Oswestry Chess Club
Pawns can’t move backwards, so don’t move many of them out too quickly (they leave ‘holes’ behind that enemy pieces can jump into). Pieces need activity, thus they need to be brought out — this means all of them, not just one. Make one move with each piece, don’t keep moving the same piece time and time again. This applies to Queens as well- they are far better with some company, especially with a Knight. Place the pieces towards the middle of the board from where they have more squares to go to. Try to control the middle 4 squares of the board as much as possible and keep the opponent’s pieces away from them (using a mixture of pawns and pieces). The King is more vulnerable in the centre of the board and it gets in the way of its own pieces, so castling either side is usually desirable.
Protect your castled King by either having your pieces around or by stopping the opponent’s pieces from getting to it. If your King gets attacked when castled on either flank, then counterattack in the middle. A centre attack is usually stronger than a flank attack. Keep your pieces together if you can, they like co-operating, but don’t cluster your pieces in a small tight bunch — they get in each other’s way. A mobile piece is a strong piece, a piece that is restricted or cannot move is weak. Spread your pieces out a little while still keeping them in contact. Choose a target or a plan — for example, try to control the centre, or, when that is either blocked or under control, try to bring all your pieces to bear against the enemy King. When in doubt as to what to do, improve the position your worst placed piece — this may involve moving some other pieces out of the way, typically to let Rooks into the game.
Rooks need open lines, or to be behind pawns that are wanting to move forward. They cherish mobility — don’t tie them down to defending weak pawns. Attack enemy pawns instead. Rooks come into their own in the endgame — they often feature in a pawn advance against the enemy King.
Keep your pawns evenly spaced out. Don’t put all of them on squares of the same colour. They will obstruct your Bishop of that colour even if the Bishop has managed to get out in front of your pawns. Such a Bishop is known as a ‘bad’ Bishop. In addition, squares of the other colour become rather weak as they do not have pawns to protect them. Pawns can’t move backwards to cover the hole. Therefore keep them roughly half and half on the white and black squares. Pawns like going around in pairs for company. So, if you have an advanced pawn, try to bring up another one next to it. Two pawns together keep the enemy pieces away from the squares in front of both of them, (hence the power of having a pawn on e4 and one on d4). On the other hand, two pawns that are separated can be blockaded by pieces in front of them, when they become weak, getting in the way of their pieces in consequence.
Whatever you do, don’t make a move or a plan before you are sure you understand why your opponent has made their last move. Look at threats from that piece, or see whether their move releases some squares for other pieces. Look at the whole board, not just where current activity seems to be focussed. Knight moves can be particularly insidious as they can go in 8 directions from where they are put. Be careful if you decide to chase a Knight, it may suddenly go forward (or backward) into a superior square to where it was before.
Above all, enjoy the patterns on the board, both those that actually occur as well as the possibilities that are present in the position.