A Middlegame Lesson

If you’re regularly losing because you’re dropping material (pawns and pieces), you’re tending to lose tactically. The next thing to look for is whether you’re “hanging” pieces/pawns (leaving them completely unguarded) or losing them through combinations (a series of moves in which material for both sides is taken off the board, but which ultimately leaves you on the short end of the bargain). If it’s the “hung pieces syndrome”, a Fritz/Rybka function can help train you to correct this: the “Defense training” feature (under the “Training” tab in the “Positions” part of the ribbon).