How to Get Better at Playing Chess?

Usually, to play chess better, one should first of all know the chess rules, have good logic, and be able to think strategically. Most of the time, of course, it is not enough. You also need to know the chess openings, chess endgames, and chess tactics. And, of course, you need to practice a lot.

First of all, let me talk about my chess knowledge. I have pretty good chess knowledge, no matter that I learned it by playing chess on my own. I gradually increased my level of play on online platforms like chess.com and lichess.org. Currently, I have an approximate Rapid rating of 1400+ and performance is above 1500, which, while low, is a pretty good result for amateur chess players, especially for someone who is a computer science student and plays chess in his or her spare time, especially given how infrequently I play chess. But still, I mostly play puzzles at lichess.org, and I have a puzzle rating of 2200+. When I entered university, I knew my chess skills had deteriorated because I had not been practicing during those times. In my junior year, I suddenly found out that there is a chess club at our university, and almost every weekend there is an online chess tournament. So I decided to participate in that tournament. But of course the result was horrible because I lost every game and blundered on most of my moves. This situation upset me, so I decided to practice in my free time as much as I could. Now my chess skills are improving gradually. 

In this blog, I will share some methods and my experience of how I improved my chess skills and how I learned to play chess better than before.

1. Learn the Chess Rules.

Don't be concerned if you don't comprehend the rules or believe you already know them. Unless you're a serious chess player, reviewing fundamental piece movements and special chess rules is a good idea.

2. Play Many Chess Games.

Nothing gets better without a lot of practice, and chess is no exception. The more you play, the better you will get. You can play chess online, with a friend, or against a computer. You can also play chess in a chess club or in a chess tournament. Practice makes perfect.

3. Review and Analyze Your Mistakes.

After each game, review your moves and analyze your mistakes. This will help you learn from your mistakes and improve your chess skills.

4. Practice Using Chess Puzzles.

Chess puzzles are a great way to improve your chess skills. They are fun and challenging, and they will help you learn to think strategically. You can find a plethora of chess puzzles online at lichess.org, which is a great and free website for chess players. My current puzzle rating at lichess.org is 2200+.

5. Learn Basic Chess Endgames.

Chess endgames are the final stages of a chess game. They are the most important part of the game because they determine the winner. You should learn the basic chess endgames, such as the king and pawn endgame, the rook and pawn endgame, and the queen and pawn endgame.

6. Don’t Waste Time Memorizing Openings.

Chess openings are the first few moves of a chess game. They are important because they determine the course of the game. You should learn basic chess openings, such as the King's Pawn Opening, the Queen's Pawn Opening, and the Ruy Lopez. However, you should not waste time memorizing openings. Instead, you should learn the basic principles of chess openings and then apply them to your games.

7. Double-check Your Moves.

Before you make a move, double-check it to make sure it is correct. This will help you avoid making mistakes.

8. Participate in chess tournaments.

Chess tournaments are a great way to improve your chess skills. They are fun and challenging, and they will help you learn to think strategically. You can find lots of chess tournaments for rapid, blitz, and classical chess online at lichess.com or chess.com.

9. Review Grand Master Games.

You can learn a lot from watching grandmaster games. You can find a lot of Grand Master games on YouTube. Many popular chess streamers like GothamChess or Chessmaster stream, commentate, and analyze grandmaster games.

10. Learn to lose with a buzz and stay positive.

Losing is part of chess. You should learn to lose with a buzz and stay positive. You should not get upset when you lose a game. Instead, you should learn from your mistakes and improve your chess skills. When you lose in the tournament and your mood is negative, you should take a break and play some physical games like badminton, table tennis, football, or basketball. This will take your negative mood away and help you stay positive.

Playing chess improves your brain power, logical and strategic thinking, and memory. It is a great way to spend your free time. I hope you will enjoy playing chess and improve your chess skills. This was my experience of how I improved my chess skills and learned to play chess better than before. I hope you will find this blog helpful. Thank you for reading.