What I noticed about sub 1500 players on FICS is that they have pretty solid foundations, they can be very fast and accurate but their main problem is that they are soooo inconsistent.
Out of three games they play one extremly solid (especially when you run into one of their favourite openings) they play one mediocre with inaccuracies that can be exploited if you stay alerted, and they play one absymal with so obvious blunders you even do not expect, hence do not always notice it until is too late.
I am slowly on my way to 1400 and I guess I will hit a plateau there or maybe 1450 within a month, but I feel I can't go further.
Now I know some of the players here are over or way over 1400 or 1500 blitz so they could share what they did to arrive there and how much an 1300 blitz differs from 1600 on FICS ?
Give us some blitz tips and tricks, except tactics, tactics, tactics, my CTS RD is pretty low lately. 😛
Originally posted by ivan2908jorge sammour-hasbun said in his blitz lecture that the only time you should need to think in blitz is in middlegame. the openings and endings should be completely on autopilot without thinking. having won dos hermanas blitz tournament twice against the likes of nakamura, I'd suppose he knows what he's talking about.
Give us some blitz tips and tricks, except tactics, tactics, tactics, my CTS RD is pretty low lately. 😛
in keeping with that, I've been working on my openings for the recent weeks, and it certainly has made a difference. the approach seems very promising so far. I've come to realize that my opening is far too weak for blitz, it just takes too much time AND obscures your vision because the related positions aren't really burned into your brain yet. (CTS didn't help my blitz at all btw, only my CC.)
I've been also thinking about the 1300-1500 thing myself the past days, and one thing I'm quite certain of, is that when a 1500 throws an anti-sicilian against you, he actually has some idea what he's doing. the 1300 on the other hand is making mostly random moves, and doesn't actually know his opening. of course the 1500 tends to be a little better on all areas, but that difference seems to go beyond that.
1300s also quite often simply try to win on time, premoving on the 1st move without realizing the opponent's clock doesn't start before you move. the 1500s play swiftly, but not randomly like that. except in the ending everybody goes blind and makes random moves, because you pattern recognition falls apart in the 'unfamiliar looking' positions. that probably explains the latter part of sammour-hasbun's advice, to learn the endings until you don't need to think at all.
disclaimer: I'm only slightly over 1400 in FICS 5/0, so you should take my conclusions with a grain of salt. 🙂
I'm 2000 plus at FICS in blitz.
I mostly play 3 minute games.
Here are a few tips.
# 1 . You need to play really aggressive. Try to always go for the attack. Don't sit back making rook pawn moves. Play the most aggressive moves possible.
# 2 . You need a forcing opening repertoire. It would be preferable to get positions that you are familiar with over and over.
For a while, I played a lot of gambits (some unsound).
With 1.d4 d5 2.e4, I won many games really quickly.
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 is very similar.
I got positions that I was used to playing over and over.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5 was a good weapon for black.
There are a few refutations floating about but not many people knew them.
You don't necessarily need these lines but a few forcing lines in the openings you play.
# 3 . NEVER resign to early. I know this sounds funny, but I've possibly won more lost games than won ones. In 1-0, I can't tell you how many times I have won the black side of 1.d4 d5 2.Bg5 e6 3.Bxd8. Most people would resign right there. I even make a fight out of that !!! I even told a friend about that, and he challenged me to a thematic in that line. I let him play it and won on time. 🙂
A piece down doesn't mean anything in blitz. Never resign to early and always make a fight of it.
# 4 . Keep an eye on the clock. If there is a choice between a really complicated move and a simple one, choose the simple one with short time. If you have more time than your opponent, choose the complicated one. In blitz scrambles, play moves that aren't expected. Interpose checks and such between simple recaptures. The clock is a weapon too. Don't forget to premove when short of time.
# 5. Try not to play too many hours in a row. It can't help but will hurt your game. Set a time/game limit and try to stick to it.
More tips
Against much higher rated players, try to make the positions as complicated as possible. A board full of pieces will aid in confusion and score the occasional upset.
Never understimate any opponent. Don't just start trading and making routine moves. Go for the kill.
If your opponent hangs a piece in an obvious way, look before you take it. There is always the possibility of a trap floating around.
I guess that's enough for now.
I hope this helps. 🙂
Be sure you have autoflag on. I know that's kind of obvious.
Also queening can take up valuable time !!!
I think you can set it to always queen. That is certainly an option.
I don't have mine set that way. (I am always looking for a nice underpromotion mate with a knight. hehe Also sometimes you need to get a rook to avoid stalemate.) If you have a few seconds and don't have it set to autoqueen, avoid pushing the pawn. That's right. Deciding which piece and clicking it costs you valuable seconds !!!
Flagging your opponent from a seeminlgy drawn position is a kind of moral dilemma. In one way, you feel it's horrible. In another, you've had it done to you many times. Truthfully sometimes I flag opponents with bishops of opposite. If the pawns are locked with just kings and neither side can cross over, I offer the draw. When it's that obvious, I think a draw is right.
Don't feel bad about flagging from positions that look drawn.
Look at it this way. You never feel bad winning on time three pieces down. Why should you feel bad winning on time with even material?
I know this will probably get me some heat in the forum, but it's my view. All's fair in blitz and war.
In time scrambles, where you are ahead on material, sac a piece for your opponents last pawn. Don't keep attacking. Insure yourself the draw by making sure he has insufficient material. It doesn't make sense to flag three pieces up when all you had to do was sac a piece on the last pawn.
I can probably think up more.
I'm giving all my secrets away !!!
Originally posted by paulbuchmanfromficsI think of it this way: he sacrificed time to win material, and if he flagged, the sacrifice was simply unsound and he deserved to lose. I think that applies to drawn positions as well.
Look at it this way. You never feel bad winning on time three pieces down. Why should you feel bad winning on time with even material?
I've lost many games on time for not having autoqueen on, and never the other way around. would be nice to some day hit a knight promotion situation and win (or draw an otherwise lost ending), but it would probably cost many more games on time. there's nothing more frustrating than flagging in KQ vs K one or two moves before mating...
Originally posted by wormwoodI think that is very nicely put.
I think of it this way: he sacrificed time to win material, and if he flagged, the sacrifice was simply unsound and he deserved to lose. I think that applies to drawn positions as well.
for the original post, maybe you should give up 🙂. I simply gave up having ambitions in blitz, after failing to get past 1100. I just admire people that can play safe moves over and over in just 5 minutes, and would like to be one, but I finally decided I'm a slow kind of person, blitz surely isn't my thing. I'm just playing a few every week to practice my openings and that's it.