After exactly 6,000 rapid games on chess.com, I’ve decided to take a break. What this means is still to be determined, but I got some interesting insights from this first burst into the game of chess. As expected, after a fairly quick climb in my rating I reached what feels like an unmovable wall. That’s how it’s supposed to work: you keep winning against progressively better opponents until you find opponents that are better than you, and then you start losing. That’s how your rating gets determined. Mine found its plateau between 1300 and 1350, with eventual drops into the
Tag: chess
Well, it didn’t take long. The first five games necessary for getting my rating on chess.com, all victories. The sixth game, a defeat. I was rated 1264 and got paired against a 1313 player. That’s what I expected from the beginning, advancing to a rating that reflected my abilities and then being held there by being paired against stronger opponents. So after fifty games my rating is not much different than after five games. I managed to cross the 1300 barrier, but was sent back down by a few defeats. I am now at rating 1276, with 27 games won
So, I put my plan in motion and began playing at chess.com. I started unrated and had to play five games to get my first rating. In the first game I got a victory by resignation on the 16th move, after my white knight forked the black king and queen. But the game review said I played with only 69.5 accuracy. I guess it didn’t like me taking too long to check mate. Despite that, it said I played two great moves. Estimated 900 rating for this game. Opponent from: Philippines. Opening: Ruy López, Morphy Defense, Deferred Schliemann Defense (I
It would be an exaggeration to say that I know how to play chess. Yes, when I was a kid I learned how to move the pieces and also a few basic principles (control the center, develop knights before bishops, etc). That doesn’t entitle me to say that I am a chess player. But one of my projects for 2024 (yes, I have many projects) is to properly learn how to play chess. I have a plan. I will start by creating an account on chess.com. Then, before playing any real games, I will study all their tutorials and practice