>>8542 I am not even FIDE titled but i am better than you are so this is probably worth something In the typical game you fight for space, at some point you go "ok, this is the situation in ranks 3 to 6, there is no immediate way to change it, what do?" And you figure out some plan to gain space, secure your pieces from longer term pressure, apply longer term pressure and whatnot. Then you repeat while scanning for short term (like winning a pawn after an exchange) and long term (like moving the pieces to the kingside to exploit a cramped black position) tactics in between

Another thing is that like, this is a high effort game, the effort you put out is not always consistent, you need to be surrounded by an environment where your opponents try hard and it shows, chess.com.rated is by far the best for that (although everything else about the site is shit)

>>8545 do you have tips on how to play proactively? i'm not very good at setting up moves or longer term plans. most of my success comes from short-term moves that give me strong material advantage and praying to God i can manage a check without stalemating.

>>8542 I always win at chess because i only play with myself

>>8547 This really depends on the opening, most positions birthed from e4 are easy to maneuver for white, I sort of know automatically what I can look for but a bland-position-checklist should always include: -can I make a material threat->can my opponent defend->do you like the resulting position -can I move my pieces toward strategical spots on the board to fight for space->can my opponent oppose me->is the position better -can I push a pawn to combat the center->etcetc Plans are hard to make and often you will end up in a position where you really have nothing good, but maybe fool yourself into thinking you do, this is why opening theory matters, e4 positions are friendlier to "just playing a game" though >With black You have a disadvantage, hold your own until white fucks up, can't really take initiative past a certain level, though I also sometimes give black a +1 advantage when weird lines are played in blitz

I'm a beginner, I played 500 parties whole my life for now. I suck at it LOL

>>8542 >do any of you play chess? I used to play it a lot as a kid and go to tournaments when I was in middle school. Wouldn't consider myself good, but somewhat decent. Nowadays I just occasionally play it with anons from /vg/ generals in 4chan >how to stop being shit at it? You don't! Keep in mind that whoever you play with, they'd be mogged by AI who have an unreachable understanding of the game. Chess is a game about getting better rather than good To actively improve, you need to actually look up on theory according to your level. >>8547 If you are same poster as OP, try to look up for 2-3 openings to "main" as both colors, if possible at least one assuming white E4 and one for white D4. Other than that, try to look up about advantage that is not just pure material (position/space control, doubled pawns, pair of bishops, ...)

>>8552 >>8555 i see. thank you both for the advice.

>>8555 general purpose AI is shit at chess, computers only understand chess as much as the guy that programmed them, they are rated so strong because they can calculate 20+ moves deep into any position

>>8560 By AI I meant stockfish and the sort. These computer players literally plays in ways that a human can't, by seeing so much into the future and doing moves that have an effect only much later in the game