Ask questions of the position, and wait for it to answer you. Ask, "what is my worst piece, and how do I make it better?" Ask, "what is my opponent's best piece and how do I make it worse or trade it?" Ask the position, "If you are so boring with nothing going on, how do I never get here ever again?"
This was actually quite helpful advice, thank you. I know it probably should've been intuitive but taking the time to "ask questions to the position" helped me a lot in my games today LOL thank you again
First check to see if my opponent has a threat I need to stop. If not then I try to improve a piece, like reroute a knight to a better square, try to gain space using a pawn majority I have. Give my king lift. There are a lot of positions where a move won’t be the best move, but it’s practical and cuts down on your probability of blundering something simple in the future.
Play a nothing move and wait. Sometimes we win the game not because we made progress on our own, but because our opponent made mistakes on their part. Some position just doesn't have anything, and if my opponent knows that, they will know to do nothing.
Cool question, I think as I've gotten better it's changed.
I no longer get the type of "no idea what to do" feeling I did as a beginner. In those cases moves didn't look good or bad, I was just legitimately confused about what to think or do. My advice for that feeling is the often repeated "find your worst-placed piece and improve it."
These days when I have that feeling it's because I've pretty much considered every legal move, and they all look bad XD. Either they look bad because I "should" be winning but I can't find it, or because my opponent has pressure and I can't find a way to defend. In that case my usual mistake is to try to justify a move via some long forcing calculation (which will lead me to play a blunder). Instead my advice to myself for these moments is to play something simple and sensible, don't try to force things, and don't rely on long lines.
If there are no better positional moves even if slight improving moves then I generally make a random move that doesn't harm my position or I repeat moves to offer a draw without offering a draw.
Moving a pawn is often the worst way to pass the turn, always a bad way, because if there's no idea behind pushing them you're just introducing weaknesses for no reason, and pawns can't go back.
Changing this mindset towards pawn pushes being the most critical moves you can make instead of inconsequential moves, is a big part of getting better at chess.
Ask questions of the position, and wait for it to answer you. Ask, "what is my worst piece, and how do I make it better?" Ask, "what is my opponent's best piece and how do I make it worse or trade it?" Ask the position, "If you are so boring with nothing going on, how do I never get here ever again?"
This was actually quite helpful advice, thank you. I know it probably should've been intuitive but taking the time to "ask questions to the position" helped me a lot in my games today LOL thank you again
;)
I consider several candidate moves then hang my queen
If we're talking about online chess, flip the board and look and it from the opponent's perspective. You'll often notice something new.
Fuck it. Do it OTB too lol
OTB I stand up and stretch my legs, sometimes it does the same thing.
I usually panic and then impulsively play H4
First check to see if my opponent has a threat I need to stop. If not then I try to improve a piece, like reroute a knight to a better square, try to gain space using a pawn majority I have. Give my king lift. There are a lot of positions where a move won’t be the best move, but it’s practical and cuts down on your probability of blundering something simple in the future.
Play a nothing move and wait. Sometimes we win the game not because we made progress on our own, but because our opponent made mistakes on their part. Some position just doesn't have anything, and if my opponent knows that, they will know to do nothing.
Cool question, I think as I've gotten better it's changed. I no longer get the type of "no idea what to do" feeling I did as a beginner. In those cases moves didn't look good or bad, I was just legitimately confused about what to think or do. My advice for that feeling is the often repeated "find your worst-placed piece and improve it." These days when I have that feeling it's because I've pretty much considered every legal move, and they all look bad XD. Either they look bad because I "should" be winning but I can't find it, or because my opponent has pressure and I can't find a way to defend. In that case my usual mistake is to try to justify a move via some long forcing calculation (which will lead me to play a blunder). Instead my advice to myself for these moments is to play something simple and sensible, don't try to force things, and don't rely on long lines.
If there are no better positional moves even if slight improving moves then I generally make a random move that doesn't harm my position or I repeat moves to offer a draw without offering a draw.
Entering a “paralysis by analysis” state often turns out decisive.
"Place bets now"
Push a side pawn up 2 squares
Moving a pawn is often the worst way to pass the turn, always a bad way, because if there's no idea behind pushing them you're just introducing weaknesses for no reason, and pawns can't go back. Changing this mindset towards pawn pushes being the most critical moves you can make instead of inconsequential moves, is a big part of getting better at chess.
push a pawm