PapaShepherd's Beginner 2 Study Plan

Not playing well this week. Have won 4/6 but I don't feel I deserved to win at least 2 if not 3 of those. Opponent completely blundered a checkmate while crushing me in one. Making bad moves in the opening by out-thinking normal development. First games from the last three days analyzed below.

Another L this morning. Like a few of my last opponents, I feel like I am playing people way better than me. Yes, I am making more mistakes, but I think I am making them because they are putting me into more complicated positions, using openings/lines I've never seen, etc. I checked this guy after the game and he is basically a 1200 Bullet/1300 Blitz player that just started playing Rapid two days ago. Looking at Matt's charts, this likely makes him a 1400+ Rapid player. That helps a bit...

My main constructive takeaway from the last few games is that even when being attacked or pressured in a new way, I need to make my focus continuing to develop my pieces. I get bogged down in not wanting to make a mistake or counterattack but end up getting stuck without my pieces in the game.

Positive takeaway, even though losing, it's good to see that I'm losing due to generally correctable mistakes. The fundamentals don't stop being fundamental as you go up the rating ladder. Develop, piece safety, etc.

I would try not to worry about a few losses even if clustered together. It happens to me all the time that I go on losing streaks. I think it's partly bad luck. There will be times you just run into a string of positions that you don't know how to handle well and your rating will suffer a bit. 

This sounds pretty hooky, but these games are just chances to learn. If you learn just a few little bits from each, you are just expanding the number of positions you have an idea how to handle and then you'll have better "luck" in the future and gets positions you know better more often. 

Just takes time... way more time than I wish it took. 

I often go on a winning streak and feel like I've got it all figured out. Like I am finally mastering the game. Then I go on a losing streak and think I can't play chess at all and get discouraged.  In reality, both perspectives are wrong. I didn't master the game when I was winning and I wasn't a terrible chess player when I was losing. Both are just part of the game. 

Thanks JD, you are totally right. Intellectually I know this but sometimes lose sight of it.

I played three more games yesterday and won 2 against higher rated opponents and should have beaten an almost 1400 but lost concentration at the bitter end. As black -12.6 to M4 against me in one move.  Ouch.

As you say, you are neither as bad or as good as you think you are.

I have a coffee mug from the Smithsonian with a quote from Michaelangelo - "I am still Learning" I need to always keep that in my mind!

Which book are you working out of? 

Giannatos's "Everyone's First Chess Workbook"

This morning's game. A tough one to lose. Winning throughout and simply ran out of time in a winning position. Should have made one trade and greatly simplified things.

I keep track of my games as far as time control and in February I've played 17 games - 9 15|10 and 8 20min. I am 7-2 in the 15|10 and 2-6 in the 20min games. I think I may stick with the increment for awhile.

I almost always like to play with an increment. I find it very stressful to have zero time on the control scrambling to win a won position. Super tilting! 

Regardless, I think a 15|10 will typically be a bit longer for you which is good for most games. 

Well played game nevertheless! 

This morning's game. A lucky win. Started well but made a few blunders that my opponent didn't spot. At least one I didn't see it either even upon self-analysis. Only when using the engine.

Three of my blunders were moving a piece that was protecting another piece and not remembering/seeing there was a reason that it was there. Takeaway - when moving a piece, don't look just at its safety, but the safety of other pieces it either was protecting or blocking from being attacked.

He capitalized on one blunder and I was dead man walking, but hung around long enough for the reciprocal blunder. I feel his pain as I was winning a game handily last night and blew it in three moves. Such is life at 1200-1300!

Four more games from this week. On a good streak as opposed to last week's not-so-good streak. For the first time, I defeated someone over 1400 rapid, despite a misclick. I have a long tournament game tomorrow (60|30). Need to put on my focus hat!

That passed pawn in your first posted game was amazing. and wow on your win vs the 1400! the double rook sac! Did you get a brilliant move for any of those moves? i think one was justified. 

16 Rxg6 got me a Brilliant  I actually thought the second one was just as good but I didn't get the bright blue. Super happy with that game! The passed pawn was also a proud moment. It's so fun to be able to see things like that now. Still make silly blunders but feels like I'm playing chess now.

Week #7 Tasks & Updates

Daily Games :: Getting in my 5-10min/day.

Puzzles :: Did some book work but then tried my hand at puzzles on chess.com again. I felt like the book puzzles got me into a slower pace again. I'm up 230+ points over the last 4-5 days. Still lower than where I started 7 weeks ago but glad to be doing better.

Games :: 8 Rapid games this week, going +4/2/-2. Had two really excellent wins via checkmate and saved a draw after getting into trouble.

Lessons/Endgames :: This week's item was chess.com lessons but as I had a lesson, I counted that.

Total Time ~12 hours

My long tournament game from today.

I think f3 is the right idea, but you have pieces that are not playing yet. I struggle with this too. I find attacking quite hard. Do I go all in right now? or do I have time to prepare more.

I like Re6 a lot preparing to bring the other rook and perhaps play rg6 at some point. 

Yes, agree. I have the same problem. When reviewing my games, my coach almost always points out I should have continued developing but then there is often also a point where the better move was to attack. Here, I agree it was the right idea, but I just needed to get the rooks active first.

It turned out my wife was in the garden and she cut our internet cable. So I gave her a hard time for me losing this game. Plus I had to crawl under the house and completely rewire it last night. Good times.

This is why you shouldn't have a wife.  

I don't want to jinx it but I feel like my calculation abilities have all the sudden made a level jump. I don't know if it was the time off to do some paper puzzles or some things finally clicking into place, but I just think I'm seeing things differently now. Puzzle rating has skyrocketed over the past week.

Games from the last two days. I am on the brink of 1300 now and I have a 60|30 game tomorrow. Win and I crack the next level. Need to make sure my wife doesn't decide to go puttering around in the garden with pruners again...