Chess strategyFive guides for beginners
Five rules of thumb for when you are new to chess and not sure which move to pick. Every guide has boards from real positions.
- 01Control the centerThe four squares in the middle of the board (d4, e4, d5, e5) are where every piece works best. In the opening, both sides fight for them first.
- 02Piece activityA piece is stronger the more squares it can reach. In the opening, bring your unmoved pieces out, one at a time, to squares where they work.
- 03King safetyChess ends when a king is checkmated. Being ahead in material does not help if your king can be mated in one move.
- 04Pawn structurePawns cannot move backwards. Once the structure is damaged it stays that way, so when you move a pawn, think about the shape it leaves behind.
- 05Basic endgamesOnce most pieces are gone, the king is a strong piece too. The king you kept hidden in the opening and middlegame comes forward in the endgame.
How these guides were made
The text sums up principles that are widely known in chess. In the examples, the captures and checkmates are checked by a program. Principles have exceptions, so when in doubt, play it out in the chess dojo and see how each move is graded.