Yeah, I'm so incredibly lazy and weak, asking for advice on how to fix up a weakness. Such a lazy, cowardly, inert lump of lead for wanting to get better.
I ask because I wanted some specific things I could do, such as, if it exists, perhaps some custom setting where you can play without a queen.
I notice, now someone mentioned it, that I over rely on her in my head when weighing up moves and tactics, and if I blunder her I have no clue what to do without my main heavy hitter.
I ask because I wanted some specific things I could do, such as, if it exists, perhaps some custom setting where you can play without a queen.
I notice, now someone mentioned it, that I over rely on her in my head when weighing up moves and tactics, and if I blunder her I have no clue what to do without my main heavy hitter.
I don't play on the site, but I'd hope that the site has the ability for you to play bots with a custom starting position where you can give the bot queen odds.
As far as when you lose your queen in a game, I'd think the general idea would be to try to avoid trading down material, because doing so just makes it harder to fight with being down a queen. Also, I'd think you'd want to try to create tactics whenever possible. Your only chance is to hope that your opponent misses tactics and lets you back in the game.
In fact, resigning if your game is completely lost is probably a GOOD idea.
People play chess on this website for different reasons. Some players play for rating points. Some play to sharpen up their game... to improve their chess skills. Others just play for fun and entertainment, with no great interest in becoming "good" at the game.
If you are just playing for points, then once your position is completely lost (ie: a Queen down), you should ask yourself which will leave you with a HIGHER rating at the end of the day... either resign now and start a new game which you might realistically WIN, or spend the next half hour getting mashed flat, finally resign, and THEN try to recover your rating after having wasted half an hour on a game that you KNEW was ALREADY lost.
If you are playing to improve, then after you've blundered away your Queen you might ask yourself: "Which will do more to sharpen up my game... playing out a totally lost position, or just resigning and starting a new game from move one? Which will teach me the most?"
If you are just playing for fun, then after you've blundered away your Queen and are getting HOSED, ask yourself "Are we having fun yet?"
In fact, resigning if your game is completely lost is probably a GOOD idea.
People play chess on this website for different reasons. Some players play for rating points. Some play to sharpen up their game... to improve their chess skills. Others just play for fun and entertainment, with no great interest in becoming "good" at the game.
If you are just playing for points, then once your position is completely lost (ie: a Queen down), you should ask yourself which will leave you with a HIGHER rating at the end of the day... either resign now and start a new game which you might realistically WIN, or spend the next half hour getting mashed flat, finally resign, and THEN try to recover your rating after having wasted half an hour on a game that you KNEW was ALREADY lost.
If you are playing to improve, then after you've blundered away your Queen you might ask yourself: "Which will do more to sharpen up my game... playing out a totally lost position, or just resigning and starting a new game from move one? Which will teach me the most?"
If you are just playing for fun, then after you've blundered away your Queen and are getting HOSED, ask yourself "Are we having fun yet?"
Yeah, all that makes sense, but when 500s are playing, the chance of a comeback is not insignificant...
In fact, resigning if your game is completely lost is probably a GOOD idea.
People play chess on this website for different reasons. Some players play for rating points. Some play to sharpen up their game... to improve their chess skills. Others just play for fun and entertainment, with no great interest in becoming "good" at the game.
If you are just playing for points, then once your position is completely lost (ie: a Queen down), you should ask yourself which will leave you with a HIGHER rating at the end of the day... either resign now and start a new game which you might realistically WIN, or spend the next half hour getting mashed flat, finally resign, and THEN try to recover your rating after having wasted half an hour on a game that you KNEW was ALREADY lost.
If you are playing to improve, then after you've blundered away your Queen you might ask yourself: "Which will do more to sharpen up my game... playing out a totally lost position, or just resigning and starting a new game from move one? Which will teach me the most?"
If you are just playing for fun, then after you've blundered away your Queen and are getting HOSED, ask yourself "Are we having fun yet?"
Yeah, all that makes sense, but when 500s are playing, the chance of a comeback is not insignificant...
*shrug*
With 500s, even if there's a one-in-four chance (25%) of saving a Queen-down game... and I can't believe that the odds are really that high... that doesn't compare with the 50-50 odds of making back the points by resigning and starting a NEW game.
Depends on what you´ve got in exchange for the Queen. If I end up with say a R and a minor piece as compensation, I´ll certainly play on. If there´s a big difference in material I´ll probably resign.
Don´t think there are any standard situations for practising this, the number of possible starting positions would be astronomical; but there are many GM games with Q against minor pieces which should give you ideas about how to go about it. Carlsen played a brilliant game against Nepomniachtchi in game 6 of the 2021 World Championship with R + N versus Q, which he won (plenty on YouTube about it!). It holds the record for the longest WC game ever, at about 8 hours, and it´s both entertaining and hugely instructive. Highly recommended!
Interesting
In fact, resigning if your game is completely lost is probably a GOOD idea.
People play chess on this website for different reasons. Some players play for rating points. Some play to sharpen up their game... to improve their chess skills. Others just play for fun and entertainment, with no great interest in becoming "good" at the game.
If you are just playing for points, then once your position is completely lost (ie: a Queen down), you should ask yourself which will leave you with a HIGHER rating at the end of the day... either resign now and start a new game which you might realistically WIN, or spend the next half hour getting mashed flat, finally resign, and THEN try to recover your rating after having wasted half an hour on a game that you KNEW was ALREADY lost.
If you are playing to improve, then after you've blundered away your Queen you might ask yourself: "Which will do more to sharpen up my game... playing out a totally lost position, or just resigning and starting a new game from move one? Which will teach me the most?"
If you are just playing for fun, then after you've blundered away your Queen and are getting HOSED, ask yourself "Are we having fun yet?"
Yeah, all that makes sense, but when 500s are playing, the chance of a comeback is not insignificant...
*shrug*
With 500s, even if there's a one-in-four chance (25%) of saving a Queen-down game... and I can't believe that the odds are really that high... that doesn't compare with the 50-50 odds of making back the points by resigning and starting a NEW game.
*sigh*
maths please?
you resign the game, 0% chance of winning it, 50% chance of winning the other one
you dont resign the game, 25% chance of winning it, 50% chance of winning the other one (unless you somehow assume that this game is now not played...)
which one is better
*sigh*
maths please?
you resign the game, 0% chance of winning it, 50% chance of winning the other one
you dont resign the game, 25% chance of winning it, 50% chance of winning the other one (unless you somehow assume that this game is now not played...)
which one is better
If we could devote infinite (or an arbitrarily large) amount of time to playing chess online, then your analysis would be correct.
Unfortunately, most people have only limited playing time, and some of that time passes while you are trying hopelessly to save your Queen-down game.
The decision to continue playing on (instead of resigning) has an opportunity cost... if you are not going to resign, then you are not going to play another game just yet.
I actually made some progress recently with this - lost my queen but got a back rank mate with just one rook! I think the key was probably focusing on other pieces and not just relying on my queen early on.
Thanks for the advice everyone, I'll go have a look at that Carlsen vs Nepo game.
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Thanks! Obviously I'd rather not blunder my queen at all but we all do it sometimes so I'd like to get better at playing on without one
Yes. And anything takes pratice to get good at, so you would be denying that principle by saying that playing a slightly lost position is gonna do no good for rating points...and other. (Is it just me or do I feel like every thread always ties back to resigning? Seems like a big subject here.)
Quiting is a virtue ,in chess and in life, when that's what the " position " calls for.
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maths please?
you resign the game, 0% chance of winning it, 50% chance of winning the other one
you dont resign the game, 25% chance of winning it, 50% chance of winning the other one (unless you somehow assume that this game is now not played...)
which one is better
---llampo gets points for satire-----
If I blunder my queen that's it all the life goes out of me. No more aggression or drive I just deflate. Is there something in particular I could do, some drill or exercise I could do, to rely less on my queen? Someone made a comment about people just giving up once they lose their queen and I thought, you know, that's a great point.