How to get better at chess as a beginner
Foundation · New to chess (unrated)
How do I get better at chess as a complete beginner?
Knows little or none of the rules. Often a young child. Needs short, playful lessons and lots of success. Spend most of your training on rules & board (35%), checkmates (25%), tactics (15%). Mini-games (pawn wars, capture-the-king, queen vs pawns) before full games. Full games only once the rules are secure. Slow games, no clock.
Where to spend your training time
| Rules & board | 35% | |
| Checkmates | 25% | |
| Tactics | 15% | |
| Openings | 10% | |
| Endgames | 15% |
A training session
- 5 min: Board game warm-up: coordinates, name the square
- 15 min: New idea shown with very few pieces (mini-games)
- 15 min: Mini-games and simple puzzles on the idea
- 15 min: Play a short game with the coach, talk through threats
- 5 min: One sentence recap + sticker / reward
How much to play
Mini-games (pawn wars, capture-the-king, queen vs pawns) before full games. Full games only once the rules are secure. Slow games, no clock.
How to review your games
No engine. Replay one moment where a piece was lost and ask “what was attacked?”.
Most common mistakes at under 400
- Illegal moves (moving into check, castling through check)
- Not noticing the opponent’s last move
- Stalemating instead of mating
- Bringing the queen out alone
Coach’s tips
- Keep each new idea under 10 minutes
- Teach mate before teaching openings
- Celebrate small wins; let them win mini-games
- Parents can play mini-games at home
Openings to play
With White: Principles only: centre pawn, knights, bishops, castle. With Black: Answer 1.e4 with 1...e5, 1.d4 with 1...d5. No theory; three golden rules.
Ready for the next level?
Move on when you hold about 400 over the board, solve 70% of puzzles at this level and have done 80% of the lessons.
Puzzles for your level
Chess puzzles for under 400 players