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Understand Your Pawns
Many beginning chess players don't realize the importance of their pawns. The pawns can move forward one space a turn and can only capture diagonally. However, master chess players know that pawns are vital to protecting their powerful pieces. For example, placing your rook in one of the pawn's diagonal capture squares guarantees that any piece capturing the rook will be captured itself. Pawns can also be used to create a powerful blockade. Pawns protecting each other guarantee your opponent will lose pieces. Your opponent will struggle to pass your pawn blockade.
Control the Center
There are 64 spots on a chessboard, and you must control as many of these as possible. Controlling the center of the board gives you more freedom to move and gives you access to more squares. For example, a knight stuck in a corner can control only two squares, while a knight on the side of the board will have access to four spots on the board. However, a knight in the center will have access to eight spots. Try to drive your opponents to the side to limit their moves.
Piece Sacrifice
Understanding the value of pieces will help players understand when and where to sacrifice pieces. The value of the pieces is as follows, from high to low; queen, rook, bishop, knight and pawn. The value of the bishop and knight can change, however. Early in the game, knights are more valuable because they can jump over other pieces, making them perfect for eliminating well-defended pawn structures. However, when the board is opened up, the bishop's unlimited diagonal movement makes it more useful. Never sacrifice a queen or rook for a lower piece. Only sacrifice a rook for a queen.
Queen Control
Beginning players will be obsessed with the power of their queen. However, using your queen too early is a recipe for disaster. Beginning players will often lose their queen early, creating a major disadvantage. Keep your queen well-protected. Surround her with pawns. Avoid keeping the queen too near the king. Chess players will often eliminate the queen by threatening the king or keep the queen pinned to a defensive position. Three pawns in front of the king make an excellent defense. As pieces begin to fall, bring out the queen to mop up your opponent's pieces and eliminate her end game strategy.
Play, Play, Play
No training in the world can beat real world chess playing. Playing with players who are serious about learning chess can improve your game tenfold. Annotate your moves as you play for later evaluation. Give suggestions to your opponent and vice versa. These suggestions help spot weak points in your strategies. After the game is over, examine the annotations with your opponent. Discuss the strategies employed and their success. Play regularly with multiple chess serious friends. Friendly cooperation can help improve you and your friends' games.