Newbie needs advice(s)

I started play chess ''seriously'' about three months ago. I practice against computer (Fritz 11 Elo 1000) and I'm doing ok (not too easy, not too hard). When it comes to play online against "real player", I always feel as if I'm chased by the opponent, like I never have the choice of what I can play. That's frustrating! What is my problem doctor? What can I practice, read...

Here are some good youtube channels.

Chessnetwork -especially watch his Beginner to Chess Master playlist

Chessexplained -I like his playlists on Middlegame Strategy and Chess Endgames

Dereque Kelley -exceptional channel for learning the ideas of openings

iChess.net - this channel has a good variety of videos from different people.

can you post a couple of your games maybe with your own analysis too? it will make easier for the others to understand what you mean. 
anyway without game for as much as I can understand it seems it's a psicological problem.  

you used the words: " I always feel" rather then saying somenthing like "my opponent has constantly the initiative" or "I think end up in passive position".

Haha! Psychological problem! I like this one! Yeah, chess is very prychologic. I'll post a game so you can help me with my psy problem!

Thanks for the links, I'll take a look.

actually it often happen to be the case that chess is indeed influenced by psychological aspects.

That one came from the heart...  ♥  Guys...  let's give him some sound advice pls.... 

Possibly helpful:

Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf

Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf

The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/

Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1949)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf

Discovering Chess Openings by GM Johm Emms (2006)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf

Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)

http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html

Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/

A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf

The same thing happens to me. Most of the times, I can easily beat people with ratings much higher than mine, but still lose against 'weaker' players, because I just make silly mistakes. I think it might just be psychological.

As for good resources, I recommend GJ_Chess. Don't play the openings he recommends hoping that your opponent will fall for those traps, just learn the themes and positional ideas which he teaches in his openings. His videos are clear, easy to understand, and sometimes funny.

Realize that humans might get an initiative (make you feel like you are being chased around) because they play something aggressive but unsound due to a hidden tactic. Computers at the same rating level as those human players might not allow your counter-play, and the human's moves really are weaker than the machine's, but the human player wins and gets the same rating as the computer because their bluff doesn't get called and punished.

Always be looking for "problem" type tactics, every move, every game (at least a little bit) even if the position seems quiet.

Learn to be the chaser ;) Solve a lot of tactic problems, get a book full of mate-in-2 puzzles or something similar and do them every day. Soon the hunter will be the hunted!

Just try to think as if you were a computer, computers never get shy, scared nor enter in a state of panic. Computers always play the most reasonable move, and they play with all their might. Also, computers dont really care about losing, so keep it up!

Don't set the computer less than 1800 rated. When you set it to 1000, it just makes really bad moves. There is no advantage to winning games while learning; losing games is more important. Setting the computer to 1800 will prevent it from playing very long, weird forcing lines, but it will still win every game and give you better lessons. At 1000, it is just making random moves that won't prepare you even for what a real 1000-level player will play.

Like a State-champion once told me when I was 1100 and playing in tournaments: "You have to lose 1000 games before you start winning any. Losing them against higher rated opponents will teach you more." It was true and I've made a lot more rating progress than an adult player normally can anticipate with the small amount of time I actually study. You should fight and claw in each game as if it is life or death, but when you lose, be happy about what you witnessed; revel in the lesson your opponent provided. This is even easier against a computer, because it is expected to win, it isn't a real competition; there shouldn't be any emotional penalty for losing to it.

Also, you do have to read some chess books or you just won't progress very far. You don't have to spend a huge amount of time at it, but you do have to read some beginner and then intermediate books, including playing out the games given as examples.

I disagree with setting Fritz for 1800 for you (maybe once in a while is OK). You generally want to play an opponent at a level 100-200 points higher than you are rated. You want to learn how to punish mistakes, not get creamed in 20 moves every time. As you get better, slowly increase the difficulty of your opponent (computer or person), and analyze your games soon after you play them.

Use the Study Plan on this site, which entails using the Tactics Trainer and Chess Mentor, among other things. Turn the timer off, and set tactics level to, say, 400-500. Once those are easy, bump it up to 500-600, and so on.

Read books recommended for your level.

I'm in a simlar position.

1. I do tactics daily;

2. I walk through the inital moves of a couple of openings that keep coming up against me (sicilian, caro kann, ruy lopez etc) and each time I recognize the opening I try and play the moves I know after that I try to play using the opening principles laid down in many books and videos;

3. I learn basic endgames so that if I can simplify I have a chance to win (learn the basic ones such as King v King and Rook, King v King and 2 Rooks, King v King and Queen etc) as soon as you start putting all this together you will feel more comfortable.

I'm still very low on the ladder but studying does help, I lose a lot more than I win and I can guarantee that I move too quickly resulting in blundering one or more pieces, which is what we beginners do. Spend time looking for threats and if you need to defend try and pick the best piece, or better yet defend by attacking. If you see any of my games I am a master at blundering, but I am learning and using the time on the clock better. Play live games of at least 15 mins to allow you time to think between moves.

One thing that I have recently been doing which is helping me (albiet in a small way), is to look for forcing moves that can be several moves long, this helps you calculate and look ahead, seeing whether you will end up in a better position, equal or worse. This is one thing that I am really enjoying and it does slow down snap decisions where you automatically defend against an attack (which might be exactly what your opponent wants you to do).

From what I have learned so far there is no quick way to climb the ladder, it takes time and study like any skill and I know I'll be learning and enjoying chess for many years and hopefully improving bit by bit as I learn and understand more.

I am a rank beginner so obviously take what I say with a pinch of salt, but this is how I am learning at the moment ;)

Thanks all for comments, tips, tricks... I have to take the time to digest everything now!

Since my first post I try to not fearing every adversary move. I now try to find some forcing move instead of only reacting to a threat and I find that the game is totally changed by that, not that I always win, but I am not running away like a crazy on the board, avoiding threat. I more often have the tempo in the game.

Like ''cadaha'' said, there is no quick way to climb the ladder. For me, learning chess is not to become a GM (ok! I admit, it would be great), but the fun in that game is to learn, to solve problems and ultimately to win.

Thanks again for all your posts and continue to send advices, this would help many beginners like me to improve their gameplay.

Here an interesting quote from Malcom X : "There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time."

Very good advice: Don't run. It makes me think and change my gameplay. I understood that I don't have to react to every threat by running away. I play more fun and interesting games since.

If don't run....  you would run out of time..  ⌚