Tactics and bots are hugely overrated. I don't know why chess.com chooses to do this. It's pretty confusing for new players.
Are people cheating? What is honestly going on?
Sort:
Mar 27, 2022
0
#3
In the game below, with 3 minutes on your clock, you gave up your queen for no reason (move 25).
-
-
In the game below, 3 minutes on your clock, you give up a rook for no reason.
-
-
In the game below, moves like 9...h5 are bad. If you're unsure what to do in the early middlegame after your pieces are developed, then play a pawn break in the center. In this case that would be aiming for d5 or f5.
-
-
In the game below, 11.e5 is a common bad habit. When your opponent has a threat, 9 times out of 10 you should retreat or defend that threat. Do not counter attack. This isn't why you lost this game, but it's an important bad habit to fix. When you're two pieces ahead, trying to be fancy with tactics is one of the only ways you can lose. Don't be fancy, just win.
-
-
In the game below you sacrifice a piece instead of retreating. This isn't why you lost the game, but it's the same type of mistake as above, you're ahead in material, and your opponent has a threat... all you have to do to stay ahead is defend against that threat by retreating. Instead you try to get fancy and give away material.
-
-
Mar 27, 2022
0
#4
Great, half the positions don't begin where I tell them to.
At least they fixed the forums enough that a person can post multiple diagrams at once.
Yeah I mouseslipped a lot recently. My hands shake when I play and I'm on mobile.
Bots are good practice in terms of openings, but not so much to improve your own game. Their style is very machine-like, making random blunders because they're programmed to, not because they overlooked a trap like a human would.
And chess is not 99% tactics. That's a common myth. Learning all the aspects of the game are necessary for improvement. There are no tactics without strategy.
The site has a lot of interesting material in terms of lessons and videos. If you're serious about studying, you might wanna give those a look. And definitely try to stop hanging your pieces and capture your opponents'. That's most often what separates players under 1000 from those over.
Mar 27, 2022
0
#7
snorkel_weasel wrote:
Yeah I mouseslipped a lot recently. My hands shake when I play and I'm on mobile.
Guess you have your answer now
Mar 27, 2022
0
#8
miskit_mistake wrote:
snorkel_weasel wrote:
Yeah I mouseslipped a lot recently. My hands shake when I play and I'm on mobile.
Guess you have your answer now
Yeah, I mean, if you're basically forced to lose every 4th or 5th game then that's going to have a big impact on your rating.
Mar 27, 2022
0
#9
By the way, the first 2 were bad blunders sure, but the other 3 I tried to give practical advice. They weren't even mistakes that immediately cost you the game, they're typical bad habits many players have.
I am bewildered that the level of time and study I have put in on tactics, puzzles, openings, and practicing with bots has resulted in my continued playing at below the 1000 level. Before I even started practicing chess I was 1100 rated. Started putting in work and lost 200 rating points and havent been able to gain them back. I can regularly BEAT 1700-1800 rated bots. I can solve 2000 rated puzzles with good consistency. I study chess everyday for an hour or two. Yet, when I take on a rapid challenge, I get smashed by 900s. What in the actual [removed -- MS] is going on?