I Actually Think I am Not Improving At All!

If you cannot go through these lists on each move without losing on time?  Then youre playing to fast, or playing to fast a time control.

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key
3. Castle
4. Connect your rooks

Tactics...tactics...tactics...

The objective of development is about improving the value of your pieces by increasing the importance of their roles. Well-developed pieces have more fire-power than undeveloped pieces and they do more in helping you gain control.

Now we will look at 5 practical things you can do to help you achieve your development objective.

They are:

1. Give priority to your least active pieces.

• Which piece needs to be developed (which piece is the least active)
• Where should it go (where can its role be maximized)

2. Exchange your least active pieces for your opponent’s active pieces.
3. Restrict the development of your opponent’s pieces.
4. Neutralize your opponent’s best piece.
5. Secure strong squares for your pieces.

 

Don’t help your opponent develop.

There are 2 common mistakes whereby you will simply be helping your opponent to develop:

1. Making a weak threat that can easily be blocked
2. Making an exchange that helps your opponent to develop a piece

 

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.
2. Look for forcing moves: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) as this will force you look at, and see the entire board.
3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.
4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.
5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

no one goes through that list manually, we just look and see what the opponent is threating or etc etc, sometimes u miss a tactic or two because its just too complicated for ur level, and u dont detailedly look for an hour about stuff dude, thats just no improvement, that only applies to weird ppl 

It is true that 3 or 5 minute games are even worse, but 10 minutes is speed chess for sure, especially for that level (for my level as well). Less amount of longer games is the way to improve, not a bunch of low quality games where you hang a rook and a queen in a single game.

IMBacon has a point.

As for the checklist, as you get better you will subconsciously do the things from the list more and more (probably not every time). Sometimes it will be intuition, and sometimes you will miss stuff because it is the opening and you don't expect the opponent to blunder so you might not exploit a mistake or two, but the checklist is sound. 

21 months of speed chess....

 

Good luck to you!

Thanks again!  will post my next game end for some analysis

Post a slow time control game, with your own analysis (thoughts, ideas, plans, "what is my opponent trying to do?", etc.)  DO NOT worry about how right or wrong your analysis will be.  Post it for review form others. 

On my phone so no idea how to insert this game correctly.

I reviewed the game and I didn’t make as many mistakes or blunders as usual. I missed a few moves where my pieces connected to give good cover but overall fairly pleased and 30 accuracy seems good for me. I definitely made a few moves that I was unsure of!




1.e4 Nf6 2.f3 e5 3.Bd3 d5 4.Bb5+ c6 5.Ba4 Bd6 6.Ne2 dxe4 7.d3 e3 8.g4 h5 9.Rg1 Be6 10.g5 Nd5 11.g6 fxg6 12.Rxg6 Kf7 13.c4 Kxg6 14.cxd5 Bxd5 15.Bxe3 Bb4+ 16.Nec3 Rf8 17.Nd2 Qh4+ 18.Kf1 Qxh2 19.Bg1 Qh1 20.Qe2 Na6 21.Qh2 Qxh2 22.Bxh2 Rae8 23.Ke1 e4 24.fxe4 Be6 25.Kd1 Bg4+ 26.Kc2 Rf2 27.Kb3 Rxh2 28.Nf1 Be6+ 29.Nd5 cxd5 30.Nxh2 dxe4+ 31.Kc2 Rc8+ 32.Kd1 exd3 33.Rc1 Nc5 34.Be8+ Rxe8 35.a3 Bb3+ 36.Rc2 dxc2+ 37.Kc1 Re1# {Playerh8a won by checkmate}

 

Cxd5 move 29. That felt like a mistake! I think was just trying to clear the centre and didn’t know what to do with the rook on the H file being threatened

I think it has started already with your second and third opening move. Try to avoid a move like f2-f3 in the opening as it usual will weak your position. Bishop to d3 on move 3 is also a mistake as you block your  central pawn on d2 from developing!

 

I was playing black.  sorry forgot to mention it

Be very patient. It can take a whole month or even a couple of months to notice improvement. Make sure you aren't playing quick time controls and don't wipe mistakes under the rug. Keep thinking about it and make sure you are increasing your understanding of certain things. 

It takes a lot of work. 

Looked like a massive improvement to me, well done.

29 ...cxd5 was a mistake though, since it allows Bxe8+, then after your King moves you lose your other Rook with Nxh2. You're still winning after this, but it would have been annoying. Fortunately your opponent didn't see it

^^^
basically dont be me and grind puzzles and be trash in actual chess

 

thanks for the feedback, totally agree with cxd5 and it annoys me looking at it lol.  

What were the time controls for this game?

 

1 day move