Some Progress

[kennyc]

About a month ago I posted my study plan, which has sort of derailed these past couple weeks because of some other priorities.  But I'm back on track, and achieved a fairly big mile-stone for me last night.

I joined the local chess club this month and started playing in their October tourney, 1 game per week.  Last week I played a guy who was rated 1719, and played very well against him.  I went into an all pawn endgame where he was up by just one pawn, that was enough for him to take the win.  Last night I had my first rated game against an opponent in the 1000-1500 range, I have played a lot of players over 1500 (and lost) and a couple under 1000.  As I result I have a deceptively low 984 provisional rating.  I was pretty sure I had a good chance against this guy at 1197. 

I ended up taking the win, but it was not a very pretty game.  The big difference came down to me making him pay for his mistakes better than he made me pay for mine.  Especially my devastating endgame combo, that I probably would not have seen without practice here at Chess Tempo.  That was the highest rated opponent that I have beaten in a rated game.  Still waiting for next weeks pairings, but I'm pretty sure it will be a much tougher opponent who won't let me get away with last nights mistakes.

I've also been playing too much on chess.com, I have way too many games going right now.  I signed up for a tourney as soon as I could, this one started sooner than expected with 22 games on top of the 15 or more that I already had in progress.  The problem is, there are so many games, I cannot keep any of the positions in my head on the back burner.  So each time I open a game, it feels like I'm seeing it for the first time.  Despite so many games, I have been playing surprisingly well at the site.

On Chess Tempo, I've been working through some easy problems.  I still have some work, I'm getting less than 90% on non-mating problems under 1250.  I still need to make more time for some reading.  All in all, I'm fairly pleased with my progress.

[newlook]

I've also been playing too much on chess.com, I have way too many games going right now.  I signed up for a tourney as soon as I could, this one started sooner than expected with 22 games on top of the 15 or more that I already had in progress.  The problem is, there are so many games, I cannot keep any of the positions in my head on the back burner.  So each time I open a game, it feels like I'm seeing it for the first time.

I have only about 5-7 games going at a time, but I visit the site often. I pick opponents who make moves quickly. I might make an average of 5 moves per day per game, and a typical game lasts a week.

Good luck with the rest of your improvement program. Sounds like you're having fun, which is the most important thing! 

P.S. I recently subscribed to Chess Mentor and am liking it. At $12.30 a month, it's a little pricey, but I like the format and I actually do lessons everyday (which wouldn't happen if I spent the money on chess books).

[andreacoda]

Congrats KennyC!

You play on chess.com? Me too! What is your nick there? May be we could play some games together, soon or later...

[kennyc]

I play as KennyC at chess.com as well

http://www.chess.com/echess/profile/KennyC

I'm going to need at least a week to get some of these games finished up, before I start a new one, but I would love to play soon.

[andreacoda]

1788, just seen - I guess you are a little bit too much for me to handle... 
But hopefully, time will come! 

[tama]

I think everyone has the potential to get a standard rating over 2200. When i first discovered CT my rating was struggling to stay at 1600-1700 standard and know about 3 months later im at 2400 standard! If i can do it anyone can.

[uri blass]

I think everyone has the potential to get a standard rating over 2200. When i first discovered CT my rating was struggling to stay at 1600-1700 standard and know about 3 months later im at 2400 standard! If i can do it anyone can.

I believe you that you got 2400 at standard but for some reason I do not see
tama in the rating list

I see only the following in the top standard list:

1  xtruder 2479.6
2  drahacikfm 2420
3  milly 2385.7
4  tomohawk 2360.9
5  oliebol 2337.1
6  boromir 2320.4
7  dakar 2302.8
8  dolmi 2302.1
9  spassk_p 2267.4
10  ccmolitoris 2260.4

I wonder if the reason is that you are not considered as active because you stopped solving problems in CT or if there is another reason.

Uri

[drahacikfm]

Uri, tama's RD is at the moment over 80, which is the definition of inactive.

[drahacikfm]

I think everyone has the potential to get a standard rating over 2200. When i first discovered CT my rating was struggling to stay at 1600-1700 standard and know about 3 months later im at 2400 standard! If i can do it anyone can.

tama, I think you have a special talent for tactics, considering you have not been playing chess for a long time.  I don't think everyone who wants to can get over 2200 standard.  It takes talent and patience when doing problems.

I don't have any particular tactical talent (compared with other FMs) but I have patience to sit for 15 minutes or 20 minutes until I see the solution to a difficult problem.  If there was a 5-minute time limit in standard, my CT rating would be much lower.

[tama]

Its the same with me i have a lot of patience, so it helps me when calculating and seeing all the variations, if there was a time limit i would do considerably poorer because of the added pressure. My RD is now a bit over 80 because i was forced to take a small break from chess do to schooling and now im back with more confidence then ever it seems.

But it is possible for everyone as long as they practice and really focus on there goal. Also it helps if you really enjoy the satisfaction of solving problems correctly.
 
Also I think its a bit weird that my playing strength and tactical strength have a gap between them. I think im around 1800-2000 Fide because ive beaten many players in that rating range on icc in the 15 min pool. But i dont think i ever beat a master, i cant even beat the master computer on icc rating 2200-2300 i usually loss or draw.

Its better being good at playing chess then solving tactics in a way but as long as your having fun that's what counts!

[uri blass]

Its the same with me i have a lot of patience, so it helps me when calculating and seeing all the variations, if there was a time limit i would do considerably poorer because of the added pressure. My RD is now a bit over 80 because i was forced to take a small break from chess do to schooling and now im back with more confidence then ever it seems.

But it is possible for everyone as long as they practice and really focus on there goal. Also it helps if you really enjoy the satisfaction of solving problems correctly.
 
Also I think its a bit weird that my playing strength and tactical strength have a gap between them. I think im around 1800-2000 Fide because ive beaten many players in that rating range on icc in the 15 min pool. But i dont think i ever beat a master, i cant even beat the master computer on icc rating 2200-2300 i usually loss or draw.

Its better being good at playing chess then solving tactics in a way but as long as your having fun that's what counts!

I suspect that your rating may be better at long time control so if you play at level of 1800-2000 Fide at 15 minutes per game then you probably play at level of
2000-2200 at 90+30 fide time control.

Uri

[tama]

Thanks Uri ill take that as a compliment lol. But maybe if im lucky in a couple of years i can really play at that level, it really feels like a dream to be a master titled player, its bin my dream since i started playing chess.

I think i read or heard many times that people with average intelligence can become master level players, so anyone can do it!

[uri blass]

I agree that people with average intelligence can become masters but it does not prove that anyone can do it because of the following reasons.

1)There are people that their intelligence is below average(fortunately my intelligence is above average so it is not a reason for me not to be a master)

2)There are factors that are not about intelligence but about talent for chess.
so the fact that there are people with average intelligence that can get the level of fide master does not prove that everybody can do it.

Note that I believe that most people can get the fide master title
if they invest enough time on it and get the right training.
The main problem is that most players do not learn to ask themselves the right questions in order to solve a problem.

They can get stuck with not considering some move because it seems to them illogical so they may never solve a problem.

Today the situation is that people who train without help need to think for themselves what are the right questions that they need to learn to ask and
I believe that most people even do not think to ask themselves the right questions and they simply get a position and start to think without some defined algorithm what to do in case that they see nothing good.

[shajbat]

Tama,


I do not put much faith in the ICC or Playchess ratings.  I know players who have USCF or FIDE rating of around 2100 but who play Blitz or Bullet around 2700!  They even have wins against strong FIDE GMs with FIDE ELO of 2600+!  The same players would not have a chance against the same GMs in a regular over-the-board game.

It is nice to hear that it everyone can become FIDE FM if they JUST try, since I know many good solid players who have tried and not broken the FIDE 2300 ceiling.  This is not to say that FIDE FM title is unreachable.  But let us not be so cavalier about reaching it.

I find two points indicated here as remarkable.  You have only been playing chess for a short while and yet you solve tactical problems at 2400 level here?  As mentioned I do not put much faith in the ratings of these sites, but still.  You indicated that you were in the 1600-1700 but in three months you reached 2400 by being patient and taking your time!!!
 
Wow silly me, I see now that my whole chess strategy in all these years has been completely wrong. 

I thank you my young friend.

Shajbat

[drahacikfm]

Yes, shajbat, I agree.  It was kind of a silly statement by tama that anyone of average intelligence can become a master-level player, or get a 2200 Standard rating here, if they try hard.

I know lots of people who love chess, have done it for 15 or 20 years, read all kinds of books, watch all kinds of lectures, do tactics problems, take lessons from masters, spend 10 or 20 hours per week on chess, and never get above 2100 FIDE.  And they are not stupid people.  Some of them are doctors, lawyers, professors, etc.