Newbie (10 months) Need a few suggestions for g...

Hey all, new guy here!

Been playing chess now for about 10 months. Played mostly on Yahoo because that's the only chess playing engine online that I'm familiar with. My ELO ranges from 1200's to low 1300's, however, I feel like I'm not getting better.

I was wondering if everyone could recommend a newbie some openings or mid-game strategies/variations that I could use to improve my game.

Right now, my favorite openings are:

Scotch Game
Parham Attack
Colle Opening
Sicilian Defense
French Defense

Thanks in advance,

_bar

Welcome! I haven't been playing much longer than you, but one thing I've learned is to not waste my time trying to learn specific openings. I try to concentrate on the basics - Tactics, tactics, tactics, endgame basics, and general opening principles. Oh, did I mention tactics?

Oh, and although I've never played on Yahoo, I've yet to hear anything good about it. Expect to get lots of negative opinions concerning Yahoo.

Yeah, the whole tactics thing is the way to go. Early on you'll be facing opponents who don't go by opening books very much if at all, so you'll have to have some tactical calculating ability to be able to handle whatever moves they throw at you.

it dosent take long to know the opening moves...its not this big thing to master. just use logic. a mongloid could master all the opening moves.

Originally posted by bot 6
it dosent take long to know the opening moves...its not this big thing to master. just use logic. a mongloid could master all the opening moves.

I really hope you don't know what mongoloid means: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoloid

Because if you do know what it means, you just said, "An asian could master all the opening moves," and you are racist scum.

Originally posted by eertognam
I really hope you don't know what mongoloid means: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoloid

Because if you do know what it means, you just said, "An asian could master all the opening moves," and you are racist scum.

It also means someone with Down Syndrome... Guess which he meant. :?

Originally posted by exigentsky
It also means someone with Down Syndrome... Guess which he meant. :?

From http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3112
"The name Down syndrome refers to a 19th century English physician Langdon Down. Ironically, he was not the first person to describe the condition, he added little to our knowledge of it and, in great error, he attributed the condition to a "reversion" to the mongoloid race. The disorder was also once called mongolism, a term now considered obsolete."

Call Down Syndrome Down Syndrome. Mongoloid is offensive.

In most of bot 6's posts, he seems to be trying for maximum obnoxiousness. I recommend ignoring him. Don't feed the trolls!

Originally posted by Mad Rook
In most of bot 6's posts, he seems to be trying for maximum obnoxiousness. I recommend ignoring him. Don't feed the trolls!

And having looked at some of his games over a cup of finest tea - he clearly hasn't mastered 'all the opening moves' either.

But going back to the original question I strongly recommend NOT 'over' studying specific openings at this stage. I am concerned by the focus on some very specific openings in the original post.
Stick to learning opening principles. Of course without knowledge of openings you aren't going to get the chance to show your skills later but at your rating level (and considerably above) you need to know principle not endless theory. The problem with learning openings parrot fashion is you wont understand the tactics / strategy / strengths / weakness of the opening, and wont a) be able to know how to handle an opponent who takes you down a route you haven't learned and b) know how to progress into the middlegame. The best books on openings cover general principles, and link them to the specific opening. Dont get a book full of thousands of lines and try and learn them - a top player will just bamboozle you on move 4 and you will be stuck!
So I agree wholeheartedly with a previous contributor (mad rook). If you want big rating gains learn your tactics (pins, forks, skewers, overload, deflection, interception, decoy, discovered attack...the list is long), and for a cracking 'read in a week' introduction, try 'chess tactics' by Paul Littlewood (Batsford Books).

Hey guys... Im not a great chess player, yet I can beat most people 1500- or so... umm... I think I still need help on tactics though... I kinda you know like play things that are very unorthidox and stuff.. I mean... they work but.. I dont really concentrate on sicilian or any of those tactices... Can sum1 help me out and analyze some of my games??

Originally posted by range blasts
Hey guys... Im not a great chess player, yet I can beat most people 1500- or so... umm... I think I still need help on tactics though... I kinda you know like play things that are very unorthidox and stuff.. I mean... they work but.. I dont really concentrate on sicilian or any of those tactices... Can sum1 help me out and analyze some of my games??

Openings (like the Sicilian) aren't tactics. They're simply openings.
Tactics are a short series of moves such as forks, pins, discovered attacks, skewers, etc.

right right... srry!

:'( so many insults in all the threads I post in :'( no help yet...

Originally posted by bot 6
it dosent take long to know the opening moves...its not this big thing to master. just use logic. a mongloid could master all the opening moves.

what about them Negroids? :'(