I've been playing chess for 10 years and I'm still terrible.

Sort:
Avatar of 1337NaNoViRuS

I've been playing chess since I was a kid ~10 years. I've read a number of books and studied openings. I was ~decent, and I peaked at 1500 chess.com. I then stopped playing for a year.cI came back, reread most of the books, and registered a new chess.com account and lichess account. I don't play much on chess.com, but I was 1200 on lichess when I restarted. I then progressively got worse, until I was just 900. (600 or so on chess.com, I would think). I've studied more openings, but I just can't seem to get out.

Does anyone have any tips?

Avatar of IMKeto

All youre playing is speed chess.   What were you expecting?

Avatar of 1337NaNoViRuS
IMKeto wrote:

All youre playing is speed chess.   What were you expecting?

Uhhh I only play 10 minute

Avatar of IMKeto
1337NaNoViRuS wrote:
IMKeto wrote:

All youre playing is speed chess.   What were you expecting?

Uhhh I only play 10 minute

Like i said...all youre playing is speed chess.  So how are you expecting to improve when all youre doing is moving fast?

Avatar of 1337NaNoViRuS
IMKeto wrote:
1337NaNoViRuS wrote:
IMKeto wrote:

All youre playing is speed chess.   What were you expecting?

Uhhh I only play 10 minute

Like i said...all youre playing is speed chess.  So how are you expecting to improve when all youre doing is moving fast?

Yeah, that’s fair.

I’m rated 1500 Classical on Lichess and 900 Rapid.

I’m honestly just annoyed because I feel like the amount of tactics I’ve studied isn’t congruent with my actual performance.

Avatar of ejkilroy

Unless you're using a different account you should try playing every day. That's what helps me the most

Avatar of Thee_Ghostess_Lola

dont play speed...

play bullet that'll help !!

Avatar of Verbeena
1337NaNoViRuS wrote:

I’m honestly just annoyed because I feel like the amount of tactics I’ve studied isn’t congruent with my actual performance.

You don't have the time to look for tactics (and neither develop as a player) in speed chess.

Avatar of AussieMatey

Playing with the NaNo ViRuS will severely impede your thinking.

Avatar of IMKeto
1337NaNoViRuS wrote:
IMKeto wrote:
1337NaNoViRuS wrote:
IMKeto wrote:

All youre playing is speed chess.   What were you expecting?

Uhhh I only play 10 minute

Like i said...all youre playing is speed chess.  So how are you expecting to improve when all youre doing is moving fast?

Yeah, that’s fair.

I’m rated 1500 Classical on Lichess and 900 Rapid.

I’m honestly just annoyed because I feel like the amount of tactics I’ve studied isn’t congruent with my actual performance.

Youre doing the right thing studying tactics.  But it is going to be next to impossible to implement into your games what you are trying to learn playing nothing but speed chess.  Youre not giving yourslf time to think.

Avatar of martinbchess

Are you analysing your games afterwards ?

It’s important to see where you are making mistakes and work out how they happened.

otherwise you just keep on repeating them ad nauseum.

 

Avatar of JamesColeman

If you’re rated that low, then you’re probably blundering pieces and hanging mates all over the place. So any type of study: whether it be tactics, openings, whatever, will show you very little ‘return on investment’. You have to go back to the absolute basics and work on board vision, safety, and so on. 

Avatar of 1337NaNoViRuS
JamesColeman wrote:

If you’re rated that low, then you’re probably blundering pieces and hanging mates all over the place. So any type of study: whether it be tactics, openings, whatever, will show you very little ‘return on investment’. You have to go back to the absolute basics and work on board vision, safety, and so on. 

Thanks happy.png

I often lose, get upset, and walk into my next game without a clear head and I end up getting a disadvantaged position and just resign. 

Avatar of darkunorthodox88

i really want to know what books you are reading. You dont need any of that at your level to improve.

Avatar of Terminator-T800

Have you tried preserving ojas. The more I preserve the better I playblitz.png

Avatar of 1337NaNoViRuS

I'm just not sure how to not make these kinds of blunders. 
I methodically go through a 'checklist' in my mind for most moves I make, and I look at all my opponent's pieces to see how it is attacking my own. Then, I look at how my opponent's piece could attack my own. Then, how I can attack my opponent's pieces. If I find something, then I look at the potential drawbacks. (Can I be forked, pinned, mated). If I don't find anything then I try to apply tactics. (How can I control files, how can I develop my pieces, am I blocking any of my pieces.) Whenever I blunder I think I just completely miss what my opponent can do when going through my checklist.

Avatar of RussBell

Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond

Avatar of A-Primitive-Idiot

I think 10 mins is decent for me, not even considered speed chess. You should probably go to longer games though. Not too much longer, I'd say 15 minute games would be easier. Remember that the brain gets slower with age. Also don't waste your time studying openings, they're definitely not the problem. You should practice on the puzzle rushes, I find them extremely helpful. I always do at least 2 before a game, it's nice to warm up.

Avatar of A-Primitive-Idiot

instead of openings you should practice on the lessons. You only need one or two openings and basic knowledge of them. Memorization isn't too helpful in chess, it's a game of adaptation.

Avatar of 1337NaNoViRuS
darkunorthodox88 wrote:

i really want to know what books you are reading. You dont need any of that at your level to improve.

Off the top of my head, I've read a chess endgames for beginners book. "Logical Chess: Move By Move", a book about openings, and then a book about how to respond to 1. d4.