Relative Beginner/Intermediate Seeking Help

Hey guys, sorry if I put this in the inappropriate forum.

Anywho, greetings. I'm 16 years-old and have recently got back into Chess (I probably learned it when I was 6 or so, but never played too often). For the last few months, I've been playing some folks at school in the student commons pretty much everyday. The practice is nice, and I definately think I've been improving.

I'm ranked between 900 and 1000 here on Chess.com and this seems to be going up (I've only been on here a few weeks).

However, I know zero openings and have nothing memorized. That said, I am good at setting up forks, traps, pins and sneaky moves which cause blunders.

This is where my 'decent' rating comes from.

So what would you guys recommend? Thus far I've gotten premium membership here and use the resources that come with it and practiced like a mother, but nothing else, really.

What do you think I should do to further inhance my game?

Well, whatever responses you have'd be nice and if you ever want to play me to see what my skill level is, I'm always up for a game.

Regards,

Nockfur, gentleman & scholar

you may want a coach

How does a coach really work? Is this someone you see regularly and get lessons from?

Are they generally inexspensive? Effective?

I wouldn't recommend a coach, I would just play as much as I can, while reading about and playing through old master games.

generally, and here i am just speaking in my case i barely started chess last year and the master at the chess club told me u should just learn and get sharper on tactics until your like 900 CFC or around 1200 chess.com rating even now i only have 3 openings mesmerized the benoni as black and the Sicilian as white and black, so i don't think its a good idea to learn to many openings before you have gotton near perfect at tactics so that's nothing to worry about. from my experience u should go to the chess club in your city where everyone is really good and take the on, most likely getting beaten so badly you wont ever forget the match and then ask where you went wrong and fix that problem, at least thats what has happened to me, i hope this will be helpful.

At the beginner level like us, (you're better I'm sure, than me) Throwing money into a coach is most likely, a bad idea. Unless you've got money to burn, maybe. At this level you should just read a book or two for beginners, practice playing, and use the resources on here. If you're motivated enough to do that it should be easy enough to improve quite a bit on your own. I've heard that said many times. Coaches are for people who are already good players who want to become even more competitive.

First, chess lessons vary widely in cost. The cheapest ones are probably around $40/hr. They're usually extremely effective, but if you don't know openings, I'm assuming you haven't read many (or any) books on chess. I would recommend first trying out some books. There's many websites that recommend some of the top chess books available. For the cost and time, reading books would be much more benificial for your level.

Second, you signed your name, "gentleman & scholar". I know it has become a cliche, but sorry, I don't know if you're a gentlemen. However, you're only 16, so you are by no means a scholar.

Lastly, I can't say I've met anyone (even ANY eight year-olds) consider a chess ranking in the 900s "decent".

Quit thinking so highly of yourself and open a book!

The best advice I can give is to study tactics and read the lots of free information on the web.  Master games and all that is interesting, but I learned the most by going through tactics and playing through all the games of Morphy and Capablanca.  Then even if you don't have the openings memorized, you will see how proper piece development and setup should be.

Hey Artistri....pssst......don't tell anyone but the very first definition of "Scholar" is ": a person who attends a school or studies under a teacher".

With this new evidence I would say that since he is 16 he is almost CERTAINLY a scholar, and judging from you're waspish response you are most certainly NOT a gentlemen...

 Artistri,

Saying that 900 rating is "decent" is pretty inoffensive. I think Nockfur is fine to ask how to improve.

First of all, I applaud anyone who aspires to be a gentleman and a scholar and deriding a newcomer is despicable in my opinion.

So far as suggestions go...

1- If you can get a lesson or two,  a decent player can teach you a lot in an hour or two. That would be the best jump-start in my opinion.

2- Get a book on chess basics. I can't really suggest one, but pick one that is about broad theories, not a specific opening.

3- Play as much as you can, focusing on applying the concepts from the lessons and/or book.

4- Then you'll be ready to think about studying a few openings, don't bother until you've learned and applied the basics because you aren't ready from a developmental standpoint.

Good luck, and remember- have fun.

First thing you need to learn about chess is that sometimes you run into total wads. Just ignore them.

Second, you don't need to memorize openings. Most likely your opponent won't have either. Its ok to have just one opening for each side, and feel free to change to something else if you don't like what you've been playing. You might lose a few games learning something new, but its worth it to find an opening you're comfortable with.

I strongly disagree with anyone who says getting a coach won't help - regardless of experience and rating. Generally, coaches are people with real expertise in chess and teaching who are able to recognize the sources of your mistakes with painful accuracy. My coach costs 35$ for an hour and a half, which has turned out to be a bargain. We go over my games, his games, and master games, sometimes he gives me puzzles but the point is that it gets me to verbalize my thought process. As a warning I'd say it's often more hard work than fun, but it has had huge benefits on my ability to interpret positions and calculate variations. I read chess books and do internet training stuff, but nothing beats the lessons. Don't believe the other posters! If you really want to get better and have the money to spare, get a coach!

I think the point is that it is possible to improve greatly without the expense of a coach at the beginner level, and that this fellow might prefer to save his money until he has exhausted more affordable alternatives.

You asked how you could enhance your game...Either of the following 2 videos could potentially help someone in your shoes:

10 Ways to Improve Your Chess

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m--LuusPfwA

Basic Opening Ideas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_hJS29_IUk

Hope this helps...

~Jerry~ :)

Well put.

Thanks for the advice, and the 'gentleman & scholar' thing is more of a joke.

Of course, although one definition is that a scholar is a pupil, it's primary reference in contemporary English is "a person who has done advanced study in a special field" which by no means makes him a scholar.

I am slightly more than a novice, but not that much more.  I will repeat advice that has been given to me that is helpful.

Some things to do-

Focus heavily on tactical training.  You can use books, online training tools, etc, to work on this.  Until you are past the point where you are not falling victimto two and three move combos, and you are finding these combos against your opponents, tactics will decide you games, rather than more subtle positional and strategic issues.  I have seen many recommendations of Seriwan's "Winning Chess Tactics" if you would like a book to work from.

If you want to study something other than tactics, study endgames.  I would recommend Silman's Complete Endgame Course.  May lower level players neglect basic endgame skills.  If you have the option of reducing a position into an won endgame rather than relentlessly hunting for a middle game mate that isn't there you will have a significant advantage over your opponents.

Some things not to do-

Don't obsess over opening theory.  A very common beginner mistake is to spend way too much time on opening preparation.  At our level players don't need tons of theory.  What you do need is a solid grasp of opening principals like center control, rapid development, and king safety.  Ifs far better to know a few lines, and understand the purpose behind the moves, than to try to memorize a bunch of moves without real understanding.  Club level games tend to leave "book" fairly early anyway, and you will need to be able to think on your feet.  And again, baring a trap or major blunder that drops material in the opening, games at lower levels tend to be won and lost on tactics, not a subtle positional advantage coming out of an opening.

Also, remember to have fun.  Dont turn chess into chore.  Its a board game.  Keep some perspective.

On the issue of coaches-  I have never had any professional coaching, but I think it would be very helpful.  Coaching is quite expensive.  You usually pay a minimum of 70-80 dollars an hour for a private coach, and on my budget that is simply out of reach for a hobby, but it all depends on your situation.  If you can pay that kind of money it would probably greatly improve your game.

Playing chess would probably do the trick, probably

P.S. I finally started using this, we should play