Chess tips
A useful collection of chess tips to improve your skills and rating include:
20/40/40 Rule
Players should divide their time spent on improvement as follows:[1]
- 20% on Chess Openings.
- 40% on the middle game.
- 40% on the end game.
Minimizing blunders
Most games, particularly in blitz chess, are lost through blunders: a move which results in the capture of one's queen or other valuable piece, or an immediate checkmate. A rapid mental algorithm after choosing a move but before finalizing it can sharply reduce the blunders and resultant losses.
Forking
An effective way to capture valuable pieces is through the use of "forks", which is putting two pieces on the other side in jeopardy with one move. Forks by knights are often difficult by an opponent to anticipate.
Stacking
Stacking against an opponent's piece or strategic space is the loading of attack pieces focused on that piece or space. For example, stacking two rooks is considered to create more than double the power of those rooks.