Your chess weakness

Jump to forum:
« Previous | 1 2 3 | Next » | Last Post
20th February 2008, 11:47am
#1
by swiss_chess
Switzerland
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 55

just a place to post your weakness in chess. Can be as vague to as precise as you wish. maybe its an opening you hate, or a setup, or an opponents dominating piece.

 

Mine would probably be a crowded board. I can never think well when theres all the confusion and clutter around me. Normally i tend to do bishop knight and pawn sacrifices to help clear the area. 

 

so what about you? 


20th February 2008, 11:55am
#2
by Baseballfan
Durham, North Carolina United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 1852
My main weakness you would think should be easy to fix, but it's not for me.... I move too fast. I look at the board, see a move, then just make it. So many times, that move ends up being a ?? blunder.
20th February 2008, 12:01pm
#3
by swiss_chess
Switzerland
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 55
i used to have that problem. Now when i play i sit on my hands, it stops me rushing into things =)
20th February 2008, 12:02pm
#4
by Magikstone
New Jersey United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 43
going up against the stonewall is such a drag.  or the trompowsky.
20th February 2008, 12:06pm
#5
by LG187
United States
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 157

I can never really develop like I want.

The Sicilian...(when I try, or when the opponent uses it against me)Yell


20th February 2008, 12:11pm
#6
by rednblack
Oklahoma City, OK United States
Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 291
I play too defensively until I'm behind, and then I lash out.  Often I've gone back through games and seen where a wonderful attack could have started, but my play was too passive and I let my opponent get his/her own thing going
20th February 2008, 12:15pm
#7
by maxwestman
London United Kingdom
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 6
Baseballfan wrote: My main weakness you would think should be easy to fix, but it's not for me.... I move too fast. I look at the board, see a move, then just make it. So many times, that move ends up being a ?? blunder.

 Exactly the same here. I'm like, "ooh a move, surely it has to be a good'un". I'll try the sitting on the hands. 


20th February 2008, 12:16pm
#8
by swiss_chess
Switzerland
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 55
yep, it works. All though you do look like a fidgety 5 year old
20th February 2008, 12:31pm
#9
by neneko
Sweden
Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 1747
definitely openings, the further the game progresses the more comfortable I get with the tactics.
20th February 2008, 12:40pm
#10
by karlwig
Oslo, Norway Norway
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 52

My biggest weakness is not thinking about the position (strategy). I consider myself pretty good with tactics, but I often make moves that weaken my position too much. Also I often tend to force things when attacking, without thinking about all of my opponents responses.

 I think too much about winning material, and too little about improving my overall position.


20th February 2008, 01:29pm
#11
by hondoham
North Carolina USA and Honduras
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 578

i get a couple of moves down the road on a tactic and miss a major option on the 1st or 2nd reaction. 


20th February 2008, 01:46pm
#12
by BassThumper
United States
Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 54

hmm.... that's a tough one... cause there are a few!

and sometimes they change from game to game.... sometimes I get so involved in one thing, i completely blunder another...

Sometimes its lack of "opening" knowledge.... sometimes it's lack of "endgame" knowlege. Sometimes I just can't see more than one or two moves ahead.... (sometimes I can)

 


20th February 2008, 01:50pm
#13
by Zalethon
New York State United States
Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 22
neneko wrote: definitely openings, the further the game progresses the more comfortable I get with the tactics.

 I've got this same problem, but my biggest weakness is probably that I get cocky... When I'm up in material, I tend not to be as protective of my pawns. Pawn structure starts going wacky, and soon I have only two pawns to their five, for example.

 

What's worse, I always think about it, and realize I'm doing it, but I can never seem to fix it... 


20th February 2008, 01:55pm
#14
by dfitzpatrick
Chicago United States
Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 49

H3 and H6

 


20th February 2008, 01:56pm
#15
by likesforests
United States
Member Since: May 2007
Member Points: 4407
I tend to be too focused in one area of study at a time. Eg, for one month I focus completely on tactics, then the next I focus completely on endgames. For me, the key to mastery will be balancing all kinds of study.
20th February 2008, 02:01pm
#16
by matthewthegreat
Bloomfield NM United States
Member Since: Jan 2008
Member Points: 196
Baseballfan wrote: My main weakness you would think should be easy to fix, but it's not for me.... I move too fast. I look at the board, see a move, then just make it. So many times, that move ends up being a ?? blunder.

Exactly


20th February 2008, 02:06pm
#17
by Baseballfan
Durham, North Carolina United States
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 1852
swiss_chess wrote: i used to have that problem. Now when i play i sit on my hands, it stops me rushing into things =)

 When I was a kid, my coach taught me to do that OTB, but for some reason, I never adopted it when playing online. Perhaps I should try it here too.


20th February 2008, 04:53pm
#18
by baltic
Manila Philippines
Member Since: Feb 2008
Member Points: 347
My weakness is not knowing what to choose from a Superior Middlegame or a very slight advantage in the end game.
20th February 2008, 04:59pm
#19
by sugarcraft42
Toronto Canada
Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 19
my weakness would be that when i have a plan i'll do anything to execute it to get an early checkmate, which often means making moves that later on serve against me if my plan has failed
20th February 2008, 05:09pm
#20
by BasicLvrCH8r
Kansas United States
Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 1604
Baseballfan wrote: My main weakness you would think should be easy to fix, but it's not for me.... I move too fast. I look at the board, see a move, then just make it. So many times, that move ends up being a ?? blunder.

 I am quite the opposite, in tournaments, that is. I am like General McClellan; I am too cautious, I'm too afraid to attack mercilessly when I have an advantage, so I consider moves for ten minutes at a time. Most of my tournaments are G/30, so more often than not, I get in time trouble. I only make moves quickly when I am under two minutes, and I use rule 14H (draw by insufficient losing chances in sudden death) so often that I know it inside out. Everyone who knows me knows not to get confident when I go under two minutes and they still have twenty.

However, when there is nothing at stake (other than virtual rating points), I make moves far too quickly. I don't look for brilliant moves when playing a friendly game or online. I only look for a move that doesn't lose. 

When there is something at stake, I do everything possible to prevent blunders, like think forever and play very sound, analyzed openings (except for the Winawer!). When there is very little at stake, I just play a move for the heck of it. That's why before tournaments, I often lose, but I kick butt in the tournament.


« Previous | 1 2 3 | Next » | Last Post

Add your comment:

Join Chess.com for free to add your comment! Already a member? Then login now to comment.