Since New year's is upon us, I want to know what your chess related New Year's resolutions are. Last year, I resolved to reach 1900 USCF (I was 1650 then) by the end of this year; I am currently 1826 USCF- so a little off, but there is still some time 🙂. My New year's goal is to reach 2100 USCF by next year- this may sound ridiculously ambitious, but I plan on studying... a lot... how about you? What are your resolutions?
Resolutions to me are pointless. I'm a driven person anyway so working out losing weight and all that is out the door. Same with chess I am constantly trying to get better and I will reach master one day. I have not focused much of my time on this site and I have played on gameknot a lot more and put a lot more time into my games over there. I'm 1882 and its the highest I've ever been. I was hoping to at least touch 1900. As for uscf I'm coming up from 856, my elementary school rating and I have 18 wins out of 24 games. I am planning on reaching expert over the board by next year.
I dont really set goals regarding ratings - even if I did manage something like breaking the 2200 barrier it would be a hollow achievement as I would quickly be beaten back down.
Something real that I could do is get hold of a decent Ruy lopez book and learn it properly rather then making up most of the ideas as I go, it would be handy to have a bit of a deeper understanding.
Also, some sort of modern defence book would be useful as well, this is another opening that I have started playing more recently and would like a better understanding of.
my new year resolution is to burn all my chess opening books on the basis that they are worthless pieces of combustible nonsense in a sacrificial effigy to decency and self reliance. watch as my rating spirals downwards in a frenzy of lackluster mediocrity and downright error, only to arise as a phoenix from the ashes of disaster...ahem.
