Tips for Beginners
Learning the rules is only the first step towards becoming a good chess player. If you've a beginner who has mastered the rules of chess and wants to take the first steps towards becoming a stronger player, it's time to learn the fundamentals of chess strategy.
Can I Checkmate With These Pieces?
A list of the pieces with which a player can or cannot checkmate an enemy king.
Learning Openings for Beginners
A discussion of the best ways to learn the openings in chess.
Illegal Moves
A discussion of illegal moves in chess, such as leaving your king in check.
Choosing the Right Odds
A short guide to picking odds that will make for a fun and competitive game of chess.
Ten Basic Checkmates to Know
A guide to ten basic checkmates that every chess player should know, presented as a series of mate-in-one problems.
Time Management
Learn how to better manage your time during a chess game. Time management is an important, but often overlooked, chess skill.
Basic Principles of Chess Openings
Learn the basic principles of playing chess openings properly.
Fool's Mate -- The Fastest Checkmate in Chess
A move by move guide to the fastest checkmate in chess, the Fool's Mate.
Basic Chess Tactics
A guide to basic chess tactics, including forks, pins and skewers.
How to Read and Write Algebraic Chess Notation
Learn how to read and write algebraic chess notation.
The Relative Value of the Pieces
Learn how much each piece is worth, from the pawn to the queen and king.
How to Checkmate with a King and Queen
Learn how to checkmate with a king and a queen, one of the most basic endgame checkmates in chess.
101 Chess Tips
A collection of chess advice. The main site generates a random tip each time it is visited; however, all 101 pieces can be accessed at any time.
Chess Tips by Bill Jordan
Chess tips from FM Bill Jordan, an Australian postal chess champion.
Pandolfini's 64 Commandments
Tips from renowned chess instructor and author Bruce Pandolfini.
Ten Tips to Winning Chess
Tips for beginners by Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier.
Class Prizes and Under Prizes in Chess Tournaments
A guide to understanding how chess prizes are awarded in most tournaments, including the difference between class prizes and under prizes.
Knights Before Bishops?
A discussion of the common chess advice "knights before bishops," and how you should use it in your chess games.
Mistakes When Setting Up a Chess Board
A few common errors players make when setting up a chessboard for the first time.
Five Key Ideas for New Chess Players to Work On
While new players have a lot to learn about chess, there are a few areas in particular that will help them achieve rapid improvement.