Tactics. And stop playing blitz until you're where you want to be in rapid
How can I improve besides playing matches
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Play slow games, not Blitz or Bullet. First you get GOOD, then you get FAST.
Objective self-criticism is the foundation of chess improvement.
Examine each of your lost games. Try to figure out WHY you lost each one. And I don't mean just "I blundered my Queen"... I mean WHY did you blunder your Queen? Were you unable to think of a plan, and just reached out and made a random move? Are you uncomfortable in exactly that sort of position? Too wide-open and tactical? Too blocked and boring? Your lost games are a gold mine of information on which aspects of your play need improving.
The biggest reason people struggle in lower-level chess is because of blunders. They make them in almost every game.
A mistake can instantly put you in a bad position, no matter how well you played earlier: if you had great opening knowledge, great positional skills, great endgame skills, whatever; a single mistake can change everything (you lose a piece or get checkmated).
So, how do you avoid blunders? Follow this simple algorithm:
While avoiding blunders is crucial, I also share a few basic principles with my students. These principles help them figure out what to do in each part of the game - the opening, the middlegame, and the endgame. Understanding these simple principles is like having a map for your moves. I provide my students with more advanced algorithms that incorporate these fundamental principles. When you use this knowledge along with being careful about blunders, you're not just getting better at defending. You're also learning a well-rounded approach to chess. Keep in mind, chess is not just about not making mistakes; it's about making smart and planned moves to outsmart your opponent.
Currently I lose most of the games i play.I play unrated games because the elo system just makes me hate this game but I lose like half of the games I play.How can I change that?How can i practice and learn?