In this lesson, you’ll learn 10 simple yet highly effective positional principles that can help you become a strong chess player. It might even help you push beyond a 2000 ELO rating. If you reach that rating, you will become better than 95% of chess players.

These key concepts are often overlooked by beginners and intermediate players. By mastering these subtle positional principles, you’ll learn how to identify and exploit your opponent’s weaknesses and convert small advantages into decisive wins.

• Counter a pin aggressively. If you settle for passive defensive moves, your position will be cramped.
• Castle within the first 10 moves. Generally speaking, it is better to keep your king a way from the center as it will be available to attack from different sides

There are situations, however when you should not castle. Learn the 6 Situations When Not to Castle in Chess

• Keep your pieces connected. When your pieces are not connected, they are more vulnerable to tactical attacks from your opponent or they might be left hanging.
• To avoid blunders, think about what your opponent’s idea is. Often players develop tunnel vision when they come up with a plan. Subsequently, they tend to overlook what their opponent’s plans are and blunder because of it.
• Develop your kingside knight to f3 for white and f6 black. the knight on the f3/f6 square helps guard the castled king from attacks. It is also a better square than the e2/e7 square as it is more forward and doesn’t block the path of other pieces from development.
• Use forcing moves (checks, captures and attacks). These are the moves that you should consider first.
• To take is a mistake. Usually, the player who initiates an unmotivated exchange only helps his opponent to develop their piece into better positions.
• Attacking moves are the best. The only way to win in chess is to attack. So, if you can, do it; if you can’t prepare moves so that you can attack.
• Use pawn breaks to launch an attack. When attacking moves are not available, you need to open up the position first. You can do this using your pawns.
• Blockade your opponents pawns to hinder development. There are times when you can use pawns or pieces to block your opponent’s pawn/s from moving forward. This in turn blocks his pieces from development.

10 Positional Tips Video Lesson

Watch the video lesson to learn how to apply these tips in your own games.

Below, you can find the examples shown in the video:

These tip can help you significantly improve your game. But if you like a more structured program to help you reach a 2000 Elo rating, we have assembled a course bundle just for you. Check out our Boost Your Elo to 2000 Bundle.