Chess for Beginners

Chess for Beginners

If you know the rules of chess but not much else, this site is for you. Simple elementary tactics are the key to beginning your improvement in playing ability.

Chess games are divided into three phases: opening, middle game, and endgame. The philosophy of chess instruction taught here begins with the end game. No matter how well you play the opening and middle game, the endgame often needs to be considered. We'll start with the endgame.

In the endgame, it's often good to use the king: Attack pawns or defend your own pawns with your king. Pawn formations are critical: Know when to advance a pawn and when to leave the pawn where it is. Most important, learn how to chechmate your opponent and how to avoid being checkmated.

Learn how a queen-plus-king can checkmate a lone king; then learn how a rook-plus-king can checkmate a lone king. These are two of the most basic endgame checkmates beginners need to know.

Most of the good you'll receive from this chess site is in the links to pages on other sites, pages that are most useful to chess beginners. Expect these other pages to open in new browser windows, so that you can stay with Chess for Beginners.

This web site is sponsored by Pterosaurs Still Living, a cryptozoological investigation. To learn about live pterosaurs, search above, using the word "ropens," the name that natives

of Umboi Island, Papua New Guinea, use for this giant featherless flying creature.

No chess books or other chess materials are advertised by this site. But please be aware that it is supported by the living-pterosaur investigations. Please be open-minded about investigations of ropens.

True progress in chess-playing ability almost always depends on actual playing experience: Play chess!