Guidelines to follow in order to make good moves in chess.

 

  Before a player attempts to move a piece, several foundational principles must be considered.     

  In the following sections, we'll dive into each of these considerations, providing insights and strategies that players of all levels can employ to enhance their decision-making process when making a moves in chess. 

     These principles serve as a checklist that help players make optimal choices. When making a move in chess. The criterias on the checklist goes as follows:

1. Does this move improve the activity of my pieces?

    Before making a move always consider the state of your pieces. Evaluate the activity of your pieces. Are they well-placed, will moving them result in activation or underdevelopment, can they be improved?

   

  An example of this can be seen in the position above, where the black knight is under attack and can move to various squares but the only move that gives black advantage is moving the knight to D4 which centralizes the knight as well as launching an attack on the white queen.

 

2.   Does this move leave my King vulnerable to attacks?

  Avoid making moves that exposes your king to danger. Assess your king's safety. Find any checks, threats, or weaknesses around your king.

  One example  of this is the position above. Black is thinking about capturing the pawn on h6

   but reconsiders due to the fact that the capture on h6 leads to an exchange of bishop for knight which results in the kingside being damaged which leaves the king vulnerable to attacks 

3. Are you ahead or behind in material?

  

 Check the material balance. If you are ahead in material then you should consider trading as it will benefit you a great deal. Meanwhile if you are down pieces then it is a good idea to start and attack in which your opponent will have to give some pieces back to you. 

   A good example of this is the position above. With black to play a good idea will be to capture the pawn on e5. Even if the capture looks like you're down an exchange, you are alright due to the fact that the queen is enough to deliver checkmate.

4. Does this move damage my pawn Structure?

 Analyze the pawn structure and determine whether the move benefits you or your opponent in terms of pawn structure. In practice bad pawn structures are weak can be used as targets and avenues for attack 

    An example of this is the position above in which white is contemplating capturing the knight on h6 with his dark squared bishop. White decides to go for the capture because the trade results in the damage of black's pawn structure after the pawn captures back.

5. Does this move leave a piece undefended?

      

 One major thing to consider is the state of your pieces in terms of protection. Before making a move you have to make sure that the move you make does not compromise the safety of your pieces.

  A good example of this is the position above. Black is considering playing the move pawn to b6 with the intent to fianchentto the light squared bishop on the diagonals but immediately realizes that the move b6 leaves the knight on c6 unprotected and vulnerable to bishop takes c6 which gives white a free knight. As a result of that, black cannot move the b7 pawn because the pawn is the only protector of the knight.

6. Does this move leave any piece hanging?

     Before making a move always look for hanging pieces. Hanging pieces are pieces which are not defended and can be captured.  One of the most common type of blunder a beginner makes is to leave a piece hanging (undefended).

   One major cause for hanging pieces comes from paying little to no attention on your opponent's last move.

   

    As seen in the example above white pays no attention to black's last move which was Qf6 and decides to play Ng5, moving the knight to the g5 square which. This is a blunder because black's queen can capture the knight for free. 

This is why you should always pay attention to your opponent's last move.

Remember that chess is a dynamic game with many factors to consider. Going through these questions will help you make informed and strategic decisions during your games.

To learn about chess strategies which increase your win percentage check this post

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