Questions tagged [beginner]
Questions of interest to or relating to new players.
2
votes
2answers
112 views
What's next after first 5 months and 700 points? [closed]
I started playing chess in July. I was at a 600 rating on Chess.com for a month. I started playing seriously in August and have played regularly (at least a few blitz and rapid games everyday). ...
-1
votes
2answers
65 views
Recommended master games for teaching chess
I am teaching chess to beginners and am looking for recommended games to be discussed/analyzed together.
So the games should be relatively simple, short and ideally focus on one main theme (e.g. ...
2
votes
3answers
120 views
How should a beginner improve gameplay speed?
I am a fairly low skill player and am wanting to improve my game, but I feel as though I need to gain at least a bit more speed in my decision making to make better progress. I am a fairly analytical ...
2
votes
1answer
133 views
Why was this move in a puzzle?
I was on the chess.com app this morning doing the daily puzzle and it wanted me to play Re2. This is questionable to me, because it just delays the mate, but I figured I might have missed something. ...
5
votes
3answers
228 views
Kings gambit for white
I'm just a beginner at chess and am just starting to get into the king's gambit but there seems not to be much information on this line probably because I'm not very good and the same with my ...
37
votes
14answers
17k views
How to make a 6 year old think more?
I have been teaching my 6 year old daughter chess for past 2 years. She plays reasonably well. She often defeats level 25 in Chess Lv 100 app and sometimes Level 6 in Chess.com app. So I am guessing ...
8
votes
3answers
248 views
Chess engine with danger (mate) warnings for beginners?
I am new to the site and would appreciate help in this area.
At my current stage (beginner) I have started to draw or sometimes even beat the computer at low levels (ex. chess.com level1,2,3, lichess....
1
vote
3answers
267 views
How is this stalemate?
My friend played this game as white and wants to know how this is a stalemate. I do not know much about chess and both of us would like to know more about this rule.
k7/2Q5/8/P2P4/1R6/8/2P3PP/6K1 w -...
11
votes
3answers
1k views
Examples of harmony?
Recently my chess tutor used a word which in hindsight is very interesting: harmony. He mentioned I should not just develop my pieces in the opening, but develop them harmoniously. Since then, I've ...
2
votes
1answer
119 views
Tools specifically for training at finding loose pieces?
There are of course lots of tactical trainers out there, but I'm wonder if there are any that focus solely on the basic skill of spotting loose or hanging pieces. It is of course a trivial exercise ...
2
votes
2answers
145 views
How Do Top Engines' Achieve Large Search Depth
Im new to programming chess engines. I have implemented a transposition table, search tree, and alpha-beta pruning, an can analyze ~80000 boards per second. However, even with alpha-beta search, when ...
2
votes
6answers
268 views
Best practical chances after g5 forking knight and bishop
I am a beginner playing white and it's my turn to move. What is the best possible move in response to this fork?
[title "Game position after fork:"]
[fen "r1bqr1k1/ppp2p2/2n1pn1p/3p2p1/1b1P1N1B/...
0
votes
0answers
67 views
Improving game 1500~ rating [duplicate]
I don't know how can I improve my games. I know there are many tips for beginners and I've tried them all (almost, except the ones below)
I am 1520~ chess.com and 1730~ on lichess at blitz games (5-7 ...
4
votes
2answers
240 views
How to analyse an endgame quickly?
I am a relatively new player (less than 1 year, ungraded) but I feel I have made good progress so far. I am playing competitively with players in the 1300-1500 region and would like to continue my ...
4
votes
5answers
466 views
How do I respond to an arrogant beginner? [closed]
I played a skittles game (no clocks, arbiter etc.) against a beginner who did a lot of trash talking, which I didn't rise to. Here is an example of the conversation:
Beginner: I'm going to beat you ...
4
votes
5answers
335 views
Opening as a Beginner: Mainlines or Offbeaten path?
I am approximately 1500 OTB (Lichess Classical 1750, chess.com 1540, internal rating in my club ~1500), and of course I would like to improve. Work and family are demanding, so naturally I would like ...
0
votes
3answers
257 views
Why is pawn to d3 the best move here?
Total beginner at chess. I am analyzing a game I played.
The computer says the blue line here is the best:
r1bqr1k1/pp5p/2nb1p2/2p5/Q1Pp2pN/1P4B1/P3BPPP/4RRK1 b - - 0 1
1... d3
(1... Kg7 2. Bxd6 ...
2
votes
2answers
178 views
How should I analyse my game to get better?
I've been playing chess for a while, but very casually. I just joined a chess club and played my first tournament game. Not having used a chess clock before, or ever having had to record my moves ...
2
votes
4answers
368 views
What should a beginner focus on to improve his level?
I've learnt chess only about 1 month ago. Of course, my first game was terrible. But with reading some tips I've proceeded a little. Learning basics of few openings (like Spanish, Vienna and Urusov) ...
0
votes
2answers
346 views
Simple Openings for Beginners? [duplicate]
I'm a beginner and I don't know any openings - what are the best openings for beginners?
7
votes
4answers
8k views
Is there any good app for learning openings
My great fail is that i cannot learn opening or initial play.
Normally i only play when i can connect to my mobile app (Chess Free on iOS), and play at a very low level (adjusted as a single bar), ...
3
votes
4answers
488 views
The London System
I'm rated on Chess.com in 1400 right now (elo). But sometimes my rating fluctuates between 1200 to 1500. As I searched on internet, I'm a beginner that is going to the intermediate level. Should I, as ...
0
votes
5answers
253 views
What is the best opening for a beginner who wants few pieces on the board?
I am a beginner and someone who likes less pieces on board. I don't like complexity and have weak point for knights. My rating is 950 rn and has touched 1010 at best.
So far I have used the Stone ...
6
votes
4answers
266 views
Attack Opening For White
I'm kinda new to chess and I'm trying to learn new openings that are aggressive.
I've used the Fried Liver attack many times. Are there any other opening(s) which are close to the Fried Liver attack ...
2
votes
5answers
401 views
What is a good flexible opening for beginner with white?
After I learned the Sicilian, I started to love to play as black, while before it my win rate with white was bigger than black (as expected due to white first move advantage). When I learned Sicilian ...
8
votes
4answers
774 views
What is a chess database used for?
I frequently see advice about how to learn chess that include links to databases, or how to set them up, or a question here about Analysis where the accepted answer says to just add some stuff to your ...
7
votes
3answers
476 views
Intention of two moves of Topalov vs Anand
What was the intention for the moves 23. ... Bb6 and 24. ... Bd7 ?
[FEN ""]
[White "Anand"]
[Black "Topalov"]
[StartPly "45"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. Ne5 c5 7. Na3 ...
6
votes
2answers
667 views
Resignation methodology [duplicate]
Is there a method to determine whether or not a player should continue playing, or resign?
I would currently consider myself a beginner at chess. So when for example I make a bad decision and lose a ...
9
votes
3answers
3k views
How are the scores decided in Chess?
Consider the following pictures:
I would like to understand the following:
My understanding is that it depends on the opponent's move against our move. Am I right?
What is the minimum and maximum ...
9
votes
3answers
1k views
Strategic implications in this puzzle by S. Polgar/P. Truong
Usually chess puzzles at my level (beginner) have just one or two forced variations and a clear achievement, like a substantial material gain or checkmate. Once in a while, though, a puzzle leaves me ...
3
votes
6answers
229 views
Which elements of chess are best to focus on for extended “crash course” learning?
I want to spend between 1-2 hours/week practicing chess. I know that my skill will be severely limited by the time constraint. However, within this time constraint, where would my time be best spent? ...
3
votes
4answers
3k views
Is the Scandinavian Defense a good opening for beginners?
Is the Scandinavian Defense a good opening for beginners?
I'm wondering this because I'm a beginner and I mainly try to do this opening.
25
votes
14answers
8k views
How to learn chess if you're still a 3-digit rating after a few years
I know how all the pieces move and I've learned about castling and en passant. But all I do is play online against other people and get wrecked because I don't know how to "play." I make moves like ...
4
votes
5answers
1k views
A first book for a chess beginner
I am thinking about getting my first chess book. After making a bit of research, people recommend to not worry about opening and endings and start with a primer on general strategy. That description ...
5
votes
5answers
691 views
How to deal with unorthodox players?
I am new to chess and know only a bit of opening theory and understand some general ideas like developing my pieces, threatening and controlling the center of the board, etc. but I struggle against ...
2
votes
2answers
162 views
Should a beginner try to learn 1 specific opening in depth or is not the best use of time?
Or will it be better to learn 5 different openings at a lower detail level?
And what 1 or 5 openings would you then suggest?
10
votes
4answers
2k views
Does it make sense to use an online ELO-rating-test for a beginner as a monthly test tool in order to see my progress?
I'm almost a beginner in the chess world who at the moment only plays online and watch various chess lectures on youtube.
I'm thinking about using http://www.elometer.net/
on a monthly basis in ...
1
vote
3answers
127 views
What are some beginner to advanced openings or variations I could use?
I’ve played chess for some time now, but I’ve really started to get into it these past few months. The thing I need help on is openings. I know about the different ones, and even attempted one or two ...
4
votes
3answers
265 views
What are some resources for someone past beginner but not yet intermediate?
I've been playing chess off and on for the better part of 15 years, however, I've never done it enough to count myself as any good at it. I'd like to get better, but intermediate guides go over my ...
6
votes
4answers
230 views
Neither Attacking nor Defending?
I am a novice in chess. After about ten moves, I sometimes get into a situation where I am neither attacking nor defending and really can't figure out what my next move should be (that is I don't want ...
0
votes
2answers
178 views
Help trying to invent a tactical chess opening
I need help!
I am trying to invent something out of my own imagination. But something isn't right... I am playing as white and I can't figure out why is it that I have the feeling about losing a pawn ...
7
votes
5answers
1k views
Which of these two endgame books?
I am a beginner (approximately 1400) seeking to improve my endgame technique. Which one of these books would you recommend as suitable for my strength and why?
100 Endgames you must know by Jesus de ...
5
votes
4answers
252 views
How to continue in this game?
I saw the following position and was wondering how white should continue:
Should white exchange bishops?
Should white play a4 to protect the bishop?
Should white play c4 to protect the bishop and ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
Becoming a pretty good chess player [duplicate]
First of all I am sorry if my English is not very good. I started to play chess some time ago. I want to start to play pretty good to have fun in tournaments but I have no idea how to create a plan of ...
3
votes
1answer
155 views
What is the best way to document and archive my past games?
I am looking for more sophisticated solutions for documenting, archiving and analysing my past games. Right now I have a folder filled with PGN files. What systems have proved to work well?
-1
votes
3answers
233 views
It is possible to mate enemy king if this would put your king in check? [duplicate]
When thinking about if you can do some move, you look if your king will be attacked. This would lead to a recursion, but actually dont, since you it doenst matter if this enemy piece would be able to ...
4
votes
6answers
887 views
Does chess improve our intelligence?
This is my first question in Chess, so I hope my question is simple.
I know about chess but I am not a regular player. But my friend told me that everyday play chess is good for your mind and also ...
5
votes
1answer
202 views
Beginners question: Controlling the center
As a beginner I've been studying openings for center control.
I am having a hard time finding the next lessons and steps when I actually have the upper hand in the center. Now I realise I don't ...
4
votes
6answers
332 views
Is playing stronger oppenents useful as a beginner?
I have signed up to a chess websites and there are very few people who are as bad as I am (rating around 800), so I have to resort to playing against people who are much better (1200+) and end up ...
3
votes
3answers
860 views
Running down the opponent's clock on purpose
Running out of time is a loss. Two players are both very low on time and quite far from a checkmate. What if one player makes some 'pointless' defensive moves to keep his clock running so that the ...
