Meh itâs like poker. You actually get better from the time you spend after your session analyzing hands, but you canât really be in a position to get good in the first place and start recognizing patterns unless you also play a lot of hands.
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One thing I never hear of is using time as an equalizer. Like an 1800 should comfortably beat a 1400 is most formats but an 1800 with 3+0 vs a 1400 with 30+15 could actually be competitive. And probably a good way for the 1400 to get stronger.
The majority of people who ever played chess are sub 1000. Probably even sub 800. Even âattack the centerâ would be some next level shit for games with your nan or the kid down the block.
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Some people just never think the way that chess requires you to think. Chess specifically is a practiced skill (at low levels basic pattern recognition of commonly arising tactics is like 90% of the game) but even at a more general level a lot of people are just not practiced in âif this then thatâ thinking. In games like poker the randomized outcomes save people from their mistakes some percentage of the time but if you leave your queen hanging in chess thereâs no âoutsâ.
i think this is more true for shorter time controls, like in a 30s vs 90s match i would favor the 1400 over the 1800 but in a 3 minute vs 30 minute +15 increment match i would still favor the 1800 with only 3 minutes because he will just be using the other 30 minutes to think on the 1400 players time.
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Yeah, thatâs a good point. My thinking was that the typical lower level player usually loses by making a blunder. When I play people in my range (1300-1400) itâs kind of a contest to see who can hold out the longest without just coughing up material with a bad mistake. With more time to think I make way fewer blunders at the ânow the game is lostâ level.
I agree that its possible to continue to have fun without continually increasing skill. Even a thoroughly mediocre player will occasionally spot an elegant tactical move or even a pretty mating pattern. Thatâs still fun, even if youâre losing half the time.
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I will say that one fun thing about playing at the low levels is that no one ever draws. I played 10 games this weekend against people of a similar level (approx. 1400) and I went 6-4. Even when you reach even position endgames someone screws up and blows it. I notice that at my level people are not good at pawn play in the endgame. I won a couple where both sides were down to King and 2 or 3 pawns and people make a lot of mistakes that give you an opportunity to walk a pawn in to promotion and win the game.
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The subtlety of end game play is why GMs say people should spend more time learning them - theyâre mainly a technical area of the game that we tend not to find very interesting.
Yeah, I am by no means good at it but I have learned from experience that if the board is even in the endgame I can just start pushing pawns aggressively and often get one in. I think other low level players keep looking for forks and stuff to win material even when the priority should be pawn promotion.
The tutorials on chess.com are good. You need to practice pattern recognition to actually improve. The YouTube videos are helpful but not nearly as good as actual play.
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Also try John Bartholomewâs chess fundamentals series on YouTube.
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How do you post these animated boards? Have my first win I am actually proud of :D
Iâm on phone so I canât tell you more specifically but itâs pretty easy, just try to share the game or export the game and there will be an option to do it as an animated gif on chess.com. I think you can post games youâve played outside of chess.com into the export tool as well, like Iâd you have a pgn game from another site.
Eta: this may be the direct link, paste pgn in there and it should make it for you: https://www.chess.com/gifs
I just click on the usual Share icon below the game and then Animated Gif and download it locally, then upload here.
Figured it out. Thanks @smrk4 and @Jalfrezi
I know this is probably the most standard boring London nonsense of all time, but I was proud of it :)
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Nice one.
I play the London all the time. If black doesnât like it they can always respond to d4 with c5.
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I often find myself facing the London after 1.d4 Nf6. In the hands of a tricky player it can be really hard to play against.
I try the usual set up with c5 and Bd6 opposing the bishop, Nc6 and Qe7 trying to push e5 which is great for black as everything gets swapped off in the centre and black is better developed, but white usually pre-empts that with Ne5 when I like Bxe5 followed by a Nd7 and f6 trying to crack open whiteâs centre.
I do get crushed on the kingâs side sometimes in that line, though.
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