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How To Improve Your Game When All Your Friends Mock You For Being 1200-1300 When They Are 1500-2000?

#1
I have a few friends here on Lichess that constantly mock me for having a low rating and for being a poor player. It used to be a joke and I would laugh it off, however it has been a long time now and it no longer is funny. Now every time they “joke” about it, it hurts very much.

I used to know and play one opening for White... and I have been stuck in the 1200-1300 range for a while now. I am currently following a friend (@liam224n), who doesn’t make fun of me and actually tries to help, as he guides me through studies of Gambits. He is also teaching me to read and understand Chess Notation.

Here is what I know so far, along with what I’m learning:
# Know #
• Ruy Lopez (Spanish) Opening for White
• Caro Kann Opening for Black
• Halloween Gambit for White

# Learning #
• Lewis Gambit
• ICBM Gambit
• Pickle Muffin Gambit
• (To) Read and understand Chess Notation (80%)

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can improve my rating and my chess playing so that they can no longer mock me, please?

Thanks in advance for any replies or thoughts, they will be much appreciated.
#2
Get better friends.

i'm not quite 1300 so I dunno what use playing me would be, but id be down for some games :)
#3
lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/how-to-get-good-at-chess-4
lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/any-recommanded-book
"... You should play the simpler and more adventurous openings, from which you will learn how to use the pieces. Much later on you can go on to the more difficult openings - if you play them now you won't understand what you are doing ... Play the openings beginning [1 e4 e5]. ... if you haven't learnt how to play the open game you won't be able to use positional advantage even if you are able to get it. ..." - C. H. O'D. Alexander and T. J. Beach (1963)
"... As [First Steps: 1 e4 e5 is] a First Steps book, I’ve tried to avoid encyclopaedic coverage. In any case, you certainly don’t need to remember every single variation and all the notes before playing the opening. Take in the first few moves and the key ideas, and then try it out in your games! ..." - GM John Emms (2018)
www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
It is a pretty daunting project to undertake to study the Ruy Lopez. Right off, one faces the prospect of potentially encountering 3...a6, 3...Nf6, 3...f5, 3...Bc5, 3...d6, 3...Nge7, 3...g6, and 3...Nd4. It is perhaps not surprising to see the advice in Journey to the Chess Kingdom by Yuri Averbakh and Mikhail Beilin:
"Alekhine advised beginners not to play the Spanish game. We also recommend you get some experience first by playing relatively simple openings - the Scotch and Italian games - and only then move on to the Spanish one."
It is possible to play a somewhat simplified Ruy Lopez.
"... As a first step in mastering the Ruy Lopez, you need a solid, simple repertoire that will allow you to play practice games with your new opening without fearing nasty surprises. ... 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 d3 ... This should be by far the most common position you reach after 3 Bb5. Until, that is, you feel ready to branch out from 5 d3 to other, sharper variations. ..." - The Ruy Lopez: Move by Move by GM Neil McDonald (2011)
web.archive.org/web/20140627022042/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen153.pdf
lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/fellow-people-with-horrible-memory
#4
@Gedaliah said in #1:
> # Learning #
> • Lewis Gambit
> • ICBM Gambit
> • Pickle Muffin Gambit
> • (To) Read and understand Chess Notation (80%)
You can try stafford gambit but it's risky but highly successful, overall I don't advise you to learn gambits. You should work on basics and only play gambits after you become an expert in the mainlines
@Gedaliah said in #1:
> I have a few friends here on Lichess that constantly mock me for having a low rating and for being a poor player
you should leave them and report them to lichess
#5
lol,geda,dont take it to serious,if we are friends ,there will be jokes,did'nt u also tease me 15 mins ago and did i create a blog post/forum post and talk about this? and most importantly,publicly?
#6
These seem like two separate issues.:

1) how to get better at chess
2) your friend situation

As for 1, there are many ways to improve, and the forum has lots of suggestions.

As for 2, pick your friends wisely. Ask them to stop it. Also, friendship might not be for eternity. You might simply unfollow and/or block that person. If it's bullying, you can report to the moderators.
#7
its just not bullying,its just a friendly tease and ofc geda,will dislike this comment
#8
@JohAan2013 said in #7:
> its just not bullying,its just a friendly tease and ofc geda,will dislike this comment
jokes and trolls do have some difference, if your jokes accidently hurt your friend, you should ask for apology.
#9
yes,i did apologize to him in his alt acc,since he has blocked me in his main acc