Been Stuck At 700 For A Decade - Tips To Improve?

Hey all. First post.

So, as the title suggests, despite playing online chess heavily (30-60 games concurrently over 2 or 3 apps, try to move at least a few times in every game every day or two) for more than a decade, slow chess and live, mainly slow (as in 3-7 days allowed to per move), I find myself unable to advance much beyond the 750 limit. In fact I quite myself find myself reduced down to 500-650 due to how many games I lose despite than being well fought. I’ve played well over 30,000 games over the last decade I’d say. Now to be fair a lot of those apps I choose to be matched against players of any skill level, rather than close to my own, and, simply by value of being in so many games at once, I have a tendency to lose focus across all games, rush my moves, or make a move in one game that I meant to make in another.

I’ve been dabbling somewhat heavily in live ten minute games here on the chess dot com app this last week (currently skill level 650ish and I DO win more than I lose, but only just).

Also, full disclosure, I have mostly actively avoided reading about chess / studying chess / reviewing games / memorizing common lines and openings, etc. I’ve just been playing by instinct.

But I really do seem to have hit a natural wall of progression. On this app lately I feel like I’ve been winning more lately overall, but on other 2 apps I use, I certainly lose more than I win.

Now, just from reading this, I realize I have identified many of the things I could do to improve my game (study more, play less but more focused games, play strictly people closer to my skill level, etc) but do you guys have any other tips? Non standard openings, unusual tactics, anything like that?

Thanks in advance for any tips, advice, help, or answers!

@iambacinagain Thank you very much! I wasn’t expecting any replies and you gave me an excellent and detailed one!

Sorry, meant @IAmBaconAgain (can you edit posts / replies on here?)

Also what is time control G45v

Try playing over a shorter time . 10 minutes a player.

I have been doing that for the past week. I do enjoy it; more focused, easier to keep track of attack plans. I feel like playing a week of 5-20 ten minute games a day has improved me more than I have in months or longer.

Read a good chess book like Logical chess move by move by chernev.

Hi,

I have checked some of your games and basically what you need is to improve the basics.

You drop pieces and fail to see simple captures in 3 day per move games.

What you need is a method.

Before you move you need to:

1. Check all the pieces of your opponent and see if they threat something.

2. Check all your pieces and see if you can capture something.

3. Check if the place you move a piece to is safe

And you have to do this with all the movements.

Beginers usually think this is hard to do (check 16 opponent pieces + check my 16 pieces + decide a movement + check again all the opponent pieces to see if my movement is safe).

It is hard at the beginning, but the more you pratice the easier it will be. Try to do this in one game only, as a training, and with time it will become easier and easier.

 

Regards

if you play on chess.com 30 min games are the best bang for the buck for “longer time controls”- best players are here

lichess is good for 45min and longer time controls

You Do need to read some basic chess books. Your main problem is that you keep making the same mistakes game after game after game and thus cannot improve. To improve you need to read books and get the help of a stronger player so your mistakes can be pointed out to you. 

You will improve if you decide to read a few basic books and if you find out your mistakes so you will not make the same type of mistakes game after game. 

I'm willing to play against you but i am not good !

Unrated maybe ?

just send me a challenge .

Mee too

Try harder

Checked one of your game.

You did 1 move blunder too many times ( 4 -5 times for major pieces) in a game.

 

For example, your opponent blundered his queen but you still lose because

 

g3?? and blundered queen. ( no need to consider g3 when there is no threat)

 

And you dont see his free rook to take back , instead you played other move.

 

 

First step, check for

1.hanging pieces

 

And then read books for opening, ending etc. If you blunder such things in daily games, you cant get better rating.

 

I'm a beginner, so take what I say lightly, but I just checked a few of your games and I really don't think on a move by move basis you and I are much different skill-wise. 

I started playing in November and I'd say a few things have helped me get from 600-1100/1200 in blitz / 1200 rapid:

1. I've watched a ton of John Bartholomew's videos.  Especially his Fundamentals of Chess series and Climbing the Rating Ladder series.  That was my first huge help, it's much easier than reading a book for a beginner. He walks you through how he thinks about moves, what to consider, how he sees threats, etc. It's all excellent. 

2. I know they say don't study openings, but I noticed a pretty good improvement after I decided to stick to 3-4 openings and try and know them as well as I can versus changing it up all the time. I have a set opening or two as white, one vs d4/c4 and one vs e4.  Learning the positions I get in and how to deal with them, (trying to) understand the pawn structures that arise, etc., feels like I have more control of the game. I also see similar tactics arise and similar defenses. When I make a mistake, it's often one that I can learn from and immediately apply in the future. 

3. The above posts are all also super helpful and I agree. 

4. I do really hammer the tactics trainer. I don't think it's as helpful as playing as many long games as possible, but it's helped my "chess vision' tremendously. At my rating I often win/lose a game because of a tactic/missed tactic. People are always making mistakes still at my beginner level so recognizing them is huge. 

5. End game knowledge is massive. At least know how to convert king/pawn endgames. 

6. Hanging pieces.  Just adding this in here because it's obvious but also the most important. None of the above matters if you are hanging full pieces to be taken. I really think my rating got better just by not hanging pieces even if my moves weren't great. Esp at that rating range. 

Happy to play with you any time and hopefully climb together. 

Observe and memorize the chessboard -

without any pieces. 

The playing board is bordered, finite with light and dark squares enabling viewing of diagonals.

If this is not a troll thread, all that previous "advice" is USELESS for a 700 player after 10 years of struggle. 

Obviously, something very basic, something essential to understanding the "Elements" of the game has not taken place. Required knowledge before undertaking "tactics". The current emphasize on tactics, by lazy coaches, is undermining many such lower rated players from progressing. 

Chess puzzles, blitz games. Reading your thing you’ve answered all your questions, chess is very persistent, you can’t just go off your instinct especially if it’s not getting you anywhere. My rating was at the 1300s started playing more puzzles and that slo chess and now I dabble in the 1400s and we are talking within a month. You have to be willing try because if you are there is a lot right here at this sight. Good luck and happy hunting

I've seen people ask stuff like this before, and I think the best tip is greed. If you're stuck at 600-700 then you're not greedy enough.

Unfortunately this makes chess a very tedious game at first. It's all about not losing any of your pieces for free, and also checking all the time whether you can win one of the opponent's pieces for free. Even a single pawn. Talk to yourself before the game, set some goals. Goals like I'm not going to lose even a single pawn due to an oversight, and 100% of the time when the opponent leaves something undefended I'll win it for free (and you must choose a time control long enough to allow yourself to meet these goals).

So you have to set new standards for yourself. It takes time and conscious effort, but after this kind of greed becomes a natural habit, you can move on to the fun stuff (like openings, strategy, or whatever else).