Bad luck.
Why do you lose?
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Plus my opponents cheat all the time.
Good question! For me apart from my natural skill level at the moment, I'd have to say that fatigue playes a big part. I tend to play against players no more than 300 elo points above me, then at least i've got a chance! If I've been playing three or four games over a period of two or three hours, it can really scramble my brain. I now know why GM's such as Carlsen, Aronian and co, only have one game a day classical.
Feb 5, 2014
0
#6
in my case I believe it is usually a mixture of poor middlegame planning(very often I just don't know what to do and do not fully understand my opponents threats until it's too late) and bad endgame technique. And worst of all, poor evaluation of a position. it might result in losing to a tactical shot, but that happens for those reasons. I might be wrong, I might just be crap. I got HTRYC to try to address this, but the book looks well above my level. I thought I'd be the ideal candidate for Silman, since I don't think tactics trainer will help me, I need to at least have some idea of what the hell I'm doing rather than randomly moving until I spot a skewer.
I'm enjoying the chess mentor lesson on weak color complexes. I feel I shouldn't find it too difficult, but get a huge amount of it wrong.
Feb 5, 2014
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#7
chessmicky wrote:
Seriously, the main reason that less experirnced chess players lose all the time is that they fail to recognise simple one-move threats. The opponent attacks a piece and the player simply doesn't notice the threat, so he loses the piece. Or he overlooks a knight fork that could have been easily avoided, or a damaging check. At the same time, the inexperienced played fails to notice when his opponent has left a piece unprotected, or is allowing a devastating check. These "one-move" errors are the main reason weaker players lose, and if they don't do something about it, they will remain weak. Fortunately, this is not hard to fix.
Your answer is interesting. One move errors are my bane also. You say they are not hard to fix, how do you fix them?
Don't see something.
Or miscalculate something you do see.
Or don't understand the position, so you're not looking for the right things in the first place.
Feb 5, 2014
0
#9
chessmicky wrote:
It sounds almost too simple, but the way to avoid those fatal "one move" blunders is to develop a simple routine that you go through on every move.
1. When your opponent makes his move, scan the position for threats. What is he threatening? The simplest way is to imagine that it was his move again. Look at all the captures he could make. Can you handle each one? Or do you need to move or defend a piece? Then do the same with checks. Does he have any checks? Are you prepared to handle each one of them? Or do you need to take defensive measures?
2. If you have determined that you don't need to take any defensive measures, then look for your own opportunities. Do you have any checks? Look at each one of them and decide whether the lead to an advantage for you. Then do the same with every possible capture. Does one of these work for you. In almost every game, at some point, your opponent will have left something unprotected or underprotected. Or he has allowed a check that either leads to a mating attack or material gain. You need to seize these chances. If you cannot find any useful check or capture, then try to make a move that improves your position. But tactics come first!
3. When you have decided on a move, take a second and make the move first in your mind. Try to determine if your move is safe from any checks and captures! Don't throw away all your good work!
This may seem like a lot of work, but it just takes seconds--less and less time as you gain experience. Good players do this subconciously, and you will too.
Very good! Thank you!
I could lose because my opponent gets me into difficulties by knowing the opening much better than me.
But I don't.
I could lose because I blunder in an otherwise equal position.
It happens. But happily not often.
I could lose because my opponent, Carlsen like, understands the fundamentals of the position better than me and outplays me strategically.
But I don't play Carlsen or anyone approaching his, wonderful, level.
So I lose because my opponent plays moves which are a little better. S/he comes up with plans which get their pieces into positions which are that bit more active; or which cramp my position that bit more effectively.
Or I miss a tactic. (A blunder I suppose).
A nice thing is that whenever I lose my opponent deserves credit. Chess is good that way. :)
Because people make their moves too quickly.
Feb 6, 2014
0
#12
It depends. In blitz or bullet, it's usually time management (losing on time with a winning position and up material).
At longer time controls it's usually not taking the time to analyze the position and calculate adequately before moving.
Feb 6, 2014
0
#13
For me it's almost always a lack of focus and moving too quickly. If someone restrained me and made me analyze for the full time, I'd probably be 200 or so points or higher in standard. In blitz and bullet the problems reversed, I think too long.
I seldom lose but my opponents tend to win a lot.I blame lag times,cat on the keyboard,no take back button,nervous twitch ,Obama,karma and black magic.
I lose because I want to.
Feb 6, 2014
0
#16
I learned the chess rules for about 2 month ago, so i don't have so much experience.
I know i have to improve my tactics and stay focused.
mjh1991 wrote:
For me it's almost always a lack of focus and moving too quickly. If someone restrained me and made me analyze for the full time, I'd probably be 200 or so points or higher in standard. In blitz and bullet the problems reversed, I think too long.
This. My main problem is that I get rushed coming back to my online correspondence games and playing what I think is a good move, only to realize it was a blunder or that there was a much better move. Like the quote goes, find your best move and then look for a better move. I'm trying to force myself to slow down and look at positions more closely before making moves, since I have a whole 3 days or more to make a move.
Chesstempo has really helped me in stopping myself from dropping pieces from tactics defensively.
chessmicky wrote:
It sounds almost too simple, but the way to avoid those fatal "one move" blunders is to develop a simple routine that you go through on every move.
1. When your opponent makes his move, scan the position for threats. What is he threatening? The simplest way is to imagine that it was his move again. Look at all the captures he could make. Can you handle each one? Or do you need to move or defend a piece? Then do the same with checks. Does he have any checks? Are you prepared to handle each one of them? Or do you need to take defensive measures?
2. If you have determined that you don't need to take any defensive measures, then look for your own opportunities. Do you have any checks? Look at each one of them and decide whether the lead to an advantage for you. Then do the same with every possible capture. Does one of these work for you. In almost every game, at some point, your opponent will have left something unprotected or underprotected. Or he has allowed a check that either leads to a mating attack or material gain. You need to seize these chances. If you cannot find any useful check or capture, then try to make a move that improves your position. But tactics come first!
3. When you have decided on a move, take a second and make the move first in your mind. Try to determine if your move is safe from any checks and captures! Don't throw away all your good work!
This may seem like a lot of work, but it just takes seconds--less and less time as you gain experience. Good players do this subconciously, and you will too.
I have been doing this since I was a kid but I still lose because either I give up on thinking through all the moves or I see some tactic I want to do and then try and go all out for it even if I can no longer make it happen.
I also tend to overthink a position and then end up making a move I had already discarded because I miss the reason I discarded it on my second look.
I would like to know the main reason players lose their games, is it poor defensive skills, bad openings or what?