Chess is a fun and challenging game that can be played by people of all ages. It’s no secret, though, that it takes time to master this ancient game. Many chess players have spent hours reading books or watching YouTube videos in order to improve their skills in the game. But which strategy should you use?
First you need to learn the rules. Once you know how to play you should take advantage of the huge amount of free online ressources to get a deeper understanding of chess and improve your game.
Let us guide you through the whole process. How do you learn chess the easiest and most efficient way – and where do you go from there?
Table of Contents
Learn The Rules of Chess With Online Tutorials
The first thing you need to do is to learn the rules of chess. In this modern era this is really easy by following online tutorials. Chess websites like Chess.com, Lichess, and many others have tutorials that range from very basic rules to advanced strategies.
The best thing about this way to learn chess is that it is interactive. While learning the rules, you actually get to learn how to move the pieces around the chess board yourself. This really helps letting the information seeks in.
By practicing and learning at the same time you will have the rules down in no time.
So, now that you know the rules it is time to start getting some practice actually playing and learning how to improve. Keep reading to learn how you can keep improving at chess after you have learned the rules and the basics.
How To Start Playing Chess
There are mainly two ways to get started actually playing chess. If you want to play online, just chose a chess website that offers online chess games. One of the most popular places to play online chess right now is Chess.com, but there are many others out there.
If you would like to play a game in real life the first and most important thing to do is find a chess board. If you’re not sure where the pieces go, either look online for an image or ask someone who already knows how to play chess.
Now you need to find someone to play a game against. At first it will be best to play against someone with some experience. They can make sure the game is played correctly and also give you some tips strategy-wise.
After you get a bit better it is a good idea to find someone who has a similar level of chess knowledge as you. Do not play with people more advanced than yourself at first, because it will often be frustrating and irritating for both parties involved!
These casual games are usually played without a chess clock. That is ok, but sometimes live games without a time-limit can drag out too far with one of the players thinking very long before making every move. If this is too big of a problem, you can always just use a chess clock app to keep the games moving.
Learn How To Play Chess With a Friend or Family Member
One of the best ways to learn how to play chess is with a friend or family member. Ask them questions, and have them explain what they are doing so you know why it’s happening.
It will help give you context for your next move as well as provide an opportunity for teachable moments that help greatly when teaching someone else about the game this way.
If you don’t have a friend or family member to teach you, chess.com offers online lessons and tutorials for free. There are also a bounch of YouTube videos available that can help with the basics of the game and how it’s played.
A great place for beginners is Chessable which has video tutorials on every aspect of the board game in addition to interactive exercises where players can put their skills into practice while gaining an understanding at each step along the way.
Tip: Try playing online for free before investing in books/videos.
Play Online Chess Games In Your Browser Or In Apps
One of the simplest ways to improve your chess game is by playing against a computer. You can try out different tactics and strategies in online games.
However, there are many different browser-based chess apps that you can consider before making your choice: some have better graphics while others offer more customization options for how players act on their turn.
We recommend playing on one of the more established sites like:
- Chess.com
- Lichess.org
- Chessable.com
The main reason for using these is that they all have all you need to develop further as a chess player. You can learn rules, follow tutorials to learn strategy and tactics, and also replay your games with suggestions on better moves in each position.
The last part is extremely useful because the best way to improve your own chess game is to analyze the games you play by yourself. Alle three mentioned sites have tools to analyze your games and give feedback on your moves.
Read Through a Beginner’s Guide Book About Chess
For a chess beginner, a great way to learn how to play is through reading an introductory chess book. These books are designed for beginners and will teach you all of the basics in a structured manner that you can follow with ease.
There are many different chess books out there that can help you learn how to play, but it’s important to find the right one for your particular needs.
When looking at a book in order to make sure it is appropriate and helpful for learning chess as a beginner, check first what level the book is written on.
Most introductory books will be either “beginner” or “intermediate”. Beginner levels usually encompass those who have never played before while intermediate players may already know some of the basics of chess.
In addition, some beginners’ guides also focus on certain aspects of chess such as openings (the way you move pieces at the start of the game), endgames (how to finish the game once the Queens or several other pieces are off the board), and chess tactics (the small moves that can lead to big gains).
It’s always best, then, to find books written for your particular needs.
Watch Chess Videos On YouTube That Teach You The Game And Offer Tips For Playing Better
You can find plenty of chess videos on YouTube that teach you the basics of the game and offer tips for playing.
It’s also a great place to watch high level players play against each other in games so that you can learn by watching how they make decisions about which moves to make, while considering all their options.
That way when it comes time for your turn, you’ll know what decision will work best given the position of pieces on both sides as well as any possible strategies or traps your opponent might set up. You might even get some ideas from them!
Check Out Free Online Chess Tutorials
Online chess tutorials are great way to learn chess and improve your game. You will have lots of fun. Especially if you find interactive tutorials with good exercises so you can train what you learn.
One Chess website that offers both interactive and free online chess tutorials is Chess.com. On Chess.com you can find a lot of great tutorials and exercises to learn chess.
The interactive tutorials are quite different from the ones you find on YouTube or other websites because they teach as well as entertain. The animations, illustrations, puzzles and videos make it easier for beginners to understand what is happening in each position.
At Chess.com there is even an option that allows you to choose your difficulty level, so players at any skill-level can enjoy this resource full of great lessons.
Another place where you might find free online chess tutorials is Youtube but be careful! There are lots of bad quality videos out there making false promises about how good their “tutorials” really are. In those cases I would recommend looking up reviews before watching.
Get Out There And Start Playing Some Chess
Learning how to play chess can be a challenging and frustrating process, but it’s worth the effort.
There are many ways you can learn the game of chess such as online tutorials, YouTube videos that teach you the basics or free online tutorials.
You may want to start by learning some basic rules about playing with a friend or family member in person before jumping right into an actual match on your computer screen.
Now it is your turn. Get out there and learn some chess. Have fun!
