I'm garbage at chess

"...I suck and I need help..."

I feel with you.

One motto of my life is: "Intuition comes from repetition!"

That simply means: Practice daily. This applies to any métier IMHO.

In this case:

- Play a game every day if possible
- Solve one riddle every day (from a book, your favorite newpaper, lichess or whatever)
- Read one or two pages of good chess book of your choice every day or in a week...
- Take a look at what the others play (at lichess.org, chess.com, 365chess.com etc.)
- A good idea to improve concentration is playing 960
- About openings: Less is more. Make a decision, choose a few and play them.
- Keep in mind that chess is a game. It was made to have fun and not for torture ;-)
- Have fun. Play. Over and over again.

Best regards, Karl (Yet Another Descending Dilettante)

First:
You are worthy.
You will succeed.
We all were in this situation at one point.

Second:
Study basics tactics, again again and again.
I suggest buying the " CT-ART for beginner" program (or
" CT-ART 5.0 " if you are more ambitious).

First step is to try to eliminate basic mistake (like leaving pieces en prise ) , familiarize yourself with basic tactical motifs, and build from there.
You will eventually succeed.
(you will, of course still blunder queens and miss forks occasionally, like most of us, but "occasionally" is the key word here).

@ #1: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1012391

I read all this stuff on the previous page. Bash the queen, give it a good kicking. I think this is illegal these days.

@ #1: BTW, IMHO the worst advice given ever by a great master (and compatriot of me):

"Das Partiespielen im Anfängerstadium ist der sichere Weg zur Stümperschaft." (Siegbert Tarrasch 1862 –1934)

The quote is from his famous book "Das Schachspiel".

I try to translate it : "Playing games as a beginner is a secure way the incompetence"

In German there is a nice untranslateable word for this attitude: "bierernst". Some try to translate it as "deadly serious" but this doesn't really match.

Tarraschs favourite enemy commissioner Nimzowitsch was also "bierernst".

I guess the great men didn't have much real fun.

But take a look at their writings yourself.

"Das Schachspiel" and "Mein System" are pain in the ass to read - for the "bierernst".

Just some thoughts.

Oops! A typo. At #25 it must be "..to incompetence". Sorry.

So what do you think Tarrasch means by this, don't play when you're a beginner? Is that the bad advice you refer to? I agree, that's bad, no infuriating, advice.

@ #27:

"What do you think Tarrasch means by this..don't play when you're a beginner?"

Yes, i think so. And i quoted right: It's from the foreword of the first edition from 1931 (page 7)

A great chess player is a great chess player, he must be thinking of something. Does he mention an alternative, or do you think he just means, don't get too discouraged when you're a beginner.

@# 29: It is like it is:

"Für die richtige Benützung des Buches muß ich dem Anfänger noch einige wichtige Ratschläge geben. Ermöge ja nur den begreiflichen Wunsch, möglichst bald eine Partie zu spielen, unterdrücken. Das Partiespielen im Anfängerstadium ist der sichere Weg zur Stümperschaft. Erst dann, wenn er die Anfangsgründe immer und immer wieder durchgearbeitet und alle darin erörterten Kombinationen sich zu eigen gemacht hat, erst wenn er das ganze Material des Mittelspiels sich assimiliert hat - dann ist er längst kein schwacher Spieler mehr. auch wenn er gar nicht gespielt hat"

I guess i need to translate this. Or i leave this task as an exercise to the reader ;-)