How Do You Stop Hanging Pieces?

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 I have lost 239 games. Am I on my way to becoming a good player?

Seriously, I have received great advice and decided to start challenging the +200 group of players. I'm gonna get clobbered, or as IM Daniel Rensch would say, "Takin' to population ouch town"!  

Should I start hanging my queen?  Here's an awesome game involving a queen sacrifice. Enjoy!

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 I think that means that I am winning.

239 losses, yes, but 272 wins and 7 draws. So you have a positive score. But that doesn't tell in what range your playing strenght is. A much stronger player could very well have a similar win, loose, draw ratio.

You ask whether you are becoming a good player. Well, if you play stronger players compared with those you played before and you manage to keep a similar win, loose, draw ratio then I would say you are doing very well. You could even get more losses and yet be a stronger player.

It is ofcourse fun to get a good win, loose, draw ratio, but it is hopefully more fun to enjoy and play great games. I don't think it is fun to play a lot of games with players that are way, way stronger than you. That has a tendency to be much too much. Better to find a balance, find a challenge that is fun. Starting playing the +200 group of players as you suggested seems as a good way to get going. Then you get experience on how that works out and you can make a new evaluation once you got that experience.

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 Excellent point. I had not considered that before. Thank you.

I just hung material big time in a one move per three day turn based game after missing a simple tactic, a fork. Hanging pieces in such a slow time control is beyond my understanding. It's frustrating.

I need a hug from my wife.

sorry to bother everybody, but what is a hanging piece or what does it mean to hang a piece?

you left your piece in the middle of no where and is there to be taken for free.

hanging = en prise

I guess the artist doesn't play.

thanks tonydal

and thanks MyCowsCanFly - I am still laughing at the pic

That game was cool man :), a nice long line to compensate the sacrificed Queen. Ancient games are really really, and I mean super fun to watch :)

LOL, poor King. Died by hanging :) hehehe

My first big laugh of the day! Great pic! A big thanks to MyCowsCanFly.

Sorry for the confusion jaypac.  Hanging is a slang term, not the correct chess term.

Unprotected and exposed to capture. Slang for en prise. To "hang a piece" is to lose it by failing to move or protect it.

I do this more often than humanly possible. It's a gift, or a genetic defect, however you look at it. I can study a position for 30 solid minutes and still hang a piece. I just did it today. I'm very good at hanging pieces.

Oops! There I go again. I left my piece en prise.

That's why I started this topic. If it helps just one poor sap out there, it was well worth the effort.  The view count stands at over 1800 and the topic is listed first on google, but you need to enter the word hang in the search box.

Oh! Chess.com should share the google revenue with me.   I am making them money.

When did you learn how to play?

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I learned the game shortly before becoming a member here, so, a little over a year ago.

My 6th grade teacher had a chess set by his desk. He would invite us to play against him. That is my earliest memory of chess.

For some reason, I never played chess with my friends. I grew up in the country near a ski resort. The outdoors was my playground. If it was a hot summer day, we played baseball. If it was a cold winter day, we went sledding down the ski slope during the dinner break.

College was a time for gigs and girls.

Adulthood has been a time for raising a family and making money.

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This blog just appeared on chess.com. It talks about blunder check.

The link: http://blog.chess.com/LuckyTiger/my-vision-of-thinking-process-of-a-strong-chess-player#

A small excerpt from GM Luck Tiger's blog:

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5. now, when you:

- are assured that you see opponent's plans (ideas, direct threats etc.);

- have seen all candidates-moves;

- caclulated and compared them;

- and are assured about non-blundering anything

you are ready to make the move finally!

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Tonydal gave me an idea from his post in another topic.

"Yep, they and Musikamole can form a support group... "

The topic is titled: Anyone got a cure for the chronic piece droppers?

It contains some real zingers.

The link: http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/anyone-got-a-cure-for-the-chronic-piece-droppers?lc=1#last_comment

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So, should I start a support group for those who are gifted at leaving their pieces en prise? I never started a group before. Does it take effort? Time?

Best advice I got regarding hanging pieces (from either member Jemptymethod or Julianlore) was, "When you move any piece, right before you move it, ask, 'what was that piece guarding before I moved it?' "  This advice has greatly avoided hanging pieces for me.

This terrible story of hanging pieces is a story that gets more and more complicated.

1st chapter is simply that you place a piece where the opponent can just take it for free. Or your opponent threatens a piece but you don't see it.

2nd chapter is that your opponent threatens a piece and you do see it, but in that terrible moment you discover that you can not protect it neither can you move it to a safe place.

3rd chapter is that no pieces are threatened at the moment but you see that your opponent threatens to attack a piece in his next move and you discover that you can not do anything to defend it or move it or some other way prevent it from being lost if your opponent in his next move makes the attack. And you can't find any counter threats or tricks or anything. This is a typical situation where many master players resign, because what can you do when there is nothing you can do? You are outplayed, game is over. This is also the type of situation where many beginners wouldn't have a clue why the master resigned, because there seems to be nothing wrong at the current position and yet the master resigned.

Anyway you will get better I am sure, but there will always be irritating situations popping up now and then with hanging pieces. But you will also get better in being the one making the attacks that are hard to defend. Along that road you will be able to see more details and interesting situations and options and combinations and thus you discover new types of excitement in the art and joy of playing chess.

Great reply, really puzzled me as I didn't know "The Book of Love" or the Monotones. After some search with Google and then Youtube I found this:

The Monotones http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monotones
The Book of Love http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Love_%28song%29
The Monotones: Who Wrote The Book Of Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW_SKWjrE2U

I am enlightened

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An absolutely outstanding read. Thank you! 

I would very much like to have all of my lossescome to an end on chapter three, the place in the story where the guy tips his king over and says to the other, You beat me fair and square. Well played. The end.

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The chess.com computer analysis only shows me perfect computer moves, but does not tell me why these moves are better. Fritz 12 actually does give me brief descriptive analysis. I don't know how a computer program can verbalize a position or move, but it does, even though it's short and not detailed, i.e., "weakens the e4 square".  I wish I could ask Fritz, "But why does it weaken the e4 square". I actually have a ton of questions for Fritz, but he is extremely concise.

Paul - The bar tab keeps running higher. I owe you more than one of my son's expert cheesecake recipes. My son is almost always away. I'll hunt him down and send you several recipes.

In this turn based game, I had all the time in the world to look deep into the position and make dead sure that I didn't hang a piece, and yet I still did. What I found most remarkable about this game is that my opponent was able to take the initiative with the Black pieces early on, and really put the hurt on me. He played a very good game with the Black pieces, and I told him so.

Here's the game with Paul's expert (non-computer) analysis. I will re-read this analysis every day for at least a week until the concepts sink deep into my skull.

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I think that this game illustrates perfectly what you need to understand and work on. I have already mentioned a few things about what I think you should address as priorities.

So forget about the bad moves or blunders on each side I will not mention as computer analysis has provided you with, I will rather review the storey of your play in this game which is a copy in a number of your games that I have looked at.

What I will give you is not a computer analysis but rather what transpires from this game from an educated bird's view after replaying twice the game.

By now your appetite for knowledge is likely growing, so is mine as I am dying to receive the most delectable cheese cake recipe from your son the Chef.

What you need to improve on is:

1. Pieces development and pawn moves in the opening. Example 3.e3 is not a bad move but what does it do? It opens the diagonal for your bishop and prepares castling on king side, if only you had pursued this avenue sooner. Did you consider 3.Nc3 developing your knight with tempo and preparing the e2 –e4 pawn move that will also free your king bishop? Or 3.c4, which I would have played, much more aggressive and contesting the center?

2. Coordination of your pieces and protection of your pieces. Now 5.Be2 was an excellent move, if only you had it left there! You see now that moves 3 that I proposed would have prevented the ensuing play by the lethal black pawn on the “c” file. Always think what the opponent might with a given piece advancing, not all of the pieces on the board, only those that could cause you a problem if moved. Move 6 you must protect the c3 square, this is an emergency, so not b3, I might have tried 6.a3 as your pawn in a3 is protected by your rook in a1 but goes nowhere, this moves does not participate in the game and is remote from the action, the c3-c6, f3-f6 square. Next why not 6.c3, because it will double your pawns on the “c” file and block the natural development of your knight to c3. Then what to play? You have 2 choices, 6.0-0 or Kc3 blocking that black bothersome pawn in c4. You must react to any threats and not play randomly with a simple view on one move one piece but what the board shows you from a bird’s view. Where is the action, where am I weak and strong, where can I gain space, where do I have to stop my opponent. Capisce?

7. axb3 is not what I see. I think that cxb3 is better as you now have equal pawns and similar formations white and black on both sides of the board, and prevent splitting pawns formation. Furthermore the black knight in c6 cannot penetrate your territory and your weakness is the e4 unprotected square where the black knight in f6 might want to consider.

3. Play the game where the action is and stop pushing those “a” and “b” file pawns to no avail; you just weaken your position. At move 9 you still had an opportunity to consolidate your center by playing what move? What is the plan and is the plan not opposite to what I have said before; stop pushing your pawns? Or can you move another piece and get more control back on the game? You need to understand where you weakness (es) are and how you can counteract the opponent with the right play. You play too much a defensive style, though not protecting well your position, and do not use the advantages you have through out the game. That is you are not taking the initiative by putting your opponent in a situation by your move that he has to resolve a problem. You watch and try to block moves, but your mitt is in the wrong quadrant.

!5.Bc3 what is the purpose of this move, does it fit into your plan and what is your plan? You tell me? Be more aggressive and consider 15.h3 not that your move is bad but what I propose forces the opponent to react immediately, take the initiative.

In the final analysis you made only one blunder in my analysis.

You played 19.Rxe1 the only move available is 19.Nxg4 and you have a winning position possibly or at worst a draw, equal pawns, equal pieces material and a first choice to move your pawns to promotion.

Do you see why?

Bottom line do not play moves but rather play the game and try to see your strengths and weaknesses and positional advantages and never forget to challenge your opponent with your next move. Possibly the next book by J.Silman: “How to reassess your chess 4th edition is the right tool for you. I have no clue as I do have the 3rd edition and a number of time0d when analyzing the position with 3 to 5 moves forward I was still unable to see the next best move. The analysis I try to figure out the position on an OTB board and visualize combinations and lines of play without moving a single piece on the board to see what I can figure out from the position. This book may not be for you as I think that you are not ready yet..

Now this is what I call an analysis from a perspective play point of views not from a computer that tells you only what the best move is and cannot tell you why.

Now accept or reject my simple analysis or reject my comments if you think this is inappropriate.

I have had only 3 to 4 games analyzed by chess,.com computer in 3 years and never one of them satisfied my expectations, they only say what move is better and never why.

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Your analysis is both deep and inspirational. It makes me want to play a better game of chess. Thank you.

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You are a gifted wordsmith. I don't say this often about a person's writing.