Hi,

I'm trying to improve my chess. I'm currently doing this by playing against superior players. However, I'm beginning to think that most of my victories are due to my opponent's mistakes, rather than my good moves. I rarely win unless my opponent blunders and I take advantage of it. I think I keep making the same sort of mistakes over and over again, but I can't quite put my finger on exactly what mistakes. Here is a game I just played against the computer:

I realise you need more than one game, but if I get good feedback on this game, I may post more.

Thanks

Here are some helpful tips for your playing:

• Try to get all of your pawns, bishops and knights in safe squares in the center. So literally, try to dominate as much squares in the center as you can. That way, you can build around your opponent's territory, and this often leads to checkmate.
• Learn some more openings; I suggest you learn the Stonewall attack if you like attacking the opponent with the force of a sledgehammer, or the Reti opening if you like building round the center and launching counter-attacks.

Hope these tips help; any else help needed, just send me a message.

Thanks

Well, I've just tried playing against the computer again (this time on Medium), and lost several times in a row. I do try to take control of the centre, but I'm just not that good at it.

I think the following game is a good example of my victories being due to my opponent's blunders, as he blundered more often, and I won.

I also don't suppose the opening was a good one?

is this in live chess or the play against the computer tab?

Play Against The Computer. As you can see, the player is "Player" not "adamplenty".

dont play that computer, it is horrible. Back when I was rated below 1000 I beat it on the hardest level three times. Its not what you want to play against to get better, it blunders and disreguards chess principles. I recommend getting arena and playing against a handicapped houdini if you want to play computers, but playing people is even better

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-showcase/man-vs-machinebest-wins

YOU CANNOT BEAT THE COMPUTER THE COMPUTER HAS A DATA BASE OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND VARIOUS MOVES HOW EVER I PLAY AGAINST THE COMPUTER AS THE BEST TO IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS

actually plavin i agree that good computers do, but that particular one doesnt. If you would look in the post right above yours, you would notice in the second game the computer played 1...Nc6 followed by 2...f6, which is not book and in fact is horrible. The computer in question is bad, hanging pieces, terrible openings, position atrocities, so if you want to play a computer play against Houdini

ChristianSoldier007 wrote:

dont play that computer, it is horrible. Back when I was rated below 1000 I beat it on the hardest level three times. Its not what you want to play against to get better, it blunders and disreguards chess principles. I recommend getting arena and playing against a handicapped houdini if you want to play computers, but playing people is even better

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-showcase/man-vs-machinebest-wins

Then you're better at chess than I am . I'm still having trouble regularly beating it on Easy, and I've even lost on Beginner level once or twice . If he does indeed blunder like he did in the game above often, then I'm rubbish at recognising them. Perhaps that's why I keep blundering and losing?

BTW, I assume it is the same computer as in Live Chess?

I'd have thought that playing against computers is better since (especially at higher levels) he's less likely to make mistakes and less forgiving when you make them. Whereas humans miss them more often.

@PLAVIN79, no need to shout.

it is not the same computer in live, they are very different.

good computers like Houdini will not make mistakes and will be less forgiving, however I believe human competition is still better