I (very concisely) explain the fundamentals of getting good at chess:

1. Learn the basics via lichess.org/learn or some other resource. Practice piece checkmates.

2. Do not memorize openings or traps. There are only three opening principles: (a) control the center; pieces in the center attack more squares; all else equal, more squares under control means a better position, (b) rapidly develop many pieces toward the center; (c) castle to make your king safe behind the pawns.

3. Play several games. Consistently ask yourself: what does my opponent want? And: if I play this move, can my opponent capture something for free?

4. Although there are exceptions, the following simple rules usually hold: (a) rooks and queens prefer open lines (where there is no pawn blocking the way); (b) knights prefer closed positions (e.g., lots of immovable pawns), bishops prefer open diagonals; if you have a light-squared bishop, put your pawns on dark squares; (c) avoid doubled and isolated pawns; (d) trade pieces when you are ahead in material, trade pawns when you are down.

5. For each game played, solve 50 puzzles, which are easily accessible online (e.g., checkmate in 1 & 2, fork, pin, etc.). When calculating moves, start with checks and captures. If you solve a puzzle in under 10 seconds, it is time to switch to tougher puzzles. If you can’t solve a puzzle in 5 minutes, it is time to switch to easier puzzles.