How to Become a STRONG Chess Player

The Magical Number Seven

7 Most Important Steps

1. Understand the base principles of chess.

2. Develop correct thinking process.

3. Train chess skills - tactical vision, calculation, positional play, endgame skills.

4. Applying the newly learned skills in actual games. 

5. Self-understanding and enhancing personal skills.

6. Good openings and preparation.

7. Physical and psychological preparation.

7 Delightful Chess Books You Must Study

1. Blunders and Brilliancies

2. The Chess Terrorist's Handbook
3. Chess Blueprints: Planning in the Middlegame
4. Test Your Positional Play
5. 100 Endgames You Must Know
6. Chess Training Pocket Book
7. Winning With Chess Psychology

7 Fascinating Opening Tactics and Traps

1. Antuanes – Suta  Corr., 1988

Nimzo-Indian Defense [E30]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 Qe7 6.e3 d6 7.Qa4+ Nc6 8.d5 exd5 9.cxd5 Qe4! (D)

White to move

     Surprisingly, Antuanes confronted with threats of 10...Bxc3+ and 10...Qxh4 decided not to prolong the fight and resigned. 0–1         

        
        White can actually save himself from immediate disaster by taking care of Black's biggest threat with 10.0-0-0! (Other moves like 10.Qb3 Na5; 10.Qd1 Nxd5; 10.Bb5 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxa4 followed by ...Nxd5 won't save him as well.) although Black keeps a slight advantage after 10...Bxc3 11.Qxe4 Nxe4 12.dxc6 Bf6 =+.

2. Mieses, J. - Chigorin, M.  Ostend, 1906

3. Abonyi, I. - Hromadka, K.  Prague, 1908

4. Fischer, R. - Reshevsky, S.  USA-ch New York, 1958

5. Sax, G. - Nunn, J. DM  Brussels, 1985
6. Hodgson, J. - Illescas Cordoba, M. Wijk aan Zee,1993

7. Vysochin, S. - Zakharevich, I.  RUS St. Petersburg, 2003