I am incredibly frustrated...

I'm playing against the computer until I can at least regularly beat a 900 rated "player".  I keep making blunders, but I have no idea why it's a blunder because all I see is a a big red BLUNDER notification (unless, of course, I immediately lose material without recourse).

I'm 66, and all I really want to do is play against the computer and get a little bit better.  I'm quite solitary, detest social media and rarely post on forums.  I'm far too old to ever be even good at this game.  My memory is going, so it's hard to remember more than the first 4 moves of any opening and I've never been able to see more than 2 moves in advance.  I've tried the puzzles and have difficulty getting past the 800 stage in tactics.  I'm taking the beginner lessons, but I'm just not seeing any improvement.

Is it too hard for the computer to tell me why a move is an inaccuracy, mistake or blunder?  It's not fun because I don't feel I'm learning from my mistakes because I don't know why these errors are errors.  I'm tired of rage quitting and I'm beginning to wonder why I've spent money on this website.

Rake

It is more interesting to play with people. If you don't want to chat during or after games, just go to settings - live games and disable chat. Playing vs cpu is not a good training to prepare you for human vs human games. There are many people here with lower rating, so surely you will find some wins as well. 

If you are interested in some tips, check this out:

https://www.chess.com/blog/nklristic/the-beginners-tale-first-steps-to-chess-improvement

Perhaps you will find some of it useful. 

The best way to see why a move is bad is to play out the continuation. Not easy to do on chess.com. However if you download or copy your game and go to www.chesspractice.com, it is easy to do so using what if options. And alternative moves are color coded by strength.

A good approach to improve is to analyze each game immediately after playing at the above site and write down what tactic or strategy you should have done instead on bad moves. I don’t meant write down the correct move. I mean write down something like "trade a rook for a knight and bishop". Then, before each chess session review these notes.

Lastly, avoid short games. Play 15 or 30 minute games.

Play with real people, play longer games, do tactics exercises (it is possible to do it here) - 20 per day can be enough, but think about it. You mentioned it is difficult for you to memorize opening - many experts player are saying that if you are beginner, opening is not that important. In my opinion the important thing is to react adequately at opponents move and always think what is the reason behing it. And for the opening, learn just some basic opening which control center, d4 or e4. At your level win the one who makes less mistakes, so think twicely about your move (= is your piece save at this field? If I put my piece here, can opponent take it, if my piece is threatened, can I control it with something?). Then just develop all your pieces (bishops, knights), if everything is safe - castle, develop queen and connect rooks. I recommend Gotham chess at youtube. And the last important thing - just continue, do not quit. Sometimes it is annoying to lose but begginings are hard in every area - running, chess, when you learn something... Just be patient and you will get results for sure one day. And remember, it is still a game

A computer can't tell you why.

Post your games, with what you were thinking while you were playing, and your thoughts after the game.

People will look and analyse - but make the effort to look over without a computer yourself first.

Don't be discouraged. You are exactly where every good player started. It is exceedingly rare to see players who learn the game the way Beth Harmon did in "The Queen's Gambit," by watching someone else play. Most of us learn by being taught, and we learn openings by playing through them.

Even at the 1800 level, most people don't memorize deep opening lines. That's because it's almost useless at the beginner level; if you learn the first 9 moves of a particular variation the Najdorf Sicilian, you will never see it against another beginner because they will deviate from opening theory by move 4.

The best advice I can give is to learn endgames, play slower time controls (daily chess is great, because you can take days looking at and analyzing a position) and do lots of problems. Problems will teach you tactics, which will help you get better quickly.

And as for age, I am 52 and the only ill effects I have seen on my play is that I don't play well in bullet or fast blitz games than I used to. Other than that, I'm still improving.

I'm just starting out myself, but what has helped me a lot is that I've stopped worrying so much about openings and memorizing moves. I'm trying to get a better intuition of the reach each piece has and how I can make them work together to protect each other and block moves from my opponent, rather than making it about gaining material and winning the game. The lessons on this site are great, but I think it actually really helps to read about games or watch an analysis of a famous game. As a beginner when you have no idea what is going on in detail, you can still deduct the bigger principles the players use (on what part of the game are they spending the most time, why are or aren't they attacking etc) and apply it to your own game and over time the right moves will become more obvious to you based on those principles.

Chess.com is filled with nice people who are quite ready to help out. Posting games out will help better than a computer. Even you can do manual analysis and find out mistakes for yourself. On that note maybe you should play more games with real people. The only way you really can learn from your mistakes is to lose. An update in Chess.com was the personalities games, where you can choose a certain personality to play against, from 200 to 2700 rating. It really will help. In conclusion maybe try stepping a little out of your comfort zone. 

HEY! If your new, like Star Wars, and want some help come join the Mandalorians. Our club has few rules, but they are all to protect your identity and personnel information. Please read them when you visit our club page. Our club has long time players and new players, so if your looking for help just stop by and ask. here's a link to the club -->https://www.chess.com/club/mandalorians/join

Hang in there, just like the rest of us! Just remember to enjoy the frustrating journey. You’ll be fine. 

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5.
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key. Centralized piece control more squares.
3. (King Safety)
4. Connect your rooks. There should be no pieces between your Rooks.

The objective of development is about improving the value of your pieces by increasing the importance of their roles (Piece Activity).  Well-developed pieces have more fire-power than undeveloped pieces and they do more in helping you gain control.

Now we will look at 5 practical things you can do to help you achieve your development objective.

They are:

1. Give priority to your least active pieces.

• Which piece needs to be developed (which piece is the least active)?
• Where should it go (where can its role be maximized)?

2. Exchange your least active pieces for your opponent’s active pieces.
3. Restrict the development of your opponent’s pieces.
4. Neutralize your opponent’s best piece.
5. Secure strong squares for your pieces.

 

Don’t help your opponent develop.

There are 2 common mistakes whereby you will simply be helping your opponent to develop:

1. Making a weak threat that can easily be blocked
2. Making an exchange that helps your opponent to develop a piece

 

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.
2. Look for forcing move: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board.
3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.
4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.
5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

Please to take this as ageism, I'm trying trying to come up with a logical solution. It's a fact of life that as many people grow old, their memory just doesn't always function, and it might just be you're getting a little old. Again, this is not meant to be offensive.

TRR, I play the computer only when I am already too tired or don't think I'm sharp enough to play a person. I'd encourage you to play against some people on Chess.com.

 

The computer play is ... strange. It doesn't make moves like the people I play against. I don't think the two kinds of "opponents" are anything alike.

Lastly, check out this club for adult improvers.  I think Sawbonez has created something good for us. https://www.chess.com/club/the-vintage-patzers-adult-chess-improvers

Computers at lower settings tend to play like a grandmaster for 4 moves then 1 move like a gibbering lunatic, better to play actual human lunatics at least they are consistent. Like mentioned above you'll get paired with people generally at your level and longer timescales are best, 30min, or even daily.

After the game, hit the Game Report button and go through the game move by move.  When you get to the "blunder", study the position until you can see what the blunder is.  Check the graph at the top for whether the blunder was capitalized on by the opponent.

Some are deeper than 2 moves, though.

Rake...You have to stop being so pessimistic! You are not too old and don't think you cannot improve!

It's all about how you approach the game and what steps are best suited for you,at this stage.....

I highly recommend....."The Complete Idiot's Guide To Chess".

I learned the most basics of chess at an early age and did not get serious until I was 66 too.....I played 10 minute games and dropped to a 430 rating.....After I read and really enjoyed the book,which I am recommending, my rating has gone up dramatically.....Currently 1125,which is no big deal,but I know what I am doing most of the time.

Btw,playing the computer is not as much fun as playing real people....Just my 2 cents....

Good luck

P.S.  I am 71