I think the 2 things that will help you is thinking 3 steps ahead and also more practice
Why do I suck at chess?
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Utilize the lessons in the game and don’t focus on the development or skills of anyone but yourself. This is the beginning of your rise not the beginning of your fall
In the past 90 days, you’ve only played 19 rapid games. 12 of those games where played recently up to 7 days ago. You’ve only played 31 games in the span of one year.
I may be taking a wild stab in the dark, but, it looks like you never really got into chess and just recently you decided you want to improve but are frustrated that you keep losing rating and can’t seem to win.
Your account is relatively new when it comes in terms of games played, so your rating never fully plateaued. That’s why your rating dropped so much. Not because you suck, but because you, like anyone else, is just starting out, and needs to learn about the game through lessons, watching videos, or whatever, and gain experience by playing more often.
After merely playing 12 games your rating won’t change much, but as I said, because you never really played all that much, your rating still needs to plateau. Don’t be disappointed if you lose another 200 points. We all have to start somewhere.
I checked out one of your opponents who was rated about 600, roughly 200 points higher than you. He played roughly 265 games in the span of 1 year, while you only played 31. So, that’s the difference of 200 points, play 200 more games. Roughly a point a game.
Of course the rating climb isn’t linear in that way, but as you get more consistent and play on a daily basis, while studying, and keeping up with your tactics, your rating should improve gradually.
The difference between this guy that was rated 200 points higher than you didn’t beat you because he knew more about openings. He just simply played those openings a lot more than you, and was aware of the possible traps. He didn’t spend hours memorizing openings. He just merely played chess.
I know someone who never studied openings, and he is a lot better than I am. You don’t need to study openings at all until your roughly at a rating of about 2000.
The reason why beginners lose, is because they are lacking basic fundamental knowledge about chess. Part of this recipe, has to do with the amount of tactics the individual either learned by drills, or having encountered the tactic somewhere and studying it later. Think of it like mental math. In order to solve larger problems in your head you need to first learn your basic arithmetic then move on to larger problems. Then you go on to higher level math, up to calculus, then probably take 3 semesters of physics, etc, etc. you get the idea. Dan Heisman talks about something he calls the big five. The fundamentals. I will probably review Dan Heisman’s book, to see how he relates tactical training to the big five.
Don’t try and learn trick lines. Like gambits, among other things. One can get a lot of quick wins if they pick an opening that has built in traps, but, in my opinion at least, you’d be doing yourself a disservice. I lose to people like this, but only because of my carelessness, not because of the opening.
Stay the course. I don’t recommend material to anyone anymore, unless I feel something I have personally gone through may help someone. Exercise, eating right, and meditation can help.
I may be taking a wild stab in the dark, but, it looks like you never really got into chess and just recently you decided you want to improve but are frustrated that you keep losing rating and can’t seem to win.
Your account is relatively new when it comes in terms of games played, so your rating never fully plateaued. That’s why your rating dropped so much. Not because you suck, but because you, like anyone else, is just starting out, and needs to learn about the game through lessons, watching videos, or whatever, and gain experience by playing more often.
After merely playing 12 games your rating won’t change much, but as I said, because you never really played all that much, your rating still needs to plateau. Don’t be disappointed if you lose another 200 points. We all have to start somewhere.
I checked out one of your opponents who was rated about 600, roughly 200 points higher than you. He played roughly 265 games in the span of 1 year, while you only played 31. So, that’s the difference of 200 points, play 200 more games. Roughly a point a game.
Of course the rating climb isn’t linear in that way, but as you get more consistent and play on a daily basis, while studying, and keeping up with your tactics, your rating should improve gradually.
The difference between this guy that was rated 200 points higher than you didn’t beat you because he knew more about openings. He just simply played those openings a lot more than you, and was aware of the possible traps. He didn’t spend hours memorizing openings. He just merely played chess.
I know someone who never studied openings, and he is a lot better than I am. You don’t need to study openings at all until your roughly at a rating of about 2000.
The reason why beginners lose, is because they are lacking basic fundamental knowledge about chess. Part of this recipe, has to do with the amount of tactics the individual either learned by drills, or having encountered the tactic somewhere and studying it later. Think of it like mental math. In order to solve larger problems in your head you need to first learn your basic arithmetic then move on to larger problems. Then you go on to higher level math, up to calculus, then probably take 3 semesters of physics, etc, etc. you get the idea. Dan Heisman talks about something he calls the big five. The fundamentals. I will probably review Dan Heisman’s book, to see how he relates tactical training to the big five.
Don’t try and learn trick lines. Like gambits, among other things. One can get a lot of quick wins if they pick an opening that has built in traps, but, in my opinion at least, you’d be doing yourself a disservice. I lose to people like this, but only because of my carelessness, not because of the opening.
Stay the course. I don’t recommend material to anyone anymore, unless I feel something I have personally gone through may help someone. Exercise, eating right, and meditation can help.
@1
"I tried allot of things" ++ Apparently wrong things.
"my opening is decent" ++ Opening does not matter.
"I just suck at mid and endgame" ++ Analyse your lost games and learn from your mistakes.
"falling down now to 490 ELO" ++ 490 is a sign of frequent blunders. Always check your intended move is no blunder before you play it. That little mental discipline is enough to get to 1500. Hang no pieces, hang no pawns. When your opponent hangs a piece or a pawn, take it.
"better players probably joke about 400" ++ No joking.
"most players dont suck thaty much" ++ Most players hang less pieces and pawns.
"they know openings" ++ That does not matter at all.
"tips what to do to get better?" ++ Blunder check each move before you play it.
There was a guy on this forum who always replied "you play too fast" to lower rated players. And he was almost always right. Here is an example game:
This was a 15 minute game with 10 seconds increment. You finished the game with more time than you started with, getting checkmated in 8 moves, with your last 3 moves all horrible blunders (blitzed out at lightning speed, of course).
Play slower. Think on your moves.
watch gothamchess u will improve i got 400 pts more
just make better moves to not suck at chess
ok
im going
to leave
bye
Books. They are free to check out at the library. I can’t stress this enough. Ask the librarian where the chess books are and grab 2 or 3, and read them with a chess board set up next to you. Do it. Actually do exactly what I’m saying, go now and do it. Your rating will be 500 points higher in a month easy.
You have to learn to see all potential moves that both you and your opponent can play, and mentally categorize them in terms of danger levels. Based on that you strategize and decide on a move. This is what the best players do in a fraction of a second - and that's why they're so good at bullet.
It's all pattern recognition and this is mostly a learned thing. So 1. Study master-level chess to get a gist of what kind of patterns you should be looking for. Some obvious queen-based attack or single-piece sacrifice usually doesn't get you anywhere if it isn't part of a more multiparametrical approach based on a configurational system. And 2. Study your own mistakes. Assisted by the engine, see where your biggest blunders were and what the things you missed were. Again, don't just look for single mistakes, combine everything you missed together and see if you can devise a system that 'catches' all weaknesses in that position. From there your chess evolves.
Also, instead of reacting to an opponent's threat, it's better first to think of counterattacking possibilities. Don't be afraid to let material drop. Focus on setting up your own attack is first priority - don't let the other be the boss. You have to intend on demolishing the opponent - as soon as you catch your brain thinking something along the lines of 'now I'm toast', 'oops', or 'oh no', stop it, go into your inner samurai, and see where your next strike is going to be. Be sharp at all times and never surrender.
Civilian366 wrote:
Books. They are free to check out at the library. I can’t stress this enough.
I can attest to that. Reading one high-level chess book is probably the learning equivalent of 5000 games of trial-and-error based learning. But always remain conscious that when you learn something, you structurally apply it into your own chess until you have transposed your system so that it integrates most if not all of the newfound knowledge.
Outpost theory is such a thing, for example. Pawn blockades are another. So maybe start at the Nimzowitsch-type ideas first until getting to higher-level tactics.
How would one go about learning fundamentals in an effective and efficient way?
I tried allot of things and my opening is decent, but I just suck at mid and endgame and I just keef falling down now to 490 ELO. And the better players probably joke about 400 but most players dont suck thaty much. they know openings and everything. Is there maybe someone who can help me or give me tips what to do to get better?