but HOW to learn?

hi,

well, i pretty much suck at chess. i fell in love with the game 3 weeks ago and it's great how much helpful stuff there is on the internet. but i am not able to find an info about - REALLY HOW to get better? i mean precisly? i know the rules, i know the ideas behind the tactics but i don't know what to do. is it just about playing a lot and it'll come? or is there some path of self study i should follow? should i study openings? (i've read that it's better just to learn the principles of the opening and study end game) but if not, how to reall start the game? 

as you might see, i'm confused but willing to do whatever it takes to get better as soon as possible!!!

love,
tomo 

keep studying tactics. as many a day as you can from all the themes (pins, forks, trapping etc)

study the basic endgames. Silman's book on this is very good.

study all the games you play and find your errors. try to get a better player/computer to look at them too and give imput.

I suggest:

Practice tactical elements... Pin, Fork, Skewer, Guard Destruction, Decoying, Interference, etc.

Practice Model Mates... Corridor Mates, Smothered Mates, Lolli, Greco, Philidor, Morphy, etc.

Practice simple end-games... King-and-Pawn(s), Rook and Pawn(s), King+Rook vs bare King, etc.

Then take a look at combinations... putting the simple tactics and model mates together into sequences of moves.

Opening theory can wait until you understand the basics of endgames and middle-game play.

thanks, that sounds resonable, BUT (note that i'm new in the chess study) how do you actualy practice those things? 

i have a chessmaster grand master edition, i guess that is a great tool for studies but how do i practice?

i'm sorry for throwing so basic quastions, but hey - you won't learn if you don't ask! :)

love
tomo 

Play 3 games daily. Win or loose dont matter. Never surrender or retreat. Jus learn. 

Oh yea. Use the tactic trainer daily. 

P:S:Once ur done wit ur game. Analyse ur game , every dam game. 

NM Jeremy Silman has a great tome about end game knowledge that is valuable all the way to a strong players strength and it isn't that expensive on Amazon.com, I think its like $18USD+shipping charges. I also recommend 1001 winning combinations by NM Bruce Pandolfini that is also quite cheap on Amazon.com ($10 USD plus shipping  charges I think?) that is all about end game tactics and mates. It is really smart to study using small number of pieces and master that and then work on tactics involving a lot of pieces. This way you can understand the basic use of each piece and how to effectively use them and then add more pieces to learn how to combine their use into an even greater force. It is just like any study, you begin with the elementary studies and get a firm foundation and then build up on the more advanced and complex studies. Trying to skip different aspects will lead to gap knowledge and cause major problems down the road. I'm even having to review some elementary things now myself because for one reason or another I didn't study it beforehand and it is stifling my progress now.

Study end games and basic tactics using a few pieces, and play games and then move up to more complex tactics (ChessTempo.com is a free place for such) and strategy like openings and middle games. You can be a decent player and not have studied specific openings, I haven't really yet myself.

Cheers!

Silman is an IM, don't insult him by saying he is a NM

My mistake. Angry much? No foul here...

I challenge you to a LIFETIME of BITTER HATRED!

watch a lot of videos on You Tube! if is about chess better

Good luck to the OP!

Use the Tactics Trainer, Chess Mentor and whatever else is available here (like a ton of beginners articles).

Consider a premium membership to get even more instructive goodies here.

Read one or more of the following

1000 Checkmates and/or 1000 Winning Chess Combinations both by Fred Reinfeld

The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played and/or Logical Chess Move by Move both by Fred Reinfeld

Check out my endgame blogs. Ignore everyone who tells you to skip studying endgames because "all games have opening but not all games have endings" and blah-blah-blah they don't know what they're talking about if they did they'd know that many endgame principles are applicable to middlegames and even openings

http://blog.chess.com/RoboRoy

No, but Silman will be searching for his cattle prod if he hears about this!

click on the learn bottom on chess.com and go to study plan,start from the beginning and go up one step at time.Play games and apply in the game what you learn.