Chess Vs Computer Easy Bc I Suck
Whatever you do, don't study openings to get above 1000. One of the biggest stepping stones to my improvement was learning from playing many games how to convert a rook up or a piece up into a win and being able to be confident in an endgame.
i found that after picking the game up again after a long layoff and doing research and reading, that my game got worse before it got better.
After taking a quick look at some of your games, your opening is quite good and isn't the problem. Tactics is your main weakness.
In a few games I looked at you have given a piece away just by completely hanging it or not moving it when it is under attack. I would say it seems like a concentration issue rather than your ability at the moment. You have also resigned when there is still plenty of chances for you to turn the game around.
These things happen on a losing streak. Don't play a game for a couple of days and look through a master game or practice tactics instead. If I try to play through a losing streak I just seem to get worse, which seems to be the case with you too.
WalkItDown wrote:
You play too much. If you play 26 games in 2 days you don't concentrate on single one.
That's a very good point. Chess is about strategy, so your focus should really only stay on a few games that you can really get into. Quality over quantity ;)
Your experience with losing after only a few days of play is perfectly normal. Even former FIDE masters will struggle if they haven't played in years.
I consider the management and understanding of losing in chess a legitimate chess skill:
1. First, a chess player has to be aware of the nature of chess and chess skill, that innate ability is a myth, that the number of games played is a big factor in chess success, that it takes years of play to start to show solid play. Practice makes perfect is as valid here as anywhere else.
2. When you lose, it's more important to understand why you lost than anything else. Sure, it might be obvious you blundered, but even a blunder will have underlying causes, such as lack of a systematic approach to each turn.
3. Prepare for your losses: Instead of quitting the board in frustration, plan to ask your opponent to analyse the game with you (probably the best time to ask as they've just won a game). Extract as much insight into your game out of your losses by wringing them of all their instructive juices. Doing this is an opportunity to advance your chess skill over other players who, in fit of frustration, discard the knowledge contained in their lost games.
4. You only lose if you give up on chess, especially after only a few days of play. (wtf?)
5. How to handle a chess loss: play another game! I mean, you don't commit suicide whenever you stub your toe do you. There are plenty of other games, especially in this day and age of internet chess at any hour. I would consider all games in the first two years of play as practice games.
I could go on I think.
I started playing recently after a long long break. First I read a few books to get back up to speed and didn't play much. Just a few days ago I started playing...and I'm blundering like a superhero, despite the book knowledge. I really don't see how you can expect to win after just a few days of play - no offence, but I think you should lower your opinion of yourself somewhat, lift your opinion of the difficulty of the game, and get yourself a some decent chess books.
This is a common problem, and I don't really think it is due to lack of talent. I would advocate a basic thinking process to go through before you make (almost) every move.
1. Did his last move threaten anything? If so, does it require a reaction from me? (so many times, people get so caught up in their own ideas that they totally miss their opponents threats)
2. Does he have any captures or checkmates? (When doing this, briefly look at each of his major and minor pieces (and pawns, if necessary!) and quickly glance at each square they threaten. Do the same with number 3 with your own pieces.)
3. Do I have any captures or checkmates?
4. If the answer is "no" to all of the above, look for ways to improve your position. For example, you could move one of your pieces to where it controls more squares than it did before.
This thinking process may seem very basic, but if you keep making foolish blunders, this might be something to try. It will seem a bit cumbersome and annoying at first, but eventually it will become so firm a habit that you don't even need to think about it any more, and it will come far more quickly. If you do this, you will probably hang far fewer pieces and make far fewer blunders.
Finally, don't play too many games in a row. Focusing on playing a few good quality games as opposed to many fast, poor quality games will be much more beneficial.
Hope this helps!
-hankm
Try playing on slower time controls, and thinking before each move.
Almost every time I lose a game of chess is because I was not thinking of my opponents move. Weather I simply hang a piece, miss a mate in 1, or walk into a losing end game.
It's just being rusty. Nothing to worry about.
grammaton wrote:
I have been on a 26-game losing streak for two days. Most of these games I have thrown away via foolish blunders, even after having a winning advantage.
You've identified the main problem. That's good! You've even called your blunders "foolish", meaning you know you are better than that but were not careful. So, now that you know what is causing your losses the million dollar question is, what changes are you willing to make in your thinking to make sure these "foolish" mistakes are not repeated? How good you get or how bad you stay depends entirely on your commitment to taking steps to fix this problem effective immediately!
Chess is about recognition, and recognition can be improved with tactics.
They say that more than 90% of chess is tactics, and the best way to improve your tactical skills is to go on a site such as chess.com tactics trainer or chesstempo and train there.
Let me give you a problem. Look carefully at the placement of the pieces. Black is threatening checkmate in 1 move, do you see how? Do you notice anything else about the placement of the black king? It's trapped. See if you can solve it:
Your problems are your expectations. Innate talent is mostly a myth and is far overblown. Want to get better? Study, practice, play, and don't give up. You will get better... slowly.
I think a lot of it is probably your nerves : )
Chess is a tuff game to learn, you wont become master in days, months or even years!
Just keep playing/training and you'll become better.
Thank you all for your very helpful advice. I'm approaching my studying of chess from a different perspective (based on your suggestions) and it's starting to show some better results thinking-wise. 
You might think about some correspondence games (online chess) with 3 (or more) days per move. This way you're never rushed in the same way you are in live chess, and have all the time in the world to analyze the position and practice your mental checklist without running yourself out of time every game.
man, i first encountered electronic chess on the super nintendo, and that with only 2 modes that where winable.
if i'd given up becasue of my sheer volume of losses VS THE chessmaster, i'd not be here right now. i consider the chessmaster to be my (evil!) mentor.
One of the ways to learn is to not just focus on your losses but even your wins. A player can make mistakes that thier opponent might fail to recognize which could of lost them the game, or if it wouldn't lose the game just slows down the win or draw. If you can recognize a mistake before it's used against you in future games then you have found one of the painless ways to learning better chess. Enjoy your wins just don't forget that the actual win in itself doesn't mean that you played a perfect game.
Chess books can help alot but you have to becarful with them as Garry Kasporav has advised. Meaning it's written by people and sometimes people can be misleading wether intentionally or unintentionally but if you read and apply it you will see how useful it really is or isn't. A losing streak is a sign of the need for some off board studying. Watch grandmaster games, question thier moves, study the tactics, strategies, and principles of the opening, middle, and endgame. I strongly advise removing the chess clock and playing a game against yourself. Play both sides of the board fairly as you will then gain a better insight to your mistakes and how to avoid them. Which helps you to stop losing so easily which in turn trains you how to actually play for the win. It's all about control over the board not your opponent, when you play against the board you're automatically playing against your opponent. After you have gained confidence through what you've learned by yourself and/or from books you should play against computers. The stronger the better but don't expect to win, you should play for the win ofcourse but a draw is satisfactory even if your ratio of losses outshine your wins. At that point you're ready to play rated games against humans and occasionally play against computers if you wish.
Let it be known that I too suck at chess.
I really want to learn and be good at it, like some James Bond type of dude.
I want to be a chess superstar, but, I don't see it happening before my time on this earth is up.
Yes, I know , I must try, practice, practice, practice, never give up and follow the checklist rules outlined earlier, or in another post.
But, that's too hard. I seek an easiser way, if possible.
EVERYONE I've played here, has smoked me. I don't get frustrated - those days are behind me. I got cm'd today, in 4 moves. 4! count them. I simply expect to get smoked.
Those darn knights and bishops are my worst enemies. You guys (and gals?) sneak them up behind my queen, and poof, she's gone. Sneak them up again, and poof check mate.
Well, I'll be hanging around, usually here every day, if anyone wants an easy target in chess.
I, Chimbok, challenge you at chess.
I also accept your advice and suggestions. Please, if you play me, and I ask you what went wrong, please don't get frustrated - I'm a slow learner.
I recently purchased a chess game online, and I have played it and played it, and it too smokes me consistently. It's a game that I had purchased 25 years ago. I'd been missing it since I sold it years ago. So I saw one for sale, and snatched it. Now, what's going to happen is I will lose interest, but I will first play it 100 more times, before I give up. 100 more times, and that's all I'm giving this doggone thing. I shall post a photo of my radio shack game, at another time.
It seems to go straight for the queen.
Chimbok
Source: https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/why-do-i-suck-so-much
It was not until a few days ago when I decided to pick the chessboard up to see how I would fare against these days' typical chess players; I got steamrolled.
Now, I have been playing the game on and off ever since I was little due to dad being a chess player himself, and a good one, too! Thus I thought I would perhaps be innately good at it out of the blue; I guessed wrong.
I have been on a 26-game losing streak for two days. Most of these games I have thrown away via foolish blunders, even after having a winning advantage. I feel like everyone's sack of potatoes and am on the brink of quitting playing altogether. It saddens me a lot because I believe chess is beyond marvelous. However, I feel I do not have what it takes to get good at it; I do not think I was born with the talent, though I would do anything to pretend I did and thrive to squeeze out a win here and there against (relatively) sub-par opponents.
About three days ago, I bought The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess and have been reading it whenever I get the chance to after work; it became my only hobby as of today. I had to skip a bunch of chapters given I already knew all the rules and am now reading up on the part about tactics. It is giving me some insight on certain things, although I can't say I wouldn't have thought of them in-game.
Am I correctly tackling my improvement-plateau issue? Should I instead study openings? Should I forget about playing for the moment and just focus on learning? By the way, my current rating is insanely ambiguous as I am able to beat (though rarely) ~1300 players and have lost to ~700 players as well; I have no idea where I stand to be honest.
Phew, okay. I will go back to practice now (losing). Wish me luck!