It is also possible, indeed effective, to learn from the mistakes of others. I offer here a set of 106 fully and instructively annotated, short games, all of which involve at least one key error. All of these short gems involve attractive finishes pr pretty combinations. But they are also very instructive. All involve mistakes, poor development, erroneous strategies, that you will certainly want to avoid or to exploit.
You will come firmly to appreciate the importance of general opening principles, developing quickly and harmonious, controlling the center, bringing your knights towards the center, playing aggressively, sustaining the initiative, not bringing out the queen too early, and working with more than just one or two pieces.
Some players spend years memorizing opening variations. I believe that it is more profitable to play through complete games. By so doing, you can learn from good moves and bad, and observe successful and failing plans.
I have annotated these games move by move in the Chess is Fun tradition, with lots of diagrams to make it possible to read the book without the use of a board!
I have organized the games in ECO (Encyclopedia of Chess Openings) order. As such, you will rather easily be able to locate games in your favorite openings. But by all means play through them all!
You will come firmly to appreciate the importance of general opening principles, developing quickly and harmonious, controlling the center, bringing your knights towards the center, playing aggressively, sustaining the initiative, not bringing out the queen too early, and working with more than just one or two pieces.
Some players spend years memorizing opening variations. I believe that it is more profitable to play through complete games. By so doing, you can learn from good moves and bad, and observe successful and failing plans.
I have annotated these games move by move in the Chess is Fun tradition, with lots of diagrams to make it possible to read the book without the use of a board!
I have organized the games in ECO (Encyclopedia of Chess Openings) order. As such, you will rather easily be able to locate games in your favorite openings. But by all means play through them all!
