Beginner's and Learning Openings-This game creates questions for me • page 1/1 • Game Analysis • lichess.org

Hollow-1-1

A small bit of background. I have developed a cognitive impairment and so my rating has dropped significantly. But...I love this game and will not let that stop me from trying to improve. This game was played on chess.com in a tournament. Apparently, my opponent played a Scillian. She is around 850-900. I'm currently rated around 580. (I've lost about 700 rating points from my best due to the impairment.) It's my understanding that at this level one should not even try to learn openings but instead use opening principles. My question is, my opponent used an opening that I've heard is very complicated and so should I practice openings a bit more? Currently, I play the Scotch/Colle for white and Caro-khann and Nimzo-Indian for black. When I say play, I mean that I know about the first five moves in each, just enough that I feel I have a plan to start the game and then fall back onto principles of chess. Is it because this was a tournament and I should expect low level players to have prepared openings? Thank you for any advice/feedback.

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2026.09.20"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hollow-1-1"]
[Black "VallapieRed"]
This was a 30 minute game

e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Bd3 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nf3
h6 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Qe2 Nbc6 11. a3 Qb6 12. Nd1 O-O 13. Be3 Nd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15.
Bxh6 Re8 16. c3 Bg7 17. Be3 Qd8 18. b4 b5 19. a4 bxa4 20. Rxa4 Bd7 21. Ra3 Bc8
Bd2 Bb7 23. f4 Bh6 24. f5 Bxd2 25. Qxd2 exf5 26. Ra5 Nc6 27. Ra4 Ne5 28. Bc2
Nc4 29. Qh6 Bxe4 30. Bb3 d5 31. Ne3 Nxe3 32. Rxe3 Qd7 33. Ra5 f4 34. Rh3 Qxh3
Qxh3 Rac8 36. Rxd5 Rc7 37. Rg5 Rd7 38. Rxg6+ Bxg6 39. Qg4 Kg7 40. Qxg6+ fxg6
h4 Re1+ 0-1

A small bit of background. I have developed a cognitive impairment and so my rating has dropped significantly. But...I love this game and will not let that stop me from trying to improve. This game was played on chess.com in a tournament. Apparently, my opponent played a Scillian. She is around 850-900. I'm currently rated around 580. (I've lost about 700 rating points from my best due to the impairment.) It's my understanding that at this level one should not even try to learn openings but instead use opening principles. My question is, my opponent used an opening that I've heard is very complicated and so should I practice openings a bit more? Currently, I play the Scotch/Colle for white and Caro-khann and Nimzo-Indian for black. When I say play, I mean that I know about the first five moves in each, just enough that I feel I have a plan to start the game and then fall back onto principles of chess. Is it because this was a tournament and I should expect low level players to have prepared openings? Thank you for any advice/feedback. [Event "Live Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2026.09.20"] [Round "?"] [White "Hollow-1-1"] [Black "VallapieRed"] This was a 30 minute game 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Bd3 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nf3 h6 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Qe2 Nbc6 11. a3 Qb6 12. Nd1 O-O 13. Be3 Nd4 14. Nxd4 Bxd4 15. Bxh6 Re8 16. c3 Bg7 17. Be3 Qd8 18. b4 b5 19. a4 bxa4 20. Rxa4 Bd7 21. Ra3 Bc8 22. Bd2 Bb7 23. f4 Bh6 24. f5 Bxd2 25. Qxd2 exf5 26. Ra5 Nc6 27. Ra4 Ne5 28. Bc2 Nc4 29. Qh6 Bxe4 30. Bb3 d5 31. Ne3 Nxe3 32. Rxe3 Qd7 33. Ra5 f4 34. Rh3 Qxh3 35. Qxh3 Rac8 36. Rxd5 Rc7 37. Rg5 Rd7 38. Rxg6+ Bxg6 39. Qg4 Kg7 40. Qxg6+ fxg6 41. h4 Re1+ 0-1

Royals_Fan22

@najdorfplayer48 said ^

A small bit of background. I have developed a cognitive impairment and so my rating has dropped significantly. But...I love this game and will not let that stop me from trying to improve. This game was played on chess.com in a tournament. Apparently, my opponent played a Scillian. She is around 850-900. I'm currently rated around 580. (I've los...

it was played on the other site with a green pawn, would have to add in a study.

@najdorfplayer48 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/SsCdMNsS) > > A small bit of background. I have developed a cognitive impairment and so my rating has dropped significantly. But...I love this game and will not let that stop me from trying to improve. This game was played on chess.com in a tournament. Apparently, my opponent played a Scillian. She is around 850-900. I'm currently rated around 580. (I've los... it was played on the other site with a green pawn, would have to add in a study.

tpr

"at this level one should not even try to learn openings"

That is correct.

"instead use opening principles"

Yes.

"should I practice openings a bit more?"

Just play and analyze your lost games.

In that game you were doing OK in the opening. Black deviated first with 8...h6, a weak move as it violates opening principles: does not develop any piece, does not contribute to the center, creates a weakness. He had to play 8...Nf6.

Your 11 a3 also violates opening principles. Your move does not develop any piece and does not contribute to the center. You had to play 11 Be3.

Both sides make further mistakes.
Your decisive mistake is 40 Qxg6+?. You could have won with 40 Qxd7.
The opening has nothing to do with your loss.

"at this level one should not even try to learn openings" * That is correct. "instead use opening principles" * Yes. "should I practice openings a bit more?" * Just play and analyze your lost games. In that game you were doing OK in the opening. Black deviated first with 8...h6, a weak move as it violates opening principles: does not develop any piece, does not contribute to the center, creates a weakness. He had to play 8...Nf6. Your 11 a3 also violates opening principles. Your move does not develop any piece and does not contribute to the center. You had to play 11 Be3. Both sides make further mistakes. Your decisive mistake is 40 Qxg6+?. You could have won with 40 Qxd7. The opening has nothing to do with your loss.

kindaspongey edited

https://www.chess.com/game/live/184174111019

https://lichess.org/TBIDu3P4

[Event "Live Chess"] [Date "2026.09.20"] [TimeControl "1800"] [ECO "B50"]
Maybe, you can find something useful at https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/i-need-advice?page=2 .
You played your first 31 moves at an average rate of ~58 seconds per move.

https://www.chess.com/game/live/184174111019 https://lichess.org/TBIDu3P4 [Event "Live Chess"] [Date "2026.09.20"] [TimeControl "1800"] [ECO "B50"] Maybe, you can find something useful at https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/i-need-advice?page=2 . You played your first 31 moves at an average rate of ~58 seconds per move.

RemRus

Stan game. You did everything right, but...
Move 36, gave a rook.
Move 38, gave a rook.
Move 40, gave the queen.
First you made 35 moves perfectly correctly. Then you made 3 terrible moves and lost everything. Why did you give away your pieces? You have a problem on move 36 and not in the opening.

Stan game. You did everything right, but... Move 36, gave a rook. Move 38, gave a rook. Move 40, gave the queen. First you made 35 moves perfectly correctly. Then you made 3 terrible moves and lost everything. Why did you give away your pieces? You have a problem on move 36 and not in the opening.

kindaspongey

After 35...Rac8, Hollow-1-1 was down to ~4.4 seconds.

Hollow-1-1 edited

@RemRus said ^

Stan game. You did everything right, but...
Move 36, gave a rook.
Move 38, gave a rook.
Move 40, gave the queen.
First you made 35 moves perfectly correctly. Then you made 3 terrible moves and lost everything. Why did you give away your pieces? You have a problem on move 36 and not in the opening.

Sorry, I should have mentioned, and next time I will prepare the game format properly, that I was in major time trouble for the last 8 moves. I do think that I had trouble coming up with a plan. The opponents pieces seemed so much better placed, which brought me back to my original. It seems I was playing right into their opening prep. Of course, you all would know better, and I do appreciate all the feedback! Thank you.

@RemRus said [^](/forum/redirect/post/tVAf7sU5) > Stan game. You did everything right, but... > Move 36, gave a rook. > Move 38, gave a rook. > Move 40, gave the queen. > First you made 35 moves perfectly correctly. Then you made 3 terrible moves and lost everything. Why did you give away your pieces? You have a problem on move 36 and not in the opening. Sorry, I should have mentioned, and next time I will prepare the game format properly, that I was in major time trouble for the last 8 moves. I do think that I had trouble coming up with a plan. The opponents pieces seemed so much better placed, which brought me back to my original. It seems I was playing right into their opening prep. Of course, you all would know better, and I do appreciate all the feedback! Thank you.

RemRus

@Hollow-1-1 said ^

time trouble

Use +5 seconds

@Hollow-1-1 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/HYWSlOGU) > time trouble Use +5 seconds

kindaspongey

@Hollow-1-1 said in #7:

... The opponents pieces seemed so much better placed, which brought me back to my original. It seems I was playing right into their opening prep. Of course, you all would know better, and I do appreciate all the feedback! ...

After 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4, the standard move (by far) is 4...Nf6, obliging White to block the c2-pawn with 5 Nc3. After 4...a6, the machine likes the idea of taking the opportunity to play 5 c4, but it isn't the end of the world that you chose 5 Nc3. Indeed, as far as I can tell, the machine does not think that the position began to turn against you until you played 26 Ra5 (instead of 26 exf5).

@Hollow-1-1 said in #7: > ... The opponents pieces seemed so much better placed, which brought me back to my original. It seems I was playing right into their opening prep. Of course, you all would know better, and I do appreciate all the feedback! ... After 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4, the standard move (by far) is 4...Nf6, obliging White to block the c2-pawn with 5 Nc3. After 4...a6, the machine likes the idea of taking the opportunity to play 5 c4, but it isn't the end of the world that you chose 5 Nc3. Indeed, as far as I can tell, the machine does not think that the position began to turn against you until you played 26 Ra5 (instead of 26 exf5).