1920 - 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 the move just allowed
After every move, name what the position now allows that it did not a moment ago.
06 10 12 18 21 22 23
Be obsessed with undefended pieces
Make it a habit to notice every undefended piece, yours and his, and to count the defenders of every piece that is under attack.
01 07 08 11 13 19 20 22 23
A move that threatens something is the one played without checking
A move that attacks something feels productive, so it gets played without checking. Check it anyway.
12 23
Make one move do two jobs
When a task can be done in a way that also does something else, do it that way. Do not tie a piece to one job if another can do it and keep working.
01 03 05 06 10 11 12 14 15 18 19 22 23
Meet a threat with an attack
Defending is not only moving a piece away or covering a square. Look for the move that parries the threat and attacks something at the same time.
23

Restrict the bishop, or pay to remove it
A strong bishop has to be dealt with: take away its best square, shut it in behind pawns, or pay something to trade it off.
02 03 04 23
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

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

Is the attack real? Count who is home
Before attacking, or opening the centre, count whose pieces are actually out. The side with pieces still at home is the one punished.
01 02 18 23 24

A piece on the king's line is a tactic waiting
A piece on the same line as its king can be pinned or hit by a discovered attack. Check those lines every move.
14 23
A pawn on the sixth: think promotion, even in the middlegame
A pawn on the sixth rank is close to queening. Look for a way to clear its path, even in the middlegame.
15 23
Pin it, then attack what is pinned
To exploit a pin, attack the pinned piece, ideally with a pawn.
21 23