How can i stop blundering and get better at chess?

Greetings guys,

I have 600 elo and I'm wondering how I get better (ive only played like 12 chess games). Like, I see these posts about "Make a plan on your opponents weakness", or "get this chess book and watch levy's guide on the caro kann", but whenever I watch or read chess books my brain goes POOF, and I don't wanna buy them, so I borrow them from the library which has like 4 or 5 chess books. And how do I create a plan based on their weakness? What squares or pieces classify as a weakness? How do I remember all these lines in chess? I mean, by memorising lines I mean what are the ideas behind those moves and stuff. I do Queens gambit but I only know one line, and i've been doing Caro Kann but i have like a 20% understanding of what the idea behind Caro Kann is. When I googled it, it said "to invade the e5 pawn to have a good light square bishop and have 2 solid pronged pawns" or whatever. What does it mean by 2 solid pronged pawns? And I barely have any games that has a good light square bishop. I feel like I have tunnel vision sometimes, and I'm only focused on 1 single thing at once. I'm a visual learner, and wayyy better at learning if I actually do it. So if there's any sites that can help me atleast or any way to practice, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond.....

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond

Thanks, but I already know all these things from binge watching gotham chess, and my schools chess learning club extension whatever. I'll just copy stuff I want to learn. And how do I create a plan based on their weakness? What squares or pieces classify as a weakness? How do I remember all these lines in chess? What does it mean by 2 solid pronged pawns? Is there any websites that help me to learn by actually doing it or at the very least seeing it?

At 600 elo dont read any book on strategy. You can easily get to 1000 elo by just doing these things:- 1. Knowing basic checkmate patterns. 2. Knowing basic tactics (forks, pins, etc.) 3.Blundering less than your opponent. 4. Recognizing opponent blunders. 5. Following general opening.

Talking about weakness, most common are 1.doubled pawns 2.isolated pawn 3.backward pawn 4.weak square.

1.If your opponent have Doubled pawn, trade down pieces to reach an endgame. Due to two pawns being on the same file, both cannot protect each other. This also makes them harder to queen. 2.If your opponent have isolated pawn, then you also trade into an endgame and try to win or blockade the pawn.

All this talk about doubled and isolated pawns is completely misguided.

The main objective would be to reduce the number of obvious one-move blunders. The way to do it is to use your time and think. Don't play random moves. Nothing else matters.

Example game:

https://www.chess.com/game/live/117605350937?username=enxviniti

In order to reduce your blunders you need to get a clear thinking-process when it comes to calculation.

But thats the point, what is the clear thinking process? And acknowledging the reply above, that was my mistake I thought too hastily 😅

It is a way of organizing the different aspects you need to consider.

Start with evaluation, understand which kind of treatment the position requires and then define a goal. Afterwards figure out the candidate moves, then start the calculation process

So for example I target the open g (and semi open) h file? And say it had pawns on g7 and g8, and rook replaces g2 pawn, would I move knight and exchange the light squared bishop, pawn takes, queen takes, check, and then h3 mate? And do help me on what the opp would do and what i should do

first you evaluate:

one move threats: the exchange of queens

material: white is up a piece

king safety: white's king is save. black is in big trouble

and here you can already try to figure out a way to exploit the weak king and the inbalance in material.

If material was equal then we would think this way: Since in this kind of position you want to keep the queens on the board, white is not going to exchange it.

candidates that allow to circumvent the exchange are 1.Bg5; 1.Qg3 and 1.Ng5

you start with 1.Bg5, since it is attacking the black queen. getting the bishop to f6, would end the game black would have to meet to many threats.

A dream scenario would be 1...Qd7 2.Bf6 and white is threatening Qg5+ and Qg7#

According to the above analysis black is not allowed to move the queen, but must play 1...f6.

After f6 our first candidate again is the most threatening move 2.Nd5! (black is not in time to take on g5 and threatenthe queen on h4, because Nxe7+ comes with check) now f6 is attacked 3 times, but defended twice. So this variation is already very good for white.

but since the material is not equal, white would also be happy about simplification (the exchange of pieces). So you have two paths to the win, either exchange the queens and then continue exchanging or go for the mating attack.

Weaknesses in chess...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=weakness+chess

Play against bots to learn while playing.....practice playing against the chess.com bots, and enable their help/assistance functionalities which provide you with real-time feedback as you play...

https://support.chess.com/en/articles/8614091-how-can-i-play-against-the-chess-com-computer

https://support.chess.com/en/articles/8572788-how-can-i-play-the-computer-from-a-custom-position

https://support.chess.com/en/articles/8572788-how-can-i-play-the-computer-from-a-custom-position

GM Daniel Naroditsky does a better than average job of explaining things while playing training games in his Speedrun videos.....for example...here he plays and explains a couple of fun openings...

Vienna Gambit... the VG is an improved version of the King's Gambit....aggressive and fun.....especially suitable for speed games - bullet, blitz, rapid......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4lW-6f56Cg&list=PLT1F2nOxLHOefj_z54LNBpnASnIROm43e&index=41

Introduction To The Vienna Game & Gambit

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/introduction-to-the-vienna-game-gambit

https://www.chess.com/blog/vitualis/how-to-play-the-vienna-gambit-a-complete-guide-for-beginners

Caro-Kann Tartakower Variation...an interesting variation....Black is looking to attack on the king-side...also good for speed games...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPVp5TWZR0w&list=PLT1F2nOxLHOefj_z54LNBpnASnIROm43e&index=49

Caro-Kann: Tartakower Variation (Caro-Kann Masterclass) - ChessGeek....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsnITf68J5w

Stop Blundering is actually nearly impossible at least you did some few mistakes, but if you play on classical or rapid time control you can always have opportunity to stop blundering with some few tips, these tips been used by many strong player in world including GM.

1. Thinking your opponent move first!

Beginner's Mistake is thinking their own move first before opponent, but the best thing you can do is thinking your opponent first then your moves, because if you thinking your opponent first you can predict what your opponent want to play.

2. Check Threat?

"Has Any My Pieces been threated?" after your opponent playing moves you need to asking to yourself that question, if you feel there's pieces was threated then you need find way to counterattack!

If you don't see any counterattack for your opponent, then you need find way to stop by protecting or retreat pieces (ex : Pawn, because only move forward).

2. Find Check!

Then try to find check, if don't exist leave it, if yes, you need calculate every possibility, you need figure out how to protect your king when check it, if it was exposed or not, if you feel that move is safe by calculating some opponent moves, you will easily safe your king.

3. Counterattack!

Just like said before, find any counterattack if you feel threated by your opponent like in game above, if you don't have any counterattack and your opponent attack seem cannot be counter it, find way to retreat or protect your pieces!

4. Dealing in Losing Position.

just use same principle but try to avoid any exchange of pieces because it will only make your pieces run out quickly!

4. Calculation!

Find any opportunity to make winning position or pieces, if you saw some minor tactic use that, at least you been calculate deep enough, easy to practice calculation, playing many puzzle will improve your calculation skill, you can compose your own puzzle in real life (real board) if you too lazy in online chess, do 10 - 15 possibility puzzle everyday it will increase your abillity.

https://www.chess.com/club/nenurona-sv/join

There are some great tips in this thread. I would start by analyzing the games where I blundered. What was going on when you erred? Was your dog pestering you to go outside? Were you eating lunch while playing? Were you under time pressure? Did you make an intuitive move instead of calculating? Even GMs blunder, so the idea is to reduce the frequency. Start by identifying the most common situations when you blunder.

In game, the tip that has worked best for me is to take a deep breath and do a "blunder check" before pulling the trigger on a move. Of course, I don't always remember to do that, but it has made a difference.

So for some practice for 1, would it help to just play against myself? Like I play white, then switch to black and ignore that I switched basically? I also do Lichess puzzles every day and I maintain a rating of 1150-1220. I don't know what practice would be for 3, so would you please tell me if these practice methods help or recommend me practices.

It's possible to play against yourself so you will familiar with some position, but far more better you play against bot, from weak to strong, after you feel master at weak then move to another level, just keep continue, the problem playing against yourself is you may play moves that normal opponent not play that's why playing against bot is much preferable, another alternate way is play against your friend or visiting chess club to play someone it would far more better, you also not play but also discussing how to play properly.

1150 to 1220 is great for puzzle, especially for beginner play it everyday will increase your cognitive ability to calculate some position, taking winning opportunity and tactical moves that will blow your opponent away, once again if you feel already master at some level of puzzle you can increase level of difficulty puzzle (I'm sure it was possible in Lichess), don't scared losing puzzle rating because it's just puzzle rating, get hard will make you better at dealing in difficult position.

to practice number 3, you need find ANY Way to counterattack your opponent if your pieces get threated, best practice to do is playing longer time control, 10 Minutes feel fast, reduce it to 15 or more (better with increment), in that case you will always have opportunity to counterattack if you feel threated, IF you have no way to counterattack, no opportunity, retreat or protect only that two you can do, also you need understand previous tips "Thinking what your opponent will do" "has any check or my pieces been threated?" if yes, then i need figured out to counterattack one of their pieces, if no way, then i need retreat or protect, "IF Didn't see any threat, check." just jump to step 5, calculate your moves.

on chess you must always thinking every move, don't just play random moves when you don't know what to do no matter if you winning, balance, or losing, you need figured out to deal in any position.

I already play 15/10, and my school has a chess club that i've been going to with people similar to my skill or elo. Also, what is the main idea of the Caro Kann? Thanks

My advice (as a chess coach and 2100+ player):

Learn and apply the most important principles of chess.
Always blunder-check your moves.
Solve tactics in the right way.
Analyze your games.
Study games of strong players.
Learn how to be more psychologically resilient.
Work on your time management skills.
Get a coach if you can.