losing games to my own bad play

WOW -i learned alot from - this game -- it showed me a couple of things that i should do---ot i should try to do in my game -- again thanks for taking the time to display this game -- -- ps. i really hate pawns -- they always wreck my game plan

maybe another 24 hour against you would be fun

played badly all my moves tonight -- each game was just moving into a trap by my opponent - but there was nothing i could do in over half of the games -- its that move 6/7 where i always go wrong -- need to review i guess - friday morning maybe things will change ????

lost one game this friday morning and only after 6 moves -- crap -i guess started two new ones others some getting close to 30 moves plus thats my goal- so that is good - score now is about 469

FRIDAY AFTERNOON about the same getting closer to losing a couple i think and a couple are getting close to being over 30 moves which is my goal so friday night here we come

saturday morning lost one more game -- started two no game so far today made it to 30 moves maybe this afternoon

SATURDAY AFTERNOON----- i do have a shot to win a game coming up soon -- maybe my first win in the 24 hour now i only have to be better than him/her/she/it and other.

gl

I'm not really understanding the 30 moves thing? Is it that you're getting checkmated often before then and so you're seeing lasting longer as a success? Because I feel like that's a double edged sword. It might mean you're playing more carefully, which I think is a good thing for you to practice, but it also might mean you're allowing your opponent to be on the offensive and not doing enough to create threats of your own. And if you're down on material, and the other player can't checkmate you, they might not mind a drawn out endgame because it's winning anyway.

To test this I had a look again at one of your recent games:

First of all, move 4. This is a common opening trap but they're playing it wrong (I'll get to that because it's a biggie), and it relies attacking that weak f7 pawn with two pieces. As soon as you see them get their bishop out to c4, put yours on c5. Why not b4 where you put it? well, you could and it's a good move in some positions but at this point it's likely just to get kicked by a pawn. c4 is nice and comfortable.

Why do you want to do this immediately? Because castling is an easy escape from this trap. The next thing they will try to do with this trap is get their knight to attack that f7 pawn and when they take it, you can't recapture with your king because of the bishop. You moved your d pawn, giving your queen an escape, but when they forked you you didn't use the space to move it to safety and instead moved your king. I think based on the play here you were maybe concerned about there being a checkmate threat but the real threat was from letting the knight get to f7.

But, (and I told you I'd get to this) all of this was avoidable in the first place because you opponent forgot a key thing. If your knight isn't out to f6, putting their knight on g5 exposes it to an attack from your queen. They hung their knight on turn 4, but then because you missed it, they got to deliver the attack anyway and your king has lost castling rights for no reason.

So, you fell for the opening trap known as Fried Liver and lost a queen. Now, at turn 8 you get into pawn trouble again, letting it take your bishop when you could have moved it to b6. If you lose material early on and want a longer game, don't hang pieces, even if you're desperate to get developed.

In turn 12 you don't spot that the bishop is also attacking g8 and lose your rook. Again, with any move, think of that checklist: both before and after my move, is anything hanging? What about the square I'm moving to, what's attacking it? This would have been a decent move without that bishop, because you were probably aware your rook is defended by your knight on g8, and the Queen can't safely take. But a bishop will happily take.

Now I didn't see this, but the engine says that at turn 13 they have mate in 3. They instead decide to pick up your other rook, very understandable move even though it makes the game go on longer. At this point in the game, they are in complete control of things. They pick up another knight safely because the king can't recapture, on turn 23. They are up so much material that they have no trouble getting the rest of your pieces and delivering checkmate by making nothing but queen moves.

So, was my guess right as to why you trying to last longer might have some drawbacks? Honestly... no. There's something else happening here, I'm afraid. I don't think you created any threats in the whole game, and you also didn't defend your pieces, so I think the only reasons this game hit 30 is because of the missed mate in 3 which would have cut the game in half, and because your opponent had such a material advantage that they could afford to leisurely take the rest of your pieces before delivering the mate.

If any of that sounded hard on you, I'm sorry, but I really want to emphasise that this game hitting 30 moves should not be thought of as evidence that things are improving. You've played much, much better than this before.

well your right, i am sure---- from reading your post three times i really thought it well laid out-- great input and a good teaching lesson maybe for someone who was better at understanding your concepts --i am basic, a stupid old sick man very bad chess player that needs lessons but can't afford them i also have have a little delex- so that doen't help with spelling or reading my spell checker is not working today grammarly is on the frits . sorry about that

i idea about the 30 wins is---- i will never win a 24 hour game ever --- unless the player is under 400 and then maybe there is a chance -- but slim at best --since i play only now 24 hour games the only players that play this game are from 950 to 1300 it seems---- winning is no option- so i made my comstruct to be -- if i can last till 30 moves i have accomplished something i will maybe soon move that to 35 moves till i reach a goal of 80 % then move up again, this may take me a long time

but its better than thinking when starting a game --losing every single game i have played ,after losing say 80 to 90 games in a row day in day out-- i had to think of something - you need simple goal to achieve to keep you going don't you think??

maybe you could look at some of my better games ones where i lasted over 40 to see if they where any different to you in play

thanks for the time taken to give me input -- maybe we could play a game and after each move you could discuss what i did wrong or didn't see - or should have done right etc etc in the chat part - i love to play you to see your comments a 24 hour game os the best for that i beleive

I'd be happy for you to challenge me to an unrated game where I discuss moves during the game.

isn't that what 24 hour games are unrated -- thanks for the offer i will take you up on that please challenge me so we can hookup -- just lost a couple of games very badly one only 8 moves one 12 moves getting better is looking longer way off than before -- sometimes i feel thats its just not worth it --

By default games are rated unless you choose them not to be, including daily games. Anyway, I set up an unrated 24h game challenge.

Hi KestrelPi, I'd just like to commend you on your willingness to spend time in helping a fellow chess traveler on his journey. In the times we're living in it restores my faith in humanity. Cheers!!

yes he is very kind to listen to me while we play and be helpful i really hate when people i play with lately block their chat -- they are so !@#$%^& the point of a 24 hour game is to have discourse of some kind while you play a 24 hour game -- very selfish people with their time - but then some people lately are like that -- win win win is all they want ( please play one min games then )instead of getting into the play of the game and learn about the other player very sad indeed

Well it's kind of you to say. I think often the kind of advice you get from very advanced players can be overwhelming. I'm not very advanced at all, but I'm really trying to work on fundamentals, and so if the very kind of modest thoughts I can give are helpful to someone then that's great. I'm under no illusions about being particularly good at this but I think it's kind when someone is frustrated to say 'well, here is some stuff that helped me', if they want to hear it.

thx again -- sunday morning going as expected, three new games started, after two games were lost again one under 12 moves for one and under 16 moves for the other i do play better on sunday so who knows -- the meds don't seem to take affect quite as fast on sundays why i don't know but i give my best as long as i can today

lost another one this morning way below 30 move goal -- but it was fun game anyways lots of chat between moves ---that makes most of my games tolerable time off -to takes meds and morning nap now--- see you this afternoon

You must feel bad after losing a game. Don't dwell on past mistakes. Look forward! I was in a similar situation to you. I was depressed after losing the game. Later, I took a vacation and went outdoors to relax.

When I was in the suburbs, I was annoyed by everyone's messages. I just wanted to be alone. I used jammermfg to block out the notification sounds of social software that disturbed his mood. Learn to "reduce the noise" of your emotions and life, and feel some new beauty. Maybe in the next game, you can get back to your state and shine!

Loosing is learning

Ii love that phrase"losing is learning" -- just like "fake it till you make it" great phrases--- but--- phrases never lost every game they have played i keep plugging sometimes the meds get in the way of me feeling better -- but then better, is only relative, on a bell curve, much like the rankings here ***** onwards and outwards ***-- not upwards, just outwards, can't expect to much you know