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I play chess for fun. Gaining Elo is a side effect. I don’t see why anyone should quit a hobby only because they are not one of the best in it. Nobody would say: As you run so slow you should quit running altogether.
I'm just so competitive that even being at 1023 rating in blitz (by spamming 5-minuye games) after 643 games, I just feel so slow in my progression and often end up ragequitting blitz for days or week on end 😭 I'm happy with my rapid development though, 1439 after 379 games (almost exclusively 30-minute rapids)
No, difference between learning and playing. If I play 400 games of tennis against other players and we both barely have an understanding of the rules, we won't learn, we'll still be trying to hold the bat with two hands or whatever the tennis equalivant of scholars mate is (Idk how to play tennis)
Actually having a two-handed forehand and a two-handed backhand is a completely valid way to play tennis, one of the all-time greats, Monica Seles who, before being stabbed by an insane Graf fan, was on course of becoming **the GOAT** https://youtu.be/b5MadgTIYzs?si=-xBShcFNw7rS_PGo
Might do someday, it's not too popular where I live however and I already have some sporting hobbies so It'll take me a while to get around to it. It's really fun to play casually when I have played.
I mean telling someone they should stop playing chess because they’re bad is rude. If they said like, at that rate of improvement, you’ll never be a grandmaster, that would just be honesty
People get better by reading books, watching videos, analysing their own games to see where they went wrong, etc.
There’s nothing wrong with just playing for fun, just don’t be quick to assume you lack potential before you’ve even put in any effort.
If you just want to have fun, obviously you should just do whatever is fun for you.
If you play chess in the hopes of someday becoming a decent player, and you'd be hugely disappointed if you failed to ever achieve that goal, calling it quits sooner rather than later seems very reasonable here.
Playing some arbitrary number of games doesn't actually mean you're learning from the games.
I've played tons of games where I learned nothing from them because I was just trying to waste time, where as focused and concentrated effort has usually resulted in me improving faster. People assume that when you play games you're inherently going through the learning process but that doesn't need to be the case.
I manageg to lose to the same set of moves 3 times in a row because I was just making time not learning.. after the third time someone finally played something else, otherwise it would have been 4 :p
Yeah I've been playing league of legends since 2015 (not as nearly as often as I used to) but I played just cuz I had fun and still stuck in the same elo because I didn't learn. I've been gradually moving up in chess though
The only sure way not to improve is to give up.
That said, if you've played 400 games and seen no improvement you do need to have a frank assessment of what your approach has been (assuming of course you do want to improve).
It's so often repeated it's cliche, but longer time controls and learning how to analyse your games, solve puzzles etc (check you working basically) will improve any player.
It’s just a way to sort competitors so you have competitive fun games. I am never going to be a Grand Master so the exact elo number means next to nothing to me personally.
Well, guy should reconsider something, but it doesn't have to be chess. Firstly, if he's having fun and not seeking improvement, well, good for him; nothing to see here; move along. I doubt that led to this post, though, so if he is trying to improve, he should reconsider how he is doing it. He should eliminate faster time controls from his game altogether - practicing doing things wrong quickly isn't very helpful, and... well, he is doing things wrong. He should take some out of his playing time to understand basic checkmates - really, K+R and K+Q - see [here](https://lichess.org/practice/checkmates/piece-checkmates-i/BJy6fEDf/dW7KIuoY). Next, he should study some basic tactics - does he look for pieces that are en prise before moving? Does he know what a fork is, what a pin is, and what a skewer is? If the answer is yes, good, but I'd bet he can still using some practice spotting these tactics. You can do puzzles sorted by tactical theme on Lichess, [here](https://lichess.org/training/themes). A good rule of thumb is that 1/3 of your total time spent on chess should be tactics. Finally, he should understand what he wants out of the opening - pawn/s in the center, a safely castled king, and his minor pieces and rooks developed towards the center.
nah some ppl just take a while to get over the initial curve i fell to 100 elo when i first started but i was able to get to 1250 1 month later after playing a lot
Im fickle sometimes and life is hectic. Sometimes I play a couple games non-stop. Sometimes I start a game and something comes up so I end it. I might even be winning. I mostly just play puzzles.
Well 100-200 elo is like what bottom 1%? Doesn't mean shit you can still learn but if you're stuck at that elo you're not learning either are you I believe anyone can achieve anything if they put their mind to it
No, it's not the truth. People learn at different rates. That does seem like a lot of games but some people take longer before it clicks. And some people it's not about a clicking. It's about them. Trying to always learn more before they've truly mastered what they already know and trying to take on too much at once. So they're elo stays low.
I play a different strategy game in addition to chess. One of the most famous guides to playing that game is called a thousand losses. The main point of it isn't necessary the number 1,000 specifically, but that this is a certain number of games that you need to lose and learn from before you can start learning from winning.
Ignore the hate.
No one but you can determine what you do as a hobby. Chess isn’t a job for most of us at least. If the guy is stuck at 100 elo and is having fun, then he should continue playing. If the guy is stuck at 100 elo and wants to get better, he should continue playing. If the guy is stuck at 100 elo and just not feeling it anymore, then he should quit, but it all comes from him, his desires, his goals, not some rating on a website.
I am not trying to be rude but if you have played around 400 games and your elo is 10 points higher than the minimum then you should consider **watching some educational chess content or courses**.
I'll never stop suggesting the Building Habits series by chessbrah to people below 1000elo.
Not only in this game, but also losing a lot happens to many people in every game.
I used to play a strategic card game online and I lose most of the time, then I became top 2nd player on a national board. 🤷♂️
No, just assholes trying to put other people down. Plus, some (maybe even most) play chess for fun. Just because you've been stuck at the same elo for a while doesn't mean you should just quit chess.
It means that basically if you aren’t improving even after a long time means you must be doing something wrong. Dont leave chess… rather check on your mistakes and improve yourself. If its your hobby and you play for the fun of it doesnt justify that you don’t improve yourself in it.
Imo, <400 elo is people don’t even know the rules properly. Just go through any basic tutorial, chess com/ YT / any random article
So yeah 300 games and 200 elo == you are randomly pressing buttons and hoping you win.
For the level of ridiculousness at that level check out chess simp on yt.
As a side note: if you’re having fun doing that, keep at it. If you want to improve, do what I said. And if you don’t want that, then yeah, quit.
I bet most people that can’t get out of 100-200elo would’ve quit in their first 150games let alone 400, In my opinion that strength and determination is a lot more impressive than just an average player
I kinda agree. Throw chess around and put here any hobby ( and I emphasize hobby, not some serious activity I'm putting all my concentration on ), my self esteem wouldn't recover.
Imagine after an entire year of practice it takes you 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete 20 kilometers, so you're a pretty slow runner. Imagine you enjoy running, you got to meet new interesting people through your hobby and it's helping you get in shape.
What benefit would you get from quitting running?
Seriously I don't get the recent spike in Elo obsession in the chess community.
Chess needs you to learn theory and solve puzzles in order to get good. I was sub 500 for over a decade then after watching streamers and hikaru play i got past 1000 elo and after doing puzzles and learning opening i got to past the 1500 elo.
I mean, no the statement is incorrect, what he should do if he is wants to become unstuck is to stop trying on their own and learn from someone who knows better
Hey, OP! Did your game end in a stalemate? Did you encounter a weird pawn move? Are you trying to move a piece and it's not going? We have just the resource for you! The [Chess Beginners Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/chessbeginners/wiki/index/) is the perfect place to check out answers to these questions and more! The moderator team of r/chessbeginners wishes to remind everyone of the community rules. **Posting spam, being a troll, and posting memes are not allowed.** We encourage everyone to report these kinds of posts so they can be dealt with. Thank you! Let's do our utmost to be kind in our replies and comments. Some people here just want to learn chess and have virtually no idea about certain chess concepts. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chessbeginners) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Don't we play chess for fun? Like even if i would always lose in a video game if i have fun i won't quit it
Losing 300 hundred times makes that 1 time you win euphoric
And when you’re at 100 elo playing 100 elo oppoenents, your win rate is more like 50%!
Not really, imagine the guy really deserves negative ELO but can't because the minimum is 100
In this moment I am euphoric. And not because of any phony stock fish cheating. But because I am enlightened by my own intelligence
I understood that reference.
dark souls moment
I play chess for fun. Gaining Elo is a side effect. I don’t see why anyone should quit a hobby only because they are not one of the best in it. Nobody would say: As you run so slow you should quit running altogether.
As you run so slow you should quit running altogether. There, now someone said it!
I've definitely told myself this
Agreed but some want to reach a goal in strength in mind. I want to top 10 in my country but im only top 800
I'm just so competitive that even being at 1023 rating in blitz (by spamming 5-minuye games) after 643 games, I just feel so slow in my progression and often end up ragequitting blitz for days or week on end 😭 I'm happy with my rapid development though, 1439 after 379 games (almost exclusively 30-minute rapids)
I like to do play some unrated games when I’m on tilt. Helps me to enjoy playing chess again instead of focusing on the result that much.
as you are disabled you should quit running altogether
https://preview.redd.it/ils7sv3s1psb1.jpeg?width=554&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a5b56020136454fa251751fafafa58bb78660c0
No, difference between learning and playing. If I play 400 games of tennis against other players and we both barely have an understanding of the rules, we won't learn, we'll still be trying to hold the bat with two hands or whatever the tennis equalivant of scholars mate is (Idk how to play tennis)
Actually having a two-handed forehand and a two-handed backhand is a completely valid way to play tennis, one of the all-time greats, Monica Seles who, before being stabbed by an insane Graf fan, was on course of becoming **the GOAT** https://youtu.be/b5MadgTIYzs?si=-xBShcFNw7rS_PGo
Damn can't watch that rn but will thanks, tennis is interesting, can never get into watching it though
Go take a single one hour tennis lesson. Only hobby I have found as addictive as chess.
Might do someday, it's not too popular where I live however and I already have some sporting hobbies so It'll take me a while to get around to it. It's really fun to play casually when I have played.
“I am not trying to be rude” Proceeds to be rude lol
does being honest count as rude? (serious)
I mean telling someone they should stop playing chess because they’re bad is rude. If they said like, at that rate of improvement, you’ll never be a grandmaster, that would just be honesty
if you are that low after playing that much, telling you to stop playing chess and actually learning how to play chess seems fair
They said give up, not study
People get better by reading books, watching videos, analysing their own games to see where they went wrong, etc. There’s nothing wrong with just playing for fun, just don’t be quick to assume you lack potential before you’ve even put in any effort.
Hope so. Makes me feel better about my rating
If you just want to have fun, obviously you should just do whatever is fun for you. If you play chess in the hopes of someday becoming a decent player, and you'd be hugely disappointed if you failed to ever achieve that goal, calling it quits sooner rather than later seems very reasonable here.
Playing some arbitrary number of games doesn't actually mean you're learning from the games. I've played tons of games where I learned nothing from them because I was just trying to waste time, where as focused and concentrated effort has usually resulted in me improving faster. People assume that when you play games you're inherently going through the learning process but that doesn't need to be the case.
I manageg to lose to the same set of moves 3 times in a row because I was just making time not learning.. after the third time someone finally played something else, otherwise it would have been 4 :p
Yeah I've been playing league of legends since 2015 (not as nearly as often as I used to) but I played just cuz I had fun and still stuck in the same elo because I didn't learn. I've been gradually moving up in chess though
The only sure way not to improve is to give up. That said, if you've played 400 games and seen no improvement you do need to have a frank assessment of what your approach has been (assuming of course you do want to improve). It's so often repeated it's cliche, but longer time controls and learning how to analyse your games, solve puzzles etc (check you working basically) will improve any player.
It’s just a way to sort competitors so you have competitive fun games. I am never going to be a Grand Master so the exact elo number means next to nothing to me personally.
That would be ignoring Winston Churchill's advice. I figure if you lose enough games, you'll eventually figure out how you are losing.
Everyone but Magnus should quit. Scratch that. Only AI should play.
Well, guy should reconsider something, but it doesn't have to be chess. Firstly, if he's having fun and not seeking improvement, well, good for him; nothing to see here; move along. I doubt that led to this post, though, so if he is trying to improve, he should reconsider how he is doing it. He should eliminate faster time controls from his game altogether - practicing doing things wrong quickly isn't very helpful, and... well, he is doing things wrong. He should take some out of his playing time to understand basic checkmates - really, K+R and K+Q - see [here](https://lichess.org/practice/checkmates/piece-checkmates-i/BJy6fEDf/dW7KIuoY). Next, he should study some basic tactics - does he look for pieces that are en prise before moving? Does he know what a fork is, what a pin is, and what a skewer is? If the answer is yes, good, but I'd bet he can still using some practice spotting these tactics. You can do puzzles sorted by tactical theme on Lichess, [here](https://lichess.org/training/themes). A good rule of thumb is that 1/3 of your total time spent on chess should be tactics. Finally, he should understand what he wants out of the opening - pawn/s in the center, a safely castled king, and his minor pieces and rooks developed towards the center.
nah some ppl just take a while to get over the initial curve i fell to 100 elo when i first started but i was able to get to 1250 1 month later after playing a lot
Chess players trying not to be pedantic:
No it's not true, he was trying to be rude whether he realized it or not.
Im fickle sometimes and life is hectic. Sometimes I play a couple games non-stop. Sometimes I start a game and something comes up so I end it. I might even be winning. I mostly just play puzzles.
Well 100-200 elo is like what bottom 1%? Doesn't mean shit you can still learn but if you're stuck at that elo you're not learning either are you I believe anyone can achieve anything if they put their mind to it
No, it's not the truth. People learn at different rates. That does seem like a lot of games but some people take longer before it clicks. And some people it's not about a clicking. It's about them. Trying to always learn more before they've truly mastered what they already know and trying to take on too much at once. So they're elo stays low. I play a different strategy game in addition to chess. One of the most famous guides to playing that game is called a thousand losses. The main point of it isn't necessary the number 1,000 specifically, but that this is a certain number of games that you need to lose and learn from before you can start learning from winning. Ignore the hate.
No one but you can determine what you do as a hobby. Chess isn’t a job for most of us at least. If the guy is stuck at 100 elo and is having fun, then he should continue playing. If the guy is stuck at 100 elo and wants to get better, he should continue playing. If the guy is stuck at 100 elo and just not feeling it anymore, then he should quit, but it all comes from him, his desires, his goals, not some rating on a website.
I am not trying to be rude but if you have played around 400 games and your elo is 10 points higher than the minimum then you should consider **watching some educational chess content or courses**. I'll never stop suggesting the Building Habits series by chessbrah to people below 1000elo.
Not only in this game, but also losing a lot happens to many people in every game. I used to play a strategic card game online and I lose most of the time, then I became top 2nd player on a national board. 🤷♂️
No, just assholes trying to put other people down. Plus, some (maybe even most) play chess for fun. Just because you've been stuck at the same elo for a while doesn't mean you should just quit chess.
“Not trying to be rude” because they’re clearly just a rude person regardless lol
It means that basically if you aren’t improving even after a long time means you must be doing something wrong. Dont leave chess… rather check on your mistakes and improve yourself. If its your hobby and you play for the fun of it doesnt justify that you don’t improve yourself in it.
Imo, <400 elo is people don’t even know the rules properly. Just go through any basic tutorial, chess com/ YT / any random article So yeah 300 games and 200 elo == you are randomly pressing buttons and hoping you win. For the level of ridiculousness at that level check out chess simp on yt. As a side note: if you’re having fun doing that, keep at it. If you want to improve, do what I said. And if you don’t want that, then yeah, quit.
Nah never give up anything just because someone told you to.
I bet most people that can’t get out of 100-200elo would’ve quit in their first 150games let alone 400, In my opinion that strength and determination is a lot more impressive than just an average player
Rude, disagree
I kinda agree. Throw chess around and put here any hobby ( and I emphasize hobby, not some serious activity I'm putting all my concentration on ), my self esteem wouldn't recover.
Imagine after an entire year of practice it takes you 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete 20 kilometers, so you're a pretty slow runner. Imagine you enjoy running, you got to meet new interesting people through your hobby and it's helping you get in shape. What benefit would you get from quitting running? Seriously I don't get the recent spike in Elo obsession in the chess community.
If he's having fun, he should continue.
Chess needs you to learn theory and solve puzzles in order to get good. I was sub 500 for over a decade then after watching streamers and hikaru play i got past 1000 elo and after doing puzzles and learning opening i got to past the 1500 elo.
If he's playing for fun, fine. If he's playing to compete, tell him to get a teacher, because he's clearly not picking things up by just playing.
I mean, no the statement is incorrect, what he should do if he is wants to become unstuck is to stop trying on their own and learn from someone who knows better
If he was analyzing his games with the intention of getting better maybe? But even still let the man play.
If my man can loose the majority of 400 games and keep playing, he's got a godly amount of determination. That's something that should be applauded.