Update, and an imminent break
I have been playing games at Playsite under the handle 'suxatchess'. :) It has been a lot of fun, as there are many more people at Playsite who are at or even below my skill level. It is heartening, though, as six months ago even at Playsite I was getting my butt kicked by the lower rated players! This doesn't happen as much now. The experience at Playsite has also made me realize how good the people at ICC are, and that they are far from a representative sample of the online chess community. This shouldn't be surprising, as it is one of the few sites where you have to pay to play chess. This will tend to select for those people who are pretty serious about the game.
Also, I'll be taking a break from posting and chess exercises for about three weeks. I have another #!*@ grant due next week, and am going to Brazil for about two weeks for work and play once that is done...Unfortunately, the work part entails me giving seven hours of talks that I still need to write up! Hence, I will be INSANELY busy for the next week. Even my sweet little rats will have the time off.
So, until then fellow Knights, work extra hard at the 64-square jungle for me. I'll be in a real jungle, next to the Amazon River.
Also, I'll be taking a break from posting and chess exercises for about three weeks. I have another #!*@ grant due next week, and am going to Brazil for about two weeks for work and play once that is done...Unfortunately, the work part entails me giving seven hours of talks that I still need to write up! Hence, I will be INSANELY busy for the next week. Even my sweet little rats will have the time off.
So, until then fellow Knights, work extra hard at the 64-square jungle for me. I'll be in a real jungle, next to the Amazon River.
posted by Blue Devil Knight at 11/22/2005 12:39:00 AM
9 Comments:
Be careful with those crocodiles!
Take a chess set with you. You never know. . .
Sounds exciting! Be safe.
PS
I'm so glad you referred to it as "jungle" and not "rain forest." I HATE that term!
Anyhoo, be sure and drink a few caipirinhas for me!
Just when i was getting into reading your blog too
:(
It is strange that after 7 monthes of tactic training your rating is near the same. In my case I could not expect that I will add 400 to my 1800 FICS rating, and I added only 80 for a year. But in your case I think it may be not because of your CHESS abilities, but other factors have influence. Maybe psyhological preasure.
For example my wife finds the best move in 90% positions but cant stand whole game on such high level. What makes her (and maybe you) to move 30 good moves and then 1 bad I'll call "preasure".
If you expect that your problem may be the same I can propose you some additional "circles".
1st circle: Get rid of outer preasure. Improve air, water, healthy food and lifestyle. Sport, Yoga, breathing. Sure not all of that but what you think is important for you.
2nd circle: when you won material (+1.5 or more) stop for 3-5 minutes. Deep breathing and no move on board. It is the most likely you will make loosing move when you became sure that you are better. If needed increase your time control to have this 3-5 extra minutes.
3rd circle: increase preasure for training. HARD IN TRAINING EASY IN WAR. For increasing preasure join all standart tourneys (20 5 and slower), play simuls with GMs and IMs on ICC that are available near every day there, join www.stcbunch.org for their slow tourneys etc.
4th circle: Try to play free of preasure at all. Login on FICS as guest, play unrated 30 30 or 20 20, and resign it just after the move when you or you opponent wins a pawn or piece. And then next seek... So no preasure: not your handle, not your rating, not obliged to play to win when you are winning or to defence when you are loosing... not you and no motives... so no motives for preasure to come. Just make experiment.
Maybe there are coaches that will help to fight psyhological problems in chess game or books about it, but I myself dont know. I've read a short book about psyhological errors in chess so put my advise here.
If it will work I expect your rating to grow at least to 1300 in a month or two as your chess ability will start to work WHOLE game. If you think my advises a mad just forget it.
Pomaranch. Thanks for the suggestions. I am not too worried about my rating: it fluctuates wildly, and right now it is kind of low. I am definitely better at chess, handily beating people who trounced me 7 months ago. I don't expect to improve all that rapidly: I spend less than a half hour on Tasc Chess Tutor (TCT) each day (often about 15 minutes), and am fairly casual in my training compared to most knights.
The suggestion to chill out after a good move, though, is excellent.
At any rate, I am finally at the point where I am having a lot of fun playing games, so I'm not gonna worry about my rating. It will come eventually. Many Knights and other readers of my blog have told me my rating will shoot up at some point. I am not sure I believe it: it is more likely to slowly rise over many years....
If you enjoy fighting it is the most important thing. Then preasure is not important and you are right that my "Circle 2" is the only usefull. But maybe "Circle 3" will be great for you too. Say "Hi" to crocodiles!
BDK,
Have a great time. Enjoy yourself and we'll see you when you get back. Incidentally, I think Pomaranch's advice is great and while not directed at me, I'm taking it into consideration.
BDK,
I have access to Chernev's game collections for Logical Chess Move by Move. If you would like me to send it to you, just give me a shout: discipledelamaza@hotmail.com
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