It's considered poor playing to touch a piece without moving it. If you only want to adjust a piece on the board, say so before touching it.

When you are ready to look at specific tactics and strategy, there are numerous books that can help you. Many specifically address the three phases: opening, middlegame, and endgame

2torial #0581: Learn2 Play Chess (Continued) Know the basics Now that the board is set up, you need to learn the fundamentals. The object of the game is to "checkmate" (trap) the opponent's king. Checkmate occurs when the king cannot escape capture on the next move. Turns alternate between the white and black sides. On each turn, a player may move one piece appropriately from one square to another that is either open or occupied by an opponent. Each space on the board may be occupied by only one piece. When an opposing piece moves onto a space held by an opponent, it "captures" the piece and removes it from the board. Unlike checkers, pieces may not "jump" over their own or their opponent's pieces, though the knight may desire to do so. Step 3