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200 Chess Principles

This document contains 141 chess tips and strategies. Some key points include: control the center, develop pieces quickly, trade pieces when ahead in material and trade pawns when behind, maintain the initiative, look for tactical opportunities like pins and double attacks, and aim to promote pawns in the endgame. Style and knowing your strengths and limitations are also important factors for players.

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Khaleel Jaberov
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50% found this document useful (2 votes)
1K views

200 Chess Principles

This document contains 141 chess tips and strategies. Some key points include: control the center, develop pieces quickly, trade pieces when ahead in material and trade pawns when behind, maintain the initiative, look for tactical opportunities like pins and double attacks, and aim to promote pawns in the endgame. Style and knowing your strengths and limitations are also important factors for players.

Uploaded by

Khaleel Jaberov
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1: If you control more than half of the squares on the board, you have an

advantage.
2: A knight on the rim is grim.
3: Place your pawns on the opposite color square as your bishop.
4: The path from a1 to a8 is the same length as the path from a1 to h8.
5: Leave the pawns alone, except for center pawns and passed pawns.
6: In order to get the most from your knights, give them strong support points.
7: To be at their best, bishops require open diagonals and attackable weaknesses.
8: Rooks require open files and ranks in order to reach their full potential.
9: Don�t bring the queen out too early.
10: Connect your rooks as soon as you can.
11: Develop a new piece with each move in the opening.
12: Don�t move the same piece twice in the opening if you can help it.
13: Develop knights before bishops.
14: A wing attack is best met by a counterattack in the center.
15: Before beginning a wing attack, make sure your center is secure.
16: Centralize your pieces to make them powerful.
17: When choosing between two pawn captures, it�s generally better to capture
toward the center.
18: Play to control the center, whether Classically or in the hypermodern style.
19: Castle early and often.
20: Do not move pawns in front of your castled king.
21: Pay particular attention to the f2- and f7-squares.
22: A queen and a rook will always checkmate a naked king.
23: Do not pin your opponent�s f3- or f6-knight to his queen with your bishop until
after he�s castled.
24: Never a mate with a knight on f8.
25: When ahead in material, trade pieces, not pawns.
26: When behind in material, trade pawns, not pieces.
27: In situations with three healthy pawns versus a minor piece, the piece is
usually superior in the middlegame, while the pawns are usually superior in the
endgame.
28: An extra pawn is worth a little trouble.
29: In positions with an unusual disparity in material, the initiative is often the
deciding factor.
30: Passed pawns must be pushed.
31: Doubled pawns are a weakness in that they are immobile, but a strength in that
they offer half-open files for rooks.
32: Look to liquidate backward and isolated pawns.
33: Fewer pawn islands means a healthier position.
34: If you must accept pawn weaknesses, make sure you get compensation in one form
or another.
35: Location, location, location.
36: Exchange pieces to free your game when cramped.
37: Avoid piece exchanges when you control more squares.
38: Break a bind in order to free your pieces, even if it costs a pawn.
39: The move ... d7-d5 is the antidote for the poison in many gambits.
40: Don�t attack unless you have the superior game.
41: You must attack when you have the superior game, or you will forfeit your
advantage.
42: Every move is an opportunity to interfere with your opponent�s plans, or to
further your own plans.
43: A sustained initiative is worth some material.
44: The initiative is an advantage. Take it whenever you can, and take it back when
you don�t have it, if at all possible.
45: A rook on the seventh rank is sufficient compensation for a pawn.
46: Superior development increases in value in proportion to the openness of the
game.
47: Attacking two weaknesses on opposite sides of the board simultaneously will
stretch out the defense.
48: The bishop pair is usually superior to a bishop and a knight or two knights in
an endgame with pawns on both sides of the board.
49: Opposite-colored bishops will usually give the weaker player a good chance to
draw a bishop-and-pawn endgame, but can often be a virtual extra piece for the
attacker in a middlegame.
50: Don�t grab the b-pawn with your queen�even when it�s good!
51: The double attack is the principle behind almost all tactics.
52: Ignore your opponent�s threats whenever you can do so with impunity.
53: Doubled rooks have more than twice the power of one rook.
54: Hit �em where they ain�t.
55: Relentlessly attack pinned pieces, weak pawns, exposed kings, and other
immobile targets.
56: The threat you do not see is the one that will defeat you.
57: Always check, it might be mate!
58: Never miss a check!
59: Be aware of the numbers and types of attackers and defenders in a convergence.
60: Sacrifice your opponent�s pieces.
61: If you sacrifice material for the initiative, make sure that initiative is
enduring, or at least that it can be exchanged for some gain elsewhere.
62: Accept a sacrifice not with the idea of holding on to the material, but with
the idea of later gaining something by giving the material back.
63: The only way to refute a gambit is to accept it.
64: A knight, firmly ensconced in a hole deep in the opponent�s territory, is worth
a rook.
65: Three minor pieces are usually much stronger than a queen.
66: Maintain the tension in the position rather than dissipating it too soon.
67: The threat is greater than its execution.
68: Pawn majorities should be marched forward with the candidate leading.
69: Attack the base of a pawn chain.
70: Rooks belong behind passed pawns.
71: Blockade isolated, backward, and passed pawns, using a knight if possible.
72: Use a minority of pawns to attack a majority of pawns with the purpose of
destroying the pawn structure of the majority.
73: The best defense is a good attack.
74: In Alekhine�s Defense and other hypermodern openings, White has his initiative
to defend.
75: Good attacking play wins games. Good defense wins championships.
76: Look through the pieces� eyes.
77: Play blindfold games.
78: Concentrate on forcing moves.
79: Never miss a chance to attempt to solve any position you come across.
80: Decide on your candidate moves and look at them each in turn.
81: Place your pawns on the opposite color square as your bishop.
82: Place your knight and pawns or your knight and bishop on the same-colored
squares; that way they can control more squares.
83: A good knight will overwhelm a bad bishop in an endgame even worse than a good
bishop will.
84: Possession of the bishop pair is often compensation enough for weak pawns.
85: A queen and knight complement each other and are often superior to a queen and
bishop.
86: Trade off your bad bishops.
87: Trade your passive pieces for your opponent�s active pieces.
88: Trade your opponent�s attacking pieces in order to break the attack.
89: Trade pieces, particularly major pieces, when your pawn structure is healthier
than your opponent�s.
90: Exchange your opponent�s blockading pieces in order to make room for passed
pawns to march.
91: Exchange your opponent�s defending pieces in order to make room for your
remaining attacking pieces to infiltrate.
92: A bad plan is better than no plan at all.
93: A good plan incorporates many little plans.
94: In isolated d-pawn positions, the plans are clearly spelled out.
95: Keep your plans flexible.
96: In pawn chain, opposite-side castling positions, attack where your pawn chain
is pointing.
97: Your only task of the opening is to get a playable middlegame.
98: When caught in an opening you don�t know, play healthy, developing moves.
99: In open games, get the pieces developed and the king safe, and do it quickly.
100: In queen pawn games, do not obstruct the c-pawn.
101: As Black, play to equalize.
102: The transition to the middlegame will often require a lot of thought.
103: Look to the pawn structure in order to come up with a plan.
104: Make sure all your pieces are defended.
105: Build up small advantages when a combination is not available.
106: The king is a fighting piece�use it!
107: The aim of most endgames is to promote a pawn.
108: Make use of Zugzwang, triangulation, and coordi- nate squares in endgames.
109: A crippled pawn majority will have difficulties creating a passed pawn.
110: When in doubt, do anything but push a pawn.
111: Style can be more important than strength.
112: Strive to get into positions you are comfortable with.
113: Know your limitations.
114: Know your strengths.
115: Choose the competitions best suited to you.
116: Strive for positions that make your opponent uncomfortable.
117: Don�t be intimidated by a high rating or strong reputation.
118: Don�t take your opponent too lightly.
119: Don�t let your opponent distract you.
120: Don�t feel sorry for your opponent.
121: Play blindfold chess every chance you get.
122: Attempt to solve any position you come across, anytime, anywhere.
123: In figuring out a tactical sequence of moves, choose the candidate moves
first. Only then follow them through to their logical outcome, one at a time.
124: In order to see ahead with any clarity, it is necessary to concentrate on
forcing moves (those that change the material or pawn structure of a position).
125: Keep every little detail straight in comparing a position in your head with
the one on the board.
126: Have the courage of your convictions.
127: Play those positions you know, even if you think your opponent knows more
about them.
128: Inferior positions are actually the easiest to play
129: Don�t offer a draw to a superior player when you are winning, unless a draw
secures a big prize.
130: Unless you stand to gain big-time, don�t offer or accept a draw early in the
game or any time there are chances for both sides, regardless of how strong your
opponent is or which color you have.
131: There are no signposts such as �White to play and win� during a game to alert
you.
132: Be on the alert at all times for opportunities in any game that you play. They
come up when least expected.
133: Strike while the iron is hot.
134: Don�t get bogged down so much in little details that you miss the bigger
picture.
135: Trust your intuition�it�s usually right.
136: Check all of your analysis a second time.
137: Check for yourself any published analysis you are relying on using.
138: Combinations and complicated tactical play will usually turn out in favor of
the side with the sounder position.
139: Don�t be afraid of making mistakes. They are inevitable. Rather, get in the
habit of learning from them.
140: Mistakes tend to come in bunches.
141: After you�ve made a mistake, take some extra time to calm yourself and
reassess the position.
142: Don�t overlook subtle mistakes, such as taking too much or too little time for
a move, carelessness in researching your openings or opponent, failing to eat right
or get enough sleep, and so on.
143: Don�t ever expect your opponent to make a mistake.
144: Transition positions (from the opening to the middlegame or directly to the
endgame, from the middlegame to the endgame) are the most difficult to handle.
145: React to an unexpected, strong move by reassessing the position calmly.
146: React to any major change in the position by reassessing the position calmly.
147: Know the difference between a strategic position and a tactical position, and
react to each accordingly.
148: Nobody ever won a game by resigning.
149: The hardest game to win is a won game.
150: Physical stamina is sometimes more important in chess than knowledge or
analytical ability.
151: Try to get the most you can from any position, at any time.
152: Don�t give up the game until there�s nothing left to play for.
153: Make your decision, then live or die with it.
154: When you see a good move, wait. Don�t play it. Look for a better move.
155: Spend some extra time on an important decision, when the result of the game is
on the line. There�s no sense rushing now.
156: Stay out of time-pressure situations unless they are your bread and butter.
157: Take more time on transition positions and decisive moments.
158: Don�t go into a long think over routine moves.
159: Rely heavily on intuition rather than calculation in rapid games.
160: When your opponent is under time pressure, do not rush your moves to minimize
the time she has to think during your thinking time.
161: Keep your mind on the game.
162: Focus your chess thinking.
163: Compare your position with similar positions you remember.
164: Think along strategic lines when it is your opponent�s turn and along tactical
lines when it is your turn.
165: Use the question and answer format.
166: If you aren�t concentrating because of some dis- traction, perhaps the fault
lies with your powers of concentration rather than in the distraction.
167: Find a way to proof yourself against distractions.
168: Disciplining your thinking will go a long way toward improving your
concentration.
169: Don�t pay any attention to psychological aspects during a game.
170: Sit on your hands. Think it through first, then take action.
171: Be particularly patient with your pawns.
172: Be patient while waiting for your opponent to move.
173: (Missing)
174: Be patient in your calculation.
175: Be patient in reacting to times of crisis during your games.
176: There are all kinds of situations where luck plays a part in chess.
177: Fortune favors the brave.
178: The good player makes her own luck.
179: Practice makes perfect.
180: Play an opening first, then look up what theory there is on it.
181: There is nothing that will teach you more than a good drubbing by a strong
player.
182: Always play at your best.
183: Practice playing endings if you want to master the intricacies of opening and
middlegame positions.
184: Devour the games of the masters.
185: Get a teacher, colleague, or even a computer to check all your analysis and
ideas.
186: One of the best ways to learn is to subject your own games to intensive
analysis.
187: Study the game notes of top players. Learn the way they think in various
positions, and imitate them.
188: Supplement your study with practice. The combination of the two is
indispensable to a true understanding of the game.
189: Thoroughly enjoy the game.
190: When you have an emotional stake in the game, you work harder, remember more,
and come up with better ideas. Losses hurt more.
191: Putting your all into a game will make you a dangerous opponent.
192: You cannot know all there is to know about chess.
193: Understanding is more important than memory.
194: Understanding, supported by memory, is still better than mere understanding.
195: Know the basic endgame positions.
196: Know the basic tactical themes.
197: Making excuses for losing will not help you win more games.
198: Find the real reason things went wrong, and work to make sure it doesn�t
happen again.
199: Learn from your defeats, your draws, and your victories.
200: You will get out of chess what you put into it.

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