Towards the beginning of the game, I like to try to control the center of the board. I use pawns and knights to make sure I control the middle four squares. Meanwhile, I'm looking for moves that will let me get a material gain on the opponent. Be aggressive in making them react to you. If I'm not forcing him/her react to my moves, I'm losing. And if he/she should be reacting, and doesn't, then I look to see if I missed something, and if not, then I gain the advantage.<p>Sometimes, I go with another tactic, or blend it with controlling the center - attacking the king's bishop's square. Learn the Scholar's Mate, which involves attacking that square with the queen and bishop, and work that into your game. You can pile on pieces to making that work, and it'll frustrate some opponents into making mistakes.