1500 Elo goal
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Hello everyone. For some reason I don’t see any improvement in my own play, despite having played thousands of games. I hover between 900-1050 or so on chess.com and my puzzle rating is 1750. Im mostly curious on what people’s suggestions might be to improve. I can’t highlight my own strengths or weaknesses so any traction I can gain from your insight would be very appreciated. I feel like in a puzzle I tend to spend very little time trying to solve it because I understand there is something hidden and I find it. In a real game I have no concept of winning except for going E4\D4 and protecting pieces until win or loss.
ChessNetwork beginner to Chess Master Playlist on YouTube. He helps you to understand the game and all of its concepts, and then work on tactics.
Also stop playing blitz, only play Rapid
Mar 6, 2022
0
#4
Hi,
It takes time and practice to learn how to evaluate and think through positions. Chess is a purely information game (there's no luck or hidden surprises, it's a matter of how well you understand chess concepts and utilize that knowledge to find the best ideas and moves) so the more information you learn, the more concepts, patterns, and ideas you know, the more likely you will play better ideas and moves more consistently. It's just like with any Academic topic like math, the more you know about formulas and concepts of math the more likely you are to correctly solve random math problems that are presented to you.
Playing thousands of games and not seeing improvement? Two immediate solutions here. #1- you must analyze your games afterwards and determine your mistakes, and even better, categorize those mistakes so over time you find trends in them that can lead you to areas of further study to weed those out. #2, play quality over quantity of games. Yes, longer games make more quality of practice and instruction and also help lessen learning bad habits in your thought process. The brain is a muscle, and memories are reinforced from short term to long term by repeated expose of the same thing, so if you play a bad opening or tactical idea and do it consistently you are more likely to continue making those same bad opening and tactical idea choices than if you learned to play properly in the opening or the correct execution of a tactical idea. Instead, review the mistakes then try to avoid those mistakes in the future and don't repeat them. This is why speed chess will ultimately impede chess growth for many of us club players overall, definitely if we aren't actively reviewing mistakes and avoid repeating them.
I also recommend creating a study program that's balanced and not a chore that you do daily. Doing a little chess every day is much better than binge studying which many research documents have proven over the years. Solve 10 puzzles, review a Chess.com or ChessAble.com course, read a chapter of a chess book a day, these things will add up over time. Imagine learning one new chess concept each day, you'd be a master in a few years!
Finally, I would be happy to meet up on a communication platform you prefer and look over your chess games with you, sometimes just a bit of guidance or introducing a few concepts can leap your chess progress, and we all obviously want to see progress in our chess skills!
-Jordan
Mar 6, 2022
0
#5
I have a blog that specifically addresses adult improvers:
https://www.chess.com/blog/foobarred1
Perhaps it will help.
Mar 6, 2022
0
#6
Some things that have helped me:
1) play some games with longer time-controls. This gives you time to actually think about the position. Use this time to try and figure out what your opponent's plans are, to understand weaknesses and strengths for both sides, and to formulate your own plans. Take time to think about these things EVERY MOVE.
2) take the time to go over your games afterwards. Figure out what you did that was good, and what you did that was bad. This is especially helpful to do for games that you've lost.
I also have two book recommendations for you. These contain all stuff that you've heard before, but something about the way these authors present things really sunk in for me. Maybe check your local library and see if these are available.
"Learn Chess Tactics" by John Nunn
"Simple Chess", by Michael Stean
Thank you for all of the advice! I’m going to stop playing 1-3 minute for sure. I’ve opted for 3-5 minute intervals traditionally because I can sit in my car and quickly play a game.
Mar 7, 2022
0
#8
Patrick123123 wrote:
Thank you for all of the advice! I’m going to stop playing 1-3 minute for sure. I’ve opted for 3-5 minute intervals traditionally because I can sit in my car and quickly play a game.
Hi,
I get that and have been in that boat myself. However, if you only have a few minutes of time it may be better to say solve some puzzles, read a chess article/blog, or review a master game than playing a bullet or blitz game(s) if improvement is your main aim.
-Jordan
May 29, 2022
0
#9
jg777chess wrote:
Hi,
It takes time and practice to learn how to evaluate and think through positions. Chess is a purely information game (there's no luck or hidden surprises, it's a matter of how well you understand chess concepts and utilize that knowledge to find the best ideas and moves) so the more information you learn, the more concepts, patterns, and ideas you know, the more likely you will play better ideas and moves more consistently. It's just like with any Academic topic like math, the more you know about formulas and concepts of math the more likely you are to correctly solve random math problems that are presented to you.
Playing thousands of games and not seeing improvement? Two immediate solutions here. #1- you must analyze your games afterwards and determine your mistakes, and even better, categorize those mistakes so over time you find trends in them that can lead you to areas of further study to weed those out. #2, play quality over quantity of games. Yes, longer games make more quality of practice and instruction and also help lessen learning bad habits in your thought process. The brain is a muscle, and memories are reinforced from short term to long term by repeated expose of the same thing, so if you play a bad opening or tactical idea and do it consistently you are more likely to continue making those same bad opening and tactical idea choices than if you learned to play properly in the opening or the correct execution of a tactical idea. Instead, review the mistakes then try to avoid those mistakes in the future and don't repeat them. This is why speed chess will ultimately impede chess growth for many of us club players overall, definitely if we aren't actively reviewing mistakes and avoid repeating them.
I also recommend creating a study program that's balanced and not a chore that you do daily. Doing a little chess every day is much better than binge studying which many research documents have proven over the years. Solve 10 puzzles, review a Chess.com or ChessAble.com course, read a chapter of a chess book a day, these things will add up over time. Imagine learning one new chess concept each day, you'd be a master in a few years!
Finally, I would be happy to meet up on a communication platform you prefer and look over your chess games with you, sometimes just a bit of guidance or introducing a few concepts can leap your chess progress, and we all obviously want to see progress in our chess skills!
-Jordan
That's excellent advice!! And studying the masters' work of any discipline e.g. literature, mathematics, art, science & chess; will improve your understanding of that discipline. Standing on the shoulders of giants will allow you to see further (paraphrased from Newton).
I was looking over a few of your recent losses, and the two things I would work on are these:
1. When you get lost, look for your worst placed piece and try to find a way to improve it. In a few of your games, the pieces on your queenside just never leave their home squares. It’s really hard to win a game of chess when you have pieces that aren’t doing work. You should make sure that every piece of yours has good scope, is bearing down on your enemy’s position, or is defending something important in your camp.
2. Protect yourself from tactics. It seems like you’re decent at not hanging pieces in one move, but often when you lose, you lose because of some tactic. The puzzle training that you’re doing is good, but you should be using that training to identify tactics that your opponent is trying to use against you.
Hope this helps!
1. When you get lost, look for your worst placed piece and try to find a way to improve it. In a few of your games, the pieces on your queenside just never leave their home squares. It’s really hard to win a game of chess when you have pieces that aren’t doing work. You should make sure that every piece of yours has good scope, is bearing down on your enemy’s position, or is defending something important in your camp.
2. Protect yourself from tactics. It seems like you’re decent at not hanging pieces in one move, but often when you lose, you lose because of some tactic. The puzzle training that you’re doing is good, but you should be using that training to identify tactics that your opponent is trying to use against you.
Hope this helps!
#7
"I’ve opted for 3-5 minute intervals traditionally because I can sit in my car and quickly play a game"
++ That does not help. Play 15|10 and analyse each game you lose.
I only play 3 min and I have already pushed up to 1600 so it does help for some people but maybe your method is more effective
