Chess

[bigbadbuff23835]

8 hours ago, HorizontoZenith said:

I have actively been trying to improve in chess over the past couple years.  I'm somewhere between a 1400 and 1599 right now.  I have a cousin who is easily at a master rating and could probably compete internationally.  I will never be that good, and that kind of future moves thinking is just something you have to be born with I think.  If I spent an hour on each move contemplating every possible outcome, he'd still destroy me.  That's why chess gets so disheartening at times.  It's the type of game where you can be so fully and completely outmatched by somebody before the game even begins that you have, essentially, no shot. 

I still like to be able to beat the majority of people I play.  Can't always beat regular players, but I can hold my own, not make major mistakes, and I can beat almost any casual player I know.  I'm content with that. 

Exactly how i feel. I’m never going to compete with players who play in tournaments or anything, but I’m able to whoop any of my friends and anyone at family parties, and that’s fine bt me. 

[Shockwave]

Yea on the Chess.com app I set the online matches to be between -50 and +100 so it will only match me with people in my range. This way the better I get the higher the opponent I face going forward but keeps me from being matched up with the Bobby Fischers on there. I'm actually on an 8 game win streak at the moment

[Chiefer]

MyWhole family is full of chess players

My gpa always told me that whoever has the most pawns at the end wins.

My little brother in HS has beaten everybody in the fam(except me) but hes just super aggressive. Chess is boring to him so he wants ot over quick and people aren't used to that.

[bluemushrooms]

Learn your openings and your playstyle.  I really hate the late game grind.  Love the early game though.

 

Everyone should learn openings and counteropenings but, if you especially enjoy the early game, learn as many openings as you can and as in depth as you can.

My favorite for White is the Fried Liver attack and the Scandinavian (which I transition into the Icelandic Gambit) for Black.

 

If you really like the late game, still make sure you learn the common early game openings, but, I'd work more on Chess Puzzles.  Usually, there aren't as many pieces on the board late game so, players' strategies are way easier to notice since there's just less stuff on the board to have to pay attention to and worry about.

[bluemushrooms]

On 1/31/2018 at 3:02 PM, bigbadbuff23835 said:

Exactly how i feel. I’m never going to compete with players who play in tournaments or anything, but I’m able to whoop any of my friends and anyone at family parties, and that’s fine bt me. 

You can catch good players because sometimes they'll make careless mistakes.  Chess players are all pretty cocky and playstyle will change depending on the type of player you're up against; when players go against beginners, they'll play differently than they normally do.  Best way to catch a "good" player is with really good sacrifices and double pins if you can set them up.  Don't try to play standard since they have way more experience doing that than you do.

[Shockwave]

^ Interesting... I actually much prefer the late game play over the openings. The openings are so robotic and scripted it mostly just becomes monotonous. The late game play is where innovation and strategic planning comes in. Out of the box moves, recognizing pins, pressure, and putting your opponent on edge. Having to really think ahead and consider your opponents responses. Once you commit a few openings to memory it's just a matter of following the gameplan and if your opponent does something out of the box just using an alternate version of the gameplan. I mostly just use the Queen's Gambit if I'm white and play the best counter for whatever white does if I'm black and only really veer off the standard move order if my opponent does something crazy. Basically the openings are mostly boring and repetitive to me. The middle and end game is where I really enjoy chess.