I’m currently stuck at 300 elo

    I have a problem. My rapid elo is stuck at around 330 - 350, and for some reason I lose a bit more than half of my rapid games. I’m so confused, since I’ve done a lot of tactics puzzles, and I always try to think about what my opponent is doing with my move. I know various checkmating patterns and the basic ones, but I do need to brush up on my openings.

    I’m not really looking for advice such as “oh just play a lot of chess and you’ll get better”. I wanna specifically point out the heart of the matter and try to work on that. 

Looking at some of your last few loses there are a few things I saw. 1. Is you move to fast. You don’t take much time to think about what your opponent is actually threatening. You will make a move in 20 seconds when you have 27 minutes left and your opponent is threatening mate in one that is able to be countered. This led to you getting checkmated multiple times 2. You need to do some sort of blunder check. This help you prevent losing material, avoid avoidable checkmates. 3. You need to ask yourself why did my opponent make that move. You don’t have to counter every move, but if you ask that question every time that will help you see their threats, and be able to evaluate if you need to respond this move or not. Doing tactics puzzles will help you see and calculate these threats. 4. Don’t resign even if you are down a queen. At your level they will blunder a few pieces as well. When you resign all you did is secure a loss instead of coming back and wining.

What to study: 1. Tactics (this is most important at your level)
2. Overkill mates and endgame principles
3. Opening principles.

Hope this helps.

I can teach you EXACTLY how to think during the game (opening, middlegame and endgame). Your chess understanding will never be the same and you will improve a lot. I charge $10/h, but if you can’t afford too many lessons, don’t worry. I can teach you a lot in an hour. Here to help if you are interested.

Tysm. I've often found I've won more and played more accurately when I've tried to determine why they played a move and what they want. I've also tried to look out for tactics my opponent can play on me and tactics I can play on them.

I am trying very hard, not to hang pieces, i try looking for missed wins and i analyse the game and even write down my mistakes. I am stuck at 300 elo constantly and not able to move to 400 elo.

The best advise i can give u is try to wait before you make a move and think: what is my opponent going to do? Then you look at checkmate and captures. If there none, then you can go try to play standard developing your pieces and stuff like that. Wow, i sound like a genius when im reading this back. lol.

Slow down between moves and look at the moves you are thinking about making and make sure they are protected. Look at your opponent's pieces to see if they are setting something up, such as checkmating you. Look for opportunities to skewer, fork, or pin your opponent. Make sure your King is defended.

Get in the practice of doing certain things before ever making a move.

Nice to see the OP is at 916 in rapid a year later. Do you want to say anything about what has helped, 8sic?

@9

"Do you have anything to say about time management?"
++ If you lose a game on the board with time left on your clock, then you played too fast.
If you lose a game on time in a lost position, then you gave it your best effort.
Identify your decisive mistake and learn from it.
If you lose a game on time in a won or drawn position, then you played too slowly.
Identify the move that cost you most time.

First thing I recommend is playing with a longer time control. I would say 15|10 minimum. More time equals more time to think about your moves. Time management is not as important if you blunder your queen and a minor piece. You are down too much material at that point for time management to make much of a difference in the game. When it comes to feeling pressure to move fast to not get lower on time than opponent. Don't have that mindset. The time will change in who has that advantage (or how much of an advantage) will change throughout the game. I have played many games where I was down by more than 5 minutes in a 15|10 game, and later in the game it was my opponent who had less than a minute on the clock while I had over 3 minutes. Only feel the time pressure when you are really low on time, not when they have more time on the clock than you. Also if you get the win while only having 5 sec left, and your opponent has 8 minutes left you still won.

As far as what I mentioned in my previous post that advice holds true for you as well. You can read that post for more information. I will include some thinks to help you learn some of those things, but you should also do puzzles. That will help you to learn to see the tactics patterns in a game, and improve calculation ability.

Chess Tactics Definitions

Endgame Priciples 

Two Queens, Two Rooks, and Queen and Rook vs king

Queen and king vs king

Rook and king vs king

Opening Principles

Here is some links to some playlist on YouTube that will help you get better. The first one is designed specifically for player at your level:

Chess Vibes Beginner Chess Course

Chess Vibes Endgame Course

Improving your chess rating from 300 Elo will require focused effort and dedication. Here are some brief suggestions to help you progress:

1. Basic Tactics: Master fundamental tactics such as forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks. Practice regularly on tactics training websites or books.

2. Study Openings: Focus on learning basic opening principles such as controlling the center, developing pieces efficiently, and ensuring king safety. Choose simple and solid openings to begin with.

3. Endgame Fundamentals: Learn basic endgames such as king and pawn endings, rook endings, and basic checkmating patterns. Understanding endgames will help you convert winning positions into victories.

4. Analyzing Your Games: Review your games to identify mistakes and missed opportunities. Pay attention to recurring patterns and try to understand the underlying reasons for your decisions.

5. Consistent Practice: Dedicate regular time to play and analyze games. Online platforms offer opportunities for both casual and competitive play, as well as tools for post-game analysis.

6. Seek Guidance: Consider working with a chess coach or joining a chess club where you can receive guidance, feedback, and support from more experienced players.

Remember, improving at chess is a journey that requires dedication, practice, and a willingness to learn from both victories and defeats. Good luck on your chess improvement journey!

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will surely implement all of these in my chess games.