Things You'll Need:
- A regulation size chess board and pieces.
- A few basic instructional books on opening and endgame play (see below).
-
Step 1
Develop is a basic understanding of opening principles. This includes concepts such as the importance of center control and development, control of files and diagonals, and opening pawn structure. A good book covering these would be "How to Open a Chess Game," by Sam Collins. Another that I like to give you a taste of opening considerations at the move-by move level is the classic "Logical Chess - Move by Move," by the great chess writer Irving Chernev. At this point, don't concern yourself with memorizing opening moves.
-
Step 2
Begin the study of endings involving only Kings and Pawns. To begin with, focus on endings with minimal pieces and where one side has a material advantage. As you will soon see, even simple looking positions can actually be quite complex. Begin to recognize which endings are theoretical wins and draws. Good starter books include "100 Endgames You Must Know," by Jesus de la Villa, and "Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual," by Mark Dvoretsky.
-
Step 3
Next you should build on your knowledge of King and Pawn endings by developing a basic understanding of the most basic Rook and Pawn endings, which are the next most common ending you will encounter. Again, focus on endings with limited pieces and those where one side has a material advantage. Begin to realize which endings are theoretically won (such as the Lucena position) or drawn. One good book for this "The Survival Guide to Rook Endings," by John Emms.
-
Step 4
Develop an understanding of basic endings with pawns and the minor pieces (bishops and knights). As above, focus on those with fewer pieces and pawns first as well as endings where one side has a material advantage. The two references in Step 3 will also cover this area.
-
Step 5
Proceed to Part III (refer to link below), which will show you how to begin playing and benefiting from actual practice games.
