Bereshith

I've been a member for almost a year now. I've learned a few things and I'd like to pass them along to other newbies and perhaps save them some grief. So, you griefers that just surf from blog to blog looking for someone to argue with - just surf on. There's nothing to see here.

But, if you're just starting out, maybe I've made some mistakes you can learn from. Maybe I can improve your chess.com experience. There are days when I just want to chuck it and find another chess server. And there are days when I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

It evens out.

The biggest challenge seems to be the culture. There's a wealth of information on how to play better for players at all levels. But there's just not a lot of info on how to get the most out of the system. And questioning the wisdom of chess.com is what really gets the griefers riled up.

Of course it does.

When you've already gamed the system - the last thing you want is change. That applies to a lot more than chess.com, too. But I hope to generate some serious discussion and I hope to learn some things, myself. For me, the culture here remains the undiscovered country.

Actually, I don't know all that much about chess, either.

I have improved considerably over the 231 online games that I've played in the last year. I'll share some of that, too, for those of you who'd like some tips that aren't over the head of a 1100-1500 player.

But the real reason for this blog is that I just need somewhere to talk about it. I think I play too much and study too little. I want to stop and look at what happened over the last year and see what I should've learned. And take the time to learn how to get the most out of my $7 a month I'm paying for this.

You, too?

Are you with me?

Hello? <hello>