Online chess community where you can play chess, learn strategies and tactics, read chess news, see book reviews, find rules & tips, get free downloads, and more! http://www.chess.com/ 2007 Chess.com Yay me, just passed 1800 on the ICC 5 minute pool for the first time. I think this is mostly due to me no longer playing the King's Indian with black all the time, because I tend to lose most every game in it. The tepid waters of the QGD suit me m...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/1800-on-icc-5-minuteFri, 16 Sep 2011 15:36:36 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/1800-on-icc-5-minuteFINALLY hit 1700 rating on the chess tactics server. It only took 90399 tries! Woo! http://chess.emrald.net/tProfile.php?TacID=12735 Now if only I could get closer to my goal of 80% overall accuracy. http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/1700-on-ctsSun, 31 Jul 2011 12:26:44 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/1700-on-ctsI really suck at blitz, but lately I've been trying to play more of it in hopes of improving. Today I broke 1700 for the first time in the 5-minute pool. 1800 here I come! http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/1700-on-icc-5-minuteSat, 21 Aug 2010 18:16:18 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/1700-on-icc-5-minuteRecently I've been gravitating towards openings in which I am putting one of my knights on the edge of the board. I haven't been doing this intentionally, but in many variations of both the french and king's indian (which I play almost exclusively...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/i-like-putting-my-knight-on-the-rimSat, 03 Jul 2010 08:36:31 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/i-like-putting-my-knight-on-the-rimWow...I have wasted my life. http://chess.emrald.net/tProfile.php?TacID=12735 http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/70000-problems-done-on-ctsMon, 07 Jun 2010 09:31:19 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/70000-problems-done-on-ctsHere's a fun little game I played last night in the London Active Championship. I enjoyed playing it, and I made an interesting move which at the time I thought was a blunder, but fritz later gave it a "!". Go figure... http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/a-funny-rapid-game-annotated-by-meFri, 05 Mar 2010 11:49:33 -0800http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/a-funny-rapid-game-annotated-by-meThese days in tournaments I am finding that I get excellent positions out of the opening. I am also playing the middlegame well enough to keep my excellent positions, a lot of them completely winning by the time the endgame comes around. However, ...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/i-suck-in-technical-positionsTue, 02 Mar 2010 19:48:27 -0800http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/i-suck-in-technical-positionsI am impossible to buy christmas presents for. That being said, my family and friends always shower me with book store gift certificates, which suits me fine.  So many books so little time, but here is a list of the books I'm planning on buying...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/my-christmas-book-wishlistMon, 21 Dec 2009 08:56:39 -0800http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/my-christmas-book-wishlistI've joined the movement! For this year my goals are: -Break 1900 OTB -Do well at the London City Championships, hopefully win the lower section for the 2nd straight year. -Break 2000 in my club's internal blitz rating. http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/erics-new-years-chess-resolutionWed, 25 Nov 2009 07:09:44 -0800http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/erics-new-years-chess-resolutionI've hit a bit of a rut in my chess progress, sitting around the same level for some time now. To remedy this I've decided to shake up my training schedule and begin doing modules from the Chessimo software religiously, just like my daily CTS trai...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/chessimo-trainingTue, 27 Oct 2009 06:35:16 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/chessimo-trainingAfter 1.Nf3 c5 I almost always play 2.c4 and play enters Accelerated Dragon territory. Now, until just recently I didn't know much about Acc. Dragon theory and just thought, "OK, I get my maroczy bind and pressure black in an endgame." "Pawn Struc...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/maroczy-theory-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bindFri, 25 Sep 2009 18:30:35 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/maroczy-theory-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bindFor awhile now I've been trying to find an alternative to the Benko Gambit vs. 1.d4. The Benko is by far my favorite opening vs. d4 but the problem with it is it's so easy for white to avoid. For example, white can just play 2.Nf3 or after 1.d4 Nf...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/kings-indianMon, 24 Aug 2009 08:57:16 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/kings-indianI play WAY too many games on chess.com and as such my games are of very poor quality. Usually I just play to practice my opening theory and that seems to work out alright but I'd like to take more time with some games and practice other skills. As...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/6-games-maxWed, 12 Aug 2009 15:38:20 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/6-games-maxMy girlfriend and I are heading up north to a cottage for the week. I'm taking this opportunity to de-compress a bit and leave chess behind while I'm there. When I get back I can jump back into chess with renewed vigor!! Hopefully I'll be able to ...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/on-vacationFri, 24 Jul 2009 10:31:25 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/on-vacationToday I redeemed myself with a nice win with white in a king's indian. My opponent played a somewhat dubious system and quickly got into trouble. Some tactics followed and I emerged on top. This is the final game making my total score a somewhat d...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-final-roundSun, 19 Jul 2009 14:13:40 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-final-roundTonight I was completely outplayed in an IQP position by a 1500...I hate this game sometimes. http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-round-8Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:49:00 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-round-8Oh the sorrow! My losing streak with white continues as I sacked a piece too early and got out-calculated. Behold my losing effort! http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-round-7Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:49:22 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-round-7So my "win with black lose with white" strategy continues with another win as black this time in the Benko Gambit declined. Yet again a player who has never played against the benko before declined with 4.b3 and yet again they get a horrible posit...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-round-6Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:56:11 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-round-6Today I played some local expert, I screwed up in the opening and dropped a pawn so I decided to be like Tal and try to mate him instead of just being ground down. After a bunch of sacs and horrible blunders by both sides we entered a queen endgam...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/round-5-this-is-not-my-tournament-with-whiteWed, 15 Jul 2009 19:48:32 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/round-5-this-is-not-my-tournament-with-whiteTonight luck was on my side as I won my game in yet another advanced french. I seem to get all my points in the advance french...maybe this is a lesson for white? Or maybe the french is just totally unbeatable? Either way I'm back to 50% with 2/4 ...http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-round-4Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:00:52 -0700http://blog.chess.com/ericmittens/canadian-open-round-4