Struggling to get past 600 lol

 Hello folks!

 I'm 30 years old and I started playing chess about a month ago... I'm 600 (which is really frustrating as I see people commenting they started at like 1000, which to me is insane.. Well I think kids can learn much faster and are a lot smarter but for like adults starting off at a 1000 sounds like really intimidating to my mental mental abilities.. ) It's not like I'm mentally disabled or something, I learned English at 22 so I have faith that I will somehow be able to get to 1000 in like two years or so! That's my goal... 1000 ... then I can quit chess!

 My questions:

1 - The thing is I realized that I'm kind of stuck in the same problems and I can't get past my current level...   Is there anyone who would help me (for free) ? lol

2 -  Do u guys also find chess so freaking addictive? I feel like it's becoming like a bad habit and I need to study for work and my life and it's bugging me a bit.. Like i'm gonna play just one and then u play 4 and u get anxious!

A steady diet of speed chess doesn't give you time to think.  So how are you expecting to improve?

First of all, chess is a skill, intelligence has some role there, but it doesn't mean that if you play good chess you are automatically super smart. Many smart people either don't play chess or play chess at beginner like level.

I've started at 800 in February. I 've chosen that level on purpose because I didn't touched the game for 20 years (I've played it in elementary school casually and at age 15 I've stopped). I did play a game here and there, but no more than 10 games in 20 years. So, I knew the rules in February but I was much worse than at 15.

In retrospect my real level was around 1 000 when I started. In a few weeks it came back to me, the game that is, I started studying chess and now I am around 1 500. I still consider myself  weak, but I am getting a little bit better.  Anyway, not to bore you to death, this is what I did:

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


If you have the time, read it and use it as a guide. It was effective for me, it might help your game as well. Good luck in your chess improvement.

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

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

You want to get to 1000 and then quit? What's the point of even improving in the first place if you don't plan to stick with it? 

Well it's like if someone wanted to learn to play an instrument and once they got to a point where they could competently play a few basic songs they just quit and never play again. Seems strange. If you enjoy something enough to get to a somewhat competent level then it seems like you would enjoy it enough to keep at it.

Well to each their own I guess.

Yeah that's true. I used to think 2000 in blitz was good but 2000 rated players still make tons of mistakes. Your perception of what's good is always changing as you get keep improving.

Keep it simple.  Just play chess games against the computer starting at 600.  Set a goal of playing 100 games total over two months and keep track of the number of games you played on a piece of paper or computer document.  Don't worry about winning or losing, just play and have fun.  Do the lessons on Chess.com, starting from the beginning.  Lastly, do a few puzzles a day.  Just have fun.  It's a game.  

Post games on the forums where it was a close battle where you struggled or games that you lost. (There is an "insert chess game or image" option in posts, just copy the PGN from one of your games and post it in there.) Include your thoughts on moves, etc. Look over that game, look for times where pieces were given away. At 600 and below free pieces are regularly offered in games. Check to see if any of your pieces can just be taken for free and if any of your opponent's pieces can be taken for free before moving. If you don't think you have enough time to do that in  game, you need to play a slower time control, play a time control where you have time to think about your moves and avoid clear mistakes, it's what you need to do to improve at this stage. If one of your pieces can be, used your move to fix it. If one of your opponent's can be, well then take it. I frequently look over games like that if I think I can be useful. 

Computers can be weird practice partners. Better to face actual people, which play more naturally and realistically, not to mention chess.com saves the games so you can look over them later. 

You should write down the problems you are facing and try to apply the solutions in training games.

https://www.chess.com/blog/KeSetoKaiba/opening-principles-again 

1000 chess.com rating is very reasonable; good luck with reaching your goal - depending on your amount of time put into it: maybe even within one year 1000 is reachable. You can do it

I have started playing again after a lifetime from when I was younger.

I think alot of new players get hung up on having a good rating instead of just enjoying the game. We all like to improve, but for me it is the enjoyment of playing comes first. I am at an age where I can laugh at my mistake followed by how on earth did I not see that, usually after losing my Queen. so my advice is enjoy all the games, and not stress over your rating, it w

I recommend John Bartholomew's beginner videos, Daniel Naroditsky's "GM vs Beginner" videos, and playing some slower games like 15+10.  Blitz is fun sometimes but you learn more when you have time to think.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to improve. It's not "getting hung up on" having a good rating instead of enjoying the game. Different people enjoy different aspects of the game. There are people that are hung up on rating just as there are people that are hung up on having a good time with the game, but this thread isn't really focused on that, this is just someone facing a roadblock on the goal to improving. 

Rated 1100 in what? Your highest rating is in rapid but isn't shown to have broken 1100 recently. Or are you rounding up? You are high 1000s at the moment, so you aren't that far off 1100. 

Nothing to apologize for, I was just trying to figure it out. It says you've jumped a couple hundred rating in the last 30 days, you were in the 800s, your 1156 peak was in October. You've had quite the roller coaster, lol. In any case, congratulations on climbing back up. 

catmaster0, of course there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve. I hope that I will improve overtime.