1. Joined
    19 Oct '05
    Moves
    2188
    24 Sep '08 01:47
    I'm a pretty good player. I like using tactics to wage a good game. But I really suck when it comes to playing blitz games. Anyone else like this?

    Jk
    Seattle
  2. Joined
    15 Jan '08
    Moves
    1989
    24 Sep '08 01:53
    Yes! I don't mind blitz once in a while for fun, but to me....it's not real chess. Anything less than G/60 isn't real chess. Maybe a G/45 sometimes if short on time, but I prefer at least G/60 or longer. Chess is not meant to be played fast. Botvinnik said that blitz is the dumbing down of chess.
  3. Joined
    19 Nov '05
    Moves
    3112
    24 Sep '08 02:101 edit
    Of course, unless you focus on blitz as much as you've focused on CC, you will be much weaker. However, blitz doesn't give you a better understanding of chess or make you a stronger player in the way that CC chess may. Sometimes blitz is more like table tennis than chess. It is really about instincts, opening preparation, experience, time management etc. much more than thinking deeply and producing the right move based on serious analysis not just instinct. It is very different. We have a few players at our club that play nothing but blitz while we play long time control tournaments. At blitz (5 0), they are better than virtually all of us, but when left with two hours to think, they get lost in the complexity and change of pace. Playing both is nice as well as useful (learn openings, sharpen tactics), but in the long run, you will become a stronger player if you focus on depth through correspondence chess.
  4. Joined
    15 Jan '08
    Moves
    1989
    24 Sep '08 03:28
    Originally posted by exigentsky
    Of course, unless you focus on blitz as much as you've focused on CC, you will be much weaker. However, blitz doesn't give you a better understanding of chess or make you a stronger player in the way that CC chess may. Sometimes blitz is more like table tennis than chess. It is really about instincts, opening preparation, experience, time management etc. ...[text shortened]... ong run, you will become a stronger player if you focus on depth through correspondence chess.
    I'll agree that blitz could be used as a tool for opening preparation. Of course it helps to do this on a computer so you have the game score. This way you can see what types of middle-games an opening leads to and what type of plans may or may not work.

    As to learning chess in general, I think online CC has been great! I know some people at the club love blitz and think that it really helps to improve your game. Both sides have an argument; I guess it's up to personal style and preference.
  5. Joined
    19 Nov '05
    Moves
    3112
    24 Sep '08 03:41
    Yeah, I see blitz as a good way to test new openings and get the basic ideas quickly. To really understand an opening, of course it takes much more study with books, databases, etc. and inevitably OTB or CC. Blitz is a distortion of chess and if you rely too much on it, it might even hurt your chess. However, used correctly it has its benefits for real chess OTB, just like CC.
  6. Standard memberbill718
    Enigma
    Seattle
    Joined
    03 Sep '06
    Moves
    3298
    24 Sep '08 07:26
    No problem with blitz if you don't make a big deal of it.
    I look upon blitz as practice. No titles or ratings on the line.
    But for the real deal...I'll take correspondence chess anyday.
    Much higher quality!🙂
  7. Joined
    19 Nov '05
    Moves
    3112
    24 Sep '08 09:111 edit
    For me CC is also practice and my focus is on OTB chess. Part of the reason is that in OTB chess you're really on your own. You have to visualize the tactics or fantasy position (no analysis board), know and understand your openings (no databases or books) as well as have the focus and endurance pretty high the whole game (not just at my leisure). Moreover, there is still enough time to explore the depth and complexity of chess even if not to the degree that CC allows. To me, this makes it more challenging and rewarding than any other form of chess. To each his own - as long as the focus isn't just on some inane 1 0 games.
  8. Account suspended
    Joined
    26 Aug '07
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    24 Sep '08 10:162 edits
    my experience is somewhat different, as initially i had never heard of correspondence chess and thought that all chess must be played in an OTB manner, thus after having played blitz for one or two years i found that even now when considering moves in correspondence chess I play in a blitz like manner!

    chess should be played in a reflective manner, giving consideration to various dynamics etc etc, and although this may seem controversial as i know there are some great blitz players on the site, it does not always afford time for this reflective process, we get excited and play mechanical or emotional moves??? although that being said, it does challenge our creativity and pattern recognition, however, we play moves and take risks that we would never dream of in other formats of chess.
  9. Account suspended
    Joined
    05 Sep '08
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    1502
    24 Sep '08 11:421 edit
    Originally posted by exigentsky
    Of course, unless you focus on blitz as much as you've focused on CC, you will be much weaker. However, blitz doesn't give you a better understanding of chess or make you a stronger player in the way that CC chess may. Sometimes blitz is more like table tennis than chess. It is really about instincts, opening preparation, experience, time management etc. ...[text shortened]... ong run, you will become a stronger player if you focus on depth through correspondence chess.
    Interesting!
    I'm in excactly the same situation as the initial poster in the thread.
    I thought blitz was almost neccessary to become really good because you sharpen your tactics and your pattern recognization and force yourself to think faster.
    I think that after this posting I will focus less on blitz and more on playing CC games here.
    Thanks!
  10. Standard memberKorch
    Chess Warrior
    Riga
    Joined
    05 Jan '05
    Moves
    24932
    24 Sep '08 11:56
    Originally posted by BlitzNewbie
    Interesting!
    I'm in excactly the same situation as the initial poster in the thread.
    I thought blitz was almost neccessary to become really good because you sharpen your tactics and your pattern recognization and force yourself to think faster.
    I think that after this posting I will focus less on blitz and more on playing CC games here.
    Thanks!
    Blitz can be useful, because it will develop your chess intuition, pattern recognization and ability to think fast, but also it consume`s your nerves. So blitz is not bad until it`s not too much.
  11. Standard memberwormwood
    If Theres Hell Below
    We're All Gonna Go!
    Joined
    10 Sep '05
    Moves
    10228
    24 Sep '08 12:04
    I'm 1991 on RHP, 2097 on chess.com, 1300-1400s fics 5/0, 1400s ICC 5-minute.


    'nuff said.


    oh, one thing though: playing blitz has really helped me to see games as a continuum of moves, as complete games, instead of the fragmented view I first developed playing CC in excess.
  12. Account suspended
    Joined
    29 Mar '07
    Moves
    1260
    24 Sep '08 16:232 edits
    Originally posted by exigentsky
    Of course, unless you focus on blitz as much as you've focused on CC, you will be much weaker. However, blitz doesn't give you a better understanding of chess or make you a stronger player in the way that CC chess may. Sometimes blitz is more like table tennis than chess. It is really about instincts, opening preparation, experience, time management etc. ...[text shortened]... ong run, you will become a stronger player if you focus on depth through correspondence chess.
    in my very little experience with blitz, I have found it's most important contribution to "real" chess (longer than 60' real time chess) to be calm and controlled in severe time pressure.

    In complex positions, I don't hesitate to waste more than 30 minutes on one move, and usually end up in time pressure. blitz, I think, is all about making not instantly losing moves in a very little amount of time, and it has been enough for me see it's benefits.

    this is my last game from FICS, played at 60' 30''



    I was white, and before move 14, I spent more than 30 minutes to calculate if I should take the c pawn with the rook or not! (Yes, I really have to get more disciplined and a lot quicker in calculating complicated positions, the truth is, my 30+ minute calculation was crap, I could have taken the pawn and defend against the attack.)

    I ended up having 5 minutes for the rest of the game from then, and of course, plus 30 seconds each move. without the very little blitz experience, I would have just bailed out with my heart beating, but I just tried to make non-losing moves on and on, and finally gained some precious minutes with the increment to win the won ending.
  13. Joined
    19 Nov '05
    Moves
    3112
    24 Sep '08 17:46
    Originally posted by BlitzNewbie
    Interesting!
    I'm in excactly the same situation as the initial poster in the thread.
    I thought blitz was almost neccessary to become really good because you sharpen your tactics and your pattern recognization and force yourself to think faster.
    I think that after this posting I will focus less on blitz and more on playing CC games here.
    Thanks!
    "Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything." -- Wyatt Earp

    Blitz forces you to move faster, but I don't think so much to think faster. You're just thinking differently and perhaps this leads to move productive results. However, learning more strategical or tactical patterns outside of it would probably help even more. Moreover, if stressed, it can also distort your thinking process and train you to move too quickly regardless of circumstance (critical moment vs moment of choice). Like most everything in life, balance is important.
  14. São Paulo, Brazil
    Joined
    28 Dec '05
    Moves
    7191
    24 Sep '08 22:17
    Originally posted by diskamyl

    in my very little experience with blitz, I have found it's most important contribution to "real" chess (longer than 60' real time chess) to be calm and controlled in severe time pressure.
    I think this is as important for a good OTB performance as anything you can learn from CC. It's pointless to spend 40 minutes on a move and evaluate it accurately if you can't hold your own in the rest of the game with 40 minutes less than your opponent.

    I've seen a lot of players waste all the advantage they get from their accurate, overanalysed middle-game play by blundering or playing dubious moves in the endgame when they have 5 minutes or less to think. Spending a lot of time on critical moves is very important for your chess improvement, but if you want to do that, you have to be a good blitzer too. Otherwise you'll lose a lot, and nothing is as frustrating as losing due to time pressure when you have an advantage.
  15. Joined
    19 Nov '05
    Moves
    3112
    25 Sep '08 01:07
    Originally posted by Heroic Metool
    I think this is as important for a good OTB performance as anything you can learn from CC. It's pointless to spend 40 minutes on a move and evaluate it accurately if you can't hold your own in the rest of the game with 40 minutes less than your opponent.

    I've seen a lot of players waste all the advantage they get from their accurate, overanalysed m ...[text shortened]... ot, and nothing is as frustrating as losing due to time pressure when you have an advantage.
    The idea is that CC will help you understand chess deeper so you know what to focus on and thus actually save time and find better moves. Blitz will teach you the important lesson of not dropping pieces and pawns. 😛
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