frustrated....i just don't get it

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dork
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 3:05 pm

frustrated....i just don't get it

Post by dork » Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:53 pm

i'm frustrated to the point of angrily drinking myself into a suicidal/homicidal rage.

i just don't get it. it eludes me. the whole game of chess, apparently i should take up stamp collecting or some other obvious hobby.

i read books, "study" games, whatever, and i still don't see it. WHY (for example, this isn't an actual circumstance) is f3 an "exciting, powerful move that sounded the death knoll"? Why, if i move my knight to c5 it's no good, but if i move it to c3 it results in mate in 4 moves, even though there is nothing remotely different about what pieces attack those squares? what makes one pawn move strong and another weak? why is one square good, and another not?

i've read books on tactics, strategy, openings, middle games, and still, i just don't see it. what am i missing?

let me save time for many and say "thanks for the advice" to all those i know will reply with "just give up, it's not for you."

can anyone please tell me what i should be looking at, possibly reccommend a book or two on "how to study" chess, a website that explains stuff, anything?!?!?? can anyone give me any insight, advice, point me in the right direction? i want to take lessons, but there isn't anyone around where i live, and i'm not gonna take lessons over the phone, so that option is out.

slowblunder
Posts: 77
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 4:23 pm

You say that ...

Post by slowblunder » Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:52 am

... you have read books and studied strategy and whatever and you ask for recommendation of other books.

You didn´t write how many games you have played so far and how long you have been playing chess. I just had a look into your profile to check some of your games to give you a kind of advice for your play: 0 games, 0 wins, 0 losses, 0 draws and currently no running game.

So my advice is simply "start games on a low level and play". You will learn from your mistakes, maybe you are lucky to play an opponent who is willing to share their thoughts with you. It´s a long way and the more you walk it the more you will see how much way is still in front of you - but the walk itself is worth the effort.

Good luck!

pawnder
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2000 1:36 pm

Post by pawnder » Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:46 pm

Been tinkering with a free download called "Nagaskaki"
I think its different than most and really does a few things useful to early
players. The personalities move fast,and get better as you move up.
I dont mean to play it blurry-eyed for hours, but maybe
help your interests.
The GUIs pretty bright, maybe turn down the gamma
on your video card.
The price is right, anyway!

mic
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2004 4:31 pm

what would bobby do???

Post by mic » Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:39 pm

The books that have influenced my play the most are: 'How the Russians play chess', and 'Think like a grandmaster'....two excellent books well written and even a patzer like me can understand them to some point.

good luck!

Mic
enjoyed chess for thirty years...have lots of books and mags but never time to study. Maybe when I retire...chess strength has gone done ratings are unrealistic

dork
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2006 3:05 pm

Post by dork » Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:40 pm

slowblunder - i play online at uschesslive, not here, so there are no games under my account that you can see. i play lots of games with people of varios ratings (online ratings) and i usually lose, so i get frustrated.

pawnder - i downlowded nagasaki, it's pretty cool, thanks for the tip.

mic - thanks

wkowalski
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2004 6:59 am

game

Post by wkowalski » Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:10 am

Dork,
If you want to play me in an open unrated game, we can discuss strategy as we go. I am no great shakes at chess, but I know one or two things, no more.

neric
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2004 3:26 am

Re: frustrated....i just don't get it

Post by neric » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:21 pm

dork wrote:i'm frustrated to the point of angrily drinking myself into a suicidal/homicidal rage.

i just don't get it. it eludes me. the whole game of chess, apparently i should take up stamp collecting or some other obvious hobby.

i read books, "study" games, whatever, and i still don't see it. WHY (for example, this isn't an actual circumstance) is f3 an "exciting, powerful move that sounded the death knoll"? Why, if i move my knight to c5 it's no good, but if i move it to c3 it results in mate in 4 moves, even though there is nothing remotely different about what pieces attack those squares? what makes one pawn move strong and another weak? why is one square good, and another not?

i've read books on tactics, strategy, openings, middle games, and still, i just don't see it. what am i missing?

let me save time for many and say "thanks for the advice" to all those i know will reply with "just give up, it's not for you."

can anyone please tell me what i should be looking at, possibly reccommend a book or two on "how to study" chess, a website that explains stuff, anything?!?!?? can anyone give me any insight, advice, point me in the right direction? i want to take lessons, but there isn't anyone around where i live, and i'm not gonna take lessons over the phone, so that option is out.
Check out the DVDs from Roman Dzindichachvili. It's not about the openings he recommends, it's about his style of talking about chess. This is the sort of insight that you need.

Also I strongly recommend to pick up "The Method in Chess" by Josif Dorfman and "Simple Chess" by Michael Stean.

If this stuff doesn't make you click, then you can really give up chess and turn to backgammon.

norwegianblue
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:44 pm

happy

Post by norwegianblue » Wed May 30, 2007 9:39 pm

with me, though I suck, It's all about feel, about thinking ahead, and about not being afraid to get your . thoroughly reamed. I may pick up theory someday - after some experience.

nb

P.S., best stay away from the bottle, my man. Just enjoy. :)

davidswhite
Uranium
Posts: 150
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 1999 1:31 pm

Post by davidswhite » Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:10 am

I like slowblunder's reply and would recommend that you go that route.
Of course,the proper approach would be to put yourself in the hands of a good teacher,of which this site has no shortage...which is not to say that
any of them is necessarily available...or free.Cornstalk and hamot quickly
come to mind.

I have no idea how old you are or how much chess you've played but personal instruction works best when you're very young and unburdened
by a lot of mistaken ideas.

In any event,it's unlikely you'll gain anything by trying to wade through
books on chess theory other than total confusion and crushing boredom.

Other than books on chess openings I'd strongly advise you to get a hold of a 3 book set put out by Russian chess teacher,A. Livshitz,some 25 yrs.ago and distributed about 15 yrs. ago by Cadogan Chess by the name of "Test Your Chess IQ". Working my way through thesebooks over 10 years ago was for me a gas and absolutely essential before I undertook
correspondence-type chess after having played OTB,off and on,for roughly
40 years against the same group of the usual patzers,of which I was one.

Playing against computer programs at varying levels of strength is another
way to gradually acquire more competence.It has the virtue of of keeping
your personal humiliation at being regularly trounced a private matter but it's not for the faint of heart and too often leads to discouragement ,in my view,rather than enlightenment.

That's my 2 cents.
Best of luck,
David

islanderfan
Posts: 880
Joined: Mon May 14, 2001 10:56 pm

Post by islanderfan » Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:00 am

David fears me!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

monstermash
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:46 pm

Re: frustrated....i just don't get it

Post by monstermash » Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:33 pm

dork wrote:i'm frustrated to the point of angrily drinking myself into a suicidal/homicidal rage.

i've read books on tactics, strategy, openings, middle games, and still, i just don't see it. what am i missing?
is out.

Chess is like classical music it has a beauty and a harmony you musr hear in your mind and you must feel it while you are playing Chess is exactly the same as playing any classical music instrument someone with years of practice and experince could explain to you the basics of how to play the violin or the right way to play the clarinet or how you should play the trombone but that's not enough you have to find your own way and become one with the instrument.

Even when you find your way if you don't practice you become out of tune and stop hearing it and have to work very hard to become one with the instrument again *sigh*

fgormenghast
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:57 pm

the path to improvement

Post by fgormenghast » Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:34 pm

Here's an excellent article on how to improve:

http://www.chessville.com/instruction/i ... mprove.htm

I've been studying seriously for the past six months and have raised my rating 100 points on freechess.org. (from 1400 to 1500)

The books I've found most useful have been:

Seirawan's Play Winning Chess and Winning Chess Tactics (a good intro tactics book)

Pandolfini's Endgame Course -- basic endgame knowledge
and
Silman's Complete Endgame Course -- each chapter builds on the previous one and has quizzes -- just do the first few chapters.

* play basic endgames against a computer until you know them thoroughly

It's Your Move Improvers by Chris Ward -- basic strategy -- teaches you how to come up with a plan

Chernev's Logical Chess

How to Beat Your Dad at Chess -- basic checkmate patterns

Winning Chess Tactics for Juniors -- a good puzzle book for improving players

Some general advice:

*When studying, force yourself to follow the moves in your head for as many moves as you can -- this is essential for developing calculation and visualization skills.

*Don't play blitz.

*"When you find a move, look for a better one."

*Don't bother studying openings. Just pick one for white, two for black, and learn them by playing them over and over.

*Go over your games afterwards.

*Don't worry about your rating.

*The key to learning anything is to stick with it when you've reached a plateau. If you keep working at it, you will see yourself improve.

marandreo
Posts: 38
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 7:12 am
Location: Turin, Italy
Contact:

Re: frustrated....i just don't get it

Post by marandreo » Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:37 pm

dork wrote:...i read books, "study" games, whatever, and i still don't see it. WHY (for example, this isn't an actual circumstance) is f3 an "exciting, powerful move that sounded the death knoll"? Why, if i move my knight to c5 it's no good, but if i move it to c3 it results in mate in 4 moves, even though there is nothing remotely different about what pieces attack those squares? what makes one pawn move strong and another weak? why is one square good, and another not?

i've read books on tactics, strategy, openings, middle games, and still, i just don't see it. what am i missing?
A humble advice from an (almost) old teacher is that you should try to look at the position keeping in mind its characteristics, or "pattern position" - not sure of the exact definition in English - (i.e.: isolated or backward pawns, bishop pair or bishop of the same colour of your pawn chain, minority attack, undefended figures, etc): you know this is called "synthesis", and synthesis MUST come before analysis. This helps you find the opponent's weak point (and avoid yours!). At this point, you have to play on that objective, always trying to follow a few basic recommendations at any and each move (the slow games we play here are ideal): no undefended figures, no unnecessary pawn moves, watch out tactics! (overloads, deviations, etc). Remember: simple - and clear -ideas are the best (Capablanca docet). And above all: play, play and again play, experience will accumulate even unconsciously. At the beginning, choose an opening (better one that you feel "in your chords") and try to play it any time or try to reach positions that have characteristics alike. Don't look at one "astonishing" move, but rather try to follow a "logical thread", as simple as it might be (at the beginning!). The virtuoso's evolutions come long long after! Now it's not your (our) aim. Good luck and don't let your passion die!

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