Winning more as black

I picked up chess again to learn and study, I guess you'd call me a novice.  I'm only playing against chess computers, and I have a peculiar problem.  I know at master-level play it is Black's goal to draw moreso than win, and there is an advantage as White.  For me though, playing computers "rated" 1k-1.5k, my winning % is better as black.  What area of my game am I lacking that makes this so?

I admit I feel more comfortable playing black.  I allow the computer to make agressive moves, trade its bishop for my knight, allowing me to advance a pawn lattice.  After trading a few pieces, it tries to pressure a center pawn, and still I am comfortably able to build up more and more support until the tension finally breaks.  After a flurry of exchanges I find myself coming out ahead in material (by 3 points a so) and eventually muscling my way into a favorable endgame through more trades.

This sort of gradual build up of tension doesn't happen when I play white... I assume I'm making the right developments and getting my knights, bishops, and pawns into good positions, but suddenly I'll lose the initiative.  So, what am I missing?

Is it my inability to quickly enact hard-hitting combos?  Am I being too passive?  Too aggressive?  Are my opening plays fundamentally unsound? I have no problem posting some annotated games, but I figured maybe this is a common novice problem with a common solution.

Thanks!

You could be missing anything. You need to go over the games carefully in post mortems to figure out just what went wrong. Maybe using a database to compare the opening sequence may help. Your opponents may just be playing risky moves to counter your efforts but you miss the counterpunch.  

How big of a sample size are we talking about here?  Unless there is a huge difference in the quality of your opening play as White vs. Black, it's quite possibly a short-term phenomenon.  You would have to play many games to confirm that you're truly better with Black.

Jacksimus: Actually, I often have the same thing. While my results for both colors are roughly the same, I feel much more comfortable as black. As far as I can see, the reason for that is this: In a game, white usually chooses the general setup (e4, d4, or c4, usually) and black chooses the specific lines in that setup (Sicilian, King's Indian Defence, Hedgehog Defence, etc.) In a sense, then, white often does not get to choose the specific setup that he wants. For instance, it's all very well to prepare to play the Ruy Lopez as white, but what is there to prevent the game going into, say, a Caro Kann? Or a French? That is the problem for me, but maybe it is quite different for you. As others have said before me, it can be rather easier to wait for the other side to take the initiative, rather than taking it yourself.

Alright I played a game as white tonight against a 1215 "rating" computer.  Took about an hour to play.  I won, but I felt the computer played worse than it usually does.  I want to improve my play as white... Can you help me find where I passed up better moves?  Do I make correct assumptions?

You've got it set to play at a 1215 rating.  That's why it made so many bad moves - 1215 players make a lot of blunders, they don't know basic opening theory, etc.

I don't know ratings real well... What would you suggest I play against?

Try 1300.  If you win, try 1400.  If you win, try 1500.  etc.

When you lose, try 50 lower.

Pretty soon, you should find a range where if you go much higher,  you win a lot, and if you go much lower, you lose a lot.

I know it's more fun to win, but you'll learn more if you get an idea of what level you can win at, and then set it a little higher, so that the computer wins most of the games.

Also, while a computer is a good tool to help learn, try to find some people to play OTB.

I would also recommend you start (if you haven't already) doing tactics problems here and at chesstempo.com.  Getting good at tactics will help your game a lot.  it does sound to me like you've got a good grasp of basic opening theory, and some of the basic strategic ideas like "when you are ahead, even trades are good for you".

bl4der, 19. Ke7 forks the K & Q, leaving white a knight up.

Ok, here is my advice for any player when playing against a computer (I  heard this advice from an experienced master, I didn't just make it up ): Don't make the mistake of "dumbing down" the computer so you can win. So many players at all levels will set their computer opponent at a level just a little bit below their own, so that they can win consistently. I would strongly recommend this: Set the computer at the highest level you can get it at. This should be at least above 2000. If you do this, you will probably lose. In fact, you will probably be crushed in every single game you play against the computer. Don't be afraid of losing: embrace it. Learning from your losses is the best way to improve at chess. If your computer opponent is very strong, you will learn a great deal from the way they demolish you. The computer will always take advantage of your tactical mistakes, which will make you much more observant and much less prone to making blunders. The computer on easier levels sometimes doesn't take advantage of your blunders, which will only develop bad habits in your play.

So basically, play the computer, and set it strong enough that you lose often against it. In fact, you should lose as many games against your computer as your self-esteem can take without shattering completely. Losing isn't very fun, and you should always play your best in order to avoid losing, but if you learn from all your losses against the computer, you will certainly improve, and in your serious games with people at or below your strength, you will have a much better chance of winning. Also, never resign, even if the position is hopeless: learn from the way your computer opponent finishes you off, as winning a "won" position is an art in and of itself.

A knight up, plus white has two pawn islands, where the pawns can help defend one another.  Black has 6 pawns, just like white, but all 6 of blacks pawns are isolated - none can help defend any of the others.

Alright I've played a handful more games.  I kept moving up my opponent's rating, to 1270ish, 1330ish, 1400ish, and did pretty average.  2 wins, a draw and a loss as white.  Then I queued up for an 1850 AI, and I lost, but I just want to post one more game to see what you think.  I feel like I missed some blunder in the mid-game that allowed things to play out the way they did the last 20 moves.  Those moves I wasn't ever in control.

Well I played my first game of Live chess here!  I'm pretty excited since seeing checkmates hasn't ever been my thing... but I came up with something good, down in material.

I know I was lucky since I telegraphed my intentions but... I still feel pretty good about the end.  Playing a person is so much different than a computer.