I’m really, really bad

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byrn3boy
I started about a week ago and I was loving it, improving against the computer and what not. Now I haven’t won a single game in any tournament or online game I’ve joined and it’s really ruining it for me. All the great moves I’ve learnt in the lessons seem to screw me over in real games. Any advice for a complete beginner?
IMKeto

Im gonna go out on a limb here.  I wont even look at your profile page.

All you're playing is speed chess right?

RussBell
IMBacon wrote:

Im gonna go out on a limb here.  I wont even look at your profile page.

All you're playing is speed chess right?

lol +1

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

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

IMKeto
RussBell wrote:
IMBacon wrote:

Im gonna go out on a limb here.  I wont even look at your profile page.

All you're playing is speed chess right?

lol  +1

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

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

Was I right?

minakhasv
i’m bad too🥳🥳
nklristic

10 minute per side is the longest time control you've played. If you wish to improve, that is most likely too fast for an improving player. (@IMBacon yup happy.png)

If you wish to improve, play longer games. It is fine to play less games if that means you get to play better on average. 15|10 is the absolute fastest time control you should play. If you can, play even longer games. 

Here are some tips on how to improve:

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

RussBell

Play Longer Time Controls...
For many at the beginner-novice level, speed chess tends to be primarily an exercise in moving pieces around faster than your opponent while avoiding checkmate, in hopes that his/her clock runs out sooner than yours. And/or hoping to notice and exploit your opponent’s blunders while hoping they don't notice yours. The reason for this is that there is little time to think about what you should be doing.

It makes sense that taking more time to think about what you should be doing would promote improvement in your chess skills and results.

An effective way therefore to improve your chess is to play mostly longer time controls, including "daily" chess, so you have time to think about what you should be doing.

This is not to suggest that you should necessarily play exclusively slow or daily time controls, but they should be a significant percentage of your games, at least as much, if not more so than speed games which, while they may be fun, do almost nothing to promote an understanding of how to play the game well.

Here's what IM Jeremy Silman, well-known chess book author, has to say on the topic...
https://www.chess.com/article/view/longer-time-controls-are-more-instructive

And Dan Heisman, well-known chess teacher and chess book author…
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627052239/http:/www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman16.pdf

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/dan-heisman-resources

and the experience of a FIDE Master...
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/how-blitz-and-bullet-rotted-my-brain-don-t-let-it-rot-yours

for some good stuff on general chess improvement, with a view toward learning what you should be doing, check out.....
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

Luigi4011

For a complete beginner I would not give up, it just takes some time for your brain to adjust to new material.  If you work hard and be consistent you should be able to improve.

rockidr4

I'm also a beginner and I'd say if you haven't played a longer slower game yet, you should. A rapid game an hour long is gonna be way more fun than a 5 minute blitz game. Not even getting into improvements here, I don't have the experience to give a recommendation there. I'm just saying if you're having 0 fun, try playing a format that gives you more time to do the core game loop of chess: planning your next move

catmaster0
byrn3boy wrote:
I started about a week ago and I was loving it, improving against the computer and what not. Now I haven’t won a single game in any tournament or online game I’ve joined and it’s really ruining it for me. All the great moves I’ve learnt in the lessons seem to screw me over in real games. Any advice for a complete beginner?

Slow down. The vast majority of the time this gets asked, the players are often playing so fast they could not possibly be expected to make good moves, especially if they are still learning as a beginner. A lot of mistakes are made on that alone, hanging a queen because of making a move in just a couple of seconds without looking at the full board to see why this might not work.

Roddy76

I agree with the other comments. I consider myself a late beginner, maybe even an early intermediate player. However, playing for real (with real people) is way different. Since I resumed playing chess for real last November, I haven't been able to break the 700 rating for rapids. I'm focusing on rapids because that's the best way to learn for a new player. I like to play mostly 30-min games.

fishninjay
Roddy76 wrote:

I agree with the other comments. I consider myself a late beginner, maybe even an early intermediate player. However, playing for real (with real people) is way different. Since I resumed playing chess for real last November, I haven't been able to break the 700 rating for rapids. I'm focusing on rapids because that's the best way to learn for a new player. I like to play mostly 30-min games.

 

what makes you think rapids are the "best way to learn for a new player"? not sure I follow that logic..

IMKeto
Roddy76 wrote:

I agree with the other comments. I consider myself a late beginner, maybe even an early intermediate player. However, playing for real (with real people) is way different. Since I resumed playing chess for real last November, I haven't been able to break the 700 rating for rapids. I'm focusing on rapids because that's the best way to learn for a new player. I like to play mostly 30-min games.

https://www.chess.com/live/game/6171975043

You got mated in 37 moves, and still had 19:06 on the clock.  Youre not even playing rapid.  Youre playing blitz.

RussBell

Time Controls - Everything You Wanted To Know...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/time-controls-everything-you-wanted-to-know

catmaster0
fishninjay wrote:
Roddy76 wrote:

I agree with the other comments. I consider myself a late beginner, maybe even an early intermediate player. However, playing for real (with real people) is way different. Since I resumed playing chess for real last November, I haven't been able to break the 700 rating for rapids. I'm focusing on rapids because that's the best way to learn for a new player. I like to play mostly 30-min games.

 

what makes you think rapids are the "best way to learn for a new player"? not sure I follow that logic..

As opposed to what else? 

AcidicSnow
byrn3boy wrote:
I started about a week ago and I was loving it, improving against the computer and what not. Now I haven’t won a single game in any tournament or online game I’ve joined and it’s really ruining it for me. All the great moves I’ve learnt in the lessons seem to screw me over in real games. Any advice for a complete beginner?

play 10 minute games at least and if your playing people 50 or more higher than you you are probably going to lose and you have to accept that and watch and learn from that

IMKeto
byrn3boy wrote:
I started about a week ago and I was loving it, improving against the computer and what not. Now I haven’t won a single game in any tournament or online game I’ve joined and it’s really ruining it for me. All the great moves I’ve learnt in the lessons seem to screw me over in real games. Any advice for a complete beginner?

Your latest game:

https://www.chess.com/live/game/6181213040

You played a G5, gave away a bunch of material, lost in 15 moves, and....here is the shocker....you still had 4:27 on the clock. 

I will give you one guess as to why youre not getting better.