18 Principles For Stronger Chess

In General
1. MAINTAIN MATERIAL EQUALITY, unless sacrificing for an attack.
2. Ask yourself, "WHAT IS MY OPPONENT THREATENING?"
The Opening
3. OPEN WITH A CENTER PAWN (e, d, or c pawn), and PLAY FOR CONTROL OF THE
CENTER (d4, e4, d5, e5).

4. MOVE BOTH CENTER PAWNS TWO SQUARES as soon as safely possible.

5. DON'T MOVE MORE THAN 3 PAWNS in the opening. Usually, the opening is over when
you have castled and your R's are "talking" (connected on your 1st rank!).

6. MOVE KNIGHTS BEFORE BISHOPS, and KNIGHTS AND BISHOPS BEFORE ROOKS.

7. DON'T MOVE THE SAME PIECE TWICE--except for equal trades toward the center.
(Instead, develop: move pieces safely toward the center, castle, connect Rooks, and
attack.)

8. CASTLE EARLY (between move 4 and 20). Don't move pawns in front of your
castled King until the end game--unless you must defend.

9. DON'T MOVE YOUR QUEEN EARLY--when you move the Q, be sure it can not be attacked
immediately by enemy P's, N's, B's, or R's.

The Middle Game

10. GAIN SPACE ON YOUR OPPONENT'S SIDE OF THE BOARD--opportunities for
tactics/tricks, increase as you gain space.

11. DON'T ALLOW YOUR OPPONENT TO GAIN SPACE in your territory--especially the
enemy Knights!

12. USE PAWN LEVERS (pawn pushes and captures) to open files and diagonals.

13. MOVE ROOKS TO OPEN FILES; DOUBLE R's ON OPEN FILES; MOVE R's TO THE 7TH RANK;
DOUBLE R's ON THE 7TH RANK. MOVE BISHOPS TO OPEN DIAGONALS a n d KNIGHTS TO
SAFE OUTPOSTS.

14. MAKE DOUBLED PAWNS, ISOLATED PAWNS, and BACKWARD PAWNS in your
opponent's position, and ATTACK them. Avoid them in your position.

15. MAKE PASSED PAWNS and threaten to promote them to Queens.

16. TRADE PIECES (Q's, R's, B's, and N's) WHEN AHEAD IN MATERIAL. AVOID TRADING
PIECES WHEN BEHIND IN MATERIAL--instead, trade pawns when behind.

17. ATTACK THE ENEMY KING WITH CHECKMATING THREATS.

The End Game

18. MOVE THE KING TO THE CENTER when safe, and USE THE KING AS AN ATTACKING
PIECE. The end game is usually considered to begin when each side has only a King, 1
or 2 pieces, and pawns.