My rating got stuck at a plateau for the last 5 months and it worries me.
Yes, I need to study endgames, improve my calculation skills,
get better in positional play ( openings look OK ) – I know all that, but it’s a long story.
I need a quick fix right now to boost my confidence, let’s say 50 points increase.
It’s not a matter of points, just can I play better?
So, is there any kind of a magic pill?
I look at the last 2 tournaments I played, 9 games. What I see is 3 missing opponent’s combinations in 2-3 moves, 2 of them decisive.
By the way, I know these combinations, can do it myself too, but …
For some reason from here I get an idea that if I memorize a few sharp openings, try them online, then try OTB, it can bring me the result that I want. By the way, it could be worse first, but it will disbalance that freaking straight line, so maybe next time it would be better ( like Carlsen tries to disbalance the position ).
So, a few openings to force me to look for the tactics all the time and to get advantage of some unprepared players ( though some person rated 200-300 points higher would probably get advantage of me ).
Marshall attack I already tried OTB and got a winning chance, then missed it (got a draw), played online about 40 Benko gambits ( still have to analyze that ), tried recently Two Knights Defense (with pretty good results), Blumenfeld gambit (won twice) and Albin counter-gambit (lost once).
Immersion system works well for the languages, why not for chess?
September 10, 2008 at 5:17 pm
It’s a pity, but their is no magic pill otherwise i would already have taken it.
What one can do is not like you focusing on one thing (opening), atleast it looks like that when i read your blog entry, but mix all togheter. One or two hours tactics, an hour openings, an hour endgames, … .
That way it will be a total chess training and the boredom which can occure when one studies always the same gets battled.
September 11, 2008 at 1:57 am
I have really enjoyed deeply analyzing my own games! That has helped me a LOT! I also really enjoy playing over master games. It is fun and inspiring. I have another tournament this weekend so we will see but I know I am getting better. Like music it just takes awhile.
I agree with Chesstiger that variety does really help keep it interesting!
September 11, 2008 at 11:17 am
chesstiger – what I actually meant is immersing myself into some kind of tactical play to enforce my tactical abilities and do it for some short period of time.
Yes, I have to look at quite a few opening lines and then try them, so, yeah, I am forgetting about other parts of the preparation and here I agree, it could be disproportion, but not complete exclusion.
Like yesterday, I played online and drew K+3P vs. K+3P ending, where I found a win later. It wasn’t very elementary, but if I knew that stuff more I would have won.
tomg – I analyze every OTB game I play. I can’t say I enjoy it, because usually computer sees the opportunities that I missed and it upsets me.
But, of course, it is very helpful because you see what you should improve.
Sometimes you even can get the same line, where you made a mistake and do not repeat it again (see my post about Marshall attack). Long time ago, during my first years of studying chess, I went through a lot of master games and I liked it a lot.
I think I should restore that.
I agree about variety, though I feel that sometimes I need to concentrate on something to get it better ( probably my next focus point will be rook endgame or something like that).
September 12, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Playing chess is harder than studing chess.
when i play chess i miss wins that become draws and sometimes a loss.But when i play over those games i can see most things.
I think the difference between a strong player and a weaker player is not always chess skill.
The stronger player see’s more in a position.
I use to be beaten by 2 stronger players in otb chess, every game we played with normal time controls.But in 5 minute or less chess i could win perhaps 50%.
Plus i could answer tactic puzzles better than them,but i still lost in long games.
Like i said i don’t think they were more chess skillful than me,but they can just read a position better than me.
I have added your blog to my blog list.
September 13, 2008 at 1:18 pm
chessx – you are right. I recently played a game with somebody rated 300 more than me. He sacrificed pawn on c3 (I was black), he had on that long diagonal bishop on g7 and knight on f6. Of course, I checked if there is any discovered attack, then my knight took the pawn. Suddenly his knight jumps on h5! So, what? Some remote square, I didn’t look at it at all. The thing is, when I retreat my knight, which is under attack, his knight jumps from h5 to g3 and forks my king and rook, so he gets exchange for the pawn. Also once I was able to closely watch a few friendly games played by one FM. I was surprised, almost shocked how much more he saw, both tactically and positionally.
I added your blog too.