What elevated your chess level at the beginning?

Hey, I'm a newbie to this and have familiarised myself with the rules but want to know what is it, before getting onto the theory stage, that gets you to the next level? Been stuck on 400 and I'm starting to think I have a case of smooth brain

First I learned how the horsey moved, later I found out that it's name was actually the knight, after that the rating kept going up and up until it could go up no more... without reading a chess book and studying.

I believe Chess is 99% natural talent.

@sammyjamescocaco

Welcome!

Do your homework. Homework Exercise 1.

First learn why the pieces have different values. And learn how the knight moves. It does not move in an 'L' ! It moves in a circle (or an octagon, if you're a stickler for detail). Get a bag of beans, a pencil, a piece of paper, and of course your chess set (a real one, not virtual). Draw four columns on the paper with the following headings: 1. piece name, 2. center, 3. edge, 4. corner. In rows under col. 1, enter the names of the pieces, King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, Knight, Pawn. Now one by one, put a piece on the board in the three locations noted in columns 2,3,4, and then place one bean on each sq. to which each piece can move. Note the number of sq. each piece controls when the piece is located in the center, on an edge, and in the corner. Enter the numbers in the chart. Commit these patterns to memory; putting beans on a real board should help you do this. Until you've actually put beans on the board, you probably won't have noticed, for example, that the power of the rook is the same everywhere on the board, whereas that of the other pieces is not; or that a queen on an open board controls about half of it.

PM me when you've finished Exercise 1.

Cheers,
moon

@sammyjamescocaco said
Hey, I'm a newbie to this and have familiarised myself with the rules but want to know what is it, before getting onto the theory stage, that gets you to the next level? Been stuck on 400 and I'm starting to think I have a case of smooth brain

@sammyjamescocaco

Here's a list of things to consider as you study and learn. Just work your way through it and hopefully it will be of some help. It's a long list, so just take your time. I'm not an expert, but some of it will most likely help as you play!

Chess Principles
1. Develop your pieces quickly.
2. Control the center.
3. Put your pieces on squares that give them maximum space.
4. Try to develop your knights towards the center.
5. A knight on the rim is dim.
6. Don’t take unnecessary chances.
7. Play aggressively.
8. Calculate forced moves first.
9. Always ask yourself, “Can he put me in check or win a piece?”
10. Have a plan. Every move should have a purpose.
11. Assume your opponent’s move is his best move.
12. Ask yourself, “Why did he move there?” after each move.
13. Play for the initiative and controlling the board.
14. If you must lose a piece, get something for it if you can.
15. When behind, exchange pawns. When ahead, exchange pieces.
16. If you are losing, don’t give up fighting. Look for counter-play.
17. Don’t play unsound moves unless you are losing badly.
18. Don’t sacrifice a piece without good reason.
19. If you are in doubt of an opponent’s sacrifice, accept it.
20. Attack with more that just one or two pieces.
21. Do not make careless pawn moves. They cannot move back.
22. Do not block in your bishops.
23. Bishops of opposite colors have the greatest chance of drawing.
24. Try not to move the same piece two or more times in a row.
25. Exchange pieces if it helps your development.
26. Don’t bring your queen out too early.
27. Castle soon to protect your king and develop your rook.
28. Develop rooks to open files.
29. Put rooks behind passed pawns.
30. Study rook endgames. They are the most common endgames.
31. Don’t let your king get caught in the center.
32. Don’t castle if it brings your king into greater danger.
33. After castling, keep a good pawn formation around your king.
34. If you only have one bishop, put your pawns on its opposite color.
35. Trade pawns when ahead in material or when under attack.
36. If cramped, free your game by exchanging material.
37. If your opponent is cramped, don’t let him get any freeing exchanges.
38. Study openings you are comfortable with.
39. Play over entire games, not just the opening.
40. Blitz chess is helpful in recognizing chess patterns. Play often.
41. Study annotated games and try to guess each move.
42. Stick with just a few openings with White, and a few openings with Black.
43. Record your games and go over them, especially the games you lost.
44. Show your games to higher rated opponents and get feedback from them.
45. Use chess computers and databases to help you study and play more.
46. Everyone blunders. The champions just blunder less often.
47. When it is not your move, look for tactics and combinations.
48. Try to double rooks or double rook and queen on open files.
49. Always ask yourself, “Does my next move overlook something simple?”
50. Don’t make your own plans without considering your opponent’s threats.
51. Watch out for captures by retreat of an opponent’s piece.
52. Do not focus on just one sector of the board. Always view the whole board.
53. Write down your move first before making that move if it helps.
54. Try to solve chess puzzles with diagrams from books and magazines.
55. Watch your time and avoid time trouble
56. Bishops are worth more than knights except when they are pinned in.
57. .A knight works better with a bishop than another knight.
58. It is usually a good idea to trade down into a pawn up endgame.
59. Have confidence in your game.
60. Play in as many rated events as you can.
61. Try not to look at your opponent’s rating until after the game.
62. Always play for a win.

@mwmiller said
@sammyjamescocaco

Here's a list of things to consider as you study and learn. Just work your way through it and hopefully it will be of some help. It's a long list, so just take your time. I'm not an expert, but some of it will most likely help as you play!

Chess Principles
1. Develop your pieces quickly.
2. Control the center.
3. Put your pieces on squares that ...[text shortened]... an.
61. Try not to look at your opponent’s rating until after the game.
62. Always play for a win.

@A-Unique-Nickname
In my case, learning to play chess is a long-range work in progress.

@mwmiller said
@A-Unique-Nickname
In my case, learning to play chess is a long-range work in progress.

@venda said
If you went through all your recommendations it'd take you forever to make a move
I think Trev(aka a unique nickname) must do that,according to a certain Canadian player

Yes I know what you mean.As with most advice there are contradictions.For example the knight and bishop point-I was always told knights work well in tandem.
I wasn't criticising your list.The post was a gentle dig at my friend Trev.I expect he'll come back to me when he has the time.

@mwmiller said
@A-Unique-Nickname
In my case, learning to play chess is a long-range work in progress.

@venda said
If you went through all your recommendations it'd take you forever to make a move
I think Trev(aka a unique nickname) must do that,according to a certain Canadian player

@mwmiller said
I agree it's a long list. I think the idea is just to work through it a few items at a time, rather than trying to use it to go from beginner to grandmaster all at one time. 🙂

I can't claim that list as being my recommendations, since I just cut and pasted it from some website on the internet. There is a ton of this kind of stuff out there, and I sure wish I had the pa ...[text shortened]... nd follow just some of the items on the list. But I'm satisfied with just playing at a casual level.