How to think during a chess game

Most beginners move on feel, then wonder why a piece just got taken. A simple, repeatable routine on every move fixes the majority of losses. Here it is.

Step 1: what did my opponent just threaten?

Before anything else, look at their last move and ask what it attacks. Most blunders happen because you carried out your own plan while ignoring a threat. Answer the threat first.

Step 2: checks, captures, threats (yours)

Now look for forcing moves of your own, in this order: checks, then captures, then threats. Forcing moves limit your opponent's replies and are where tactics live. Even if you don't play one, looking stops you from missing free material.

Step 3: is my move safe?

Before you commit, check the square you're moving to (can anything take it for free?) and what you're leaving behind (does moving this piece undefend another?). This ten-second check prevents the most common beginner blunder.

Step 4: only then, your plan

Once the position is safe, improve your worst-placed piece, fight for the centre, or target a weakness. A small useful improvement every move beats a grand plan that hangs a rook.

This is the same routine that stops blundering, applied to every move. For the blunder-specific version, see how to stop blundering.