Believe it or not, you don’t need fancy books, coaches, or other resources to break out of 522 in rapid.
Is this true or am I crazy!?
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Aug 31, 2025
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BasixWhiteBoy wrote:
Believe it or not, you don’t need fancy books, coaches, or other resources to break out of 522 in rapid.
Then what do I do!?
Just keep playing slow games, and think about your moves. You have a diamond membership (which is more than most chess players here have), so you can review your games, do puzzles, and go through as many lessons as you want to. Given some time, you’ll improve.
Caiden, I hear you. Chess can feel tilted toward kids who had coaches and rides to every tournament. That stuff helps. But nobody can buy your moves over the board.
If you want to see whether improvement is really pay-gated, try a small experiment instead of a big plan. For the next couple of weeks, play a few slower games and skip blitz. After each one, pick one position you botched and one you’re proud of, and jot a single line about why. Do tactics until you miss a few in a row, then stop and note the theme you tripped on. Spend a short block on simple endgames like king-and-pawn vs. king, then basic rook ideas, using any free drill site. On another day, skim an annotated game; pause a couple of times and guess a move before you read the note.
Stick with the same openings for a bit so the ideas start to repeat, and try to fight on in rough positions instead of auto-resigning. After each session, write one takeaway (“today I kept missing forks,” or “active rook saved me”). If that little routine nudges your play, great; if not, at least you’ll know you gave it a fair test without spending a cent.
It is not pay to win
I have not spent anything on chess, and am nearly a thousand
I have not spent anything on chess, and am nearly a thousand
The more you play, the better you get
Sure, chances and books and whatnot make it quicker and easier, but overall, I’d say it’s better to learn it first yourself, as you get to develop your own strategy, rather then using that of your coaches
Sure, chances and books and whatnot make it quicker and easier, but overall, I’d say it’s better to learn it first yourself, as you get to develop your own strategy, rather then using that of your coaches
I know no one cares but I think I'm going to quit chess. But, before I do I need to know if it's just me or is chess pay to win? I mean all the top players have been playing since they were young and they all had one thing that many people don't, and that is support. They only got so good because they were able to get coaches and books etc. But, many people just can't afford that and It's kinda sad. I mean look at young IMs and GMs they all were supported by their family and friends along their way to becoming as good as they are now. Take away that support and I bet you they would be no where NEAR where they are now. So my point is, is that chess is kind of unfair in the sense that after a certain point the game is locked behind a pay wall. So, am I crazy or is this true? -Player, CarelessCaiden.