I'll explain what's happening to me.  Maybe someone will have an idea.

 

I'm a USCF B player currently right at 1700.  I got smoked on Monday, losing all three games at my club's G30 quick tournament.  I lost the first one to a good player.  The next two were to  B players that were lower rated.  Now, I know part of chess is losing.  Accepted.  I hate being uncompetitive however.  In those three games, I never generated a single significant threat.  Not one.  This is common for me. I can't even honestly say how I am a 1700 player.

 

What happens is that while I am playing what I think is a reasonable opening, somehow my opponents (no matter what color we're playing) start attacking.  Before long I am defensive and generally cramped.

 

After a while, if I survive, I frequently get a little steam going and do better.  Or "A" players just stuff all my pieces onto h1. 

 

I feel that if I could just make a small change, I'd be an "A" player.  I don't know what this change is, but I feel that I am close!  But it eludes me.  Tactically, I do ok.  But I seem to rarely get the opportunity to find out.  On Monday I walked by a game and saw a player miss a mate in 3.  I look at these forums and see mates in 3 or 4 without much problem.  Yet I never seem to be able to generate the situation where I can see one of my own!

 

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

 

/whineoff 

absolutely! happening to me too right now. why? because i stopped studying mentor because i'm too busy with work :(

i know i'm advertising here, but there are some EXCELLENT courses in Chess Mentor to help with this.  try this course: http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/view_course.html?id=221

i am also trying openings that offer more dynamic potential, and forcing myself to make more dynamic moves and gambits!

That something that puts you in the position to make a kill is strategy. Once you have a huge space advantage and mobile pieces tactics seem to pop up everywhere. Have you read How to Reassess Your Chess or My System?

Can you post your games if you can recalled them here? Or games where you lost that "feel cramped" etc? Maybe we can help.

 

Sounds like you were in a positionally bad situation.

"Have you read How to Reassess Your Chess or My System?"

Jeremy Silman comes off as an arrogant ass, I can't read his books.  I have a copy of _My System_ but have found the writing tedious and layout difficult.  I'll probably start it again though something more readable would be my preference.

Perhaps the translations in your copy are not so good? I have "My System: New Translation" by Quality Chess... it has a white cover with a pawn on it... and it's easy reading. I had hear before that "My System" was difficult so I was pleasantly surprised.

Thanks, I just ordered it.

I'll post some typical games later on , but probably in the 'analysis' forum.   

I posted 2 games under the subjects "Example" and "Example #2" to the analysis forum.   The idea is to help me find out why I am so cramped and defensive. 

 

(Insert your favorite "eat more fiber" joke here)

 

i think you are not properly analyzing the dynamic potential in your games! i looked over them and agreed with likesforests analysis. you looke fine! you just get spooked to quickly. the best defense in a good offense - you need to make threats that HE should counter, not the other way around.

stormcrown wrote:

"Have you read How to Reassess Your Chess or My System?"

Jeremy Silman comes off as an arrogant ass, I can't read his books.  I have a copy of _My System_ but have found the writing tedious and layout difficult.  I'll probably start it again though something more readable would be my preference.

---

 I get the exact opposite impression.  I've read How to Reassess Your Chess, along with bits of his other books, and feel like I could approach him on the street.  I've never felt more informal and comfortable when reading a chess book.

Losing a few games and coming into a rut is something that happens to the best chess players. The thing is, the better players stick through the tough times and when they emerge from the rut they are much stronger for having played through it. Nobody ever wins 100% of the time. Hopefully this helps everyone who is suffering the same thing at the moment (i know i am!)

Ok, it's time for episode #2.  I have placed 3 games in the analysis forum; have at.  My score was better this time but I still bled rating points.  I tried to be more aggressive. I did, really.  It is apparently going to take some practice.

In game 1, I play someone rated almost 500 below me and nearly lose on time - I had 10 seconds left on a modern "5-second grace period" time control.  He was even more passive than me, though he did get an attack going.  I shuffled my queen around a lot and generally accomplished nothing after winning a B.

In game 2, I played a 1775.  It was a crazy game where I was reminded of why I shouldn't steal pawns.  I won a piece early but fished it, and the game, away.  Had I not been in a "time control frenzy" mindset from the first game things could have gone differently.  I played my first 15 moves in about 5 minutes.

In game 3, I played another passive player, this one rated 1400.  Again, it should have been a crush. I made no progress at all, then made an error and lost the exchange.  He made blunder after blunder once he had the advantage.  I swindled a perpetual out of him.

So feel free to look, critique anything.  But what I really would like to see are moves where I didn't play actively enough.  I have not analyzed these myself yet.  If this is troublesome, hold off your thoughts for a day or two and I'll amend that.

They are FFC 1, 2, and 3 in the analysis forum.