I just discovered chess and I'd like to get better without getting discouraged too quickly. Do you recommend a specific app or would online courses be better? I tried Chess.com but I found it a bit complicated for a beginner.
The problem with Chess.com when you're starting out is that the interface throws too much info at you all at once and you lose motivation before you even understand how a knight moves. What really works is spending time first on YouTube videos specifically made for absolute beginners - like channels that just explain piece movements, basic rules, and why you make certain moves. Once you've got that down, you go into the app with a clearer head and it's already way better.
After that, I'd recommend Lichess over Chess.com for beginners. It's simpler, less visually cluttered, and free without real limitations. The daily puzzles on Lichess are great because you improve without needing to play against someone - no stress about losing to a bot, just puzzle solving. You can also start with games against the computer on a really low difficulty so you don't get discouraged.
The key thing is not wanting to move up too fast. Maybe spend two or three weeks just understanding the basics and doing small puzzles before you go play against other people. And definitely review your lost games afterward - that's where you learn the real stuff.
Did you try following tutorials specifically for beginners before jumping into the app, or did you dive straight in? What would help a lot is starting with the really basic stuff with YouTube videos (there are tons of channels that just explain the moves and simple strategies) before using Chess.com. Once your head's a bit less foggy, Chess.com becomes less confusing and you can play against easy levels to really get the hang of things. The idea is not to mix learning the rules and practicing at the same time, because you're gonna take a beating and that discourages you pretty quick. Online courses like lichess or even just free YouTube channels are enough for the first three months.
Chess.com isn't that complicated once you get used to it, but I get that it can feel overwhelming at first with all the menus and stats everywhere. The thing is, you shouldn't start by jumping straight into games. Before that, you really need to nail the basics: how each piece moves, elementary tactics (forks, pins, discovered attacks), and especially learn to recognize patterns. If you skip that step, you'll get destroyed in five moves and you'll quit - it's the classic story.
What I'd recommend is combining an app with videos. Lichess is free and honestly more accessible for a beginner than Chess.com - the interface is less cluttered and it has a solid puzzle system built in. Puzzles are the most important thing at first. Do like 10-15 minutes a day of puzzles before you even think about playing. At the same time, watch a few YouTube videos on basic opening theory (like simple principles: control the center, develop your pieces, castle early). French-language channels exist and it's way easier to follow than reading text when you're starting out.
After two or three weeks of doing this, you'll feel like you already understand way more about how the game works. That's when you can start playing against the computer on an easy level or against humans in blitz (fast format). The key isn't to chase perfection right away, it's to have fun and improve gradually. People who get discouraged too quickly are the ones who want to analyze 50-move games on day one - nah, chill out, learn the tactics first, the rest follows naturally.
# Translation
learn the basics before the app - that's really the key. I'd even say a lot of people get discouraged because they show up on Chess.com or Lichess without knowing how the pieces move, and then they get crushed by bots or players who actually know what they're doing. so you lose motivation. better to spend two or three days on YouTube watching beginner tutorials, like learning how each piece moves, the basic rules, maybe some simple tactics. only after that do you come play.
once you've got that down, Lichess is better than Chess.com for starting out in my opinion. the interface is less cluttered, no ads everywhere, and it's free. you can play short games (5 minutes) against bots or people without feeling stressed. the important thing: play a lot of rapid games at first, not 1-minute blitz. and after each game you review your mistakes with the analysis the site gives you. that's where you actually improve.
the real trap is wanting to understand openings or complex strategy too fast. your brain wants to jump straight into learning the magic lines, but it's useless if you're making stupid tactical mistakes in the middle of the game. focus on tactics and simple endgames first. it gets fun when you see that you're winning games because you spotted a pattern, not because you memorized some opening variation.
The trap a lot of people fall into is wanting to improve too fast by playing against other people before you really master the basic tactics. Even with the basics down, you're gonna get crushed on Chess.com for a long time and it's demoralizing. I'd say spend time with puzzles first - like on Lichess which is free and less overwhelming than Chess.com - to develop your tactical instinct before you start playing full games. The piece moves, sure, but actually understanding why a position is good or bad, that takes time and it changes everything about your motivation to keep going.
I think everyone tells you about the basics and apps, but nobody mentions something that's actually important: learn the rules and play like 10-15 games against the computer on easy difficulty before you even watch YouTube tutorials, otherwise you're gonna feel terrible comparing your crappy game to what the pros are saying! Once you understand how the pieces move and you've got a feel for the game, that's when free resources really make a difference, but starting with theory when you don't even know where to put your pawns is the best way to get lost and just give up!
Log into answer.
