Lessons I Learned from My Last 10 Games

Hey Chess.com friends! 👋

I’ve been reviewing my last 10 games, and wow — I’ve made some progress, but also a few ouch mistakes. In this blog, I’m sharing key lessons I’ve learned that might help other players on their journey too.

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♟️ Lesson 1: Don’t Rush the Opening

In at least 3 games, I played moves like h3 or a3 early without a clear plan. These passive moves didn’t help me develop, and I got punished quickly.

✅ Takeaway: Prioritize center control and development in the first 10 moves.

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🧠 Lesson 2: Blunders Happen When I Move Too Fast

I noticed that most of my blunders happened in blitz games when I moved without thinking. Even one quick check of “what my opponent threatens” would’ve saved me points.

✅ Takeaway: Always do a quick blunder check — especially under time pressure.

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🔄 Lesson 3: Don’t Trade Just to Trade

In two games, I traded pieces just because I could — and ended up worse for it. One exchange left my king exposed, the other gave away a strong knight for a bad bishop.

✅ Takeaway: Evaluate every trade — is it truly improving your position?

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📊 Lesson 4: Endgames Matter More Than I Thought

I actually reached an endgame with equal pawns and lost because I didn’t know key king-and-pawn strategies.

✅ Takeaway: Study basic endgames! It’s low effort, high reward.

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🔥 Bonus: My Best Move

In Game 6, I played a tactical shot with a knight sacrifice (Nxg5) that turned the whole game around. It felt great to see a tactic before it was too late.

✅ Takeaway: Tactics training really does pay off!

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Closing Thoughts:

Reviewing your own games is so underrated. Even if you don’t analyze deeply, just asking “Why did I lose this?” goes a long way.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned recently? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Thanks for reading, and good luck in your games! ♟️✨