So I took all of your advice and then read some books. I finally got
my courage back and went to my local chess club to play in another
tournament. But I got clobbered again. They even let me play white
three times for some reason. I did my homework and looked up the
openings; now I know the variations that my opponents played. What am
I doing wrong in my games?? Why can't I beat any of these players at
my local chess club? It is really frustrating...You gotta help me,
please!!!


Round 1:
White: Me 1210
Black: 2187

[Opening "Sicilian: accelerated fianchetto, modern variation"]
[ECO "B34"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. f3
O-O 8.
Bc4 Qa5 9. O-O Ne5 10. Nb3 Qc7 11. Be2 d6 12. Qd2 Nc4 13. Qc1 Nxe3 14.
Qxe3
Be6 15. Rad1 Rac8 16. Rd3 a6 17. Rfd1 b5 18. Nd5 Nxd5 19. exd5 Bf5 20.
Rc3
Bxc3 21. bxc3 Qxc3 22. Qxe7 Bxc2 23. Qxd6 Bxd1 24. Bxd1 Qe1#


Round 2:
White: 1923
Black: Me 1210

[Opening "Catalan opening"]
[ECO "E00"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 Ne4 6. Qc2 f5 7.
Bg2 d5
8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O b6 10. Ne5 Bb7 11. f3 Nf6 12. Nd2 Nbd7 13. Nd3 c6
14. c5
Ba6 15. b4 Bxd3 16. Qxd3 Qe7 17. Rac1 a5 18. cxb6 Nxb6 19. Rxc6 Qxb4
20. Rb1
Qe7 21. Rbxb6 e5 22. Re6 Qc7 23. dxe5 Nd7 24. Rbc6 Qb8 25. f4 Qb2 26.
Bxd5
Kh8 27. Bb3 Rac8 28. Qxd7 Rxc6 29. Rxc6 I resigned.

Round 3:
White: Me 1210
Black: 1850

[Opening "Sicilian defense"]
[ECO "B32"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. c3 d3 5. Bxd3 g6 6. O-O Bg7 7. Re1
d6 8.
Be3 Nf6 9. h3 O-O 10. Qd2 Re8 11. Bh6 Bh8 12. Na3 Be6 13. Nc4 b5 14.
Ne3 a6
15. a3 Rc8 16. Rad1 Na5 17. Nd4 Bd7 18. b4 Nc6 19. Nxc6 Bxc6 20. f3
Nd7 21.
Ng4 Bb7 22. Be3 Bxc3 23. Nh6+ Kf8 24. Qf2 Bxe1 25. Rxe1 Ne5 26. Bf1
Qc7 27.
Rc1 Nc4 28. Bxc4 bxc4 29. Rc3 e6 30. Qh4 Qd8 31. Qf4 Qe7 32. Ng4 f5
33. exf5
exf5 34. Qh6+ Qg7 35. Nf6 Re7 36. Nxh7+ Kf7 37. Ng5+ Kg8 38. Qh4 Qxc3
I resigned.

Round 4:
White: Me 1210
Black: 1765

[Opening "Caro-Kann: Steinitz variation"]
[ECO "B17"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3 Nxe4 7.
Bxe4
Nf6 8. Qe2 Nxe4 9. Qxe4 e6 10. O-O Bd6 11. Bg5 Qc7 12. h3 h6 13. Bd2
b6 14.
Bc3 Bb7 15. Qg4 O-O-O 16. Qxg7 Rdg8 17. Qf6 c5 18. Rad1 Rg6 19. Qh4
Bxf3 20.
dxc5 Rxg2+ 21. Kh1 Rh2+ 22. Kg1 Rg2+ 23. Kh1 Rg4#
Ouch!!