Signs you're a bad chess player

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BlessedStar

When you realise that black moves first

NimzoIndianDefense

Here are 20 reasons, off the top of my head:

 DISCLAIMER: These don't apply to FM/IM/GM, obviously.

1.  You repeatedly state that "chess is art", and to prove this, you post your blitz miniatures for analysis and "to help others learn".

2.  You legitimately think that you have a "style".

2a. You think that you play like Morphy or Tal when in reality you just fling pieces at your opponent as you don't know how to do anything else.

3.  You think that you are severely underrated.

4.  You play the Poisoned Pawn Najdorf and the Botvinnik Semi-Slav because a book told you a line that "guarantees -0.6".

5.  You frequently mention how much you study to anyone who will listen.

6.  You think that you've invented a new line or discovered a TN, and you name it creatively and then tell everyone who will listen.

7.  You blame your openings for your losses.

8.  You think that "experience is the best teacher" and "study" by playing copious amounts of online blitz.

9.  You have at some point asked a titled player for an autograph.

10.  You frown upon anyone who plays conventional chess as "uninventive" and attempt to drag your "boring" opponents off theory and "into REAL chess" by playing garbage instead of logical moves.

11.  You look at any rating much higher than yours as either unattainable with anything but tremendous talent or easy to obtain if you bothered.

12.  You think that your advice is more valuable than an IM/GM's for coaching as "you know what it's like" to be at their level (yes, this holds true for candidate masters who are misguided).

13.  You "refute" books like My System or My 60 Memorable games with Houdini.

14.  You don't know the difference between positional and passive.

14a.  You play a passive system like the London and think that it automatically makes you a "positional" player.

15.  You ask for concrete answers on questions that simply can't be answered (especially "what opening should I play"?)

16. You devote far too much attention to your opponent's ideas instead of your own and end up responding to him instead of playing for yourself.  

18.  You own Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual, Fundamental Chess Endings(Muller), Endgame Strategy(Shereshevsky), How to Play Chess Endings(Muller/Pajeken), and Rook Endings (Smyslov+Levenfish) and frequently talk about them, but have only read a page of each and couldn't understand any of it.

19.  You are offended by any of the previous notes on this list.

20.  You didn't notice that there is no #17, and you spend your time making arbitrary comparisons of chess players from different time periods instead of studying.

e4nf3

"Bad" chess playing is relative. Show me a chess player, and I'll show you a "bad" chess player, on some level.

Personally, I would exclude the current world champion. Unfortuneately, the modern high-speed computers are not so generous. They have respect for no one.

But...don't worry...someday even the best software/hardware will end up in a junk heap. See, there is justice in the end. lol

jtt96
e4nf3 wrote:

"Bad" chess playing is relative. Show me a chess player, and I'll show you a "bad" chess player, on some level.

Personally, I would exclude the current world champion. Unfortuneately, the modern high-speed computers are not so generous. They have respect for no one.

But...don't worry...someday even the best software/hardware will end up in a junk heap. See, there is justice in the end. lol

not 'lol', 'rofl'.

Master_Po

Sign you're a bad chess player:  You're working a tactic problem and are planning to attack your own King. 

e4nf3

Your favorite movie is:

This inspires you to write a screenplay: "A Chess Player Having a Bad Day at Black Rock".

Kinda catchy, don't you think?

Your thoughts wander... Who would be a good substitute for Spencer Tracy in the leading role, since he is "indisposed"?

e4nf3

Here you have your "bad" idol, Eli Wallach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXldafIl5DQ

cjquines

You're a bad chess player when you start sacrificing... your king.

funandniceisme

You are a bad chess player when you lose to me

e4nf3

This song was written about you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsUXAEzaC3Q

cjquines
funandniceisme wrote:

You are a bad chess player when you lose to me

You're a bad chess player if you lose to me.

e4nf3

I think that these two premises cancel each other out.

funandniceisme

we'll see once our game ends :)

cjquines

You know you're a bad chess player when you are overconfident.

lemlbgens

You're a bad chess player when you know what it takes to be a bad chess player Cool

e4nf3

Today, your chess isn't half bad.

As fate would have it, there is no peace for the weary.

Pre_VizsIa
nswwsn wrote:
fvaisey wrote:

Sounds like a challenge in the making. Can we watch?    And you should know that bottles of ketchup can be tough!!  I had to use a knife on one once.

I'm pretty sure stabbing your opponent is against FIDE rules.

LOL!

And even funnier:

fvaiseywrote:

It's pretty difficult to stab your opponent during online chess also.  I guess it wouldn't be "virtually" impossible though.

Yereslov

You're a bad chess player when you make a sacrifice that is absolutely winning yet fail with the next move.

e4nf3

You add a codicil to your Will requesting that your favorite chess set be buried with you. You want to put it out of its misery.

AndyClifton

Good one, e4!  I never thought I'd get a laugh out of this stupid thread, but you just proved me wrong. Smile