Reminders for Players of The Game of Chess

These are some reminders while playing chess:

1. DON’T underestimate your opponent. Whether you know your opponent is strong or weak, you shouldn’t feel very confident. Underestimation has been a common reason why players lose their games, even against weaker opponents.
2. ALWAYS think before you make a move. Every turn you have, you must think about your possible good moves. Don’t rush in making moves. Think like this: “If I move this piece, does this strengthen my position?” or “Does this move contribute to my strategy against my opponent?”
3. ALWAYS consider your opponent’s moves. You might have a “good” strategy in mind, but you don’t know what strategy your opponent has against you. Thinking or considering the opponent’s moves can enable you to see his/her strategy. Considering you opponent’s moves is actually part of thinking before you make a move. You can think like this: “What’s the reason why my opponent move that particular piece in that particular direction?” You can, then, make a move while considering the opponent’s previous move.
4. TAKE ADVANTAGE the turn of your opponent. While your opponent is thinking about his/her next move, you should also think about your possible next moves, the possible opponent’s moves, and your reply to the possible opponent’s move. You might create a better strategy against your opponent by doing this. You can also anticipate your opponent’s move; if you know already or anticipate your opponent’s move, then you can have a move replying to that oppponent’s move.
5. THINK three or four moves ahead. Actually, this kind of thinking is what the experienced players are doing. They think ahead three or four moves even without making a move. This can actually lead to strategy and tactics. If you think more moves, you may know your plan of attack. This can also be done in considering your opponent’s possible moves. You can think possible three or four moves the opponent may move in his or her turns. If you’re a pro enough, you can make five or even six moves ahead. A note for the beginners, though: this kind of thinking is NOT very easy to handle. You might think that it’s very easy, but do it for more than an hour, and you’ll experience a headache (literally). Nevertheless, you are strongly advised to practis this, as this is very important in playing chess.
6. DON’T touch a piece if you’re not yet sure of your move; if you do so, then you’re required to move that piece, whether advantageous or not to your position. Actually, this is a rule for most official chess tournaments. However, friendly games may not hold this rule. The reason for this rule is that when you touch a piece, it is assumed that you are already sure that you will move that piece.