How NOT To Improve At Chess – Chess.com
Disclaimer: This post is written by a chess coach and streamer who has not improved at chess in a long time. What does he know?!
Chess is a game of pattern recognition! The more patterns you see, the faster you improve. An exclusive diet of one-minuteor better yet, 30 or 15 secondgames allows you to maximize the patterns you see every day; just punch that seek button and let the power of osmosis drive your chess learning!
You KNOW why you lost that game, why would you need some stupid computer or long-since-past-his-prime chess expert rubbing your face in it. Sure, you were in huge trouble on the board and the clock, but really this game was lost due to a simple one-move blunder. No need to waste time thinking about it. Heck, you've already forgotten the game ever happened.
The surest sign of improvement is winning, and you ALWAYS win against your friends and your co-workers. Like the great Paul Morphy, you are just honing your smashing attacks for the day that you make a world tour and destroy everyone with your patented 1.h4 and 2.Rh3 attacks.
You're paying this guy $50 an hour, and he wants YOU to do all the work?! Endgames, openings, middlegames, master games, manage your clock, etc. etc. etc. Exhausting! What kind of a scam is this!
Really, you just need him to show you a few opening traps and tell you that you are clearly a good player and the wins will come soon enough. Anyway, you don't think you'll be taking too many more lessons; you've done three of these sessions, and your rating is going DOWN!
That king and pawn endgame looked awfully familiar... Didn't you lose exactly like that last month? Must be a coincidence
1.d4, 2.Nf3, 3.e3, 4.Bd3, 5.c3, 6.0-0 for the win! At some point, you'll just sac on h7 or h6, and it'll either work or it won't. Same old, same old
Study some 100-year-old games from Capablanca? What a waste of time! Besides the computer just pokes holes in all those old games anyway. Play, play, play - that's where it's at! Just check out these ideas you are playing for the very first time! ...Rxc3 sacing the exchange in the Sicilian?! What an idea! Nd2-f1-g3-f5 in the Ruy Lopez? Whodathunkit?! Best reinvented wheel ever.
Two hours per game?! Boooooooooooooring! You tried a chess tournament once, and you are damn sure never doing that again! All those old players never would have beat you if you hadn't been falling asleep at the board waiting for them to make a gosh-darned move. Geeez!
You did like that one time Chess.com/analysis said you were "brilliant," but that "blunder" annotation... what a buzzkill. And who is this "Stockfish" saying "missed win"? You won, didn't you?! You didn't miss a darn thing.
Why are all these ignorant chess "masters" even bothering to think for themself anymore?!?! If there's one thing you hate, it's some grandmaster commenting on a chess tournament without a chess engine. Could they BE anymore wrong?! You certainly would never turn off the engine and think for yourself. Heck, you've already been banned from every major chess site for doing just that.
Second Disclaimer: You don't NEED to improve at chess. You can have fun and enjoy the game in any way you like! If you are focused on improvement, maybe be wary of some of these traps.
Liked the post? Subscribe and follow on YouTube and Twitch! Mine is the ONLY stream that will ACTUALLY help you improve #imatotalhypocrite
View post:
How NOT To Improve At Chess - Chess.com
- FIDE reveals host city for Gukesh vs Sindarov World Championship clash; youngest-ever title match in ches - The Times of India - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- This 15-year-old chess prodigy from Tamil Nadu wanted to quit because it was too expensive; his father, w - The Times of India - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- 3D chess: The interwoven tanker effects of Iranian, Houthi and Ukrainian attacks - Lloyd's List - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Chess Champion Hated the Game, Until It Saved the Day - Anash.org - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Chess on wheels: The psychology of the Tour de France - BBC - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- This Netflix Documentary Tells The Story of The Jewish Queen of Chess - Kveller - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- USA vs. Uzbekistan: WR Chess Rapid & Blitz Miami 2026 | Match - All the Information - Chess.com - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- The Geneva Convention: Gukesh And Sindarov Will Meet For World Championship In Switzerland - World Chess - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Titled-Tuesday-Blitz-July-28-2026 - Chess.com - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- World Chess Championship to Be Held in Switzerland - teleSUR English - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- 11-Year-Old Bodhana Sivanandan Breaks 38-Year Chess Record With Win Over French Grandmaster - communitynews.org - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Geneva to host Gukesh vs Sindarov World Chess Championship match in Nov-Dec 2026 - The Indian Express - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Global Chess League to take place in India's Silicon Valley: Carlsen, Sindarov and Anand in the mix - Chess News | ChessBase - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- The politics of playing chess in movies - The Boston Globe - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Its nice to be able to admire chess pieces as works of art, on top of being instruments of play - Le Louvre - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Ord Minnett Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Newmont Corporation CHESS (NEM) - The Globe and Mail - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Citi Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Newmont Corporation CHESS (NEM) - The Globe and Mail - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Author Raul A. Castillos New Book, "Chess: Simple and Easy," is an Intuitive Guide Designed to Help Beginners and Seasoned Players Alike... - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Macquarie Keeps Their Buy Rating on Newmont Corporation CHESS (NEM) - The Globe and Mail - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Newmont Corporation CHESS (NEM) Gets a Buy from UBS - The Globe and Mail - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Woodward and Tang retain US junior titles with convincing performances - Chess News | ChessBase - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Global Chess League Building team chemistry will be key to success, says Nihal Sarin - Sportstar - July 28th, 2026 [July 28th, 2026]
- Chess: Bodhana Sivanandan, 11, breaks world age record from 38 years ago - The Guardian - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Russian head of FIDE suspends activity over EU sanctions - Reuters - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- White to move and mate in two #852 Common Sense in Chess - Daily Kos - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Chess, Hacking, and More: Jason M. Hough on Writing Protagonists with Niche Skills - CrimeReads - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Alireza Firouzja clinches Chennai Grand Masters title ahead of Arjun Erigaisi - The Indian Express - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Its a Shallow World but Im a Big Girl Now: Chess Smith Turns Betrayal into a Pure Pop Celebration on Im Dead To You (And Thats OK) - Atwood Magazine - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- International Scientific Conference Theory and Practice of Chess Education - European Chess Union - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- From classics to computers: N Srinath on the evolution of chess training - The Times of India - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Aronian and Finek convincingly win 2026 Triathlons in Biel - Chess News | ChessBase - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- USC Trojans' Most Important Chess Piece in Their Secondary - Sports Illustrated - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Jewish chess legend Judit Polgar declines offer to become Hungarys president - The Times of Israel - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- World Chess Day marks the final countdown to the historic Samarkand Chess Olympiad - sportanddev - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- What is the real magic of social chess? FIDE panel shares stories of change - FIDE - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Review: Mastering the London System by Elisabeth Phtz - Chess News | ChessBase - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Chess trial rescheduled for Oct. as Harrison Courthouse upended by effects of flooding in neighboring counties - WV News - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Gukesh, Pragg headline as India announce team for 2026 Chess Olympiad - The Indian Express - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Basilisk signs world No. 8 Anish Giri, Pairing Him With Vincent Keymer on Stacked Chess Roster - GamesBeat - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Mans World promised chess lessons, but detectives say it was offering something else - WPLG Local 10 - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Gukeshs struggle not a surprise for Niemann: Never really best in the world - The Indian Express - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Upcoming tournaments and events - Chess News | ChessBase - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- Viswanathan Anand takes over as FIDE interim president after EU sanctions on Dvorkovich - The Indian Express - July 24th, 2026 [July 24th, 2026]
- India's 99th GM! Sleepless nights, depressing times, and then chess Grandmaster: The making of Rathanvel VS - The Times of India - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Is online gaming ruining chess? Players say its not quite as black and white as that - The Independent - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Hungarian Prime Minister proposed that chess player Judit Polgr become president - () - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Judit Polgar, The Leading Light Of Women's Chess, Nominated for Hungarian Presidency - World Chess - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Chess hero Judit Polgar could shatter another glass ceiling as Hungary president - The Indian Express - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Magyar announced that he would propose the chess player as Hungary's president - LIGA.net - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Could Russia be about to lose its grip on chess leadership? - DW.com - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- A Mom Found Out Her Sons Chess Club Coach Had Been Entering Students Into Paid Tournaments Under His Own Company Without Parental Consent Forms -... - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Start the chess game in the politics of Budapest. Who does Peter Magyar propose for the presidency of Hungary? - Informat.ro - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Vishy Anand: Feels like were all beating Gukesh on the head (with his bad form) - The Indian Express - July 20th, 2026 [July 20th, 2026]
- Canadian Open Chess Championship 2026 | Open - All the Information - Chess.com - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Will There One Day be a Chess Chabad House? - Chabad - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Passport, visa, Rs 67 lakh worth of gear lost, stranded alone in Europe: Survival of 16-year-old Md Imran, India's upcoming chess Grandmaster - The... - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- How a Chess Club is Bringing Unlikely Pairs Together in Port Hueneme - News Channel 3-12 - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Throw it all out: My parents stuff is more than clutter - The Washington Post - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Anonymous NFL coach credits Bengals for making wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase 'the ultimate chess piece' thanks to key evolution - A to Z Sports - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Analysts Offer Insights on Technology Companies: Life360 Shs Chess Depository Interests Repr 3 Sh (OtherLIFX), Block (XYZ) and Rambus (RMBS) - The... - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Detroit Lions may have quietly created the offensive chess piece nobody saw coming - A to Z Sports - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Chessnut Evo Review: 6 Weeks With the AI Chess Board That Got Me Off My Phone - Man of Many - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Gainesville teen sets sights on U.S. Junior Chess Championships - The Independent Florida Alligator - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Biel: Aronian and Finek outright winners in rapid segment - Chess News | ChessBase - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Invitation to the 13th Lebu Open - Chess News | ChessBase - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Opinion: Poilievre can only smile and nod after Carneys chess move - Winnipeg Free Press - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Passport, visa, Rs 67 lakh worth of gear lost, stranded alone in Europe: Survival of 16-year-old Md Imra - The Times of India - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Rochester Chess Festival draws hundreds to the Med City - KTTC | Rochester, MN - July 13th, 2026 [July 13th, 2026]
- The 1858-Rated Kid Who Beat a Super-GM - The Underdog - Chess News | ChessBase - July 13th, 2026 [July 13th, 2026]
- Drunk Frat Boyz and Evil Chess Nerds | Interview: Rebeccah Heinrichs - American Enterprise Institute - AEI - July 13th, 2026 [July 13th, 2026]
- Chess park: When Bobby Haywood preceded Bobby Fischer, and then vanished - The Indian Express - July 13th, 2026 [July 13th, 2026]
- Chess: Firouzja wins in Zagreb as Carlsen passes 15-year milestone at the top - The Guardian - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]
- Biel Chess Festival 2026 | ACCENTUS Chess960 Masters (ACC) - All the Information - Chess.com - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]
- When Erling Haaland isnt playing in the World Cup, he's investing in chess and starring in a movie - Fortune - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]
- Fifty years ago: Korchnoi's defection to the west - Chess News | ChessBase - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]
- Hatsune Miku Plays Every Piece on the Board in This Six-Figure Chess Set - Hypebeast - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]
- South Africa explores historic bid for first African Chess Olympiad International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]
- Newtown Chess Club Returns After Six Years - The Newtown Bee - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]
- Chess, concentration, and community: An interview with Timur Turlov International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]
- Professional players converge on Rochester for weekend-long chess festival - KTTC | Rochester, MN - July 11th, 2026 [July 11th, 2026]