why am i SO bad at chess?

Post Reply New Topic

I haven't played chess in a long time. I learned when I was really young, but never had anyone to play against, and never studied it. I think that when I do find someone to play with, a lot of times the other person is better than me, and so they underestimate me, and I usually win the first round, lose the second, and draw the third. I don't really try to win, though, so much as I try to create chaos on the board. Make moves that don't make sense or follow a logical pattern. Try to keep the opponent distracted, confused, and frustrated. Just to see how they play the game.
I had an experience once when I was about 20. Me and someone else were both under the influence of a powerful substance and played a four hour chess game that ended in a stalemate. We each felt that by focusing on an individual piece or small group of pieces we couldn't help but see hundreds of possible series of moves. So it took forever to decide what moves to make.

Perhaps you never really studied the game of Chess. Maybe you do not practice it enough.
Do you really WANT to get better at chess?

The only way to get better at chess is to play it. If you don't understand your strengths and weaknesses on the board, you won't be able to win games; you'll just manage to not lose some. After you learn where your bread is buttered and how to butter it, then you can focus on psychology. Being good at chess is as much about knowing your opponents strengths and weaknesses as your own. And once you know your chess-playing self on a natural level, every game you play, each move you make you should be focusing on what kind of personality you're playing against, and what kinds of mistakes you can potentially capitalize on. Always pay attention to the board, and don't overthink things.