4 week chess virgin catching fire but pawn play struggling

Ok...first of all I want to say I can't believe this game I've always understood as being probably the best in the world eluded me for 33 1/2 years...

...I started playing chess a month ago, carrying a 1350-1400+, lost like 20 of my first 21 games and since have kicked it in gear as it went from fun to an antidote for my disease, and aside from what I can only assume are gambits of sorts and the effing queen and bishop doozy that's gotten me a few times I have played competitively w players up to 2000...quickly realized after about 200 games what i do well and dont, this is a post about 2 things involving pawns...my middle game is quite good although a bit reactionary, exceptional for my chess-age, I seem to use the pieces well and see the game far enough ahead, I have a few cerebral-abortions(brain farts) but I think that's normal, I have not a lot of strategy past E-5 NF-3 lol, that's a bit exaggerated but I just seem to kind of go after a basic attack and adjust to what the opponents dictates...now, without getting to much into openings(unless this MUST be understood before pawn play) I am finding the lost common trend in my games is: 1) WIN OR LOSE I LOSE MANY MORE PAWNS THAN I WIN" ...and it's not like a bad defense in football(or any sport) who gives up 450 USA/gm but is in 2nd plAce...sure they're winning some but only cuz a good offense is bailing them out...2) also along the sane lines i really dont know when/which pawns to move 2 or 1 to open, etc...sounds ridiculous when i type it(now that sentence is idiocy) having beaten some good players and competed w even better ones, but it seems to me that "advancement" as it is called is the key but apparently not cuz while i try to always support my pawns/pieces i dont know why i so often players moving inly one space a move or 2 into the game, just seems that if its not to the side you plan on castling to you would want to kind of get 'em out there as ling as theyre "safe"(which obviously they arent if im losing so many).....now i know I have TONS to learn and have read Kasperov's lessons in chess(perfect book for newbs, consice/simple) am currently getting into Pachman's Modern Chess Strategy(a little slow as my skills in translating notation, algebraic or otherwise, is not real fast...also have read a lot of silmans play winning chess which is also very good...I know this is long winded but any help would be so greatly appreciated as I've overnight gotten truly obsessed with this gift from God we call chess...cheers - Matthew Marshall

You sounded like charlie browns teacher..

The first game I looked at was this one......http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=72509536

You hung a pawn on move 3(which black didn't take).  I didn't go any farther than that.  You don't need any thought provoking strategy.  You need to learn to not hang pieces.  

Google dan heisman's novice nook.  That is a good place for you to start learning

http://www.chess.com/groups/home/dan-heisman-learning-center

please next time you use the words "virgin" and "catching fire" only in a strictly exclusive context.

To improve at your rating:

Tactics (often it is just the right order of taking pieces), basic endgame principles (can you mate with a Queen or a rook or two bishops?), Look for threats, possible captures, best placement of your pieces, think about what your opponent intends to do.

Tactic Trainer and Chess Mentor, Dan Heismans Novice Nooks, A good chess book (not too advanced yet). All these things will help you a lot.

WTF???? it took me a whole lot more than one month to get that high!!! I started playing a year ago...

Thanks a lot for all of your suggestions/help, sorry about Charlie browns teacher:) lol

I've heard it mentioned something an adult beginner can find troublesome is not hanging pieces / tactics in general.  They're attracted to the strategy and thinking behind the moves while basic tactical checks and calculation in general are tedious.

With a clock I hang pieces constantly.

Exquisite.  

An excellent Summing Up.

I've been playing chess on and off for three decades. I have never been any good at it. I get beat a lot more than I win. I've tried daily puzzles, read books on tactics, I even took private lessons. I still suck. Not sure why I'm intrigued and obsessed with something I'm so lousy at. Not even sure why it bothers me so much that I struggle so much at chess. I'm hoping the prime membership features help improve my game but I'm off to a lousy start. Any suggestions before I pack it in with chess once and for all?

Should therapy be mandatory for chessplayers ?

http://www.chesstactics.org/

I kinda get where you are coming from.  In a less wordy sort of way.

Pawns are arguably the most complex part of chess to understand, actually.  Mess them up, and you can't go back.  Move the wrong one, and lose the game 20 moves later.  Get it right, win easily.  Throw opening theory and pawns into a question and its a lot to bite off...  nevermind mid game, late game, and endgame pawn strategy which are also important. 

The answer is, there isnt one.  You  study openings and you can handle early pawn moves.  You study endgames and you can win pawn endgames.   The rest of it comes from brutal experience, practice, and your ability to calculate and see moves.

Pawn structures found in middlegames are easy to categorize (surprisingly)... there aren't actually that many basic structures in all of chess.  The pawn moves that are just bad can be understood with some strategic knowledge and experience.

Not that it makes it easy.  There's limitless opportunity to screw up in chess   But middlegame pawn structures are actually a subject you can tackle.  e.g. this book.  Although I don't recommend it to the OP.  Losing pawns is a completely different problem ;)

I would say that experience and memorize specific openings is required to do well in chess. This advice would help from the basic chess player to the tournanment chess player.

How did you manage to come up with that title?

rmurray wrote:

"this gift from god we call chess."    

.....yeah, just one big happy family.  ?   "we" all love chess so much?

....it is painful to read this stuff, and hilarious.   ok, get ready,.... you're gonna get all the advice you will ever forget, and it won't make shit's difference in your game.  

Wow, I'm not gonna retort with some defensive shot from the hip about your negativity and wonder why you would even post something if that's all you had to say, or wonder why you even play chess at all...I'm not I promise...

For females, it's someone who was never mated. For males it's someone who has never mated anyone else.