How to Become a Better Chess Player: Here Are the Best Ways!

Chess is extremely popular nowadays, whether you wish to play it online or in the good old-fashioned way. Back in December 2022, the chess.com platform reached 100 million users. If you wish to play chess online, you can always use that platform to find yourself a suitable partner, get your matches analyzed, climb through the ranks, join groups, and more. You can even use the platform’s dedicated mobile app to play chess anytime you want, whether you wish to play against another person or against the computer.

Becoming good at chess requires a lot of study, preferably entire years. At the same time, it’s somewhat mandatory to lose numerous chess games, as you know that old saying of Confucius: the master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.

The good news is that the more you study and play chess, the better you will become. Chess grandmasters such as Gary Kasparov, Magnus Carlsen, and Hikaru Nakamura have all played numerous games before reaching the Hall of Fame of Chess players. Who knows, maybe you’ll be among them one day as well! Here’s what you need to do:

Keep practicing

It may sound like an old cliche, but it’s absolutely true that you need to always practice chess in order to become better. But don’t just practice at the junior level against the computer. You need to gradually increase the difficulty of your games as you become better. Playing against your computer is a good idea before diving into the real world and playing against a real person. However, playing against a close friend or even an enemy is a good idea if you believe that you’re the type of person who’s more motivated by real human interactions.

Whether you play against the computer or against a friend or relative, never stop playing chess! Play as often as you can, regardless of how much this may sound like a boring cliche. Just as you need to hit the gym often to stay in shape and have your muscles at the right level, it’s the same with chess. Unless you play it as regularly as possible, it’s pretty much impossible to become better at playing it.

If you reach a certain level as a chess player, such as an advanced player, for instance, it would be a mistake to waste time playing with beginners or at a beginner level on your computer. You should always try to push yourself forward and not just comply with mediocrity. Playing chess at a lower level than the one you’re at, even from time to time, is a bad idea. Chess is an incredibly complicated game in which you constantly need to force your limits if you want to become better.

Study games and strategies

You can watch chess games of grandmasters to learn to think like they do. The internet is teeming with chess games of grandmasters such as Kasparov or Magnus Carlsen, which means that you simply can’t afford to miss them! They are even analyzed by experts so that you will have a better understanding of how those top chess players make their moves.

YouTube and many other platforms are also teeming with chess lessons. You are free to study those lessons to try to improve your own style by integrating those ideas into your future games. Chess coaches are always happy to share their understanding of chess, from basic lessons such as how to move the rook away from a threat to complicated mating maneuvers.

It’s especially important to focus on openings and checkmates in chess while you study, as those are probably the most important parts of a chess game. You need to understand the reasons behind each move, as well as the risks that come along with it.

Study YOUR games and identify YOUR mistakes

Don’t just be that kind of person who believes that they never make mistakes. If you want to learn some good chess, it’s mandatory to face your mistakes and learn how to get rid of them in your future games. Chess.com can help you out with that, as the platform can provide you with an analysis of each of the chess games you play. However, this might come at a monthly subscription fee, but it’s still totally worth it if you’re determined to become the best chess player in town.

Don’t forget that we all should learn from our mistakes and that we shouldn’t be afraid of losing. Surely, we must try to avoid losing as much as possible, but the idea is that we don’t have to give up if we lose. Losing should make us stronger and more aware of our mistakes, as well as of how we can overcome them, and it’s the same when it comes to chess.

Solve chess puzzles

Solving chess puzzles regularly is also a great idea to improve your game. Instead of playing a whole game, you can just solve a puzzle, such as one that gives you the pieces in a certain position, and you have to find the right checkmate maneuver in two moves, for instance. You can find such chess puzzles in apps, online platforms, and puzzle books.

Remember: in chess, any rule can be broken in the end. Grandmasters constantly break the rules in chess. But until you can afford to break the rules, you must know, study, and master them thoroughly.