I've been focusing on two books: Chess Fundamentals, by Capablanca, and Modern Chess Strategy, by Pachman. I don't study a lot at a time, but find that even a couple of pages or lessons at a time are extremely helpful.
Looking for Improvement tips from strong players
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Also Logical Chess Move by Move, that's an excellent book.
#1
"I've been stuck <1000 for over a year"
++ A rating of 1000 is a sign of frequent blunders. Always check your intended move is no blunder before you play it. Hang no pieces, hang no pawns and you are 1500 overnight
"have been studying tactics" ++ good
", endgames" ++ good
", and openings." ++ useless
"If anyone has books" ++ "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" - Fischer,
"videos" ++ no videos: passive learning is no good
"basic tips" ++ blunder checking
tygxc wrote:
#1
"I've been stuck <1000 for over a year"
++ A rating of 1000 is a sign of frequent blunders. Always check your intended move is no blunder before you play it. Hang no pieces, hang no pawns and you are 1500 overnight
"have been studying tactics" ++ good
", endgames" ++ good
", and openings." ++ useless
"If anyone has books" ++ "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" - Fischer,
"videos" ++ no videos: passive learning is no good
"basic tips" ++ blunder checking
why studying openings useless
Apr 5, 2022
0
#6
Also curious about the opinion about studying openings. I have seen this other places as well, in my reading and in talking with higher-level players.
OTOH, I have gotten slain by not recognizing or responding properly to an aggressive opening. OTOH, I can see how they can get confusing if you are memorizing them by rote and not understanding the function of each move within the whole, leading to mistakes. I have found that if I (1) look up someone's opening when I don't recognize it, and (2) play as best I can in response, I *usually* can get through to the middle game.
As a compromise, I'm currently trying to focus my main study on the middle and end games, and slowly introducing more detail on openings as I encounter them (if they're not too odd-ball).
How are other people handling this?
#5
"why studying openings useless"
It is a bottomless pit. You can study openings 24/7 and get nowhere.
That what you study does not happen and when it happens you will have forgotten.
Openings help you beat weaker players which you would beat anyway and does not help against stronger players against whom you need most help: they either avoid your line or know more.
Apr 5, 2022
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#8
Hadn't really thought about openings that way. I only studied them because I kept losing really on, but I'll start clear of them now. As for tactics, does that just come with time and practice, or is there something I'm doing wrong that is making me not see the tactics in games?
#8
If you need opening study to avoid losing, then how will you avoid losing in the middle game?
Tactics come with practice.
You can solve tactics puzzles.
Key is to analyse your lost games with attention to missed tactics.
tygxc wrote:
"If anyone has books" ++ "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" - Fischer,
Actually Stuart Margulies & Donn Mosenfelder, with RJF not authoring a single line.
For the record, a very average book, at the very best.
because_checkmate wrote:
Many of you have asked about my philosophy of bullet chess and why bullet chess is the only true form of Chess after all chests rates in Time Square always have a timer and clock be able to have unlimited time to look at chess moves is ridiculous and it was not the way the game was designed originally during Warfare so My Philosophy is such that I will lose on time often that's why my rating is bad but I'm usually always chasing the rat around sometimes I catch the rat sometimes I don't but I am always chasing the rat around and I'm enjoying that because who doesn't like being the Chaser rather than being the chase eat anyway here's a game for you to look at in the joy that is typical of my chasing the rat Style. Check out this #chess game: because_checkmate vs Mohammadiiiiiiii - https://chess.com/live/game/42907267627
All that does not make the slightest sense, but this is very natural after 85,000 bullet games.
Apr 5, 2022
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#12
Flamin-ingo wrote:
I've been stuck <1000 for over a year and have been studying tactics, endgames, and openings. If anyone has books, videos, or even just basic tips for me to improve and get above 1000, I'd really appreciate it!
You play too quickly, and don't think deeply about your moves. This is probably one main reason why you are struggling to improve.
I looked a rapid game of yours, and you averaged 3 seconds per move, the entire game.
It was a 10-minute game, and you used only 1 minute of your clock! What on earth??
You should be averaging SEVERAL MINUTES of thinking time, per each move, at your level.
Consider a move. Think about it, try to see a few moves ahead. What will be your opponent's best responses? What are they trying to achieve? Then consider alternate moves. What else can you try? What other options do you have? Think about those moves, too, and try to see a few moves ahead. Then choose the best outcome from all these moves you've looked at.
Do this whole thinking process on every single move, if possible.
When I was under 1000, I played only one timer: 30 + 15.
(30 minutes for each player, with an additional 15 seconds added, per move.)
Slow it down. Think more. Chess is not a racing game, it's a thinking game.
Speed chess comes later, once you reach a certain level of ability. Playing speed chess now will only make improvement more difficult.
Also: after every game, you should review your game, to learn from your mistakes. This is one of the best ways to improve, and it's a step that many players neglect.
I agree with Stil1
Apr 5, 2022
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#15
I agree you shouldnt be studying openings too much at your level. Honestly you could play 1.h4 2.a4 every game and still win against 1000s, because at the end of the day what matters is who doesnt give pieces/gives less pieces to basic tactics
Apr 5, 2022
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#16
So I need to use several minutes per move? I thought that was bad, as I might then lose on time, but I'll practice that. As a side note I usually panic if I'm losing or don't like the position, especially in live games. Any advice for that?
Play longer time controls and you shouldn’t have to worry about time
Apr 5, 2022
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#18
I like Levy but people with a Levy profile picture I found to be inherently easier to beat.
Change your profile picture to something normal and then start spamming tactics
Apr 5, 2022
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#19
Flamin-ingo wrote:
So I need to use several minutes per move? I thought that was bad, as I might then lose on time, but I'll practice that. As a side note I usually panic if I'm losing or don't like the position, especially in live games. Any advice for that?
You should use as much time as you need to understand what’s going on in the position and then based on that assessment select candidate moves and explore them. Honestly I’d initially play Daily chess first just to free yourself of time constraints and focus on your thought process each move.
If you get a worse position, you need to train yourself to not panic, but instead treat it as an exercise, I.e “oh I’m losing, well let’s see how long I can defend this position until my opponent overwhelms me.” Make it a secondary game, and sometimes stiff resistance can generate comeback opportunities. You’ll be surprised how many times your opponent wins a piece early on then seems to either 1) relax and play careless or 2) immediate get ultra aggressive, as if they must end the game asap and checkmate you and make a mistake.
A lot of good advise on how to improve already given but ultimately you just need to slow down and playing thinking chess, not pushing pieces around quickly hoping it’s not a mistake. Then analyze your games and determine trends in your mistakes which will point you towards what to study on in the future.
-Jordan
I've been stuck <1000 for over a year and have been studying tactics, endgames, and openings. If anyone has books, videos, or even just basic tips for me to improve and get above 1000, I'd really appreciate it!