10 Ways How to Get Better at Chess (Fast)
Chess is a fun and challenging game that can improve your brain power, creativity, and concentration. But how can you get better at chess fast?
Here are 10 tips that will help you improve your chess skills and win more games.
1. Learn the rules and the basic moves
The first step to get better at chess is to learn the rules and the basic moves of each piece.
You need to know how the pieces move, how to capture, how to check and checkmate, how to castle, and how to promote a pawn.
You also need to know some special rules, such as en passant, stalemate, and the 50-move rule.
You can learn the rules and the basic moves from a book, a video, or a website like ChessMatec, which is designed for kids who want to learn and play chess online.
2. Practice with puzzles and mini-games
One of the best ways to improve your chess skills is to practice with puzzles and mini-games.
To solve a puzzle, you need to discover the most effective move or combination of moves in a certain scenario.
Mini-games are simplified versions of chess that focus on a specific skill or theme, such as checkmate patterns, tactics, or endgames.
You can find puzzles and mini-games on ChessMatec, or you can use a book or an app. Try to solve as many puzzles and mini-games as you can, and check the solutions to learn from your mistakes.
3. Play a lot of games
Another way to get better at chess is to play a lot of games.
Playing games will help you apply what you have learned from puzzles and mini-games, and will also expose you to different situations and challenges.
You can play games online, against a computer, or against a friend or a family member.
You can also join a chess club or a tournament to play with other kids who share your passion for chess. The more games you play, the more experience and confidence you will gain.
4. Review your games and learn from them
After playing a game, it is important to review it and learn from it. Reviewing your games will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and will also help you avoid repeating the same mistakes.
You can review your games by yourself, or you can use a tool which will analyze your game and give you feedback on your moves, mistakes, and suggestions for improvement.
You can also ask a stronger player, a coach, or a mentor to review your games and give you advice.
5. Study the endgame
The endgame is the final stage of the game, when there are few pieces left on the board. The endgame is very important, because it can decide the outcome of the game.
Many games are won or lost in the endgame, so you need to know how to play it well. You need to know some basic endgame principles, such as king activity, pawn promotion, and opposition.
You also need to know some common endgame positions, such as king and pawn versus king, rook and pawn versus rook, and queen versus pawn.
You can study the endgame from a book, a video, or a website like ChessMatec, which has many lessons and exercises on the endgame.
6. Learn some openings and the ideas behind them
The opening is the first stage of the game, when you develop your pieces and fight for the center. The opening is important, because it can give you a good or a bad position for the rest of the game.
You need to know some openings and the ideas behind them, such as controlling the center, developing your pieces, castling your king, and preventing your opponent’s plans.
You don’t need to memorize a lot of moves, but you need to understand the principles and the goals of each opening. You can learn some openings from a book, a video, or a website like ChessMatec, which has many lessons and exercises on the opening.
7. Improve your tactics and your calculation
Tactics are moves that use forks, pins, skewers, double attacks, checks, and other tricks to gain an advantage or win material. Tactics are very common and very powerful in chess, so you need to improve your tactics and your calculation.
Calculation is the ability to visualize the moves and the consequences in your mind. You need to improve your tactics and your calculation by practicing with puzzles and mini-games, and by looking for tactical opportunities in your games.
8. Develop your positional understanding and your strategy
Positional understanding is the ability to evaluate the features and the potential of a position, such as space, pawn structure, weak squares, and piece activity.
Strategy is the ability to make long-term plans and decisions based on the positional factors. You need to develop your positional understanding and your strategy by studying the games of strong players, especially the grandmasters.
9. Follow the 20-40-40 rule
The 20-40-40 rule in chess is a suggestion for how to divide your study time if you are a beginner or an intermediate player.
It means that you should spend 20% of your time learning the opening, 40% of your time practicing the middlegame, and 40% of your time studying the endgame.
The reason for this rule is that the opening is less important than the other phases of the game, and that the middlegame and the endgame are where most of the mistakes and opportunities happen. By following this rule, you can improve your chess skills in a balanced and efficient way.
10. Keep learning and improving
The last tip to get better at chess is to keep learning and improving.
Chess is a very deep and complex game, and there is always something new to learn and discover. You can keep learning and improving by reading books, watching videos, taking lessons, joining courses, and following chess news and events.
Check out our easy-to-follow guide on Chess Rules for Kids below, and kick your chess skills up a notch.
Our guide has all the chess rules you need to know to play like a champion.
In our ChessMatec Chess For Kids App you will be able to learn and play Chess!
Our ChessMatec App is built with all the lessons that will teach children how to play Chess from the very basics and up to very advanced levels – all created in a gamified, animated and colorful fashion that makes it easier for the kids to learn.
At ChessMatec, we took the game of Chess and divided it into small and colorful lessons so that the Child has fun learning how to play in their own pace.