I took a look at two of your recent losses. In both games you missed a chance to win a piece. So studying up on tactics and improving your situational awareness might dramatically improve your results.
Getting past the beginner barrier.
Sort:
"... I recommend that if you are a beginner, you should avoid speed chess for a variety of reasons. Among them:
- it can get you into a variety of bad habits,
- cause inexperienced players to rush in slow games, and
- can be very frustrating when you are not very good and can't see the chessboard very accurately in a short glance.
However, once you get good enough to have sufficient board vision and tactical vision to play speed games, I do recommend you add them to your practice repertoire. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2017)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/is-speed-chess-good-for-you
"... I would guess up to ninety percent of your playing time should be slow games (thirty minutes for each player or preferably more) and the other ten percent speed games. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627020325/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman100.pdf
I personally used to be rated 800 or so, and then I just stopped hanging pieces, and went up to around 1200. I know you have probably heard people tell you to simply not hang pieces dozens of times, but seriously, not hanging pieces will add several hundred points to your rating. Just, look for hanging pieces every move, right before you make your move.
Mar 22, 2020
0
#5
Sometimes new players think it's ok to lose a pawn or two, or even some knights and bishops. They think rooks and queens are the only pieces that can really checkmate, so none of the others matter that much.
The important lesson for people like that is first and foremost greed. You have to be greedy. Don't lose even a single pawn. You can make even exchanges, but you can't lose material for free. If your opponent threatens to win a pawn, you don't have a choice you are required to avoid losing it (whether that be defending or running away or something else).
So for example this game.
Of course masters sacrifice things all the time, but that's trying to run because you can walk. In the beginning you win games because you have more pieces. When you have more pieces your simple winning plan is to keep making even trades. When material is reduced a lot, and you're ahead, it's usually not too hard to walk a pawn to the other side and make a new queen.
In a position like the one below, with relatively little training, you should be able to beat the world champion when you're white. Black's position really is that hopeless.
And if you already know all that, I apologize, but even then, you may know about being greedy, but you don't have the habits to show it in your play. Developing the habit of checking whether your intended move loses any material is tedious... but once you've done it your results will improve a lot.
Mar 22, 2020
0
#6
There are no shortcuts or advice. Just do it like everyone does. Play games. Record the moves. Analyze games. Solve as many puzzles as you can even if it means paying for membership (at whatever site you like). Read chess instruction books for beginners.
People who view themselves as beginners usually have that initial excitement about chess and they have strong desire to learn and “become good”. They also seem to have a delusion that they can do it quickly. Maybe due to their initial “newbie passion”. Once you get better a bit AND when the novelty wears off then see if you can force yourself to continue learning the same way.
In my opinion, what I described above the initial excitement and desire to become good, and then when this ex excitement ends is really the most important stage which any beginner needs to go through.
People who view themselves as beginners usually have that initial excitement about chess and they have strong desire to learn and “become good”. They also seem to have a delusion that they can do it quickly. Maybe due to their initial “newbie passion”. Once you get better a bit AND when the novelty wears off then see if you can force yourself to continue learning the same way.
In my opinion, what I described above the initial excitement and desire to become good, and then when this ex excitement ends is really the most important stage which any beginner needs to go through.
Perhaps it would be worth some time to look at this game. Do you notice an improvement for yourself at move 15? 19? 22? 23?
"... for those that want to be as good as they can be, they'll have to work hard.
Play opponents who are better than you … Learn basic endgames. Create a simple opening repertoire (understanding the moves are far more important than memorizing them). Study tactics. And pick up tons of patterns. That’s the drumbeat of success. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (December 27, 2018)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/little-things-that-help-your-game
https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-start-out-in-chess
https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-play-chess
https://www.chess.com/blog/michechess89/8-tips-to-increase-your-online-rating
https://www.chess.com/news/view/rapid-chess-improvement
https://www.chess.com/news/view/a-new-years-resolution-improve-your-chess-with-new-lessons
https://www.chess.com/article/view/mastery-chess-lessons-are-here
"... In order to maximize the benefits of [theory and practice], these two should be approached in a balanced manner. ... Play as many slow games (60 5 or preferably slower) as possible, ... The other side of improvement is theory. ... This can be reading books, taking lessons, watching videos, doing problems on software, etc. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627084053/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman19.pdf
"... If it’s instruction, you look for an author that addresses players at your level (buying something that’s too advanced won’t help you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might not be useful for you. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2015)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever
Here are some reading possibilities that I often mention:
Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
https://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Simple-Attacking-Plans-77p3731.htm
Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/
Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1948)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf
Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review585.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-back-to-basics-tactics
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5856bd64ff7c50433c3803db/t/5895fc0ca5790af7895297e4/1486224396755/btbtactics2excerpt.pdf
Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)
https://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/
https://www.chess.com/blog/ForwardChess/book-of-the-week-openings-for-amateurs
https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf
Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/
https://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Endgames_for_Kids.pdf
A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf
Studying Chess Made Easy by Andrew Soltis (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090448/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review750.pdf
Seirawan stuff:
https://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_beginner/ev_winning_chess.asp?KATID=BO&ID=BO-Beginner
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090229/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review492.pdf
https://www.nystar.com/tamarkin/review1.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-openings
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-endings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf
My chess teacher tells me to anticipate what your opponent would do before thinking about your own. It helped me gain 300 FIDE rating
Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell
Play Longer Time Controls...
For many at the beginner-novice level, speed chess tends to be primarily an exercise in moving pieces around faster than your opponent while avoiding checkmate, in hopes that his/her clock runs out sooner than yours. Or being fortunate enough to be able to exploit your opponent’s blunders before they exploit yours.
There is little time to think about what you should be doing.
It makes sense that taking more time to think about what you should be doing would promote improvement in your chess skills.
An effective way to improve your chess is therefore to play mostly longer time controls, including "daily" chess, so you have time to think about what you should be doing.
This is not to suggest that you should necessarily play exclusively slow time controls or daily games, but they should be a significant percentage of your games, at least as much, if not more so than speed games which do almost nothing to promote an understanding of how to play the game well.
Here's what IM Jeremy Silman, well-known chess book author, has to say on the topic...
https://www.chess.com/article/view/longer-time-controls-are-more-instructive
And NM Dan Heisman, well-known chess teacher and chess book author…
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627052239/http:/www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman16.pdf
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/dan-heisman-resources
and the experience of a FIDE Master...
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/how-blitz-and-bullet-rotted-my-brain-don-t-let-it-rot-yours
I used to blunder a lot .So now on almost every move I check these three steps:1.if I play the move I want to play will there be any tactics he can do.2.what does my opponents last move trying to do?3.stay focused on the game.Dont get distracted.
I suggest you sometimes do those three tips.
Good luck!
Aug 11, 2024
0
#15
Drawgood wrote:
There are no shortcuts or advice. Just do it like everyone does. Play games. Record the moves. Analyze games. Solve as many puzzles as you can even if it means paying for membership (at whatever site you like). Read chess instruction books for beginners.
People who view themselves as beginners usually have that initial excitement about chess and they have strong desire to learn and “become good”. They also seem to have a delusion that they can do it quickly. Maybe due to their initial “newbie passion”. Once you get better a bit AND when the novelty wears off then see if you can force yourself to continue learning the same way.
In my opinion, what I described above the initial excitement and desire to become good, and then when this ex excitement ends is really the most important stage which any beginner needs to go through.
People who view themselves as beginners usually have that initial excitement about chess and they have strong desire to learn and “become good”. They also seem to have a delusion that they can do it quickly. Maybe due to their initial “newbie passion”. Once you get better a bit AND when the novelty wears off then see if you can force yourself to continue learning the same way.
In my opinion, what I described above the initial excitement and desire to become good, and then when this ex excitement ends is really the most important stage which any beginner needs to go through.
Lol. I'm not really trying to be "good". I just want to be better and not stuck below 500 like I have been for 2 years. There are both realistic & unrealistic goals.
Hello all. I was wondering if any of you could help me advance past being a novice player. I have slowly increased my rating which had gone down considerably in my first month of playing. I have only been playing for about 3 months now and understand basic tactics and strategy. Could any of you take a look at some of my games and give me tips on what I am doing right/wrong? Thank you all so much.