I Can't Play Without Blundering

I don't know what to do about it and I feel like I'm just wasting my time playing because all my efforts won't amount to anything more than a blunder and a loss in the end. I don't know if I'm just not smart enough to concentrate on this game or what but it's just putting me off of playing anymore. 

I played many types of openings thinking I was just playing bad stuff but it really shouldn't matter what I play under 2000 anyway and I'm losing regardless of what I play. I just feel like all that practice was a waste of time because at my level tactics are the only things that matter and I just can't play without blundering something so I just don't see the point anymore.

Maybe I should've just done tactics puzzles all day long but I don't enjoy them and it seems like tactics are the barrier to doing anything meaningful in this game. I don't know how to make myself enjoy this game anymore because now I just sit there waiting for myself to play something stupid and lose. I don't know what to do about it.

Nil desperandum

S-t-o-p  p-l-a-y-i-n-g  t-h-r-e-e  m-i-n-u-t-e  g-a-m-e-s.

P-l-a-y  l-o-n-g-e-r  t-i-m-e  c-o-n-t-r-o-l-s.

IMO you're probably playing too much 3 minute. I suggest analysing famous games, maybe get a coach to explain them to you, play long time games, listen to commentary on top-level tournaments, etc. I don't know if all the other stuff is necessary or even good, but my main advice is to avoid 3 minute games and get more familiar with 10-90 minute time controls.

Play longer time controls.  I like 15-10 personally, but I always see people recommending the 30 minute games. 

I'd really recommend bumping it up to at least 10 minute games though.,

why dont you attempt slow games ? like 1 day / move or higher ? it gives you more time to think about your and your opponent moves. go for it.

You can't really except a solidly good game out of 3-minute. Just the other game, I blundered my queen 5 moves in a row and my 2200 opponent missed all those chances. If you actually want to play calculated chess instead of "I'm playing 'practical' moves", 15|10 is a good quick time control, and 60|5 is a great longer one.

Hey man, relax. It's only a game and it's only the next-to-last one to blunder who looses. Everybody blunders. You can try to do a blunder-check before you move. Check out which one of your pieces are loose and/or vulnerable for discovered attacks. Also you should be aware of your opponents plans after each move and not only be concerned with your own attack. And even if you do all of that you'll still blunder from time to time. That's just part of the game we love so much. I'm only a low level player who blunders a lot too, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the games that I win (with or without blundering).

     I can't play chess without blundering.

     I can't proposition girls without tying my tongue in knots, but sometimes it works anyway.

     Play longer t..i..m..e   c....o....n....t....r....o....l....s!!

When I look at the high rated players they all play 3-0 or 3-2 and seem to do just fine. Blunders happen but it's nowhere near as frequent as in my games. I'm not even getting outplayed, I'm just shooting myself in the foot here... 

Tips To Lesssen Blunders.

1. Solve tactics problems everyday.

2. Don't lose your focus.

3. Always look at the whole board for the position of pieces

4. Always study your opponent's last move

5. Before you make a move, check if there is a tactical drawback.

6. Don't play when you are tired.

7. Study endgames and strategy. If your piece are well placed, you will be more comfortable and the possibility of blunder lessens. Studying endgames and strategy will also make you a better player.

I looked at your profile and you are playing 3 minutes blitz. Try playing 5 minutes blitz. Try also playing at longer time control as it will help your blitz games.

First of all - your not loosing all your games. Would be incredible anyway - since the rating system would match you with weaker opposition.

But if you want to blunder less in fast games, I guess pattern recognition is key. There are several ways to achieve this. Unfortunately you already dismissed quite a few of those ways (: tactics, study of master games and longer time controls), I guess that leaves analyzing your own games. Atleast find your mistake and decide what you should have done instead. But the more work you put into analyzing and studying the faster your amount of blunders will decrease.

There is no magic trick. The higher rated players you refer to, have put in their share of work to get to their current level ....  

I hope you find joy in the game again. I believe your doing quite a bit better than you think.

I blunder, too, at all speeds, albeit less so at slower speeds, but am more worried about my weakness in openings. They, too, require much study, but if you get a sound opening repertoire it will improve you at all speeds.  I've been playing daily, but am going to shift to 5minutes since I think that is a good learning tool.  

Thanks for the help. I'm not blundering as much for some reason when I slow down but I still throw away games from them. It just seems like too many games are lost from simple tactics and there just isn't much room for playing. 

A good start is looking at this.

Chess Fundamentals #1: Undefended Pieces

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao9i...2l1fI7Z0bYuwwO

 Take a look at the book about Kasparov's worst games.  Even the best have bad games.  

You must always have focus. Before you make a move, check if there is a tactical drawback. For example, when you move your queen, check if you are free from being forked or being pinned. Also always scan the whole board to see the positioning of the pieces. Sometimes we have tendency to only look at the part of the board where action is taking place. For example your opponent move his queen to the left side to attack your pieces there, you have a tendency to only look at that side without noticing that your pieces on the right side is under attack from your opponent's queen.

    Before you finish making your move linger for awhile before releasing the piece onto the "to" square.  For example, when doing Nf3 to e5, hesitate and look around the board before you release the piece onto e5.  That kind of  habit has cut down my blunders by quite a bit.