Keep your eyes on your prize

Chess is all about patience. Simply making any random move will not get you a checkmate. You must choose offense or defense if you wish to succeed.

Choosing offense is a good idea; because it leaves less chance that rooks or bishops will trap you. In order to play offensive, you slowly pick off pieces and try to get your pawns out of the way as soon as possible. If your pawns are in the way, you can’t play offensively.

An easy way to do this is to get a rook of queen to the other side of the board and pick off the opponents bishops, knights and their queen. Once there are only pawns left on the board, it is easy to trap the king!

Playing chess defensively requires much more skill. In defense, you hold the defensive lines of pieces so that you can trap them. This is very difficult, but if done correctly, it is effective.

Whatever you do, always remember; keep your eyes on your prize and the opponents prize (the king)!

Source: http://my.hsj.org