5 ms·

Maybe I missed it reading the article, but did the OP mention the time limits he was playing at? In blitz (5 minutes or less), time management is absolutely cr

Maybe I missed it reading the article, but did the OP mention the time limits he was playing at? In blitz (5 minutes or less), time management is absolutely critical. When I went back and reviewed games I lost, it was frequently due to tactical opportunities or poor moves I made while short on time. You simply don't have the luxury of time to find the best move in a 3 or 5 minute game. If you can quickly find a move that improves your position in some way and doesn't hang material or create opportunities for your opponent, make it, and don't think twice, unless you already have a large time advantage over your opponent. My rating improved dramatically once I focused more on managing my time better. Largely agree with most of the other advice offered in the article though. It cannot be overstated how much playing with strong players and reviewing your past games (wins and losses) will help you improve and develop a sense for tactical opportunities.

cristoperb 8y ago
The screenshot at the top of the article shows it is classical time control. On lichess that means games are expected to last 25 minutes or longer[1] (the shortest classical controls are 25+0 and 15+15). It's also worth noting that on lichess (and online chess in general) the fast time control pools are more competitive, so reaching 2000 in Blitz is much more difficult (for most people) than reaching 2000 in Classical. 1: https://lichess.org/blog/Wh9KWiQAAI5JrKVn/introducing-rapid-ratings https://lichess.org/blog/Wh9KWiQAAI5JrKVn/introducing-rapid-...
- vertline3 8y ago
  Im 1800 classical on lichess but bullet I'm like 1300, so for me bullet is real strength. It's obvious I'm not great at chess
  - ganeshkrishnan 8y ago
    I am around 1700 in bullet (1 minute or 2+1) and I had to claw myself from 1400 as I am 1900+ in Rapid. I played in anonymous mode for a long time experimenting and I realized that I was losing most of my games in bullet to time not to tactics. For bullet: Just play average move each turn based on long term goals (I want to castle king side and pawn storm queen side etc), dont bother about tactics or traps or any other short term strategies.
    - vertline3 8y ago
      Good advice
parsnips 8y ago
I think the author's main point about concentration is even more important in blitz. My own peak on lichess in blitz is 2117 (super humblebrag) but if you look at my rating history it has massive volatility due to playing on mobile phone on bus rides, in bed before going to sleep etc. Concentration != using n-seconds per move... More like not wasting n% of seconds per game with non-game stuff.

cristoperb 8y ago

The screenshot at the top of the article shows it is classical time control. On lichess that means games are expected to last 25 minutes or longer[1] (the shortest classical controls are 25+0 and 15+15). It's also worth noting that on lichess (and online chess in general) the fast time control pools are more competitive, so reaching 2000 in Blitz is much more difficult (for most people) than reaching 2000 in Classical. 1: https://lichess.org/blog/Wh9KWiQAAI5JrKVn/introducing-rapid-ratings https://lichess.org/blog/Wh9KWiQAAI5JrKVn/introducing-rapid-...

vertline3 8y ago
Im 1800 classical on lichess but bullet I'm like 1300, so for me bullet is real strength. It's obvious I'm not great at chess
- ganeshkrishnan 8y ago
  I am around 1700 in bullet (1 minute or 2+1) and I had to claw myself from 1400 as I am 1900+ in Rapid. I played in anonymous mode for a long time experimenting and I realized that I was losing most of my games in bullet to time not to tactics. For bullet: Just play average move each turn based on long term goals (I want to castle king side and pawn storm queen side etc), dont bother about tactics or traps or any other short term strategies.
  - vertline3 8y ago
    Good advice

parsnips 8y ago

I think the author's main point about concentration is even more important in blitz. My own peak on lichess in blitz is 2117 (super humblebrag) but if you look at my rating history it has massive volatility due to playing on mobile phone on bus rides, in bed before going to sleep etc. Concentration != using n-seconds per move... More like not wasting n% of seconds per game with non-game stuff.