How can I get better??

First, a tactic is a series of moves that leads toward a material advantage or checkmate. There are better definitions, but that encompasses the elementary tactics.

Now, there are a lot of ways to improve at tactics. Personally, I recommend a website for puzzles as well as the chess.com YouTube series on tactics (https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0EA747B97FADD86). You can skip all the videos that are not about chess itself—for example, the blitz sessions with the masters, the interviews, etc. And the reason I recommend the chess.com videos on YouTube rather than here is that they're free and Danny Rensch and company explain each tactical motif clearly and concisely.

For websites, there are more choices than I can list, but my favorites are chess.com and chesstempo.com. If you are willing to spend money, get a chess.com membership and practice tactics by set. For example, practice doing 100 pins (explained in the video series), then 100 forks, etc. The repetition really helps—I'm almost a 2000 rated player in tournaments now and I still miss simple forks on occasion, especially by my opponents... Anyway, once you've practiced each of the tactics alone, you're ready to start doing general tactics puzzles, meaning you don't filter out different kinds to focus on. This helps to prepare you for real game situations. When doing these, make sure to calculate all your opponents responses and when you're wrong, try to figure out why you're wrong. You don't learn anything if you just guess through them and glaze over the solution if you play the wrong move!

And finally, opening principles and basic strategy were mentioned as well. These things are extremely simple to remember—control the center, develop quickly, castle, and so on—but they aren't so easy to apply at first. I'll try to explain them here as well as I can and hopefully other people will add some information as well.

Controlling the center: This doesn't mean you need to occupy the center, although throwing an e4, d4, e5 or d5 on the first move really helps as a beginner (and at any level, but there are exceptions of course). Now, from there, developing your pieces becomes the easiest way to control the center.

Development: In the book, My System, which you shouldn't bother to read yet, Nimzovitch explains that you should develop your pieces as quickly as possible as a general principle. He then differentiates direct development—moving the bishops, Knights, Queen, etc.—and indirect development—moving the e pawn forward to open diagonals for the Bishop and Queen. As an extension of this, you should develop them toward the center. This doesn't mean the pieces need to be in the four center squares, but that their presence should be. For example, Nf3 puts pressure on the d4 and e5 squares. Or in the Ruy Lopez (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5), each move is aimed at the center. e4 and e5 both occupy a square with a pawn. Nf3 pressures e5; Nc6 protects it; Bb5 pressures e5 indirectly by threatening to take the c6 Knight and win the e5 pawn. (Note that it is not usually good to win that e5 pawn.

As a final few notes, don't rush your Queen into the game, don't push pawns too much, play longer (15+ minute games), and analyze every game you play thoroughly. You will learn so much more from finding your mistakes than from making them again and never realizing what you did. Oh, and don't obsess over openings yet. It's not necessary for anyone really. Learn the principles of chess then the openings will make sense and be easy to learn.

And recommended reading/watching: All chess.com videos on strategy and endgames; Silman's Endgame Course (amazing... I have beaten 1700+ players because they didn't understand basic endgames); and Logical Chess Move by Move. Make sure when you watch the videos that you watch videos for beginners and intermediate players only. And as help for down the road when you get to 1600-1700: tactics are still the best followed by endgames, but strategy becomes essential to study. As a first book, I recommend How to Reassess Your Chess: Workbook followed by How to Reassess Your Chess and My System. These can be read starting at 1500 and in the order that they were mentioned. Try reading them multiple times to really master the principles presented in each—kind of like doing 100s of similar tactics!

Anyway, others, please add things and I hope this helps you and anyone else in your boat! I was stuck there for a long time too :)

3...d5 checkmate

my friend want to add me i used this chat room sorry

It gives white the initiative and the better position??

It does, but a pawn for the initiative isn't worth it. Play safely and try to find other ways to get an initiative. Careful play will almost always beat a gambit like that.

not exactly true, some gambits are quite dangerous if accepted

There've been a bunch, but the ones that I found most helpful for improving were:

Logical Chess, Move by Move — Irving Chernev

A First Book of Morphy — Frisco del Rosario

Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking — Neil McDonald

Ideas Behind the Openings — Reuben Fine

My System — Aron Nimzowitsch

Thank you, AlekhinetheGreat, I understand the principles of development, I dont have the Premium version, so I cant analyze yet, and please post chess moves in old English form, because I havent memorized the algebraic form yet. Anyway, would you mind reviewing some of my games. foe a 14 year old how am I doing so far. I will study tactics and End-game principles as much as possible. would you mind friending me so i can learn more from you. I cannot afford to take lessons or buy any books, so it would be a big help. again thank you for the "Lengthy shpeal" and please keep posting(how do you maintain the principle of Mobility in the Mid game?)

Do you prefer this opening?(berlin defensive)

Or this opening(centre gambit)?

Please tell me Which you prefer?

I never try to accept the Gambit, only when it is forced upon me, But it is an effectual opening to play on others. Even if it is not accepted, it still provides a good foundational opening. However, if it is played on me, the best move is P-Q4.( forgive the old English Notation, it is the only notation I know.

Thank you BlunderLots, I will check out those books.

Good job.you already learned much in six days!

I have actually been studying the game for @ 9 months

Don't waste your time studying specific opening lines. Study tactics, opening theory, tactics, simple endgames, tactics, pawn structure, and tactics.

alrightee, it will be hard, because i am a very orthodox player

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

Get a tactics book like Chess Tactics for Champion by Polgar. Solve chess tactics problems everyday.

Also get Winning Chess Strategy by Seirawan to increase your chess knowledge.

Somebody's probably already said this, but...

If you are 1300 level you should not be studying GM games or GM opening theory. You should be drilling tactics. That is how you will improve.

You would get far more benefit from studying your own games, especially the losses. Post them on the forum, ask why you got into such a bad position, and then get ready for some brutally honest opinions. It will be hard on your pride, but you will learn something from it (such as "don't show my losses to those jerks on the chess forum").

I do not care a dime about my pride, all I care about is improving, How do I post My games on the forum, Will you please commonly check on this forum to comment on my game?