Improvement help

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Equiv

Sorry I know this is probably a common subject here. No matter how much I play/research I don't improve I go from beating 1000's to losing to 500s . i know basic opening principles and general beginner knowledge but I still lose because I blunder or play against an opening I'm not sure how to deal with or I can't figure out why. There's nowhere to get chess books in my area and I can't afford premium or a mentor . YouTube vids seem to be aimed towards the complete beginners or experts and generally do not help. thanks if you took the time to read and if you would like to play me to see what I'm talking about challenge me. any help is great.

MrDamonSmith

Tactics & ENDGAMES. 

RonaldJosephCote

                 I can give you your 1st lesson in how to improve.  DON'T START 3 IDENTICAL THREADS

Equiv

was accidental because of my phone

MrDamonSmith

Did I mention endgames?

Equiv

thank you .

RonaldJosephCote

                Wait a minute;   your butt can call someone??  and your PHONE can create 2 threads??      I'm never leaving this house again in my life!

blueemu

At your level, you will benefit most from studying tactics, model mates (back rank mates, smothered mates, greco, lolli, philidor, legal's, morphy's, paulsen's, anastasia's mates), more tactics, endgames, and more tactics.

Forget about learning specific opening lines until you understand why a good or bad position is good or bad.

Equiv

will just knowing endgame+tactics allow some wins with study . or will openings be required also?

MrDamonSmith

No openings. IF you feel a need to browse some openings then learn the PAWN STRUCTURES that go with them instead of memorising openings. Pawn structures will benefit you far more than wasting time studying openings. Then you will UNDERSTAND the positional ideas behind them.

Equiv

thanks.

Equiv

thanks.

blueemu
MrDamonSmith wrote:

No openings. IF you feel a need to browse some openings then learn the PAWN STRUCTURES that go with them instead of memorising openings. Pawn structures will benefit you far more than wasting time studying openings. Then you will UNDERSTAND the positional ideas behind them.

Agreed. Too many players waste their time studying specific opening lines when they don't yet understand what an advantage consists of, or when a specific type of advantage (better development, better Pawn structure, etc) is worthless. It's no use reaching a +/- position if you can't figure out what the plus is, or how to exploit it.

Pawn structure (especially, the typical Pawn structures arising from common opening patterns) should be the next thing to study; after tactics, tactics, tactics,model mates, endgames and tactics.

baddogno

Here are 25 free Chess Mentor courses designed to help newcomers grasp the fundamentals of chess.  Guaranteed to raise your rating 100 points or your money back...Wink These are actually very well done and even include the very gentlest of introductions to opening theory as well as tactics, strategy, endgames and checkmate patterns.

http://www.chess.com/blog/webmaster/free-chess-mentor-courses

Equiv

Thanks to all. very kind for people on the internet

blueemu

You`ll find plenty of idiots on this forum, but also plenty of helpful folks.

MrDamonSmith

.......& sometimes helpful idiots.

baddogno

Hey...I resemble that remark! Laughing

popgah1

Actually so do I :D