This is way harder than I thought

So I am a middle aged new player. I am familiar with the rules and such and know enough to win an odd game here and there against other like-skilled players I know. I decided to get serious about becoming a better and eventually competitive player. I had no idea how bad I was. I didnt think there was much to this, and of course I couldnt have been farther off.

I spent some time learning a couple basic openings, and watching some videos here and thought I am good to go. Then I ran into a buzz saw. I would lose two or three games, then win one, lose a couple and win one here. All of the sudden I hit a handful of matches where I get absolutely dumpstered. Mated within a dozen moves a couple times, missing an obvious bishop-queen skewer and the like. It was quite discouraging, almost considered laying off live opponents and going back the the computer. Not real sure why I am posting this other than to vent. I dont know anyone irl anymore who plays chess so you guys are the only chess people I would know.

I guess its time to get serious about studying.

Think of it this way: Every increase of 200 rating points means a 76% probability of beating the guy rated 200 points below you. So if your rating is 1000 now,

a 1200 player will beat you 76% of the time

a 1400 player will beat him 76% of the time,

a 1600 player will beat him 76% of the time,

an 1800 player will beat him 76% of the time,

a 2000 player will beat him 76% of the time, 

etc., all the way up to the top GMs rated about 2800. That's what you're up against: there are *so* many people who are *so* good and have spent so many years studying the darned game that a beginner is like a total weakling to most of them.

Chess is a very difficult game to master: there is so much to watch, so much to memorize, so many heuristics to know, so many tricks to know, it taxes your visualization ability, it taxes your memory, it requires on-the-fly creativity and ingenuity, it's so clever, etc. that if you make a conscious decision to master it you're foolish. On the other hand, if you can't resist such challenges and you enjoy intellectually torturing yourself, then you'll be permanently hooked, and conscious decisions will no longer matter. Welcome to chess hell, my friend. You can check out any time you like but you can never leave. 

I suspect that many people have had that sort of experience.

Possibly of interest:

https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-can-older-players-improve
Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Simple-Attacking-Plans-77p3731.htm
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
Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review585.pdf
Discovering Chess Openings by GM John 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
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/
https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf
Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Endgames_for_Kids.pdf
A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf
Seirawan stuff:
http://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_beginner/ev_winning_chess.asp?KATID=BO&ID=BO-Beginner
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-endings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
http://www.nystar.com/tamarkin/review1.htm

I've seen people(members) here with a rating of 200 something, 300 something, 400 something, so you are pretty good, very strong and experienced player actually in comparison to them. 💪💪💪

Only a really strong chess player knows how weak he is playing. (Saveliy Tartakover)

I'm also finding it a tough learning curve, and actually my rating is falling here, despite putting hours of study and practice and reading in. I guess one just has to persevere and the gains will come (probably in bursts, rather than smoothly?).

For me, it's only when I watch a titled player explaining a game in detail do I really get just how complex this game is and just how much they see and perceive that I simply do not! It's like being blind.

 Just to 'inspire' you, I achieved a solid 1200 rating after a year.... And have only gotten worse since then, now I struggle to reach 1200! Chess is simply very difficult.... 

 For those players relatively new to competitive chess, stay away from Blitz, at first.  Play "slow" rapids at G/30.  There are a lot of experienced blitz players who play a very practical game, willing to take a losing position if it gives them a big advantage on the clock.  But, if you want to get better (especially for OTB chess at classical time limits), playing fast and practical will hurt the development of your game.

AND, if you are making stupid blunders, try playing a G/30, where your goal is NOT to win, but to avoid any one-move blunders or falling for knight forks, etc.  Don't worry about long plans or calculation, just make your opponent win an "honest" game.... if he can.

I would love to master eventually, but I am just looking to get better. I have played MMOs and First-Person-Shooters competitively with great success (world class in some cases) I have played other tabletop strategy and worked my way into the same company. I want to do the same with chess eventually. I think I simply overestimated my ability while underestimating the complexity of the game. I have CERTAINLY developed a healthy respect for the game itself in the last couple weeks and after watching some videos and hearing masters break things down and showing how their thought process works and exactly what all they do see....I am hooked for sure. It feels much like when I first started playing Warhammer 40k. I got smeared by everyone I played but each little improvement and tactic I learned excited me. After sleeping on it, I am even more determinded to get better now.

Thank you all for the input and kind words. Not what I expected.

Set reasonable goals.

Enjoy the learning.

Enjoy the game.

Have fun!

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5

2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key

3. Castle

4. Connect your rooks

Tactics...tactics...tactics...

Pre Move Checklist

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe. 

2. Look for forcing move: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board. 

3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board. 

4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece. 

5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponnet trying to do?"

Novice players don't usually lose because their opponent knows a little more opening theory.  Novice players usually lose because they give away free material on every other move.

So the fastest way you can improve at your level is to stop giving away free material.  So study tactics.  The Tactics Trainer puzzles on chess.com are a good place to start, but there are books and other sites too.

Also, don't play "hope chess" where you hope your opponent doesn't see your threats.  That will sometimes work against low-rated players, but against anyone decent you'll just get in trouble.  Play moves that will improve your position even if your opponent makes their best possible move.

Also, don't get so focused on getting better that you forget to enjoy the game.

You could try practicing on the mobile application for this site as that is pretty easy up to level 4. But I have found that on this website even on level 1 if you make no blunders of bad moves at all you still cannot beat the computer why? I too have read loads of chess books but still can't improve much. Also why is this website in 2D. It is more realistic if the chess board and pieces are in 3D. A couple of other chess websites are in 3D.

You are probably not paranoid enough, the best players I know are very paranoid....they look at what the other player can do to them first....

@Longbridge, you can put it in 3D.  See your settings: https://www.chess.com/settings/board.  Under the Pieces setting, choose one of the 3D options.  Most people prefer 2D for online chess, but there's several 3D options for those who prefer that.

Also, how do you know that you've made no blunders or bad moves at all?  Simply avoiding blunders is going to be sufficient to beat it up to a fairly high level.  Did you check your moves with the computer?