Enjoy chess, but terrible player
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yeah just play more. and dont worry about the ratings. take risks. try stuff. if you lose its only a game. i found for a long time i was too scared to try stuff. then one day i just shrugged and decided to be more aggressive. made a big difference.
Apr 21, 2008
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#23
A very simple thought process that might help you is this; Before you make a move ask yourself, what is this accomplishing? And do the same for when your opponent moves. This should help you get an idea of why you do each move. It helps so much when you are able to play against a more experienced player who can explain each move. That is what I have done with a few of my friends and it has helped them out a lot.
well to the original post... Just be glad that you "enjoy" chess... It seems to me that their are some excellent players who dont seem to even enjoy the game, haha. But enjoying chess and having fun with it should always be number one.
It was getting frustrating there with not being able to do the tactical trainer puzzles and I almost lost the pleasure in the game. Although I couldn't solve half the problems, I found my game (actual playing) is a whole lot better. My moves are clearer and I almost won a game today, but my opp happened to catch what I was doing and thus positioned himself out of harms way.
Apr 21, 2008
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#26
Jesstears wrote: It was getting frustrating there with not being able to do the tactical trainer puzzles and I almost lost the pleasure in the game. Although I couldn't solve half the problems, I found my game (actual playing) is a whole lot better. My moves are clearer and I almost won a game today, but my opp happened to catch what I was doing and thus positioned himself out of harms way.
I believe it was Silman who said that you should never assume that your opponent won't see what your plan is. So that way you can always keep improving on your posistion with each move. It makes a lot of sense to me at least.
yeah that was always my mistake as a beginner.... always craving that dreamy mate. Pulling off a fantastic attack that stuns your opponent... i would risk everything and sacrifice anything to go after that dream. More often then not my plans would always fail and rot away.
It wasnt til i started giving my opponents the benefit of the doubt and focused on good solid play, that i started playing REAL chess.
I finally won a game. Just finished playing someone on live chess and got them in checkmate. Actually, I got them in a touch position...they could choose to play their queen or try to move the King...they choose the queen...I took the queen and checked the king. Damn, I'm almost good. 
Apr 24, 2008
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#29
You can improve your game also by asking a chess coach from this site.(its free)
\He can play with you and see what you are doing wrong or explain what he is doing. He can also give advice about how you can improve. My best way to improve is to analyse chess positions. So we discuss what in this position is the best move for white and what is the best for black.
Don't be so hard on yourself there are many People in the World who are even worse than you at the game they play atrocious Chess look in my Blog see for yourself!!
If you want to learn to play and be a better player my advice is to you is study the endgame first not the opening the opening and middle game have to be studied in direct relation to the endgame each phase of the game has a direct connection to the other!
To really improve I'd suggest you bone up on tactics when I was a Kid my Coach Mike Griffin lent me his copy of 1001 Combinations by Fred Reinfeld I did a 100 night then 200 problems and I kept doing them my game really got a sharp boost!
Some other book suggestions:
1) The Game of Chess by Siegbert Tarasch
2) Laskers Manual by Emmanuel Lasker
3) My System by Aaron Nimzovitch
I just had to update everyone that has been so helpful in giving me advice on playing and practicing.
I have been using tactical training and I also have Chessmaster (the newest one) and using tactical trainer on there too, and I have to say, although I couldn't get the moves right on those, I am finding my playing is a whole lot better. I just made a move on gameknot that I would never have made if it wasn't the two TT's.
I also have opp here who is gracious enough to play me while giving me pointers.
Thank you all so much, and please keep advice coming. I will soon contribute advice once I get better and actually win a few games.