Answers.Body: <p>I recommend you learn a system and go with it. Play the same opening with white and black, with time you will learn how to avoid common pitfalls, effectively defend yourself, where its safe to put your pieces, where to attack, test your system against a strong engine, and improve your strategy.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-06T17:11:14.383Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-04-06T17:11:14.383Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: chessmaster
Answers.Body: <p>At the beginning, you should play more. Reading stuff cannot teach you as much as actually playing more games. After playing a game you have to go through it to find out what mistakes have been made. You need to purchase at least one chess book which covers all the major openings. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-06T00:35:33.827Z
Answers.Text: The best way to improve is to join local chess clubs.  If there is no available chess club in your area try to join from chess online communities like chess.com or chesscube.com
Answers.UserDisplayName: LayoutPH
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T16:15:52.427Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-04-05T16:15:52.427Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: guru
Answers.Body: <p>I believe it helps to focus more on enjoying the game rather than learning. If you enjoy the game, you learn a lot in the process. </p>
  
  <p>So, my advice would be to enjoy your chess. Find players that are roughly your skill level and play many games. Once you've played a few dozen games, you will gain some experience and then you will be ready to start learning chess in a formal way - reading books, articles, listening to video lectures, etc. </p>
  
  <p>As of today, I am about as strong as a Candidate Master. I will tell you how I learned the game. At first, as a kid, me and my dad would just play for fun. My dad would often let me win and I would enjoy it. Then, when I was about 9 or 10, my dad took me to a few tournaments (no age group) and I was surprised that I could beat a few players who were older than me. Up until this point, I had no formal training (my dad was just an amateur player), but then one of the arbiters of the tournament offered to help me learn and then I would go to his place quite often and play a few games with him. After each game, he would show me the mistakes I made and what I needed to learn from that game. He told me about general opening principles, but his main focus was the endgame. He told me that it's very important to know the endgame. After that, I also learned a few openings, mostly by going over the games of stronger players and observing the types of moves they made. I didn't simply copy their openings, but I tried to play like them and incorporate their ideas into my game, as I understood them. </p>
  
  <p>Then, I continued playing in tournaments and gradually my playing strength improved because my tactics improved, my endgame knowledge improved, my knowledge of chess strategy improved and so on. I also began to analyze my own games with the help of a computer. Before I had a computer, I would analyze them by myself (believe me, this helps you become a better player even if your analysis is actually wrong!). Overall, I enjoyed the game and in the process I learned quite a bit and now I'm aspiring to be a FIDE Master in the near future. </p>
  
  <p>Here are a few books I recommend that you get hold of (this is after you have first played a lot of games and gained some experience)-</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1906454116" rel="noreferrer">Understanding Chess Endgames</a> by John Nunn</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1580420516" rel="noreferrer">Winning Chess Openings</a> by Bill Robertie</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0486273024" rel="noreferrer">The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played</a> by Irving Chernev</p>
  
  <p>Good luck to you! </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T20:03:52.373Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for your reply, I remember that I played with my father but we only knew the rules, nothing about great tactics. You said one thing that is important, "Enjoy the Game" I enjoy it, but sometimes I feel sad when I lose over and over again, I see my mistakes but I do It again. the most important in your comment is "Play, learn and improve" i knew it, but sometime we need that somebody refresh this words, Thanks a lot, you give me a lot ideas :D
Answers.UserDisplayName: Wilfredo P
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T20:06:31.747Z
Answers.Text: You're welcome! Hope you enjoy and learn!
Answers.UserDisplayName: NM Wesley Falcao
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T19:29:03.047Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-04-05T20:04:13.850Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2014-04-05T20:04:13.850Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: NM Wesley Falcao
Body: <p>I have been pretty interested in chess for about 8 months now. I know the rules and basic moves.</p>
  
  <p>I'm looking right now for a place where I can start learning chess strategies, tactics etc. When doing a web search, I only get an unordered list of articles, books or videos out of order, which don't really help me to get an organized start.</p>
  
  <p>What learning resources would you recommend?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T14:01:07.960Z
Comments.Text: Is there a local chess club?  If so, attend and play!  Before long, all will become clear.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T14:31:26.643Z
Comments.Text: Currently No that I know, I'm from Venezuela, So about 1 or 2 years ago, I knew about a club, in a Plaza but was removed with the promise that it'll relocated, but that not happend. but now does not exist. I was looking for clubs but I found very poor information about this places. Becouse that I came from here to look any clues about internet learn.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Wilfredo P
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T14:43:04.173Z
Comments.Text: Maybe you can find an online community where you can play and analyze games. Playing and having better players telling you where to improve is probably what you need most right now.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Akavall
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T14:44:35.947Z
Comments.Text: Are you visiting sites like chess.com?  There are online games happening all the time.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2014-04-05T15:24:24.657Z
Comments.Text: mm I joined, but honestly I can't pay the full membership to training.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Wilfredo P
Tags: <learning><books>
Title: Where can I start to learn?
ThreadText: # Where can I start to learn?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-05)
  
  I have been pretty interested in chess for about 8 months now. I know the rules and basic moves.
  
  I'm looking right now for a place where I can start learning chess strategies, tactics etc. When doing a web search, I only get an unordered list of articles, books or videos out of order, which don't really help me to get an organized start.
  
  What learning resources would you recommend?
  
  **Tags:** learning, books
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Is there a local chess club?  If so, attend and play!  Before long, all will become clear.  
  > **username_0**: Currently No that I know, I'm from Venezuela, So about 1 or 2 years ago, I knew about a club, in a Plaza but was removed with the promise that it'll relocated, but that not happend. but now does not exist. I was looking for clubs but I found very poor information about this places. Becouse that I came from here to look any clues about internet learn.  
  > **username_2**: Maybe you can find an online community where you can play and analyze games. Playing and having better players telling you where to improve is probably what you need most right now.  
  > **username_1**: Are you visiting sites like chess.com?  There are online games happening all the time.  
  > **username_0**: mm I joined, but honestly I can't pay the full membership to training.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2014-04-05. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  I believe it helps to focus more on enjoying the game rather than learning. If you enjoy the game, you learn a lot in the process.
  
  So, my advice would be to enjoy your chess. Find players that are roughly your skill level and play many games. Once you've played a few dozen games, you will gain some experience and then you will be ready to start learning chess in a formal way - reading books, articles, listening to video lectures, etc.
  
  As of today, I am about as strong as a Candidate Master. I will tell you how I learned the game. At first, as a kid, me and my dad would just play for fun. My dad would often let me win and I would enjoy it. Then, when I was about 9 or 10, my dad took me to a few tournaments (no age group) and I was surprised that I could beat a few players who were older than me. Up until this point, I had no formal training (my dad was just an amateur player), but then one of the arbiters of the tournament offered to help me learn and then I would go to his place quite often and play a few games with him. After each game, he would show me the mistakes I made and what I needed to learn from that game. He told me about general opening principles, but his main focus was the endgame. He told me that it's very important to know the endgame. After that, I also learned a few openings, mostly by going over the games of stronger players and observing the types of moves they made. I didn't simply copy their openings, but I tried to play like them and incorporate their ideas into my game, as I understood them.
  
  Then, I continued playing in tournaments and gradually my playing strength improved because my tactics improved, my endgame knowledge improved, my knowledge of chess strategy improved and so on. I also began to analyze my own games with the help of a computer. Before I had a computer, I would analyze them by myself (believe me, this helps you become a better player even if your analysis is actually wrong!). Overall, I enjoyed the game and in the process I learned quite a bit and now I'm aspiring to be a FIDE Master in the near future.
  
  Here are a few books I recommend that you get hold of (this is after you have first played a lot of games and gained some experience)-
  
  [Understanding Chess Endgames](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1906454116) by John Nunn
  
  [Winning Chess Openings](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1580420516) by Bill Robertie
  
  [The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0486273024) by Irving Chernev
  
  Good luck to you!
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks for your reply, I remember that I played with my father but we only knew the rules, nothing about great tactics. You said one thing that is important, "Enjoy the Game" I enjoy it, but sometimes I feel sad when I lose over and over again, I see my mistakes but I do It again. the most important in your comment is "Play, learn and improve" i knew it, but sometime we need that somebody refresh this words, Thanks a lot, you give me a lot ideas :D  
  > **username_6**: You're welcome! Hope you enjoy and learn!  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2014-04-06. Score: 1
  
  I recommend you learn a system and go with it. Play the same opening with white and black, with time you will learn how to avoid common pitfalls, effectively defend yourself, where its safe to put your pieces, where to attack, test your system against a strong engine, and improve your strategy.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2014-04-05. Score: 0
  
  At the beginning, you should play more. Reading stuff cannot teach you as much as actually playing more games. After playing a game you have to go through it to find out what mistakes have been made. You need to purchase at least one chess book which covers all the major openings.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: The best way to improve is to join local chess clubs.  If there is no available chess club in your area try to join from chess online communities like chess.com or chesscube.com  
  
  ---
  
  