Lower rated(1050-1150) than me exchanges everything

I try my best to play sound chess. However I am puzzled at the moment. For some reason I have been losing a lot of games lately to players rated a lot lower than me(100-140 difference). And then winning to players higher rated(40-80 difference) than me immediately after.

From what I can tell it seems like the lower rated player just goes for exchanges. Attacking queen with bishop on g5, I block with knight f6. Then they just exchange. It becomes increasingly harder to make good plays when you have less material. Even if they don't do it. Once we reach middle game and they are in doubt with what to do - they still just go for exchanges.

It's some what infuriating.

I guess I should just improve my endgame. But it is somewhat frustrating

Perhaps you could try to go for and use the advantage of the two bishops.

Well they are not totally wrong. Blocking your queen with your knight makes your queen pinned, and it makes sense to pile up on pinned pieces.

Actually, I think that the usual language is to refer to the knight as (temporarily) pinned.

Sorry, i meant knight

There are players very adept at exchanging fast in the opening and ending up with a massive advantage.

It  happens to me, not often, but it occassionally still happens. If it does happen, it's likely because I was testing the waters with a new move. -but not always. 🤔

Well then practice middlegames with less material and endgames. You need to be good at those things too.

2300+ blitz/bullet/rapid games.  And you're struggling with the basics.  The answer is right in front of you.

If they actively try to trade down at all costs, make it costly. Make them trade developed pieces for your undeveloped pieces, use the bishop pair, look out for structural damage.