There is no improvement in my chess play :(
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I have been studying chess for a few weeks. I watch videos, read books, do chess tactics, etc. I am really depressed right now because no matter what I study I see no improvement. I can't even beat people at a 700 elo rating on chess.com. I don't see how other people do it. I have no visions of granduer. I know I am probably too old (nearly 26 years) now to ever reach the height of master or even a top grade player. I just really want to get out of novice territory and reach at least an elo of 1200. Unfortunately, I just don't seem to be going anywhere except downward. The videos, tactics, puzzles, don't seem to be doing it. I mean does anyone else have this issue.
If your time frame were months, rather than weeks, it's possible that we might have to examine your study habits. As it is, just carry on. Weeks are simply not enough time to absorb and integrate into play the rather complex set of skills that are chess. Good luck!
@ TumpaiTubo I haven the on
I haven't done them on chess.com, but I have bought ebooks and apps and done puzzles on them. I only get on this site to play others.
Good for you then. Increasing your board vision is critical to improving and tactics are key to that. If you aren't doing at least a few dozen a day though, you're just kidding yourself. Again, best of luck!
Aug 31, 2020
0
#7
Sometimes it just takes longer. Try not to get discouraged and press on.
We all learn in different ways; perhaps try a different approach? I found books by GM Yasser Seirawan very helpful. As a start, I would recommend: Play Winning Chess and Winning Chess Openings. These books should provide you with an excellent grounding in basic chess theory and tactics.
Good luck and stick with it. 
I don't know about weeks...People don't improve that quickly.
Aug 31, 2020
0
#9
AleksChess03 wrote:
I don't know about weeks...People don't improve that quickly.
says the guy who improved his blitz by 200 in the past two weeks lol
Alright, so my study time has added up to a few weeks, but I got interested in it over a year ago. It's been off and on. My problem is not that that I don't want to get better because I do, but that I I have an extremely hard time focusing on things for long periods of time. I get bored and lose focus because I have adhd. That's why I set a goal of 1200 and not 1600 or even 1400. I just wanted to get good enough not to be a novice. Everyone else here has it easier than I do because at least you have found something to stay interested in while I have to go through life getting bored of everything that I get interested in. I know it's a sad sad life that I have. :(
Aug 31, 2020
0
#11
Check this --https://www.chess.com/blog/Michel2426/11-tips-to-play-better-chess-games?ref_id=43048838
You have spent very less time with chess
Your account is 4 months old. You've played 28 games and solved 12 puzzles total. And you're complaining that you've put in heaps of work and you're not seeing any improvement?
Come back when you've played 1000+ games and solved 1000+ puzzles. Then we can start looking at your progress.
I think the problem is that you lack a good system of thinking. Many grandmasters have a well developed thought process. It doesn't matter how much course you take or book you read, if you don't have a good thinking system in chess, you will NEVER progress. This might help>>https://herculeschess.com/how-to-think-like-a-chess-grandmaster/
The problem is your are trying to improve at a mindless game that will literally bring no positives to your life.
For real man just can it.
Play chess every now and then agains children or your deranged uncle , pick the games you will always win.
For the rest ....get out into the sun, go to the gym, meet a girl, live a happy life and stop whining about chess.
@Ducking-Duck I have never accomplished anything in my life. Everything that I start I give up on eventually. Chess however, has interested my enough and kept my mind occupied where other hobbies have not. School, outdoor activities, work, TV, video games, and at this point I will probably find relationships to bore me. I just wanted to accomplish one thing in my life and nothing else seems to keep my interest long enough to accomplish any of it. Please don't talk to me about this being a mindless game and that I should do other things that don't seem to do anything to stimulate my brain. You don't go through life getting constantly bored of nearly everything that you do. That's the sad nature of people with adhd and add.
Dude...Jiu Jitsu.....for real, just try it.
It is also called kinetic chess.
You will be amazed how it can focus the mind and how much fun it is.
I know people with add who religiously train brazilian jiu jitsu just because it calms their bouncy brains.
Also, stop whining.
OK a couple things: First, this site stresses blitz, and in my experience playing blitz or bullet games will NOT improve your chess, especially if you are new. Second, chess.com isn't exactly a good chess improvement platform. A lot of the content was set up by professionals who are so far beyond most beginners that the content is useless to anyone below 1000 (and often below 1500). Honestly, the best thing you can do is invest a few dollars on actually useful books ike Fines Chess Endings and Art of the Middlegame. Work on your endgame; the time spent on this phase of the game is much more effectively spent than on memorizing opening lines. The puzzle feature is also good, though many of the puzzles require additional analysis. But learning tactics is very important to improve.
Are you playing enough slow games, and using all your time? My chess didn't improve until I forced myself to use every second, even getting myself into time trouble most games. And you should use that time to go through a thinking routine. Ask why your opponent made their last move. What are they threatening? Think about that first and make sure you know how to meet it before you consider your own plans. If you don't have to deal with an immediate threat, do you have any opportunities, a capture you can make, a weak square you can occupy, a threat that will give you the initiative? Once you've seen all that you should have a shortlist of moves: check all the variations to find the right one. Finally, having made your decision, cast your eyes once more round the board - you may have missed something. If you go through that routine every time, you will win games. But it can't be done at blitz speed until you're much more experienced.
I feel if you can get over the initial bump of being a total noob and that you could probably be a good bullet or blitz player since they are over in an instant and don't require a long attention span for a prolonged period of time. As for concentrating I dunno what to say, develop a system for concentrating that you use for other aspects of life that you employed ,say for school into chess. Now I smell a loser mindset from you already OP when you mentioned you have never accomplished anything in life, and I'm here to smack you right across the face ok. You got this, and there are people here that will support whatever goal you have, such as me who is also aspiring to reach a goal. Now, you have adhd, so let us work around this issue. Tactics here on this site are great for beginners and developing some common mating patterns, endgame ideas. And they take almost no time to do. 5 a day for free or hop on and make an account on chesstempo for free unlimited tactics training, which I myself use. Jeremy Silman's Complete Endgame course is a book that has helped me a lot, and I recommend it. Like @Carwasher_Superdrunk said, the longer the games the better for beginners since they need to develop the habit of learning what to think about in a given position. So whatever that time control , whether it be 5 min, 10 min, or 15 15 rapid, I encourage it. I recommend at least the 15 15 rapid time control however, and if you can get through this, it will help a lot. And lastly, just go through your games, be it 5 to 10 minutes to start off, and look at your bad moves and figure out what you could have done better. Always get a takeway from your analysis , such as " Ok I blundered that bishop for free, next time I will doublecheck to see that a piece isnt hanging" stuff like that. Good luck OP, I'm rooting for you along with everyone else here!
