Why can't i get past 1200's

I ying yang between 1100's and 1200's. Why can't I improve. Help me out chess Gurus

I'll b the first (but most definantly not the last) to say that it may have to do wiht how many games you have. AS of this moment you have 35 active games. Try to finish those up and play say only 4-10, and really work hard on analyzing them and checking them for mistakes. Just keep working on these 4-10 and eventually you should see results.

Also, as many others will say, get a good tactics book or web site (I dont know of any sites that I like, so I would recomend a good book) and just practice through that.
Hope things start looking up.

It's because you are dropping pieces.

I have been trying to stop dropping pieces, I do that too often.

Need a good foundation. Read this:

Check out my Chess Blog for info. on my Chess improvement and Rhp threads:

http://360.yahoo.com/profile-_t4_0pEyab7Fo8_u73e2?inv=vJ0V5D9i&


RK

Originally posted by veager
I have been trying to stop dropping pieces, I do that too often.

We all do it from time to time. Even World Champions miss mates in 1 but you need to stop doing it all the time.

The best way to do this is to play less games but take more time on each move thinking through the options your opponent had if you make a move. A good why to do this is use the analysis board - make your move and then flip the board and think about what you would do if you were him. You may see that he would take your Queen and if that is the case (or if there is anything you do like about what he can do) go back to the position and look for another move. Keep doing this until you are certain, as a very minimum, that you are leaving no (unprotected) pieces en prise.

Over time try and look ever deeper into his replies and your response to them, especially in forcing lines. One of the common mistakes I still make is in a "forcing" line I fail to look at all my opponents possible moves 2 or 3 moves down the line and miss the crutial line that saves the game for him (and loses it for me). Its hard, it takes a lot of practice and effort but it is worth 100s of rating points.

Make "Defend all my pieces" your priority each move. Think ahead - about your move AND opponent's.

Here's what helped me stop dropping pieces left and right. I ask myself again and again and again: "Where's the threat?" Once you learn to start looking for all the ways your opponent can sock you, you'll learn to defend your pieces so he CAN'T sock you. It's really that simple.

Originally posted by veager
I ying yang between 1100's and 1200's. Why can't I improve. Help me out chess Gurus

#1. Your biggest problem. You are not looking at your opponents threats. You're too enamored with what you are going to do and not paying attention to your opponents next move. This is a hard one at your level. The best advice is to cut your games in half and take twice as long for each move. Before you look for your move, look for your opponents best move (pretend it's not your move). What would he do? If it helps, flip the board and look at it from his/her perspective. ALWAYS ask yourself: Why did he make that last move? Do NOT proceed until you work out the most likely reason he/she made the move they did.

Then. Look for your move. Maybe his moves don't scare you much so go ahead with your own plans. If there is something he/she can do that bothers you, is there a move you can make that would nullify it and then let you continue with your plans? Patience plays a part here. Sometimes you should be patient and other times not... Learning when to be is something you'll get better at.

A couple months of good discpline here and you will be much much faster/better at spotting your opponents intentions. Then you probably can increase your game count a bit, although I wouldn't go higher than you are now. (I try to stay around 20 or less).

How DO you guys italicize words?

Originally posted by basso
How DO you guys italicize words?

Hit "Reply & Quote" and all will be illuminated.

Originally posted by veager
I ying yang between 1100's and 1200's. Why can't I improve. Help me out chess Gurus

The problem is your not seeing Chess as a complete whole with the endgame, middlegame, opening all directly connected you see in Chess every piece must work closely together as a team to win the game they can't run off and do their own thing: think of Chess in the contex of a football game imagine your quarterback has decided to do something without his team being on it the teams big linebackers have their own ideas the running backs and the other team members are not on the same page at all: you put all those guys out on the same field it would be a huge mess.

Beginners at your level tend to throw their Queen all over the place with openings like
1.e4 e5 2.Qh5 instead of developing properly

No Plan discipline or logical flow to their moves

No grap at all or appreciation of fundemental principles (biggest sin of Yahoo Players)

Originally posted by veager
I ying yang between 1100's and 1200's. Why can't I improve. Help me out chess Gurus

because you're not using an engine like everybody else 😉

sorry, bad joke, but really I think it's because you're not trying, or haven't attempted to improve (ever googled something like "chess lessons" or something?) If you're drifting between 1100-1200 then what actually does help (to get you started) is:
http://chesskids.com/kidzone/index1.shtml

it's not the best, but it's not me joking either

+ some tactics for now

Originally posted by Aristolle
No grap at all or appreciation of fundemental principles (biggest sin of Yahoo Players)

their biggest sin is playing yahoochess

You've played a thousand games here, and 1200 seems to be your high water mark. It's seems likely that that's as good as you're capable of getting. Don't feel bad, a lot of very intelligent people are poor chess players even though they play all the time and work at it. No matter how smart a person is, if they don't have any aptitude for the game, they will always be a weak player. It's also possible that you're just very stupid.
I hope I've been helpful.