I blunder too often.

I'm generaly a good chess player (following the opening rules[developing the weaker pieces first, castling, developing toward the center etc]) but I can't seem to stop blundering. I find sometimes that I'm winning and I blunder a piece and it costs me the game. Help.....

Opening Principles:

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

Tactics...tactics...tactics...

The objective of development is about improving the value of your pieces by increasing the importance of their roles. Well-developed pieces have more fire-power than undeveloped pieces and they do more in helping you gain control.

Now we will look at 5 practical things you can do to help you achieve your development objective.

They are:

1. Give priority to your least active pieces.

• Which piece needs to be developed (which piece is the least active)
• Where should it go (where can its role be maximized)

2. Exchange your least active pieces for your opponent’s active pieces.
3. Restrict the development of your opponent’s pieces.
4. Neutralize your opponent’s best piece.
5. Secure strong squares for your pieces.

Don’t help your opponent develop.

There are 2 common mistakes whereby you will simply be helping your opponent to develop:

1. Making a weak threat that can easily be blocked
2. Making an exchange that helps your opponent to develop a piece

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) as 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?"

You should be spending at least 1 day on each move.  Taking note, doing analysis, learning, and understanding the pawn structure, and piece placement of the opening youre playing.

Thank You Sir.

I get off a good one every now and then :-)

Actually,that was a superb post IMBacon.

Thank You!

Ill be in the parking lot signing autographs for awhile...

Ha,ha! I'd have let you date my daughter.-

Now that is creeping me out...

Bacon you updated those principles! I'll take an autograph, right on my new stolen principles notes =p.

Yea...I had been looking at it, and decided it needed more stuff.  I will be in the wal-mart parking lot for the next 10 minutes....

The "Opening Principles" world tour...coming to a city you probably never heard of.

r u kidding or no

I live somewhere you've probably never heard of does that mean you'll be somewhere near me?

Often times the tactics problems that you solved are harder than than the blunder that you committed.  Blunders can be also attributed to forgetting a blunder check. 

You should always do these:

Always look at the whole board

Always study your opponent's last move

Before you make a move, check what your opponent might do after you make a move

If you have sufficient time, don't rush your moves

If you know you can win with simple moves, don't complicate the position.

lol

oh no, Bacon died?

Bacon's to good to die