What are some good tips for beginners at chess?

A great question that you have often seen asked both online and in-person throughout many chess clubs. Here are some great tips if you are a beginner chess player!

Tip Number 1: Build good opening fundamentals.

Do not get caught up in the openings. Although openings are an important part of chess, it is better to understand the fundamentals of what makes a great opening rather than cramming dozens of openings in your head when there is not much room for understanding them. The fundamentals of openings are as follows:

· Try to control the center squares of the board

Having control over the center squares of the board will open up new avenues and plans in which you can attack your opponent.

Tip Number 2: Develop, develop and develop

Developing is to move inactive pieces strategically to be more active on the board. All this really means is that you should ideally be trying to have your knights control the center squares and opening diagonals for your bishops. When you are opening in chess, you want all of your pieces to guard squares, protect your own pieces and fight for control of the center.

Tip Number 3: Castle the king!

Castling is crucial to the survival of the king. As a beginner, you should be ideally trying to castle early. Preferably it is best to castle within the first seven moves of the game. The reason why we castle is to protect the king. Castling allows for the king to be moved away from the center, and by increasing your king's chances of survival, you increase your chances of winning the game.

Summary

In short, open in a way that is productive for your pieces, allowing for more piece advantage. Control the center, as controlling the center allows for a superior advantage. Castle your king early in the game, which in turn will make it more difficult for your opponent to try and deliver a checkmate.