Give me some Tips

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Avatar of luvlyqueen
Hi guys, I hope you’re all doing well. I’ve been trying to reach 1000 Elo, but lately I keep losing a lot of rating. I’m stuck around 950 and can’t seem to get past it. I feel like I’m making some mistakes, but I’m not sure what exactly I’m doing wrong. If anyone can check my games and give me some tips or point out what I should improve, I’d really appreciate it.
Avatar of MorphyWouldSac

I took a look at your games and noticed a few patterns.

You have a strong attacking mindset, which is great. You’re always looking to move forward and create threats instead of playing passively. The issue is that a lot of your attacks come before you’re fully developed, so you end up trying to attack with one or two pieces, which usually isn’t enough. In some of your games it worked because your opponents didn’t defend properly, but as you face stronger players, those attacks will get shut down and you’ll just be left down material.

The main thing to focus on is being consistent with opening principles: develop all your pieces, castle early, and only then start attacking.

Another major issue is hanging pieces and not responding to your opponent’s threats. For example, in your game against snippermvv, on move 6 your knight was hanging. You had plenty of time but moved quickly and lost it. That shows a few things: you’re not consistently checking what your opponent is threatening, you’re sometimes moving the same piece multiple times instead of developing, and you’re not using your time to verify your moves.

In summary:

  • Keep the attacking mindset, but only attack when you’re properly developed
  • Prioritize development and king safety in the opening
  • Stop hanging pieces by always asking: “What is my opponent threatening?” before every move
  • Practice tactics to improve your pattern recognition and reduce blunders

If you look at games by Paul Morphy, you’ll see how strong development naturally leads to successful attacks.

Avatar of MorphyWouldSac

I wrote a pretty detailed analysis and bro couldn't be bothered to respond sad.png

Avatar of ChessMasteryOfficial

Whenever I start working with a new student who is stuck at a plateau, 9 times out of 10 they are playing 20 blitz games a day and doing zero deep analysis of their losses. Swap to playing just 2 rapid games a day, but spend 15 minutes analyzing each game on your own before checking the engine. Your rating will thank you.

Avatar of Volt
MorphyWouldSac wrote:

I wrote a pretty detailed analysis and bro couldn't be bothered to respond

That's just how it is. Many people ask for advice and don't bother actually implementing them. They just do it to feel better lol

I won't negatively think of the OP, maybe they had their own reasons (such as busy even though they were online 3 hours ago)

Anyways, I, at least, appreciate your answer (:

Avatar of MorphyWouldSac
Volt wrote:
MorphyWouldSac wrote:

I wrote a pretty detailed analysis and bro couldn't be bothered to respond

That's just how it is. Many people ask for advice and don't bother actually implementing them. They just do it to feel better lol

I won't negatively think of the OP, maybe they had their own reasons (such as busy even though they were online 3 hours ago)

Anyways, I, at least, appreciate your answer (:

Yea for real. I've tried a few times to help beginners but most of the time they just ignore what you tell them even though you know exactly how to fix their mistakes.

And yea I also thought OP was busy but they've been playing consistently lol.

At least the homie Volt came through!

Avatar of StarPlayer_1

If you’re serious about improving at chess as a beginner, just playing random games won’t take you very far. You need to build understanding deliberately. Analyse your games and learn from your mistakes—that’s where real improvement happens. Start with good books that explain ideas clearly rather than just giving moves—classics like Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess or Logical Chess: Move by Move help you understand why moves are played. If possible, working with a coach can accelerate your progress because they can point out your mistakes and guide your thinking in a structured way.

Watching strong players is also extremely useful. Study games by legends like Magnus Carlsen or Garry Kasparov and try to follow their plans rather than memorizing moves. Pause and guess what you would play, then compare. Alongside this, solving puzzles daily is one of the fastest ways to improve your tactical vision—helping you spot forks, pins, and checkmates quickly.

You should also build a basic opening repertoire, but don’t get lost memorizing long lines. Focus on core principles like controlling the center, developing pieces, and keeping your king safe. Similarly, learning fundamental endgames—like king and pawn endings or basic checkmates—will win you many games. When you combine study, analysis, and practice, your improvement becomes much more consistent than just playing game after game without reflection.

Hope this helps you a lot! All the best for your chess journey! Stay consistent, keep learning, and enjoy the process ♟️