hi everybody! i just started chess a few weeks ago. I'm already 25 years old. i'm hooked! =)

during the game (till the very last move from my opponent) i thought i kinda crushed him positionally... but he checkmated me because of a big blunder by me.

i wrote down my thought process on most of the moves...

it would be really nice to get some help and tips from you guys! thanks i appreciate it

and overall?: do i play poorly (even for a beginner) ? how good was my opponent? please be honest. thanks =)

First of all- Welcome to the chess comunity. Hope you enjoy your time as a fellow chess player-

For a man that just started chess two weeks ago you are doing extremely well! You display an ability to see attacking posibilities. Your reasoning for moves was good most of the time, all in all decent play. Helping you improve beyond where you are at would depend on a few things: 1.What is your goal in chess?  2.How much time would you devote to chess?  If you can answer these two I can give you a heads up on what might happen.

I think you went for opponent's king too early.First you need to solidify your position e.g. secure your king ,form a good pawn structure and then weaken opponent's position.

4.d5 was not a good move - you gave the long diagonal to opponent's bishop easily.Before advancing this pawn twice so early,you could have developed other pieces thereby solidifying your center.

@zxb995511

oh, thank you very much for the kind words!

well, to answer your questions...

1. my goal is primarily to have fun and to train my mental abilities. i know i'm too old already to become a REALLY good player. but if i'm hooked at something, i always want to become REALLY good at it... so that situation is already kind of a little bummer for me.

but just the idea of knowing a lot about this beautiful game and playing peaceful chess at the park in my old days with some friends or grandchildren brings a smile to my face =)

2. time... there is the problem...

i already take too much time out for chess right now ;) i would do better concentrating on my filmmaking career. but right now i really enjoy playing and studying chess a lot!!! so i just do it

so overall it's a new hobby for me which i can't really do as much as i would like. but over the years i guess i could gather a decent amount of knowledge about chess

edit: to answer your second question more clearly: in the long run, i guess i can devote a couple of hours every week to chess. i think that's not much is it?

I've learned I make the most mistakes when I put too much of my concentration and attention on one part of the board (ie where I am attacking).  It's easy to get caught off guard.  I make myself step back mentally with every move and try to see the whole board - the big picture - before I make a move.

Overall, I'd say you had some good ideas, though.

thanks for all the tips so far!

i think i noticed something. after 20. Nd7 ... would be rook to h3 the best move?

i see some checkmate possibilities on this. but i'm wondering how powerfull that threat really would be and if my opponent could get out of it easily that i don't see (maybe with an advantage on top)

 Well it seems you are serious about this! good to hear! The good news is that there is still time for you to become a VERY good chess player. You might not make it to World Champion but you can become a titled player no matter what age you begin. Kasparov (considered by many to be the strongest chess player ever) said, "World Champions are not born they are made through hard work and dedication, but the gift of being able to do hard work is a rare one" this means you will get as good as how much time and effort you put into it. Most players are, as you are, a hobby player but that doesen't mean you can't become very good at it. Chess is a weird thing- the better you get the more fun you have with it. Things that were once misterious become clear. The more you know ablout chess the more you realize you need to learn. Therefore, I encourage you my friend to take your first steps and venture out into this "Black and White" jungle to learn the art, skill, and complexity that  is chess!

You can begin your adventure quite simply by buying a book online or in a book store or a training DVD depending on your budget, but either way be prepared to put in the effort and reap the rewards. Good luck and HAVE FUN!

Wow, I agree you have played very well for being into chess so shortly! Your description of "having outplayed my opponent" doesn't entirely adequate as it seems you didn't have sufficient compensation for the lost piece. So no, I don't think there was a possibility to checkmate your opponent.

It doesn't say which time control was used here, but let me warn you not to get hooked on blitz It is highly addictive, but the potential for your improvement is limited.

really? wow! that would be so great. thanks!

i assume you want me to challange you on a correspondence chess match... not live chess, right? I'll go ahead...

@all

what do you think about that alternative move: rook to h3 after 20. Nb7

@zxb995511

i thank you a lot!

22. Bxg7 Rxg7 23. Rxg7 Qxg7 Rg3 seems winning.

Overall I think you played fine, except for the blunders. You should try working on your tactics and calculation.

You seem a little fixated on achieveing checkmate and I don't mean that unkindly but taking your opponents pieces without losing your own does the job just as well. By all means look for mating possibilities but don't make it your ultimate goal.

@podge52

yes, that is true. i noticed this myself that in this game i tried to hard to go for a checkmate. i believe it's due to the tactics training websites i played the last days... it seams that the solution is always the checkmate on those ;)

i got to be more aware of the whole board... but i don't have this grand overview yet by just looking at the board. i really have to analyze every position to make sure... takes too much time on every move ^_^

TongLen wrote:

@rubygabbi

sure thing... but it's just that i think if someone has started as a child, the understanding of chess and pattern recognition becomes WAY more intuitive and natural for them.

it's the same with learning a language. i think it's quite a different way of playing chess if you started young.

but it's ok =) we are enjoying the learning of chess NOW... that is all that counts

i agree with "old fart" i am returning to chess myself with the goal of just improving my play. i think everyone gets hung up on not seeing the board. i do it all the time. still learning those hard lessons!

 i really did not see that coming... because i concentrated only on to how i could checkmate him

Yes, that has been one of my biggest mistakes - concentrating on my plan and not thinking about what his plan might be. So try always to ask yourself what your opponent might do.

I agree with others that you are playing very well for having played such a short time. And 4.d5 was a poor move because it gave up control of e5. Echoing someone else's thought, you can win games by winning a pawn, then winning a piece, a few more pawns. You don't have to weave a spectacular mating net.

i've let the chess.com computer analyze it... cool feature!

before the move 22. f4  ... it gave me a pawn advantage of 3.96 points ... afterwards it is 0.35  ^_^ so now i know that this was indeed a bad move and Rxg7+ would have been good (or equaly good Bxg7) as Feinster also already noticed! thanks for the nice move advice!