriously

i am just learning and my daughter wants to learn too (mainly because i am playing on the ipad)

i am wary to "teach" her anything because i am a horrible player so i bought her a platinum membership and told her to do the tactics trainer

i recently purchased a couple of books for us to go through together- "bobby fischer teaches chess," and "winning chess strategy for kids"

we play an otb game once a week where we write down each move and i try to win- she is quite fond of the random pawn development and attacking with her king strategy

i tell her most chess coaches would stress to "control center, develop pieces, and castle"- and she does/loves to castle; and- as a sidenote- loves to name her pieces/pawns and king but i also stress that i am not really the one to take advice from

i dont let her play live chess anymore since most opponents think she is trolling with her moves but will let her play a daily chess game

there is a chess club nearby which i may check out and get us a lesson or two if things keep up (interest wise)

Yes, there is an easy way to improve. Learn chess notation and start playing over games on your chess set.

@urk  what type of games to go over?  just focus on a single player and go over all of their games or only good ones? or maybe only tournament games? is it important that we use real chess set?

 

Study, play over games + play.

I recommend a real chess set, and pre-1930 games since they're generally easier to understand than modern games. Morphy's games are fun.

A good book for improving is Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games Paperback by László Polgár. It's easy to go through it with a pen and some paper.

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

 

 

 

Pre Move Checklist

 

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.

2. Look for forcing moves: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board.

3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.

4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.

 

5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

 ---urk--- will do