How do I become a stronger player?

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Boingyknight

I would like to be a better player, but I don't know how.

Petrosian94

a lot of training and a coach might improve your results.

grrtoc
I think playing games and studying your mistakes afterwards is a good way to improve.
nklristic

Here are some tips that will help you out:

https://www.chess.com/blog/nklristic/the-beginners-tale-first-steps-to-chess-improvement

It is a blueprint (sort of) that will help you with devising a training plan.

Bgabor91

Dear Boingyknight,

I am a certified, full-time chess coach, so I hope I can help you. happy.png  Everybody is different, so that's why there isn't only one general way to learn. First of all, you have to discover your biggest weaknesses in the game and start working on them. The most effective way for that is analysing your own games. Of course, if you are a beginner, you can't do it efficiently because you don't know too much about the game yet. There is a built-in engine on chess.com which can show you if a move is good or bad but the only problem that it can't explain you the plans, ideas behind the moves, so you won't know why is it so good or bad.

You can learn from books or Youtube channels as well, and maybe you can find a lot of useful information there but these sources are mostly general things and not personalized at all. That's why you need a good coach sooner or later if you really want to be better at chess. A good coach can help you with identifying your biggest weaknesses and explain everything, so you can leave your mistakes behind you. Of course, you won't apply everything immediately, this is a learning process (like learning languages), but if you are persistent and enthusiastic, you will achieve your goals. happy.png

In my opinion, chess has 4 main territories (openings, strategies, tactics/combinations and endgames). If you want to improve efficiently, you should improve all of these skills almost at the same time. That's what my training program is based on. My students really like it because the lessons are not boring (because we talk about more than one areas within one lesson) and they feel the improvement on the longer run. Of course, there are always ups and downs but this is completely normal in everyone's career. happy.png

I hope this is helpful for you. happy.png Good luck for your chess games! happy.png

RussBell

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

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

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

MegaPro-123
Boingyknight wrote:

I would like to be a better player, but I don't know how.

play all day every day and you'll get the hang of it

catmaster0

Slow down. You are playing too fast. Get into a slower time control and spend some more time on your moves. If you aren't sure what to do look at every check and capture on the board and what would open up as a result of your next move for starters. 

JackRoach

One does not become the stronger player. The stronger player becomes you. After years of eating only celery (Which, fun fact is NOT a negative calorie food) and making mushroom salads while trying to meditate... I have been enlightened with this beautiful knowledge.

ShahxaibKhan

get a coach!

EliJHansen
Do puzzles a lot and just play until you make it
MegaPro-123
giant_of_style wrote:

When I was a beginner I played at least five  90 min per side games a week with other beginners like my sister, classmate, and neighbors. Money betting were on the line, touch move and seriousness or else you get poor and no food for recess in school. 

90 minute too long

Moonwarrior_1

Practice

Jonchena1000

Hej. Nie umiem jeszcze grać. Mam Dużo osiągnięć.

MegaPro-123

play a bunch of 3 or 5 minute blitz games, look back at every loss, find one big mistake that you made, and dont make that mistake again.

PleasantEscalator
MegaPro-123 wrote:

play a bunch of 3 or 5 minute blitz games, look back at every loss, find one big mistake that you made, and dont make that mistake again.

play rapid...

MegaPro-123
PeasantElevator wrote:
MegaPro-123 wrote:

play a bunch of 3 or 5 minute blitz games, look back at every loss, find one big mistake that you made, and dont make that mistake again.

play rapid...

rapid take too long

you can get more games in with blitz

only problem is that blitz gets very stressful after 8-9 games

PleasantEscalator
MegaPro-123 wrote:
PeasantElevator wrote:
MegaPro-123 wrote:

play a bunch of 3 or 5 minute blitz games, look back at every loss, find one big mistake that you made, and dont make that mistake again.

play rapid...

rapid take too long

you can get more games in with blitz

only problem is that blitz gets very stressful after 8-9 games

Games don't matter... It matters the quality of the play. Every decent player of around 2000 will tell you to play rapid first, and when you get good at rapid, play blitz and bullet. You, on the other hand, are 1100. You won't get better just by playing blitz and bullet. It doesn't work like that.

ruaidhrisaulnier

im rated 580ish on chess.com, what is a good way to improve?

JackRoach
MegaPro-123 wrote:
PeasantElevator wrote:
MegaPro-123 wrote:

play a bunch of 3 or 5 minute blitz games, look back at every loss, find one big mistake that you made, and dont make that mistake again.

play rapid...

rapid take too long

you can get more games in with blitz

only problem is that blitz gets very stressful after 8-9 games

No. No blitz.