Learning Chess is a great teaching tool for the mind. It is exercise for your brain. A visit to chess.com is helpful but chess is a game of the mind. Learn chess to win at life’s complicated positions.
- Principle 1: Control the center
- Principle 2: Develop pieces quickly
- Principle 3: Castle before move 10
- Principle 4: Avoid too many pawn moves
- Principle 5: Avoid “bad” bishops
- Principle 6: Avoid moving the same piece twice
- Principle 7: Don’t bring out queen too early
- Principle 8: Pay attention to f2/f7
- Principle 9: Watch out for stalemate
- Principle 10: Knights before bishops
- Principle 11: Connect your rooks
- Principle 12: Rooks to open/half-open files
- Principle 13: Knights on the rim are dim
- Principle 14: Avoid doubled pawns
- Principle 15: Avoid isolated pawns
- Principle 16: Avoid backward pawns
- Principle 17: Don’t move pawns in front of castled king
- Principle 18: Don’t open center if your king is there
- Principle 19: When attacking, don’t trade queens
- Principle 20: If cramped, trade pieces
- Principle 21: 2 minor pieces better than rook and pawn
- Principle 22: 3 minor pieces better than queen
- Principle 23: Rooks are strong on 2nd/7th ranks
- Principle 24: Doubled rooks on open files are strong
- Principle 25: Bishops better in open, knights in closed
- Principle 26: Capture towards the center
- Principle 27: Activate king in the endgame
- Principle 28: Trade fianchetto bishop to weaken king
- Principle 29: Knight on f8, there’s no mate
- Principle 30: Slow down – use your time
- Principle 31: Don’t play hope chess
- Principle 32: Don’t trade bishop for knight without a reason
- Principle 33: Meet flank attack with a counterattack in the center
- Principle 34: Rooks go behind passed pawns
- Principle 35: 2 connected passed pawns on 6th rank beat a rook
- Principle 36: Attack in the direction of your pawn chain
- Principle 37: Knights are best blockaders of passed pawns
- Principle 38: When ahead, trade pieces (NOT pawns)
- Principle 39: When behind, trade pawns (NOT pieces)
- Principle 40: 1 pawn can stop 2 pawns
- Principle 41: Put pawns on opposite color as your bishop
- Principle 42: Watch out for pawn storms when castled opposite
- Principle 43: When attacking, remove key defenders
- Principle 44: It’s easier to attack than defend
- Principle 45: If c3, then d5
- Principle 46: If f4, then d5
- Principle 47: In d4/d5 openings, don’t block c pawn
- Principle 48: Kings can use the crooked path
- Principle 49: Be carful for poisoned b or g pawns
- Principle 50: Be flexible about your plans