Uncharacteristic losing streak

Hi there! I'm new to posting in the forum, I've been playing casually since I was a child (I'm 22 now) but just now starting to really study. I think I'm a decent player, a few days ago I was approaching a 1300 ranking and I win a little over half my games.

However, I've been having some trouble in the last few days - I've lost nine games in a row, and my game is starting to fall apart. I'm second-guessing myself in the opening, stagnating in the middle game and throwing all my pieces at any half-weakness on the board, and weakening my position until I blunder the game away.

I don't know if this sounds familiar to anyone else. :P Partly I'd like some advice about breaking out of a losing streak, at all, and partly I want to study the games I've been losing to see what I'm doing wrong. I've posted the first game from this losing streak, and I've annotated it, and then if it's okay I can post another to try to figure out what's going on? I'd really appreciate anyone's feedback.

I think opening was solid. Middlegame and endgame was riddled with mistakes and blunders though. Maybe try out chess mentor and tactics trainer a bit more and you'll get better.

I like the first 3 moves of the game, exactly how to play against 1. c3.

6...Nh6 is strange, just develop normally.

8...axb5 is not a mistake; it's the only move! Did you forget why you put the bishop on d6 in the first place? 8...cxd6?? 9. Nc7+ 1-0

11...0-0 is good. It gets your king safe. 12...f5 defends while threatening ...e4, while 13. g4? is bad and everything now wins for you, 13...Nxg4/Bxg4/fxg4 all work.

17...Qxd4?? is WRONG because of 18. Rxd4. 17...Qa3+ is correct. Always check to see what your opponent's last move did, controlling which squares, unblocking which lines, losing control of which squares etc.

29...Bxf3? is the blunder, although 30...Rxf3+? does make things worse. Instead 29...Qg5+ 30. Kd4 (30. f4 Qxf4+ 31. Kd4 Rd6+) Rd6+ 31. Bd5 Rxd5+ wins the queen.

After the queen trade it's all over.

Don't hang pieces, take material when you can, always check what your opponent's move changes apart from the obvious threats.

Thanks for your responses! I think it speaks volumes that even my notes on the game were full of blunders ;) I went through some lessons on the Chess Mentor to get back in a proper tactical mindset, and I'm going to analyze another of my games now to build on what I learned.

To tell you the truth I'm embarrassed showing anyone this game, but my worst play is the best learning opportunity I suppose!

You should use Computer Analysis. Tells how many blunders, mistakes, and inaccuracies you made. It even tells you when you opponent makes mistakes. Just warning though, it may be against some of your moves even if it was part of your plan.

Computer Analysis on this site isn't free (free members limited to 1x per week.) But honestly it sucks. It's good for telling you when you're hanging pieces or missing tactics, but not much past that. A free chess engine will tell you that too. Or even a moderately stronger player.

More experience, more focus, more games, more (self) analysis and occasional feedback in the forums will help your chess. And it's all free.

Lol, CPU analysis for free members is pretty much worthless.

ChessBase light is free, and it comes with a free basic Fritz Kibitzer, which is actually pretty strong. This free engine will tell you much more than the analysis here, and you can, of course, make moves yourself and see its response.

I think my instinct is to agree with Remellion - I think I learn more from analyzing the games myself and talking them through with someone else, or looking at book games and theory. I'll remember ChessBase if I'm ever considering using an engine though, thanks!

I posted another game here, if you guys have the time/inclination to take a look. In particular I'm hoping my notes are better this time.

Agreeing with Rem is not only instinctual...it is the only move! (baha)

Seriously though, Rem provides some good criticism and you would be wise to take heed.

Go back and study all the games you've played. My coach asked me to do this when I was going through the same thing and it helped. I still make boneheaded errors sometimes but chess blindness comes and goes. Again, just take a good look at your past games.

Where's the game that you posted?

The second one, that is.

It's at this address:
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/modern-defense-continuing-to-learn-from-my-losing-streak

Thanks for the pointer, Phylar! And Remellion, I really appreciate your detailed notes, thanks taking the time to teach me something :)

Princetrumpet, that's what I'm now doing! You're right. :)