1750 - Beginner To Master | Chess Speedrun

Themes

Each number is a game; it opens the move where he explains the idea. Open a theme to read what it is about.

Ask what he is actually threatening
Before defending, ask whether the threat is real and what exactly it threatens. Often the answer is less than it looks.
06 09 11 15 17 19 20
Releasing the tension hands something over
Releasing tension feels clear, but it often hands the opponent a square or the centre for nothing. Keep it until the release gains something.
09 17
Earn the right to break a rule
A rule can be broken by someone who knows how to apply it. Learn to apply the rules before practising the exceptions.
16
Prepare a plan with a move that is good anyway
Of the ways to prepare a plan, pick a move that would still be good if the plan came to nothing.
16

A pawn move leaves a hole you cannot fill
A pawn cannot move backwards. Before advancing it, ask which square it stops guarding for good.
04 05 07 14 17
A weakness is only a weakness if someone can use it
A weakened square only matters if the opponent has a piece that can get to it.
10 16
Bad pawns defend good squares
A weak-looking pawn can be the one holding a key square. Judge it by what it guards, not how it looks.
16

A square can be a route rather than a destination
A square can be worth going to for where it leads next, not for what the piece does there.
11 17 21 23

A piece up, convert by improving
A piece ahead, finish developing rather than hunting for more material, and look for the trade that turns the advantage into a win.
03 11 16 20 21
Pressure is a piece that cannot move
Pressure is when a piece cannot move because something behind it would fall. It can be as strong as a threat.
16 23

Sacrifice in the order that keeps the tempo
When sacrificing, choose the order of moves that keeps the opponent busy answering threats.
13 17