Pupil of the Forum.

Alright, I am 25 and got serious about chess a coupel months back. At one point I had clawed my account from 600 up to as high as 1170. Yet reoccuringly when I hit near 1200 I choke and play very badly for several games at a time. It's very weird and highly frustrating.

So it has happened agian, fallen from the mid-high 1100s all the way back to the basement (sub-1000). 

So I am just going to start fresh. I am clearing my mind of all my pre-concieved ideas of how chess should be played. 

Assume I am brand new to the game. I want to re-learn the game through the forum. 

So to get the ball rolling, impart upon me your best knowledge, and I will try to apply it. I will also record, annotate, and study my games within the thread. 

Thanks in advance to everyone who offers advice. 

It could be years before you can successfully stay above 1300. I played someone on FICS who had never been above 1300 in like 40,000 games over ten years. There isn't anything wrong with getting to 1200 then dropping back down to 1000. It took me about three years to maintain an above 1300 rating. So I guess I'm saying be patient. Chess is a game of patience and concentration. Good luck!:)

Memorize, memorize, memorize opening variations. Once you have your repertoire fully developed, learn every trap you can get your hands on

OK Bardu lets build up a good opening repertoire then.

1st major question: How does one develop a good opening repetoire?

Memorizing openings is a mistake really.

How do you figure that kco?

Memorizing opening won't help learners to understand why is it happening in the game leading upto the midgame, therefore understanding the openings help. 

at your level the most important is tactic and development the pieces.

http://exeterchessclub.org.uk/content/opening-development-and-coordination

When you do get some games to analyze, drop them onto my thread and I'll help. :D http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/post-your-game-for-expert-analysis?lc=1#last_comment

Thanks for the link, kco. 

I've been playing the Alekhine for some time now but I get confused  on the move order. As White, I always play 1d4 - never ever 1e4.

Maybe it's not so good idea to try to learn the game through the forums in the first place. The forums can work for specific questions. Posting analysis of your games in order to get feedback is a good idea as well. 

Sorry, I was being facetious. :) My real advice is to study tactics (www.chesstactics.org & chesstempo.com), study endgames (I'm using silman), and play slow chess and take the time to analyze your games after without computer analysis.

Alright the link was very very helpful, answered a lot of questions for me. Let's try a game.

You can always tell when one of those sockpuppet people are back, because the first thing they do is try to find kco

In the final position here I feel like I have clearly won the opening. I have 3 pieces developed to his 1 and I have torn up the center and prepared to castle. My only concern is my Dark Bishop is blocked in, but I would castle next and then look to move the Knight on d2.

What do ya'll think?

Black looks fine, I don't think anything was decided in that opening.

yes Nc3 was better (what was your reasoning?)

final position reminds me of some theoretical positions where black is ok - he got a nice share of space in the q-side and has play with pressure on the e-pawn and the c-file.

You got to expand on that for me trysts. I just don't see how that's equal.

I see the Knights developed like that in some of the professional games I have looked at. I always figured that it was because it links the Knights and it puts a defender on the e-pawn. I am not sure how to tell the diference in positions where the Knight should go there or c3.