Can you give me some simple tricks to improve my chess playing?

I have heard that you should try to take the middle...is this true? How do you do this? I have looked up chess tips and tricks but mostly get strategies which are good but I want to just know some simple things I can do to avoid sucking at the game. Can you give me some good tips? I've been playing my friend he is very good and I haven't played chess much at all.|||What will help more at this stage than general tips will be tactics, and playing a lot of games. Try here to learn about tactics http://www.chesscorner.com/tutorial/lear鈥?/a>





and here to practice some: http://chess.emrald.net/





Try one of the many free chess sites online to get some games in.





Also you can check out http://www.chessgames.com/ play though a few games and see how masters play. Notice pieces seem to always be protecting eachother and in the opening they develop their pieces quickly. Don't worry if you don't know why they don't capture or recapture sometimes, this is just to get a general idea.





There's no quick and easy way to get really good really fast, but if your friend is just an advanced beginner, you can catch up to him quickly. I'll go over some general tips, I was going to talk about what each type of piece likes individually, but my answer was too long.





Whenever you feel at a loss for a move, try to identify your worst placed piece, this will usually be your least active piece, and find a good square for it where it's helping in the action -- this relocation may take several moves.





Now to get to your question, control of the center is a golden rule even masters don't ignore. Even Nimzowitsch said to control it, just from afar. Yes, you should move pieces to occupy or control the four middle squares.





To do this you'll want to move at least 1 pawn into the 4 center squares. If your opponent lets you get two pawns side by side in the center go for it. In the opening move only a few pawns, most of your first 10 moves will be used to get your minor pieces (knights and bishops) off thier home squares and influenceing the middle, then casteling and connecting your rooks on the back rank. For example, if you move your King's knight out to 2 square above the bishop (the f3 square) it's inflencing two center squares.





In the opening try to develop each piece with as few moves as possible, this usually means just one move. If you spend 10 moves and only get 3 pieces out while you're opponent has developed his whole army you're in trouble. Castle before your 11th move is played, but not before you 6th move, and for at least now do it every game.





In the middle game as you play, try to keep your pieces defending eachother. For example, if you're debating on a few different squares your queen retreat to, try to find one that moves it to safety PLUS influences the center PLUS keeps an eye on that weak pawn across the way. "Loose pieces fall off." And as you learn tactics the frst thing you'll learn to look for is undefended/inadequatley defended pieces or a vurnerable king.





The endgame has to do with getting your king active, generating passed pawns, and helping them to promotion. Your opponents passed pawns should be restrained.





Google or Wiki these different types of pawns: passed, isolated, doubled, backward, islands, chains. My answer was too long and had to cut it way back.





My system is generally considered an advanced book, but in the into where Nimzowitsch introduces the elements of chess, as a primer for the meat of his book, a beginner could learn a lot.





That said, I believe there are more appripriate beginner books, such as Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving or the winning chess series by Seirawan / Silman.|||Helllo Whisperer;





There are a few basic skills like taking the centre that will help you to play better --but they are not tricks.





I am sorry to say there are no short cuts to chess skill! There are plenty of books and web resources to help you to play better.





I always recommend the book "My System" by Aaron Nimzovitch, His book teaches the elements of chess. As you mention he teaches how to take the centre and what to do after you have it. Some people don't like the book because of the way it is written -- but no one says it doesn't have the great advice on how to play chess well. While there are other chess books -- most of them are rehashing of the ideas in Nimzovitch's book.





Interestingly there are some good chess teaching videos on youtube. Just search "chess" or perhaps "chess teaching" and you will have a list of good helpful vids.





Gens Una Sumus





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My personal MSN ID: xiaodong_yan6@hotmail.com|||Bill, My System shouldn't be read by someone who doesn't understand the value of the center. Its way too advanced. A more basic strategy book would be better.





Simple tricks would be:


1. Develop pieces to the center


2. Practice Tactics


3. Castle early.|||you got to take your time and plan a few moves ahead. and it is also nice to know alll your chess pieces and what they do.|||There's so much to learn about chess I'm not going to go through the whole game, but here are a few basic tips:





Fork: The most basic capture move, put a piece in a position to attack two of your opponent's pieces. He will have to move one, then you take the other.





Pin: Using a rook, bishop, or queen, put yourself in a position where you are threatening a piece with a more valuable piece behind it. The piece will be "pinned" in place because if it moves, you will take the valuable piece.





Skewer: My personal favorite. The same is the pin except that you threaten a valuable piece with a weaker piece behind it. The valuable piece (e.g. King or Queen) will have to move and you can capture the piece behind it.





Opening: Opening is the most crucial point of the game. The best strategy is to move your two center pawns forward two spaces, and then move the knights towards the center as backup. Some players even move the bishops out into the center, but it can be difficult to complete the entire strategy without your opponent attacking and forcing you to defend yourself.





And you say you've heard taking the middle is good, this is true. Take the middle as stated above with knights, bishops, and pawns. Never attempt to hold the middle with rooks and queens because they will either be taken or forced to remain in one place to protect other pieces. The queen should be able to move independently around the entire board, and the rooks are mostly backup pieces.





One final tip: Castle with your King early.





Hope this helped.