Thinking about getting back into Chess even though I'm bad at it

(Originally posted in General subforum)

Hello all,

I don't know if anyone remembers me, but a while back I sought advice as a not-so good chess player on how to improve my game. A number of awesome people stepped up and helped me get from the 400s to the 800s, but as progress then bogged down and advancing became harder, I found that I no longer enjoyed the game and kind of gave up when I struggled. Part of it is that a lot key skills like planning ahead and visualizing the board mentally are very challenging for me, but I also don't do that whole "perseverance" thing under well and easily crack under adversity.

Now, I find part of me wanting to get back into chess or at least try, but I'm not sure if it is a good idea. One idea that came to mind though is that maybe I could just play without giving a hoot about strategy or trying. Yeah, my rating will probably sink back down to the 500s, but perhaps that is where I would be happiest anyway, feeling free to resign whenever I get too discouraged, and not having to mentally exhaust myself in order to win. Would there be any shame in this? Does this sound like an okay idea?

Or should I just stick to spider solitare and Total War: Rome II?

(PS, if any of the people who helped me months ago are reading this, thank you again for all of the effort you put into me. I'm sorry that I ultimately did not pull through, but I still greatly appreciate everything you did and how you rooted for me when I wavered.)

As far as I know, you are not considering something against chess.com rules. It seems to me that everyone has a right to set their own goals.

You can also play unrated games on Chess.com

No matter how good you get there is always someone better. Somebody famous said something like that and I've yet to prove it wrong! If a high rated player  isn't enjoying the game then their rating is useless! We bottom rungers have nothing to lose and the ladder of opportunity awaits us.

Perhaps going to a local club and playing chess there might help.

I don't know why but when I try to answer your question in depth chess.com will tell me I am violating TOS.  If I offended you in any way in our previous discussion I just want to tell you I am sorry.  I did not mean to come off as some sort of tyrant if that is how I came across due to the way I chose to respond to you in my lengthly posts in the past.  I was just trying to be helpful.

If you tried all the things we told you before then maybe focusing on 1 or two of them will be enough to get you to the next level.  Like, just play games and analyze them afterward first by yourself, then with someone stronger than you, than with the computer.  

But you can always just play for fun without trying to improve.  I have been doing just that for over 10 years.

I am just trying to help. Hi All.I see people want to reach 1800 ratings, but it only achieve able with hard work and being discipline as you have to spent time on a regular basis. Let me tell you a fact that, even i was 1200 here in chessdotcom and have reached 1900+ in 4 years because I was not regularly playing.I used to play only 3 months in a whole year which is not good enough.I didn't even try to think like 1500, 1700, 1900 mind sets in the game. Just be regular and try to play higher rated opponents so that you will come to know your weakness in your game. I stream chess games, puzzles ,puzzles battle for 1200-1800 rated players on regular basics and play with all people who wanted to feel how 1800 rated player game taste like.You can add me as friend and send challenges on chess.com. (Username you know already).You can catch me on www.twitch.com/corporatechessguy for livestream. I hope you all get a chance to play with 1800 Player like me, as other high rated players don't except challenges from lower rated player to be honest. Hoping to receive more friend request on chessdotcom and followers on twitch. Let's play together!

You make it sound as it was your duty to win all the time. There is no need to measure everything in life. Chess is a game - just enjoy it.

have fun I've been stuck around 1000-1100 for a year now

Hi! I remember your previous threads.  

I am highlighting a few interesting words in  your current post:

This is the harsh reality of chess. At some point, advancing becomes way harder and you need to struggle and put a lot of mental energy to keep progressing and winning games. Garry Kasparov famously said that chess is mental torture. If you like the game but don't want to put the effort then it is totally okay to play on a lower level and accept that your chess skills will not increase. Playing other computer games is a totally different thing, its about relaxation and entertainment.

Best of luck in whatever you choose to do! I appreciate your sincerity in your posts.

Chess is a game. Have fun and play some unrated games! There is no point in improving in a game that you aren't enjoying. I agree with Russ...play some unrated for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if you'll see some huge improvements someday when you decide to play rated again because some of that pressure will be gone. But having fun is most important.

total war warhammer  but im an ork lol  

its a tough game is chess  and its one you never stop learning from  but its a game you can spend your life playing and still enjoy  dont worry about your grade it will rise if you put the work in  

I totally agree with this. What does it matter, if you enjoy it. You don’t need any validation from others, or even yourself. It’s just a game to be played and enjoyed.

Chess skill isn't about intelligence or character or mental fortitude. The people who are really good at chess enjoy studying and learning. People who stay at the same low rating for decades enjoy playing but don't enjoy studying chess. Everyone only does with chess what they enjoy doing, so you should too.

Just a thought here: There are many aspects of chess that have nothing to do with playing. If you're poor at playing and feel demoralized, then you can study (or just play over) great games from books, chess.com, or chessgames.com. I have spent many pleasant hours just playing over the moves of greats like Morphy and Capablanca. Or you can read the articles about great players and events here on chess.com. Or you can do tactics puzzles here or on chesstempo.com. 
I have often been discouraged by poor performance over the board, but I have never given up on the game. There are so many facets to it that you could enjoy it for the rest of your life and never actually play a gem. 

(But the advice to play unrated games is excellent. Just have fun with it).

"... my favorite books change over and over, but at the moment ... The Great Chess Masters and their Games by Fred Reinfeld (history) ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2020)

https://www.chess.com/article/view/why-i-dont-play-chess

Thank you for responding! No you haven't offended me at all, and I'm not sure why you ran into an issue responding.

Anyway, thank you all for responding. It makes me feel kind of fuzzy inside that you remember me. I'm a little nervous about the unrated since I once heard someone claim that it is mostly high ELO players there, but I guess I can't find out if I don't try.

MY DUDE!

I play.

I suck.

I still play.

I still suck.

You cannot be worse than me.

You got this dude.