Tips on how to improve?

Sort:
MrDoga
I'm new to chess and am looking for tips to improve

[Site "Chess.com iPhone"]
[Date "08/13/2017 10:01"]
[White "MrDoga (697)"]
[Black "fdtygtgtfdy (666)"]

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Qh4 3.Nf3 Qf4 4.g3 Qg4 5.Bg2 Bb4 6.Nxe5 Qd4 7.Nf3 Qd6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qa6 10.d3 Qxa3 11.Bxa3 d5 12.cxd5 Bf5 13.Nh4 Bxd3 14.exd3 Nh6 15.Qe2 Kd8 16.Qe7 Kc8 17.d6 Nd7 18.Bxb7 Kxb7 19.Qxd7 Rac8 20.Rb1 Ka8 21.Qc6# {White Wins}
notmtwain

Analyze your slower games, not your blitz games.

Don't continue playing all your games against players rated so far below you.

In rapid chess, almost all your opponents were rated 400 points below you. You have a rating of 999 You are 28/1/4 and your best win is against a 638 rated player.

That's ridiculous. Take your chances. Then you will have some games worth looking at.

ArtNJ

Well he is 74-78 in blitz, rated 700 something.  My guess is that he is probably under the misunderstanding that ratings should be the same in blitz and rapid, rather than trying to select easy opponents.  For whatever reason, rapid ratings tend to be several hundred points higher here.  

 

Anyway, at your rating level the major thing going on is that one keeps missing that the opponent can take pieces for free, and missing when you can do that to your opponent.  This accounts for virtually all wins and losses at your level.  Secondarily, you likely do not know and apply many of the basic beginner rules like develop (i.e. take out) your pieces (knights and bishops) and castle before moving your pawns a lot.  As to the first problem, besides playing more slow games to practice a careful thought process, the other thing that helps is doing a lot of tactics problems.  I see you have done 85 problems here, which isn't a bad start, but considering you have almost 200 blitz and rapid games, 85 isn't very many either.  Chesstempo.com has unlimited problems for free members and just gives free members more of the kind of perks that they charge for here.  As for the second problem, if you post a loss we can let you know some of the beginner rules you violated.  

 

Cheers.

MrDoga
[Site "Chess.com iPhone"]
[Date "08/13/2017 20:04"]
[White "MrDoga (977)"]
[Black "viczappy (1138)"]

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 e4 5.Ng5 h6 6.Ngxe4 Nxe4 7.Nxe4 Qe7 8.Bg2 f5 9.Nc3 g6 10.e4 Bg7 11.Qe2 Bxc3 12.bxc3 fxe4 13.Bxe4 Rf8 14.d4 b6 15.d5 Ne5 16.Bg2 Bb7 17.a4 Nxc4 18.O-O Qxe2 19.Bh3 Bxd5 20.Ba3 d6 21.Rae1 Qxe1 22.Rxe1 Kd8 23.Bc1 Ne5 24.Bxh6 Nf3 25.Kf1 Rh8 26.Bg5 Nxg5 27.Bg2 Bxg2 28.Kxg2 Kd7 29.h4 Nf7 30.f4 Rae8 31.Rf1 Nh6 32.Kf3 Nf7 33.g4 Rxh4 34.Rg1 Rh3 35.Kg2 Rxc3 36.Rh1 Rc2 37.Kg3 Re3 38.Kh4 Rc4 39.Rf1 Rxa4 40.g5 {viczappy won by resignation}
MrDoga
There's a game I lost bad
Sqod

 

notmtwain
MrDoga wrote:
There's a game I lost bad

You were doing fine until you castled and left your queen unprotected.

Is there any reason to look further?

Sqod

Bad tactical oversights and bad positional knowledge. A few tips to get you going:

(1) Watch out for bringing your knight out to the 3rd rank if it can be chased off by a pawn immediately (3...e4).  Read or watch parts of "My System" on YouTube about this.

(2) Stop playing 1. c4. That's for pros who know all the many transpositions and many heuristics and lines that a novice cannot learn in any reasonable time. Just play the usual 1. e4 or 1. d4. In general you can consult a free online database to know which moves are the most popular, which are usually the best moves.

(3) Get a central pawn duo with d4 and e4 as soon as possible (2. d4 in this game), or at least d4 and c4. That should be one of your primary goals in the opening (e.g., 1. c4 Nf6 2. d4, or 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4).

(4) Watch for obvious tactics that involve captures, checks, or both: 14. Bxg6+, 18. O-O?? Qxe2.

(5) Castle earlier, usually before sending any pawns to the 5th rank or opening up your e-file.

 

ArtNJ

10 e4 does not develop a piece, allow you to develop a piece, nor does it castle.  Beginner rule is focus on developing and castling.  It also looks visually immediately questionable to more advanced players given that his queen is on the same file as your king -- the pawn is pinned, and can't capture the fpawn for example.  

You missed many tactics including some not mentioned such as 16. d6!  That is kind of an advanced one for your level, but if you did not see it, then 15. d5 violates the beginner rule - develop + castle before you are spending time pushing pawns for no clear reason.