Naivety about beginner difficulty

I don't think I'm particularly arrogant, but I had an idea that when starting out with a provisional 400 rating, I might temporarily have an edge over some players set at the same level, not because of any natural talent on my part, but because I thought there were bound to be a number of people at that level who were *particularly* bad, worse than me at least. Instead, after a single win (which I don't think counts for much because I saw their rating plummet shortly afterwards) I'm in three games where I'm absolutely being kept on my toes (blundered away my queen in one), no suggestion of plain sailing whatsoever. So was my idea nonsense? Should I have expected to struggle so much at the outset against players with a 400 rating?

I thought a little similar, I thought I’d pick this up really quickly… I was wrong. I think they’ve got the beginner rating pretty much spot on. Beginner games are insane as players can make a few great moves but then blunder several times. But you’ll also have other people joining at beginner stage who have played before and they will rise in ratings quickly. Until you play around 30 games your rating will change wildly but then eventually stabilise.

The naivety I had was knowing chess was challenging but the levels it goes to is mind boggling. Things will click and all of a sudden your rating will jump. I’ve entered the rabbit hole and it just keeps going. But I am having A LOT of fun with it.

Thanks, that's very helpful. I was starting to feel a bit dispirited. Helps that I picked up a bit in that game with the queen. So I'll lose quite soon I'm pretty sure, but I feel like I didn't disgrace myself either!

If you just started playing, then struggling against 400 rated players is perfectly normal.
By the way, 3 out of 4 games were against bots. You should bear in mind that bot ratings are a bit inflated (this is especially the case when it comes to these beginner and lower intermediate bots). 700 level bot is usually weaker than 400 rated human player.

You shouldn't worry too much about the rating in general, and especially if you are starting out. If improvement is what you seek, play, analyze your games, learn from your mistakes, study about chess and so on. If you are in it to just have some fun, then especially don't worry about the rating.

Good luck in any case.

And thank you. Yes, I was only trying things out with the bots - was a bit nervy about playing a rated game with a real person to start. But I'll be sticking to humans for a bit. Feels kinda like the point, with bots a side quest at best.

Everyone starts off with delusions of grandeur. Good players make it look so easy. It's like picking up a guitar, knowing a few chords, and thinking you're gonna shred: completely unrealistic. Only when you actually play for the first time do you realize how many hours/years these amazing players have practiced and studied to develop their skills to the point where it looks effortless.

Chess is so much more than just knowing the rules. You have to develop tactical skills, patience, and strategy. But the more you analyze your games and learn to see the whole board, the fewer blunders you'll make, the more tactics you'll see, the better you'll get. It sounds like you've got the right mindset, though, and yeah, there's nothing unusual about thinking you'll be great at it and finding out the hard way how far you have to go.

I didn't think I was going to be great! I had delusions of having a gentler start. 😅

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

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

Don't be discouraged by early struggles or setbacks.

Despite years of study and practice, I remain between 400 and 500. I find it very challenging, which is rewarding.

My goal is to continue to learn and improve, but I understand that it may not translate to ELO changes.