PRINCIPLES AND THEORIES OF CHESS - - - - - Do’s and Don’ts in the OPENING:

1. Develop your pieces rapidly WITH THREATS. Try not to move the same piece more than once during the beginning of the
game. Move it in a square where it can remain for a while without being threatened.
2. Put your pieces into good squares that gives them a maximum activity and mobility.
3. Move the knights and bishop off the back rank. Thus, develop knights before bishops. Knights are more effective for your
struggle in the center.
4. Centralize rooks. Control the open and semi-open files for the rook. Try to open a file for a rook in your earliest
convenience.
5. Control and struggle for the center with pieces and pawns . Play for the pawn center! The pawn center is mighty!
6. Castle as early as possible for the king’s safety and for an active rook. Usually in kingside. Castling in queen side wastes
another move leaving the a pawn undefended.
7. Always look for a tempo gaining move. Tempo means time. Try to play moves that gain time. For example developing while
attacking.
8. Play a reliable, aggressive and thoroughly analyzed opening. Always control the game by transposing openings into another
variation. Always look for advantage or positional equality.
9. During the first ten or so moves, move only two or three pawns. Try not to move many pawns, for a better endgame and a
pawn structure.
10. Avoid double pawns whenever possible, they are very weak since they can’t protect each other.

MIDDLE GAME:

1. Look for a better position in exchanging pieces. Eliminate the developed piece of your opponent. Thus, don’t exchange your
developed pieces with your opponent’s undeveloped piece.
2. PIN, SKEWER, FORK for bishop, rook, and queen. FORK for knights.
3. Always look for a direct attack and combination.
4. Rook charge/doubling the rook/battery.
5. Pawn storming into the castled side of your opponent.
6. Look for a sacrifice but don’t sacrifice without a good reason.
7. Maneuver your pieces into good squares especially knights and bishops.
8. If you are ahead materially, simplify pieces. If not, don’t. But exchange pawns.
9. Play with your advantage, distinguish your opponents disadvantage and weaknesses and make your play through it.
10. Create imbalances.
11. Play actively not passively, avoid useless and careless moves.
12. Piece coordination.
13. A good bishop is not blocked in by his own pawns…A bad bishop is blocked in. Keep your good bishops, trade off your bad
bishops.
14. When trading, count the defenders and the attackers.

END GAME:

1. This is the most important part of the game. Study the endgame before anything else. Think carefully.
2. Place your rook into the seventh rank whenever possible.
3. Create passed pawn/s. Passed pawn/s must be pushed. Aim to queen them.
4. Connected pawns are very strong.
5. Doubled, tripled, isolated and backward pawns are weak.
6. The king is the most efficient piece in the end game and should be used if the queens are off the board. Move the king to
the center of action. In king-pawn endgames, king must be ahead to pawns.
7. Knights are best in closed positions and better in games with many pawns while bishops can move more readily in open
positions and better if there are two or three pawns.
8. Place your pawns opposite color of your bishop or your opponent’s.
9. Rooks should be placed – not in front of – passed pawns, whether they are yours or opponents.
10. If you are behind in pawns, exchange pawns but not pieces.

GENERAL SECRETS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR GAME:

1. Think before you move. Always have a plan in mind – however vague or obscure – on how to checkmate your opponent.
Making a move without purpose is POINTLESS.
2. Play “CHESS” not “MOVE”.
3. Questions to consider before moving?
a) Why did he move this? What is his plan? What is he threatening?
b) Can I check or can I be checked?
c) Can I attack the queen?
Prepared by: AFM Rodney Palaming – 09509509621 Coach/Trainer
 d) What is my plan? How can I improve my position? How can I win with such exchange?
e) What is my best move? my opponent’s?
f) What are my pieces’ targets?
g) Did my opponent hang a piece or a pawn? Am I hanging something?
4. Avoid playing with weaker players. Whenever possible, play with stronger players. Study their approach to the game. If you
lost with them, ask them after the game where you went wrong.
5. Play the “BOARD” not the “MAN”. Don’t UNDERESTIMATE your opponent, neither OVERESTIMATE.
6. Play BLITZ, it is good in recognizing threats in chess and for better opening encounters.
7. Always move ACCORDING TO PRINCIPLES OR THEORIES.
8. Always assume that the move of your rival is his/her best move.
9. ATTACK! You must attack to win. But you must ensure first the safety of your king.
10. Have an opening repertoire with both white and black chessmen.
11. Study each PHASE OF THE GAME equally. As recommended:
a) OPENING – 25%
b) MIDDLE GAME – 25%
c) END GAME – 50%
12. Learn how to play all of your pieces equally. Don’t prefer knights as opposed of your bishops, for example as simply “you
like it”.
13. If your opponent offers you a piece or a pawn, ALWAYS DOUBT before you accept. It might be a trap. If not, don’t hesitate.
14. If you are behind MATERIAL, DON’T RESIGN EARLY IN THE GAME as if you have a piece that can checkmate. REMEMBER:
“CHECKMATE is the key to win.
PLANNING AND THINKING – HOW TO:

1) Start out by always attacking the center;

ALWAYS
1. Whenever you can get a free piece or a free pawn, TAKE IT! Afraid it might be a trap or a gambit? Take it anyway unless you see a
definite reason why not to.
2. Every move you make, before you reach to make the move, take a last look around and make sure
you are not hanging a piece.
3. Before considering any thing else when your opponent makes a move…ask yourself is he hanging a
piece.
The Four Golden Principles
1. King Safety – The protection of the king is important and the easiest of the principles to
follow.
2. Material – With all other factors equal, whoever is winning in material should win.
3. Force – The hardest and most important of the principles to master. Force is tactics…forcing
a game to a particular ourcome.
4. Mobility – positional concepts of space.

Prepared by: AFM Rodney Palaming – 09509509621 Coach/Trainer