[rant]
I've made losing blunders in equal positions for both of my last games. I'm thinking that I am far more likely to blunder in CC than OTB.
Why? I don't care about the games as much, firstly. Thus, I pay less attention and use way less time (maybe 30 seconds for the last two moves). More importantly, I have to constantly try to remember what mattered about the position, remember my analysis and get into concentration again. In OTB, it's one intense stream of concentration. I put everything I can into it and don't get distracted or bored. In CC it's very fragmented and sometimes games go way longer than my interest in them. It feels like I'm taking a math test and every ten minutes someone slaps me across the face. That has to affect concentration. 😛
[/rant]
Originally posted by exigentskyI noticed my level of play in CC has become higher when I began not to use any kind of analysing boards, and analyse just like I'm otb.
[rant]
I've made losing blunders in equal positions for both of my last games. I'm thinking that I am far more likely to blunder in CC than OTB.
Why? I don't care about the games as much, firstly. Thus, I pay less attention and use way less time (maybe 30 seconds for the last two moves). More importantly, I have to constantly try to remember what m minutes someone slaps me across the face. That has to affect concentration. 😛
[/rant]
This is perhaps because when I use any analysing boards, I just stop thinking, I just move around pieces without any kind of assesement. I think I do that only because I can, which is pretty pathetic 🙂
maybe stopping the analysis board could help you even more, because you sound like you are more of an otb player.
Originally posted by diskamylI dont think that its reasonable not to use analyse boards at all. But maybe its better to think about position without analyse board and only then use analyse board to check your ideas more carefully.
I noticed my level of play in CC has become higher when I began not to use any kind of analysing boards, and analyse just like I'm otb.
This is perhaps because when I use any analysing boards, I just stop thinking, I just move around pieces without any kind of assesement. I think I do that only because I can, which is pretty pathetic 🙂
maybe stoppin ...[text shortened]... analysis board could help you even more, because you sound like you are more of an otb player.
I don't use the analysis board anyway. My last two blunders were quite obvious actually.
They're precipitated by the fragmented nature of CC. I never play long enough to reach any sort of concentration. Perhaps, I could, but I'm not really interested in spending enough time to do that. It would mean about 10 minutes or more per move. In an OTB game, I may not be concentrated for the opening, but by the time I'm on my own, I'm like a laser. Nothing perturbs me. I never get a chance to reach this kind of concentration in CC. It's the same as if you try to play tennis but always skip the warmup. You're going to miss a lot of balls. I don't like this at all. I suppose I just need to take it more seriously and think longer.
Originally posted by exigentskyIf you're only taking 30 seconds a move, you're not really playing CC - you're essentially just playing a bunch of simultaneous quick games. CC implies taking your time. I don't see why that should be such a problem with only 6 games.
I don't use the analysis board anyway. My last two blunders were quite obvious actually.
They're precipitated by the fragmented nature of CC. I never play long enough to reach any sort of concentration. Perhaps, I could, but I'm not really interested in spending enough time to do that. It would mean about 10 minutes or more per move. In an OTB game, on't like this at all. I suppose I just need to take it more seriously and think longer.
You might also consider using notes for your CC to more quickly refresh your thinking as regards the games.
Well, I don't usually spend 30 sec. It's usually at least a minute. My point is just that the fragmentation makes it hard to think in a focused state unless you're analyzing deeply for ten minutes or more. I guess that's what CC is all about though. Maybe it's not a problem for most. It's only a rant, don't take it too seriously. 😉
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- 16 Feb 07
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Originally posted by exigentskyIts an interesting comment though. I'm pretty sure a lot of players have the sort of problem and some deal with it better than others. The other problem related to the fragmentation phenomena is forgetting critical analysis - you know, just what was it I was going to do is this really complicated position after he forks my queen...?
Well, I don't usually spend 30 sec. It's usually at least a minute. My point is just that the fragmentation makes it hard to think in a focused state unless you're analyzing deeply for ten minutes or more. I guess that's what CC is all about though. Maybe it's not a problem for most. It's only a rant, don't take it too seriously. 😉
I don't have a big problem with this in games that move in a day or two, but for the games with longer wait, it gets harder. I've resisted takes a lot of notes - that's the old-fashioned solution buts its really time consuming.
Well, if you're interested in blundering less and getting better, then you should consider adopting some (if not all) of these ideas:
~Always use the analyze board, not only for considering your next move, but for scrolling through the moves up to the game's current status.
~Always jot notes down in the "notes folder" after leaving the opening phases
~Take occasional breaks from chess to clear your mind
Originally posted by exigentskythat's roughly five days too little. 🙂
Well, I don't usually spend 30 sec. It's usually at least a minute.
but yeah, I know what you mean... I don't usually have problems with concentration, but I do have big problems with the fragmentation. I simply lose my sight on how different phases of the games affect each other, play openings as if there wasn't an endgame. and when/if I get to an ending, I don't really remember what got me there anymore, because it was maybe 6 months before. blitz has helped me a lot on that though, but I still tend to just ignore allowing (unnecessary) endgame weaknesses if I have an attack, although I see them. I'll just say: "go ahead, take/double that pawn if you want, see if I care." - and when I follow GMs blitzing, that in-between-move that prevents the weakness always comes like a slap to my face. they never take that unnecessary risk. I suppose it's also why I lose a LOT of won blitz games by collapsing in the ending. when I win, it happens early, when I lose, it usually happens late in the game. there's an obvious unbalance there, and I think it's largely a side effect of the fragmented nature of CC.
I have a structured note format, which offers a full analysis of the position and negates any "fragmentation". For the vast majority of games I typically blitz through them though.
for example:
[snip]
M:+1, S:-, T:+, P:+
S: Push passed pawns on the kingside and hope to win a rook. Need to regain control of the center
PV: .. Rxf7, Rxf7 Kxf7, Bxe5
[/snip]
I am up 1 point in material, slight disadvantage in space (significant would be --), have the initiative (time), and have a slightly superior pawn structure (++ would be significant).
The next bit is my long term strategy.
PV is "principal variation", this is what I believe to be his best move, my best move after that, his next best move, and then my best move.
Originally posted by kpondsI don't have problems remembering my plans anymore (although I used to when I started chess), because I simply work so much on the positions that it all gets stuck in my head. I also don't do any notes, as I sort of believe that if the idea was good enough I'll quickly find it the next time as well. -which causes some redundant work, but I see that more as additional training, which only makes me a better player in the long run.
I have a structured note format, which offers a full analysis of the position and negates any "fragmentation". For the vast majority of games I typically blitz through them though.
for example:
[snip]
M:+1, S:-, T:+, P:+
S: Push passed pawns on the kingside and hope to win a rook. Need to regain control of the center
PV: .. Rxf7, Rxf7 Kxf7, Bx ...[text shortened]... eve to be his best move, my best move after that, his next best move, and then my best move.
Originally posted by kpondswhen I get some progress to update it with. which naturally gets less and less frequent as I get better, because the improvement gets slower... probably when I break 1500 in blitz. doesn't look like it's gonna happen in a while though...
Makes sense. When are you going to update your blog?
i just lost a game from the "fragmentation" getting to me... blunder after blunder...
whenever its an opening that i don't like...or am bored of seeing, by the middle game (usually like 3-4 dayyyyyys later....) i just don't even care anymore... 🙁
seems like their's just a select group of people i like playing with on here.