my dilemma...

[Ed Seedhouse]

In just about every sport, including chess, getting "stuck" at a certain skill level is common, and it has a name - "plateauing". The answer is to keep working at your sport or game and eventually you will make another "sudden" jump in skill. I can also recommend youtube videos, especially from Ben Finegold who gives you some simple and useful rules to follow and is also funny.

I especially like Ben's rule "never resign". It's very important to learn how to defend lost positions and endgames. At your rating level you don't have enough experience to know which positions are really totaly lost and which are defendible. You won't learn that skill by resigning. Also I advise you to never offer or accept a draw until you are much stronger than you are now, for the same reasons as I like "never resign".

Once you are over 2000 or so this advice can be mostly ignored, but until then you don't have the skill to know which positions are *really* utterly lost or totally drawn.

Study engames over openings, but you need to learn some openings too. The advice on this given by previous commentators is good - listen to it. Go on a chess site and use their tactical trainers. Tactics are 99% of chess before you are an expert or master, and possibly even after.

Mr. Dobrich at least, is a much stronger player than I ever was, so if he contradicts my advice take his over mine. I don't know how strong the other commentators here are but their advice also seems pretty good to me - but then, who am I to judge? I peaked at 2100 and now at 75 I don't doubt that I am far weaker than that.

[Henri Hughes]

[QUOTE=Louis Morin;n197700]

First of all, you should try to forget your prejudices and really study these openings. These are the 4 more popular choices against 1.e4. How could this be if they are as bad or as dull as you think?

Look at your second game for example, the one you lost in 21 moves as White after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5. This was a French defense. Would you say that it was too cramped for Black? Actually, at move 2 it transposes into a Sicilian defense (as if 1.e4 c5 2.d4 e6 has been played). But would you say that it was too easy for White to play against?

I can only advise you to UNLEARN what you think you know about these openings, and play them without prejudices, as if you see them for the first time. In particular, 1.e4 e5 and 1.e4 c5 are definitively worth your time and effort.


[/QUOTE
I think If I were to go back to any common e4 response id need play something like c6 or g6 or possibly d6 cause I generally join enjoy the modern school of openings (controlling the board from a far)

and again most of the those prejudices come out of the games that I play (im mostly an e4 player)

[Henri Hughes]

thats something Ive wanted for awhile but I can't for financial purposes, so self studying is all I have

No Play more games. I'm not sure we want to see your games here. You need to get a coach so they can review your games and tell your strengths and weaknesses.

[John Brown]

No Play more games. I'm not sure we want to see your games here. You need to get a coach so they can review your games and tell your strengths and weaknesses.

[Henri Hughes]

you need more games to assess your true rating. you are no longer a junior under 15. you need a coach or you need to wake up and study.

you mean post more games here??

[Louis Morin]

e5 is to dry and I can get any advantage c5 is too easy for white to play against, c6 leads to countless draws as early as move 20, e6 too cramped and so on

First of all, you should try to forget your prejudices and really study these openings. These are the 4 more popular choices against 1.e4. How could this be if they are as bad or as dull as you think?

Look at your second game for example, the one you lost in 21 moves as White after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5. This was a French defense. Would you say that it was too cramped for Black? Actually, at move 2 it transposes into a Sicilian defense (as if 1.e4 c5 2.d4 e6 has been played). But would you say that it was too easy for White to play against?

I can only advise you to UNLEARN what you think you know about these openings, and play them without prejudices, as if you see them for the first time. In particular, 1.e4 e5 and 1.e4 c5 are definitively worth your time and effort.

[John Brown]

you need more games to assess your true rating. you are no longer a junior under 15. you need a coach or you need to wake up and study.

[Henri Hughes]

You shall change your style :) Or switch to 1...a6. If it was good to beat the world champion, it will be good for you too.


Draws, like in the last game, will hold you at your recent level for a long time. What had you to loose to play till bare kings? You still need to learn a lot and the best way to play on and on. You had advantage of several hundred points - like a pawn in the endgame :)

thats the other part of the problem how should I be determining my style?

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

most ive studied against e4 I don't like, the positions I get are not a tuned to by style.
e5 is to dry and I can get any advantage c5 is too easy for white to play against, c6 leads to countless draws as early as move 20, e6 too cramped and so on, Nc6 is the only way im ever able to create any imbalance

You shall change your style :) Or switch to 1...a6. If it was good to beat the world champion, it will be good for you too.


Draws, like in the last game, will hold you at your recent level for a long time. What had you to loose to play till bare kings? You still need to learn a lot and the best way to play on and on. You had advantage of several hundred points - like a pawn in the endgame :)

[Vlad Drkulec]

another thing is my openings for black are fairly sound, I was looking at my past tournaments (8 or so) and I have a huge score with black then with white about 7 to 1 when in terms of wins

If you play the exact same opening every time then people will be able to prepare for you and you'll be playing against Carlsen and Caruana's prepared play. Beginners will not tend to prepare. At the under 1700 level they probably will.

[David Ottosen]

another thing is my openings for black are fairly sound, I was looking at my past tournaments (8 or so) and I have a huge score with black then with white about 7 to 1 when in terms of wins

Equating your results with the soundness of your openings is a major leak.

If your goal is really to improve, at your rating (and I'm not saying this to be insulting or condescending), you should be playing a wide range of openings to get a handle on the themes available in a wide range of positions. And don't focus on your rating. Focus on the quality of your games. Spend a lot of time analyzing them, checking on the correct opening play, look at them with stronger players.

[Henri Hughes]

another thing is my openings for black are fairly sound, I was looking at my past tournaments (8 or so) and I have a huge score with black then with white about 7 to 1 when in terms of wins

[Henri Hughes]

the common line I play in the nimzowitsch defensive is the line, 1.e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Bg4 followed by Be3 and Nf6, e6 or g6 by black and the main idea is to play a6 b5 Na5 and then break whites centre with c5 after something like Qc8 ,
I think the kinds of openings that best suite me are the. modern school of openings ( other then my Leningrad dutch, which still involves and fianchetto,) I was never sure but what kind of stuff comes out of 1. Nc3

and how much better is g6 the b6? cause you can play it like a modern defense??

[Vlad Drkulec]

another problem I have is when people say "play openings that suit your style" but how am I supposed to know what that is I can't think of common things I like just in games ill know what side id rather take

Study many openings and their games and decide which positions you would like to play.

[Vlad Drkulec]

and whaat do you mean main line openings??

1. e4 e5
1. e4 e6
1. e4 c5
1. e4 c6

Non-mainline openings which are also playable include 1.e4 d5 and 1.e4 g6 and even 1.e4 b6.though I used to love to play against the last one as white.

most ive studied against e4 I don't like, the positions I get are not a tuned to by style.
e5 is to dry and I can get any advantage c5 is too easy for white to play against, c6 leads to countless draws as early as move 20, e6 too cramped and so on, Nc6 is the only way im ever able to create any imbalance

as for my white openings ive looked and looked but have found nothing for the kinda positions I like (only opening ive had continuous success with is b3, but I feel that will change if I get to higher levels)

Your biggest problem in the last sequence seems to be with white. You are switching between 1. e4 and 1.d4. Pick one and master the ensuing openings then possibly go back and play the other.

If you like 1.e4 Nc6 continue to play it. Don't expect outstanding results against higher rated players. Imbalances are just one factor in a good opening. They are not the main factor until you reach a middlegame.

1. b3 should be playable though I wouldn't expect to gain an opening advantage. It is too easy for black to equalize with a kingside fianchetto, for example.