I don't know how to get better.

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Avatar of II-L-II

Hey recently, I felt as if when I win games, I feel as if they are either lucky flukes or moments where I say what was I doing? Or some moments where I don't know what to do. I get especially stuck when you don't know which piece to move. What do I do if I don't know which piece to move? I feel like I was a solid 900 who has slowly stooped back own to 800, feeling like I have forgotten what I've known at chess and what I've accumulated as a player.

How do you go about playing games? How do you think? What are some fundamentals I should know as a 700-800 player?

Avatar of SurjoRC

1. Don't blunder (So wait before moving your pieces and just think before you move... Watch the whole board)

Avatar of nickisimo81

In skimming over your last game or two, it looks like you need to work on your tactics more than anything else. Not sure if you can afford a membership on here(even a Premium one), but the Tactics trainer is great.

Studying GM games with annotations or video commentary is extremely helpful.

You also should review some opening theory - not memorizing lines, but general principles. Things like: knights before bishops, trying to move each piece only once, avoid unnecessary pawn moves, etc. 

Avatar of RussBell

From your profile you play only speed chess.    In order to improve, I recommend....

Play Longer Time Controls...

For many at the beginner-novice level, speed chess tends to be primarily an exercise in moving pieces around faster than your opponent while avoiding checkmate, in hopes that his/her clock runs out sooner than yours.  Or being fortunate enough to be able to exploit your opponent’s blunders before they exploit yours.

There is little time to think about what you should be doing.

It makes sense that taking more time to think about what you should be doing would promote improvement in your chess skills.

An effective way to improve your chess is therefore to play mostly longer time controls, including "daily" chess, so you have time to think about what you should be doing.

This is not to suggest that you should necessarily play exclusively slow time controls or daily games, but they should be a significant percentage of your games, at least as much, if not more so than speed games which do almost nothing to promote an understanding of how to play the game well.

Here's what IM Jeremy Silman, well-known chess book author, has to say on the topic...
https://www.chess.com/article/view/longer-time-controls-are-more-instructive

And Dan Heisman, well-known chess teacher and chess book author…
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627052239/http:/www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman16.pdf

resources for improving your chess...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

Avatar of GMatchen

If you are 900, then you need to learn to read chess notation (if you don't know already) and go over some annotated master games--I recommend the "easy" ones first, like Chernev's "The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played" or "Logical Chess: Move by Move".  And of course, get a tactics book and try and solve them, and never stop. You'll get better! 

Avatar of llama44

You already got good advice, I just wanted to add a little.

At least for me, learning from a screen was never very good. I suggest getting a book, and a board, and a notebook. Play over every line of analysis in the book, and take notes in your notebook when an idea or position is interesting to you. Stop looking at the book when there's a diagram or whenever a position is interesting to you. Spend a minute or two (not too long) to decide which side you like better and why. What move would you play? Then keep reading. When you've completely finished the book, review your notes and revisit the interesting parts of the book.

And just in general, save positions that are interesting to you. It can be any reason, an attack, a maneuver, an opening, a tactic, anything. Pull them out from time to time and review them.

In general the 3 activities are studying (e.g. books), playing (long games), and drills (like solving puzzles)

For your first study topic pick something like a book of annotated games, tactics, strategy, or endgames... don't pick openings

Good luck!

Avatar of chessguy_789

only 900? im 1711 USCF and just feel and think which piece to move and just develop if your done developing then think of a plan

Avatar of II-L-II

Thank you for all the feedback! I'll try to incorporate the tips and suggestions you have all told me! Thank you for helping this noob :)

Avatar of komodochess13

The best thing you need to do is simply calculate. Learn the consequences of your moves. Don't blunder or drop pieces. If you are still struggling, I would recommend doing some tactics problems until you feel like you can play your moves with purpose and confidence! Also, I have a great blog if you want to check it out. www.chess.com/blog/komodochess13 that covers various chess topics. Enjoy

Avatar of Svyatoslava08
Hello
Avatar of Svyatoslava08
Thank you for all the feedback! I'll try to incorporate the tips and suggestions you have all told me! Thank you for helping this noob :)
Avatar of TeacherOfPain

Chess is a game of experience, the more you experience and the more you practice the better you get. 

That is step 1. 

Step 2 is to study and anaylze your games to see your mistakes and to learn from them and gain knowledge from them. After that seek out to play computers or have training games to become better without losing rating points. 

Do more tactical puzzles as well, however tactical puzzle are mostly for fun in my opinion, they do not too much in the game, as tactics come and go, and also you have to have tactical vision and knowledge, as in puzzles the board is already set up for you, however in a OTB or online game it is not set up so simply. 

Moreover you need to trust yourself and believe you are going to make good moves, if you don't trust yourself you might as well not play. Many say it has something to do with physcology others says it doesn't and it only has to do with someone making "good moves". However in this stances don't matter just focuss on game at a time and constantly play the game.

As for strategies you will have to study those and gain those from experience. Like to look at annotated master games and analyze those games to get a better understanding and to develop your mind with it. 

That's what I have for a start, but there is so much more information if you want to actually become great at the game. 

 

Avatar of GMatchen
vhin-1983 wrote:

Solve tactics. Analyze your games. Understand the openings. Watch master games. Know the "Opening Principles", you can search that on the net. Solve endgame tactics. Read books.

I would not include "Understand Openings" as advice to an 800 player. Even masters don't fully "understand openings", and it takes WAY too much time to learn all the variations, pawn structures and why they work. But yes, know opening Principles-that is very important. You don't need to understand most openings if you just understand opening principles--at least until you get to 2000 level.

Avatar of Marie-AnneLiz
GMatchen a écrit :
vhin-1983 wrote:

Solve tactics. Analyze your games. Understand the openings. Watch master games. Know the "Opening Principles", you can search that on the net. Solve endgame tactics. Read books.

I would not include "Understand Openings" as advice to an 800 player. Even masters don't fully "understand openings", and it takes WAY too much time to learn all the variations, pawn structures and why they work. But yes, know opening Principles-that is very important. You don't need to understand most openings if you just understand opening principles--at least until you get to 2000 level.

I disagree!

Learning the London system could make you feel in control and make you win many games.

And it take less than a few hours by looking at great videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDU83nDqCUc

You can easily find 10 videos on it on you tube and they are a lot of fun to watch!

Avatar of GMatchen
Marie-AnneLiz wrote:
GMatchen a écrit :
vhin-1983 wrote:

Solve tactics. Analyze your games. Understand the openings. Watch master games. Know the "Opening Principles", you can search that on the net. Solve endgame tactics. Read books.

I would not include "Understand Openings" as advice to an 800 player. Even masters don't fully "understand openings", and it takes WAY too much time to learn all the variations, pawn structures and why they work. But yes, know opening Principles-that is very important. You don't need to understand most openings if you just understand opening principles--at least until you get to 2000 level.

I disagree!

Learning the London system could make you feel in control and make you win many games.

And it take less than a few hours by looking at great videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDU83nDqCUc

You can easily find 10 videos on it on you tube and they are a lot of fun to watch!

Years ago, the London System was ALSO trotted out to beginners as a "solid opening anyone can learn". In fact, I adopted it myself. It may have helped me create a stalwart defense in some games, but in no way did it help me become a stronger player!  As soon as my opponent played gambit moves, I was lost. I then had to just learn to "play it loose" and study my tactics and endgames, because even if I wasn't losing in the opening, I wasn't necessarily winning games or getting stronger!  No, for an 800 player, knowing how to develop, gain central control, and sac a pawn if necessary to protect your king from an early attack is more important than learning any particular opening. One must play aggressively as possible in the opening, and be alert to threats, too. The London System is too calm and  strategic to cultivate those skills.

Avatar of Marie-AnneLiz
GMatchen a écrit :
Marie-AnneLiz wrote:
GMatchen a écrit :
vhin-1983 wrote:

Solve tactics. Analyze your games. Understand the openings. Watch master games. Know the "Opening Principles", you can search that on the net. Solve endgame tactics. Read books.

I would not include "Understand Openings" as advice to an 800 player. Even masters don't fully "understand openings", and it takes WAY too much time to learn all the variations, pawn structures and why they work. But yes, know opening Principles-that is very important. You don't need to understand most openings if you just understand opening principles--at least until you get to 2000 level.

I disagree!

Learning the London system could make you feel in control and make you win many games.

And it take less than a few hours by looking at great videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDU83nDqCUc

You can easily find 10 videos on it on you tube and they are a lot of fun to watch!

Years ago, the London System was ALSO trotted out to beginners as a "solid opening anyone can learn". In fact, I adopted it myself. It may have helped me create a stalwart defense in some games, but in no way did it help me become a stronger player!  As soon as my opponent played gambit moves, I was lost. I then had to just learn to "play it loose" and study my tactics and endgames, because even if I wasn't losing in the opening, I wasn't necessarily winning games or getting stronger!  No, for an 800 player, knowing how to develop, gain central control, and sac a pawn if necessary to protect your king from an early attack is more important than learning any particular opening. One must play aggressively as possible in the opening, and be alert to threats, too. The London System is too calm and  strategic to cultivate those skills.

I disagree 100%

The London system can be played very agressively and it show you perfectly how to develop each pieces and when and to control the center squares etc etc....best opening for a 800 players after you tried e4 for months and get the feeling that it's not what you really feel in control with.

I destroyed many 1200 players in less than 20 moves with the London system when i was starting to learn it 5 years ago.

Learn it from a very agressive GM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDU83nDqCUc

Avatar of GMatchen

I disagree 100%

The London system can be played very agressively and it show you perfectly how to develop each pieces and when and to control the center squares etc etc....best opening for a 800 players after you tried e4 for months and get the feeling that it's not what you really feel in control with.

I destroyed many 1100 players in less than 20 moves with the London system when i was starting to learn it 5 years ago.

Learn it from a very agressive GM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDU83nDqCUc

Well, if it works for you, I can't argue with that. It just didn't work for me. It made me inflexible and wanting to play rotely in the opening, instead of thinking of every move. It's a QP opening also, which everyone knows are generally not that tactical. Someone said once that beginners should play KP openings, even the King's Gambit, to sharpen their tactics in general. But each player is different--if it works for you, great!  I do agree that a player should try and learn at least a few openings, even if one doesn't understand them completely.  But in general, weaker players should not waste too much time perfecting their openings, because their low ratings are due to weak tactics, endgame, and weak positional understanding, and opening theory is a huge timesuck. If one is constantly losing in the opening, then yes!--one should spend time learning what went wrong.

Avatar of Marie-AnneLiz
GMatchen a écrit :
Marie-AnneLiz wrote:
GMatchen a écrit :
vhin-1983 wrote:

Solve tactics. Analyze your games. Understand the openings. Watch master games. Know the "Opening Principles", you can search that on the net. Solve endgame tactics. Read books.

I would not include "Understand Openings" as advice to an 800 player. Even masters don't fully "understand openings", and it takes WAY too much time to learn all the variations, pawn structures and why they work. But yes, know opening Principles-that is very important. You don't need to understand most openings if you just understand opening principles--at least until you get to 2000 level.

I disagree!

Learning the London system could make you feel in control and make you win many games.

And it take less than a few hours by looking at great videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDU83nDqCUc

You can easily find 10 videos on it on you tube and they are a lot of fun to watch!

Years ago, the London System was ALSO trotted out to beginners as a "solid opening anyone can learn". In fact, I adopted it myself. It may have helped me create a stalwart defense in some games, but in no way did it help me become a stronger player!  As soon as my opponent played gambit moves, I was lost. I then had to just learn to "play it loose" and study my tactics and endgames, because even if I wasn't losing in the opening, I wasn't necessarily winning games or getting stronger!  No, for an 800 player, knowing how to develop, gain central control, and sac a pawn if necessary to protect your king from an early attack is more important than learning any particular opening. One must play aggressively as possible in the opening, and be alert to threats, too. The London System is too calm and  strategic to cultivate those skills.

I learned my endgames and tactics way before i learned my London System and i played for at least 4 months e4 exclusively before i started to appreciate the London System.

No one is saying to neglect your other part of the game!

And Thinking on each move is KEY for a beginner.

Avatar of GMatchen

I learned my endgames and tactics way before i learned my London System 

That's a curious statement--to say you learned these things already!  It takes a lifetime to master them alone. But again, good for you for finding an opening you're comfortable with!

 

 

Avatar of Marie-AnneLiz
GMatchen a écrit :

I learned my endgames and tactics way before i learned my London System 

That's a curious statement--to say you learned these things already!  It takes a lifetime to master them alone. But again, good for you for finding an opening you're comfortable with!

 

 

I bought my first book at 14...and around 20 more a few years later and i did read most of them(many on opening and many on tactics and many on strategy and a great one on endgames all around 1999..i was already a 1400 when i learned the London System later....and i loved it!

But for years i played d4 after not feeling comfortable with e4. and it's only because of it that i did improve.

The London System came years after and i do not say only play that.

I say it could build the confidence of a beginner and that is important because you really feel in control and you can decide if you want to attack or not.