Originally posted by CoconutYou are supposed to tear out the pages and fold paper airplanes.
I get so depressed when I see my barely opened How to Play Good Opening Moves by Edmar Mednis :'(. Am I supposed to just read this book and remember what it says? Or am I supposed to play out the game notation on a board? What?
Originally posted by dottewellStop torturing the poor kid.
You could also whisper extracts into a loved one's ear during a romantic night in.
You don't want to suck, yet you have 53 games going. Sorry, but that ain't going to work. You have to analyze variations for both sides more deeply per game. No other way around it.
Coconut,
If this is a democracy, then I'm voting with Regicidal on this one. I think that at the level where we're both playing, games are largely determined by who makes the most egregious mistakes and who does the best job of capitalizing on their opponent's blunders.
While it's certainly important (or even perhaps critical) to understand the principles of opening play (developing pieces to strong squares, protecting the king, fighting for the center, etc.), that's probably not where you're losing most of your games. Furthermore, even if you did spend a couple of weeks or months learning all of the ins and outs of some great opening line, at this level you'd almost never play against anyone who followed the book moves very far anyway (you've wasted time in the opening). 🙄
I'd leave that opening book on the shelf for now and focus on improving your tactics.
Originally posted by leisurelyslothWhat Regicidal and Leisurelysloth are saying gets my vote as well. Based on the number of moves you have made in about 6 months, you have spent more than 600 hours (at 3 min/move) on the site. That does not count forum posts. Why not read a bit on basic tactics, preferably outside. It's autumn and lovely most places. Cut down on your games and focus on the smaller number remaining. Good luck.
Coconut,
If this is a democracy, then I'm voting with Regicidal on this one.
I'd leave that opening book on the shelf for now and focus on improving your tactics.
Cordially,
Jeb
Josh Waitzkin (he who was the subject of the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" ) said that the best thing to do to improve you chess was to study the endgames and not the openings. If you follow the basic principles of the openings, regardless of what's played, even if you lose a piece in the opening, you'll find that you'll get stronger and stronger as the game progresses and your opponent gets weaker and weaker (assuming that the person dosn't study the endgame as much).
Studying endgame positions will make you appreciate a lot more the pieces and what you can and can't do with them in certain files and ranks. It also forces you to calculate your moves more than in any ordinary middle game scenario. Start with King and pawn vs King positions and work your way up. Only when you can master endgame positions and pieces can you pick up an Openings book.
Just my 2p.
Originally posted by CoconutI can't give you advice because I haven't read the book. So tell us, does the book explain the reasons behind good opening moves? If so then this is an excellent book and all you need to do is read it and understand what the author is saying (and YES! play every game out!).
I get so depressed when I see my barely opened How to Play Good Opening Moves by Edmar Mednis :'(. Am I supposed to just read this book and remember what it says? Or am I supposed to play out the game notation on a board? What?
I don't wanna suck anymore.
On the other hand if the book only shows opening lines then you cannot improve your chess ability much by studying it. Players need to know WHY a move is played in an specific opening so that they can understand the position better.
