At that level a game is full of hanging pieces, missing free pieces, blunders and moving pieces around without any real meaning. If they enjoy playing and are keen to improve it will happen the more they play and board vision improves. Keep playing her and the more she loses the more she will realise it takes time to increase rating and become more realistic with her goals. Books and theory are important but at such an early stage it can also ruin the enjoyment and put someone off playing. Be more subtle with encouragement and guidance.
Why does a beginner have this attitude?
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If I would be 100-200 i would get hit by a bus or a truck most likely. I never understood how they survive. What is your friend's secret?
May 10, 2025
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#24
sndeww wrote:
Some people are just delusional.
Some people might also just need things to be explained a bit more. For example, she may not castle until she has been punished enough times for leaving her king in the center. Until then, she likely won't castle. You'll have to demonstrate to her with examples, show how a king in the center is vulnerable, things like that. Opera game comes to mind. Steinitz - von barbeleden is also another example on uncastled king.
Of course, if she has no interest in learning from you then there's not much you can do.
Agreed. To those who say she just plays chess for fun I would ask them this.
This morning a bishop attacks her queen. The bishop is defended by a pawn. She could have moved her queen away. What did she do? She took the bishop with her queen and the pawn took her queen! What fun did she get out of that?
She followed it up when a couple of moves later the other bishop attacked her rook. What did she do? Moved an irrelevant pawn on the other side of the board and let the rook be taken!
May 10, 2025
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#25
You're being a tad harsh on someone who is 100-200 elo. Beginner level starts at around 1200 elo so at 200 they will barely know how the pieces move let alone material and positional advantage. elo exists so people can find opponents of similar rating and have enjoyable games which might in-turn lead to the bug of wanting to put more effort in to improving.
May 10, 2025
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#26
Chess147 wrote:
You're being a tad harsh on someone who is 100-200 elo. Beginner level starts at around 1200 elo so at 200 they will barely know how the pieces move let alone material and positional advantage. elo exists so people can find opponents of similar rating and have enjoyable games which might in-turn lead to the bug of wanting to put more effort in to improving.
200 is her chess.com grade. That isnt the same as elo. She knows how the pieces move and material advantage. She just doesnt seem to apply it in matches. She doesnt know positional advantage. I was about 120 BCF when I used to play in leagues and congresses about 35 years ago. I think that was about 1600 elo. Now I am down to about 400 chess.com. I struggle with time. I suggested she enters a congress where the moves are 40 for two hours. She said that was ridiculous. "Nobody needs that amount of time"! She doesnt want to know when I say she should think about what her opponent is trying to do.
May 12, 2025
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#30
I'm not saying her opponents are any better. In another match today her opponent with a queen chased her king up and down the board getting check each time and not systematically reducing the king's available squares.
May 12, 2025
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#32
she just had queen, rook and king against a king and she managed to lose a queen and rook!
May 12, 2025
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#33
Does she have a husband or partner to play against who will be more forgiving/less dominant over a board game?
May 12, 2025
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#34
Chess147 wrote:
Does she have a husband or partner to play against who will be more forgiving/less dominant over a board game?
No, she doesnt. She's surrounded by people who think she's wonderful for moving pieces around the board for no logical reason. Isnt that the purpose of chess?
May 12, 2025
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#35
PeterSaxton wrote:
Chess147 wrote:
Does she have a husband or partner to play against who will be more forgiving/less dominant over a board game?
No, she doesnt. She's surrounded by people who think she's wonderful for moving pieces around the board for no logical reason. Isnt that the purpose of chess?
That will just result in her moving the pieces until they get taken by the king.
In the opening she likes to move her white pawn to g4 so the black bishop on c8 can take it. There seems to be no recognition that it will just lose a pawn.
May 12, 2025
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#36
PeterSaxton wrote:
Does anybody spend their first three months not playing any games?
Me
May 12, 2025
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#37
PeterSaxton wrote:
Chess147 wrote:
Does she have a husband or partner to play against who will be more forgiving/less dominant over a board game?
No, she doesnt. She's surrounded by people who think she's wonderful for moving pieces around the board for no logical reason. Isnt that the purpose of chess?
Like I said before you're coming across as a tad harsh on someone who is clearly playing for fun and isn't bothered about earning a title, winning tournaments or hustling cash on the streets. You sound overbearing and quite possibly infatuated.
May 13, 2025
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#38
Chess147 wrote:
PeterSaxton wrote:
Chess147 wrote:
Does she have a husband or partner to play against who will be more forgiving/less dominant over a board game?
No, she doesnt. She's surrounded by people who think she's wonderful for moving pieces around the board for no logical reason. Isnt that the purpose of chess?
Like I said before you're coming across as a tad harsh on someone who is clearly playing for fun and isn't bothered about earning a title, winning tournaments or hustling cash on the streets. You sound overbearing and quite possibly infatuated.
Try not to get so hysterical.
Your comments sound like someone deranged.
I dont think many people play chess to deliberately make bad moves.
May 13, 2025
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#39
PeterSaxton wrote:
Chess147 wrote:
PeterSaxton wrote:
Chess147 wrote:
Does she have a husband or partner to play against who will be more forgiving/less dominant over a board game?
No, she doesnt. She's surrounded by people who think she's wonderful for moving pieces around the board for no logical reason. Isnt that the purpose of chess?
Like I said before you're coming across as a tad harsh on someone who is clearly playing for fun and isn't bothered about earning a title, winning tournaments or hustling cash on the streets. You sound overbearing and quite possibly infatuated.
Try not to get so hysterical.
Your comments sound like someone deranged.
I dont think many people play chess to deliberately make bad moves.
Deranged? Hysterical? Wow!
This 'friend' of yours is probably fed up of your unwanted coaching. If she joined this site and saw this thread would she be appreciative? I doubt it.
May 13, 2025
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#40
I liken it to somebody playing tennis but cant hit the ball. They refuse to practice but just want to play games but the only time they win a point is when their opponent double faults. People suggest they should practice hitting the ball but they refuse and only want to play games. The majority of people think they should concentrate on improving what they are weak at. One or two people say not everybody wants to hit the ball and they should just enjoy missing the ball.
I don’t think not seeing hanging pieces is necessarily anything to do with one’s attitude. They just need more practice.
I’d suggest a 100-200 rated player focuses on puzzles to improve their pattern recognition. Also looking at beginner speed run videos on YouTube targeted at sub 1000 players will be a great start - I’d recommend John Bartholomew or Danya Naroditskys speed runs. Also check out Ben Hunt and ChessGoals on YouTube - those are focused on improving players.