How to improve at chess: 11 tips and a complete method

Improving at chess isn’t a question of natural talent, but of method: to improve your game, it’s better to split your training between tactics, endgames, openings and analysis of your own games than to simply rack up games without a purpose. This guide brings together 11 tips and organises them into a complete method, structured around 4 training pillars, to help you improve and win more games over the long term.

Updated 13 November 2026 · By Delphine D., Le Palais des Échecs editorial team

Update of 13 November 2026: complete overhaul: turning the list of 11 tips (734 words, too short) into a proper improvement guide structured as a work plan….

Why most players stagnate (and how to break the deadlock)

Most players stagnate because they rack up games without ever analysing them, pick up scattered tips with no structure, and spread their training time across too many different activities. Breaking the deadlock calls for fewer new games and more targeted work on your own weaknesses.

• Playing without analysing: churning through online games without ever revisiting your mistakes changes nothing about your habits.
• Lack of structure: without a clear split between tactics, endgames and openings, training stays vague.
• Spreading yourself too thin: trying to work on everything at once stops you from going deep on anything.

To lay the groundwork before going further, our guide to the fundamental principles of chess usefully complements this work plan.

Assessing your current level and setting a realistic goal

Before training, you need to know where you’re starting from. Your Elo rating, calculated online or at a club, gives an objective measure of your level and a benchmark for tracking your progress over time.

How to estimate your Elo level

Most online platforms assign a rating after around ten rated games. Our guide to the Elo rating in chess explains how this figure is calculated and how to raise it sustainably.

Setting an achievable 3–6 month goal

A realistic goal is set over 3 to 6 months, not a week: write down a concrete target (an Elo threshold, a club level, a tactic mastered) and measure your progress at a fixed point in time rather than after every game.

The 4 pillars of effective training

Effective training rests on 4 complementary pillars: tactics, endgames, well-understood openings and analysis of your own games. Neglecting any one of them automatically limits your progress, whatever your level.

Pillar 1 – tactics, every day

Tactics decide most games among players below 2000 Elo: a missed fork or an unspotted pin is often enough to tip the outcome of a game at this level. Solve at least 10 puzzles a day on Lichess or a similar site. Consistency matters more than volume: 10 puzzles a day for a year will improve your game far more than 100 puzzles solved in a single day.

To recognise the most common patterns, see our overview of chess tactics: forks, pins, skewers.

Pillar 2 – endgames, the foundation players neglect

Endgames are often overlooked by club players, even though they decide half of all close games. At the very least, master king and queen versus king, king and rook versus king, pawn endgames (opposition, key squares, passed pawns) and rook versus pawns endgames.

Pillar 3 – openings that are understood, not memorised

Don’t memorise lines by rote without understanding the ideas behind them. The best openings share the same principles: control of the centre, rapid development, king safety. Learn 2 to 3 solid systems with each colour, understanding why each move is played rather than simply reciting it.

The Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5) illustrates these principles well: studied since the 16th century, it remains one of the most widely taught openings. Our guide to the best chess openings details further solid systems for White and Black.

Pillar 4 – analysing your games and studying the grandmasters

After every game, spend 10 to 15 minutes reviewing it alone before consulting an analysis engine: identify your 3 worst moves and understand why they were wrong. Personal analysis first, the engine afterwards — this is how positional judgement is built.

Keep a log of your recurring mistakes (overlooking a threat, time trouble, a poorly prepared opening). Reading it back each month, patterns emerge and your training becomes more targeted.

Round off this analysis by studying annotated games: Morphy’s for attack, Capablanca’s for endgames, Tal’s for tactical imagination. Our article on the best chess players in history is a good starting point for choosing who to study first. The strategies for increasing your Elo rating rely heavily on this kind of methodical imitation of the best.

The mistakes that hold back progress

Beyond one-off tips, certain habits hold back progress even in dedicated players. Spotting them is the first step towards correcting them.

A weekly training programme based on your available time

How you divide your time between the pillars matters more than the total time available. Here are three profiles, from the occasional player to the competitive club player.

Whatever your profile, 30 minutes a day is worth more than 5 hours on a Sunday: tactical patterns are memorised through regular repetition, not isolated sessions.

And during the game: managing your clock

Time management is also prepared in advance. For a 30-minute game, here’s an indicative breakdown.

Training on a physical chess board: why it still matters

Replaying a game or a position on a real chess board, piece in hand, anchors visual patterns better than scrolling through them on a screen. It’s also what helps you feel at ease at your first tournament or club match, where play always takes place on a physical board.

A folding chess board, easy to carry, lets you replay studied positions or endgames anywhere: on public transport, while travelling, or simply to train away from a screen.

This model folds pieces and board into a single case: practical for taking your training on holiday or to the club without giving up a real wooden set.

See the folding chess board and wooden chess set with storage

For a first set designed for learning, see our chess sets for children and beginners; to join a club or prepare for a tournament, our tournament and club chess sets meet the standards used in competition. More broadly, our selection of travel and folding chess boards covers every format.

The best resources to keep improving

Beyond daily training, certain resources and complementary skills speed up progress over the long term.

• Online chess sites: they combine puzzles, rated games and analysis tools. Our comparison of the best online chess sites helps you choose the one that suits your level.
• Chess books: a good book on endgames or annotated games usefully complements on-screen training. See our chess books.
• Structured courses: for guided, pedagogical progress, our digital courses organise learning step by step.
• A training partner: a player of similar level, with whom to analyse games and set shared goals, is one of the best accelerators of progress.
• Visual memory: working on your memory also helps you visualise positions better; our article on memory, the chess player’s best ally explains why.

For beginners discovering the game, our article why and how to learn to play chess lays the groundwork before starting this improvement programme. And to structure your first games, our beginner’s strategy guide usefully complements the 4 pillars presented here.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to improve at chess?

A first clear step up in level (tactical gains, better time management) is generally seen after several months of regular training, at a rate of 20 to 30 minutes a day. Progress isn’t linear: expect plateaus and temporary dips in form before the next gain.

How should you think during a chess game?

Before playing a move, check the captures, checks and threats available to you and your opponent, then compare 2 or 3 serious candidate moves rather than playing the first one that looks correct. This simple discipline avoids most tactical mistakes.

How do you calculate in chess?

Calculation means mentally visualising a sequence of moves without moving the pieces. Train yourself to calculate 3 to 5 moves ahead: take a tactical position, cover the board, work out the continuation in your head, then check it on the board. Gradually increase the depth.

How can you never lose at chess?

There’s no method that guarantees you’ll never lose: even the best players in the world lose games. The realistic goal is to reduce avoidable mistakes (tactical blunders, losses on time, overlooked threats) by working on tactics, endgames and analysis of your own games.

How can you improve your chess game quickly?

The fastest gains come from reducing tactical mistakes: 10 daily puzzles are enough to sharpen this reflex within a few weeks. Combined with systematic analysis of your games, this is the lever that produces visible results soonest.

Which skills should you prioritise, as a beginner or a club player?

A beginner improves first by consolidating the rules and opening principles; a club player gains more by working on endgames and detailed analysis of their games. In both cases, daily tactics remain the most rewarding skill to work on.