Forum

The lounge is now open! The lounge is for off-topic discussion, or anything you want! Much like the notes but now accessible to formatting, pictures, videos, puzzles, and other thread tools, you can post and talk about anything you want here; questions, games, challenging friends, ideas, off-topic, world news, local news, current affairs, your life, politics, science, math, literature, music, gaming, sports, or literally whatever you want. Much like you were in a lounge talking with friends! also, the last one to post in this thread wins!

We all like showcasing our good games, and many of us like viewing them and analyzing them. Yet, in order to keep the forums more focused on questions and lessons, from now on game showcases shall be posted here. Please read over the rules to clarify any questions about whether or not you should post your games here or create a thread. Basically, in short, to simply show a good game, post it here. If you intend to use the game as a quality teaching lesson, OR to ask a quality question about an opening, moves, end game theory, or anything like that, you can create a separate thread for it. Example of a game showcase that deserved its own thread: https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/ng5-how-bad-is-it Example of a game showcase that should have been posted here: https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/i-just-played-my-best-game-against-someone-500-points-higher-than-me We can still post our games, but let’s do it here from now on. After all, this isn’t a “game showcase” club.

Questions on opening theory can be asked here, and answered! This thread will not only serve as a “one-stop-shop” for any and all questions you have on any openings, but also as a catalog of past explanations, lessons and tips on opening theories!

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So I’ve been stuck at 500 Elo for weeks now and I’m not sure why, cause I was able to get to 573 Elo then it started dropping after,I’m currently at 539 Elo and I’m looking for some tips to make it to 600, Thanks!

I am preparing for my first fide rated tournament and if I beat 4 fide rated players I get my fide rating. I'm confused with black pieces what to play I'm good at 3 main openings against e4 which are caro kan scandinavian defence and e5 fighting any white openings like italian scotch ruy lopez etc. Against d4 I have no problem but against e4 I need to decide one fixed opening pls help me out

How do you get better? Is it watching YT videos? Reading books? Playing lots of games? I must have played well over 10,000 chess games and it seems I platue around 1400-1500 if I’m grinding every day, studying, doing puzzles, and practicing against good players. If I don’t play for awhile and come back, I’ll drop back in the 1000-1100 range. Casually, it seems I’ll never break 1200 unless I’m willing to practice and study everyday. it’s weird. Are chess players just getting universally better? Am I doing something wrong? is there any way a casual player could get to 1800 without having to devout his life to the game? Or is 1200 the cap for the casual player?

 

Not that anyone cares, but my net worth just hit $800,000. Last Thanksgiving it was $83,000. I bought two houses in cash recently. I’m in the process of buying a third which would increase my net worth to over $1M. Kinda crazy, still seems surreal. Not a troll post. 

Right now, whenever I get around 1250, I lose, I win, I lose, I win. Then I get frustrated and start tilting back down to low 1200s till I quit for the day, come back the next day and grind back to 1250. Then I start the process over again. Can someone take a look at my games and tell me the most obvious thing I’m doing wrong that’s hindering my growth past the mid-1200’s? Honestly, a lot of the games I’m actually *winning*, sometimes even with substantial amounts, and I blunder one time and lose the entire game. Is it really just blunders? What am I doing wrong?

Scary Puzzle score This Puzzle score made my hair stand up

After tilting in blitz for the past week(s), I finally got my life together and started grinding. Closing in on 1200, this is the game I got at 1195. It is somehow one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played. And also the most D I S G U S T I N G finishes I’ve ever been apart of. First, just take a look at this: Now, with that in mind, feast your eyes for this absolute cluster**** of a game to hit 1200: So after all that beautiful tactics, I have to flag him to get to 1200. Sigh. I really thought I was Magnus Carlsen at the end there with that checkmate pattern. Until I hung the knight. I was considering bishop to attack the pawn, but went with the knight because I thought it was a sure thing. lol. Sleep deprived I guess. Anyway, now I can sleep. I really stayed up until 6am to do this. Time to just rating sit and play rapid for a bit.

It's real. LOL

It feels like I’m platueing at 1250. Feeling a little tired, should I take a day off?  Do great players take days off? Or is chess their life and they simply push through?