Is it taking you forever to really get a grip of chess? After several months or years of playing, you still SUCK. You’ve either improved by a tiny margin in years, have stayed stagnant, or have even gotten worse. Yet, you keep asking, “why am I so bad at chess?” and it’s time to answer your question.
Possible Reasons Why You Are Bad At Chess
1. Lack of proper training
So you successfully learned how to move the pieces, and you’ve been playing non-stop since then. You’re likely to be bad at chess if that’s the case. No one becomes a decent chess player without some proper training.
Chess is learned faster when you train rather than when you play. This was confirmed by Bobby Fischer in an interview with Johnny Carson.
2. Bad conditions
Chess is a game that requires maximum concentration. Several factors can cause distractions to a player tussling on the board. Pungent smells, a noisy environment, and an environment with unusual temperatures are factors that can affect one’s playing.
Other overlooked conditions like an overburdened mind, a tired body, and a hungry stomach can contribute to the reasons why you could ask yourself, “why am I so bad at chess?”
3. Low IQ
IQ is a measure of one’s cognitive capabilities, which includes the ability to think and calculate. For example, chess, which relies largely on thinking, depends on IQ.
Don’t worry; there’s little you can do to define your IQ, but there might be some ways to train your IQ, chess being one of them. However, having a low IQ could hinder one’s ability to calculate combinations, develop strategies, and implement tactics.
Possible Solutions To Help You Improve At Chess
1. Train effectively
A study has proved that people learn more when they study chess than when they play all the time. Suppose you’re a chess lover who is steadily fascinated by chess. In that case, you’d certainly prefer to win on most occasions, if not all.
You must improve to an extremely high percentile to be a serial winner. To improve greatly, you must train and study chess more than you play.
The following resources can help train you in chess:
- Chess books
- Chess engines
- Chess apps and software
- Chess videos
- Chess puzzles and problems
- Analyzing your past games
- Chess tutors
1. Chess books
There are several chess books you can use to improve your playing ability. Some of the best are recommended below;
- Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
- Think Like A Grandmaster
- Logical Reasoning: Move By Move
And several others.
2. Chess engines
Chess engines show you the best moves you should make in certain positions. If you’re not at an extremely high level in chess, you might struggle to understand WHY the chess engine recommended that move.
This is why chess engines are most effective with a chess app/software or a strong chess coach. Examples of some chess software include:
- Stockfish (the strongest chess engine today)
- Komodo
- Fat Fritz 2
And several others.
3. Chess apps and software
As mentioned before, chess apps and software help one understand WHY chess engines suggest certain moves. Some of the best chess apps to consider is:
- Chess.com
- Aimchess.com
- Chess24.com
- Lichess.org
And several others.
4. Chess videos
This is one of the common ways to enjoy chess training. We have some cool chess content creators that have sparked an improvement in many chess players. Some are:
- Agadmator
- GothamChess
- Eric Rosen
And several others.
There are also chess video courses on sites like iChess.net and chess24.com.
5. Chess puzzles and problems
When you solve chess puzzles, you could see similar concepts in your future games, and of course, that could almost certainly help you win the game.
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6. Analyzing your past games
Analyzing your finished games will help you identify your mistakes and will help you make better moves next time.
7. Chess tutors
You can get tutored in chess either virtually or physically. Sites like chess.com and lichess.org offer coaching services. If you prefer, you could physically seek a personal chess tutor or join a chess club.
A good coach will make you stop asking yourself, “why am I so bad at chess?”.
2. Play in a favorable condition
You can’t play chess in a noisy environment and expect your concentration to be unhinged. So make sure the playing arena is not noisy, too hot, or too cold.
With maximum concentration and comfort, you’re bound to see the board better and make better moves.
3. Train your IQ
There isn’t much you can do to improve your IQ as its determinant is largely genetic, but study has shown that there are ways to boost your IQ. Chess itself is a way, but you resort to other means when chess isn’t doing the job.
READ ALSO: 10 Openings Named After Popular Chess Players
The following ways help to improve one’s IQ.
- Getting enough sleep
- Playing instruments
- Reading
- Eating rich food
And so on.
If this article has helped answer your “why am I so bad at chess?” question, let us know in the comment section.
