Informal Speed Ladder Night
I made it to chess club for the first time in about a month last night. I played 8 games, and overall, I was pretty pleased with my performance, even though I won only half of my games.
I had a watershed game against the #22 ranked 11 year old in the US. I won my game against him and now have a 1-2-2 record against him. He is rated 1712. Unfortunately, the games weren't rated, so I won't get any points from that encounter.
Of my 4 losses, 2 were from winning positions against a higher rated opp that I managed to blow due to either overconfidence and/or time pressure. One of my other losses was due to trying to force a drawn position, and the other one I just flat out lost.
I plan to start my circles back up here soon, and I will then resume blogging my results.
I had a watershed game against the #22 ranked 11 year old in the US. I won my game against him and now have a 1-2-2 record against him. He is rated 1712. Unfortunately, the games weren't rated, so I won't get any points from that encounter.
Of my 4 losses, 2 were from winning positions against a higher rated opp that I managed to blow due to either overconfidence and/or time pressure. One of my other losses was due to trying to force a drawn position, and the other one I just flat out lost.
I plan to start my circles back up here soon, and I will then resume blogging my results.
posted by CelticDeath at 8:23 AM
9 Comments:
In Mousetrappers post your rating at CTS is about equal to your USCF-rating. You are the only one where that is the case. Do you have an explanation for that? Are you very good at blitz play?
I'm terrible, in my opinion, at blitz. I do not enjoy playing blitz at all. In fact, I usually skip blitz night at chess club, and the only reason I decided to go this time was because I was going through SCW (Severe Chess Withdrawal - a major medical condition ;) ).
My explanation for why my USCF rating is so close to my CTS rating would be that tactics are my strong suit, and I suck at just about every other aspect of chess! I'm working on those skills, though, and I'm about half way through Test Your Positional Play by Bellin and Ponzetto. I have learned a LOT from those games in terms of properly framing the strategy of my games.
CD, thanks for your comment. I guess that you could profit a lot from the hints Dan Heisman gives for openings, such as Move Every Piece Once Before You Move It Twice unless there is a tactic, and others. And then learn some principles of positional play such as active vs passive pieces, good vs bad bishops, opening files for rooks, and the like. You need not study a lot of opening variations. I think with your tactic abilities you have the potential of 2000 OTB.
After your analysis, I think you may be right, Mousetrapper. That gives me some incentive to work on those other areas. If I can get a modicum of competency in the other areas, 2000 OTB won't be too hard to achieve. Then, who knows? Maybe I have 2200 or 2400 as an achievable maximum (with, of course, a lot more study).
Congratulations on the new addition.
This your first child?
So it is possible to be good at tactics and terrible at blitz? That's interesting.
Hey CD,
Are you playing in T28? Roman could use some help managing U1600. Let me know. The teams are due on Tuesday. Thanks.
PS
Sancho, thank you! No, this is our 3rd child, so now we've got a full house. Thankfully, my mother in law has helped significantly.
Tempo, I think you can be good at tactics and bad at blitz. Tactics flow from superior positions, and I struggle to get those superior positions in the first place!
Pawn Sensei, I'm going to sit T28 out, but I hope to be available for T29. I've been after Chessville all year to bring back the OCL, and they finally did. Therefore, I feel obligated to participate in it, and I can only do 1 tournament simultaneously at this point in time. When the baby gets to where he's sleeping through the night, I should be able to handle more.
Three children Wow!
You just went from playing a man to man defense to a zone. :)
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