How to Play Winning Chess for Beginners

This article is aimed at people who are just starting out in chess and want to know what it takes to play solid chess games. The fundamentals of chess are very important. Before you can get into chess openings or advanced chess strategies and tactics, you will need to learn the foundations of solid chess play, which is what this article is aimed at. I have listed 5 of the basic fundamentals of chess that I feel are an absolute necessity for any chess player, especially beginners, if they are to play winning chess.

1. Develop your pieces

You cannot drive a car if you don't get in the car first (unless it is a remote-controlled toy car). In chess, you have to develop your pieces. Often, it is tempting for beginners to want to carry out an attack with only a couple pieces. This is not winning chess. As a rule of thumb, you need to develop all of your minor pieces (knights, bishops) in the opening, before launching or planning an attack. Castling your king to safety is part of the development, try to always castle. There are exceptions to this rule, but normally it is a good guideline to follow to play winning chess.

2. Try to look 2-3 moves deep
Once you think you have figured out what your next move is going to be, make sure it is not an obvious blunder. For example, make sure the chess piece you are going to move is not going to get captured without anything in exchange, or by moving the chess piece you haven't created a weakness in your position (this is mostly for intermediate-advance play). The usual thought process should go at least 2-3 moves deep into the position. That just means you should look at the main replies to your move, and your main replies to those moves and check to make sure you won't be making a blunder (mistake).

3. Look from your opponent's view