Why do i suck in chess?

Question

I practice and practice...but i never get better...can you PLEASE give me some tips..i can't even beat the kids at school...do you have any strategies for me...PLEASE.....

Answer 1

Do NOT read "My System" by Aaron Nimzowitch...that book is way, way too advanced for a beginner.

At your level, you probably have a hard time implementing (and stopping) good tactics...

I'd suggest a couple of books:

Winning Chess Tactics (Yasser Seirawan)
Chess Tactics for Champions (Susan Polgar)

Learn to play according to good opening PRINCIPLES (don't worry about 'memorizing' opening lines, you're not far enough along to worry about that yet). By "Principles" I mean, for example:

1) don't move more than two pawns in the opening
2) try to control the center squares, either by occupying them or influencing them
3) develop your Knights before your Bishops
4) Castle early to protect your King and unite your Rooks
5) try to prevent your opponent from doing these same things...

Bruce Pandolfini's "Chessercizes" books are good, they contain tactical puzzles to solve (solutions provided of course, but don't look at them until you've REALLY tried to solve the problems).

Chessmaster 10th Edition has some good tutorials for beginners.

Tactics is the main subject you'll need to familiarize yourself with at your level...

Good luck...and don't give up!!!

Answer 2

Don't know where you came with the idea that chess is a requirement for being an intellectual. I think George Bernard Shaw (or somebody like that) said that "Ability at chess is not evidence of a great mind, but of a great mind wasted." Much more important anyway than brains in chess is practice. And believe me, 3 days is nothing. I spent years studying the game, and I'm still not exactly immune to loss. And Bobby Fischer has an IQ of 187--and he ended up becoming a Jewish Nazi. You call that brains? Chess and academics have virtually nothing in common by themselves (although people may be interested in both). And as for chess play being a characteristic of "well-rounded people"...go hang out at a chess tournament for a while to dispell that rumor quickly! Not sure why you'd want to kill yourself for not being able to play chess; when I was 15 I wanted to kill myself because all I could do (or think about doing) was playing chess. Cheer up--make some more friends--and find something better to do with your time than wasting it on a board game.

Answer 3

I don't know, I have the same problem. I've had people teach me to open and that was good. I felt I was doing better but it's the strategy that gets me every time. I just keep playing other opponents. After he/she makes a move I didn't expect I ask about it. I feel as long as I'm playing a friendly game of chess then I can ask why they moved where they did, it encourages conversation as well.

Answer 4

I'd suggest Siegbert Tarrasch's The Game of Chess he teaches
the elements, the end game, the middle game, lastly the opening.
He starts off with just a few pieces in very simple positions that you
commit to memory then he moves on to the end game, the middle
game and then the opening he explains the game very clearly he
is one of the best chess teacher who ever lived.

If you get this book get the descriptive notation version below it's Tarrasch's work as he intended it they updated it with an algebraic version but the guys who did the update ruined his book so avoid
that one.

http://www.amazon.com/Game-Chess-Siegbert-Tarrasch/dp/048625447X/sr=8-2/qid=1162361066/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-3420524-3398454?ie=UTF8&s=books


If you study Tarrasch's book really really well you will be a much better, player I know because I study the book myself and it's made a huge improvement in my play and rating I've gone from 1300 strength to 1800 rating.

Answer 5

what most grandmasters do is take control of the center and have very few holes in their defenses
however the most important thing is think about your move carefully
and ask yourself a few questions
1. Is it safe to move there?
2. Are there any threats against me?
3. Is my king in any danger?
4. If I move here, how will my opponent respond?
you will probably be able to shock a couple of people.
Good luck!

Answer 6

See the main objective of chess is to STRAIN ur mind:)

dont always see which piece ofthe opponents u can attack
first see whether any of HIS/HER pieces threatin any of urs

then before u move, make sure the place u are moving ur piece to is under control (as in if anything can kill ur piece if on that square)
then make sure u always have support for ur pieces






oo and last thin(very important)
make some sacrifices which allow other pieces to be moved to better stratergical places(more like a disguise) and try to make it look like ur loosing this always works

u wont master chess with these but follow these tips and u might as well be on ur way towards victory














:)

Answer 7

Every move you make should have a reason based on one of the following three principles:
1) Increasing or protecting your material strength.
2) Gaining control of the center of the board.
3) Increasing your mobility.
Don't make a move without a reason.
Get a tutor to explain to you why a move is good or bad.
Learn to write down your game so that you can revise it and find out what you did right and what you did wrong.

Answer 8

Chess is a very difficult game so it's hard to really tell anyone how to play better directly.

However, this site has some general strategies that might be able to help you;
http://www.chesscentral.com/chess_strategy/chess_strategy.htm

Good luck

Answer 9

learn the game...learn the strategies...go check out some books to see master chess players strategies...practice playing online...

Answer 10

Well you should ask yourself this question, "Do I like slow paced games?"

Thats what chess is all about, you need to take your time and think about EVERY move and then think about what your opponent is/could do to counter you. Thats why they call chess "the thinking mans game."

My suggestion is to take your time between moves and try to predict the future of the game at hand. Or find a game you like more.