Improving slowly
Ok I haven't blogged in a bit.
I have been working hard at tactics. I pushed my cts rating up to 1400 but then took a bit of a break from speed solving and jumped over to ChessTempo for a week doing slow problems. I haven't finished that stoyko excersize yet but plan to at some point. I believe it really helped.
What I found is that the pattern recognition from cts helped me when I was analyzing in my head for the stoyko problem. The chess tempo slow problems help me to slow down and make sure it works before playing my move.
BUT... my play when down hill for a bit. I was seeing more PHANTOM tactics that weren't really there. Or they were but the other guy had a better threat! So as with any new knowledge in chess you sometimes have to learn the "when it doesn't work" the hard way.
That being said I have been winning more. I am also winning in some nice sacrificial attacks only to find afterwards that my opponent had equalizing opportunities and even winning changes... BUT it is blitz and you don't have time to make sure it works all the time.
I went to the local coffee shop last night where they play chess on Wed. nites. I played a fellow ranked about 1500 uscf in 3 games. I won all three but I suspect he was taking it easy on me. I also played another fellow and won that game as well. Hmmm... and as black... the game started... e4 e6 d4 d6 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Bf5 Ng5?!
I have only seen that one other time but I was sure it was going to lead to an early Queen move attacking my f7 pawn... or some kind of sac at f7.
The game continued. h6 Qh5 Bg6... and I was pretty sure I was in for some trouble... but somehow I managed to hold it all together and exchange well... got an advantage... and won a piece at the cost of letting one of his pawns get to the 6th rank. BUT I had connected passed pawns so I figured I could exchange off my extra bishop for his passed pawn on the sixth if need be.
Anyways... it was encouraging to know I am getting better.
I have been working hard at tactics. I pushed my cts rating up to 1400 but then took a bit of a break from speed solving and jumped over to ChessTempo for a week doing slow problems. I haven't finished that stoyko excersize yet but plan to at some point. I believe it really helped.
What I found is that the pattern recognition from cts helped me when I was analyzing in my head for the stoyko problem. The chess tempo slow problems help me to slow down and make sure it works before playing my move.
BUT... my play when down hill for a bit. I was seeing more PHANTOM tactics that weren't really there. Or they were but the other guy had a better threat! So as with any new knowledge in chess you sometimes have to learn the "when it doesn't work" the hard way.
That being said I have been winning more. I am also winning in some nice sacrificial attacks only to find afterwards that my opponent had equalizing opportunities and even winning changes... BUT it is blitz and you don't have time to make sure it works all the time.
I went to the local coffee shop last night where they play chess on Wed. nites. I played a fellow ranked about 1500 uscf in 3 games. I won all three but I suspect he was taking it easy on me. I also played another fellow and won that game as well. Hmmm... and as black... the game started... e4 e6 d4 d6 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Bf5 Ng5?!
I have only seen that one other time but I was sure it was going to lead to an early Queen move attacking my f7 pawn... or some kind of sac at f7.
The game continued. h6 Qh5 Bg6... and I was pretty sure I was in for some trouble... but somehow I managed to hold it all together and exchange well... got an advantage... and won a piece at the cost of letting one of his pawns get to the 6th rank. BUT I had connected passed pawns so I figured I could exchange off my extra bishop for his passed pawn on the sixth if need be.
Anyways... it was encouraging to know I am getting better.
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