My Interview With Lightning!
Welcome to the blog!
Hello everyone! Welcome this my blog! Today I interviewed @Lightning!
I hope everyone enjoys it!
CD, "Hello lightning! Welcome to the interview! For those of you who don't know, Lighting is a high-rated chess player and one of the best know top bloggers! Thanks again for being my first interviewee! As you know I am CD, but I would like to ask if there is a nickname you would want us to call you?"
Lightning, "You can just call me Lightning I guess lol. "
CD, "Fantastic!! Let's get on with the interview!"
Question Number one!
When did you first play chess?
I played chess when I was 8.
( So pretty young? Nice!)
Question Number two!
Who was your inspiration to start playing chess?
lightning, "I wouldn't say I have an inspiration, but my cousins brought a chess board over to our great-grandparent's house while we were all meeting there for a holiday. I played them and lost. And I didn't like that. Not long after, I found a chess club, quickly improved, and beat my cousins easily the next time I played them. So they get credit for introducing me to the game at least. But they didn't inspire me or anything, I just wanted to not lose to them 😅"
( A very interesting story lol!)
Question Number three!
Why did you start blogging?
Lightning, " I started blogging cause I was bored in 2020 (I mean, who wasn't?). I was on a team in the Not-So-PRO Chess League, and I wrote weekly recaps for my team. They all thought they were great. Eventually, I took that to my blog for a short time. That eventually led to me writing about my OTB tournament experiences. For whatever reason, people kept reading and saying I should be a top blogger, so I kept writing when I could, always making sure to enjoy it and not treat it like work or something. Now, 2 years later, I'm a top blogger, still posting OTB tournament reports, and expanding my content to other topics as well."
(Wow! I think 2020 was the year I joined chess.com or was it 2021....)
Question Number Four!
What's your favorite opening
Lightning, "As white, I love when my opponents play into the Fried Liver Attack, and as black, I go for the French Defense every time. Those are my favorite openings."
( Nice. You may want to change it up now and then or people will be able to learn your moves!)
Question Number five!
What color do you prefer to play as?
Lightning, "White. I have a higher win rate as white, so that's an easy choice lol"
( Very easy 😂)
Question Number Six!
Who is your favorite chess player?
Lightning, "Uh I dunno, I don't have one."
(Really? That's it? I was expecting you to have a favorite lol.)
Question Number seven!
What is your favorite time control and why?
Lightning, "Online, I don't have favorite time control. It just depends on what I feel like playing. Sometimes it's bullet, sometimes it's blitz, and sometimes it's rapid. Otb I want at least 30 minutes so it affects my regular rating (the only OTB rating I care about). I'm happy with just 30 minutes, that's fast and I can play riskier moves. At the same time, I'm happy with 2 hours so I can slow down and play my best. So yeah, I have no favorite time control, I can play any time control and be fine."
( uh huh. A very talented player. Nice. Very nice.)
Question Number Eight!
Why did you start playing chess?
Lightning, " I kinda answered this in an earlier question, but I started playing chess because my cousins taught me, beat me badly, and therefore I wanted revenge. I wanted to get better than them and beat them. Once I did that I realized I liked the game... back then I liked it because I was seemingly good at it. From there, there was always someone better than me who I wanted to beat, and that would always drive me to compete and improve. Nowadays, my motivation is to become a National Master, proving to myself and everyone else that I am good enough and that I'm not just some normal expert who can't break through and beat masters. So yeah. I've always had the motivation to play chess and improve, and I always will. When I enjoy something, I'll find motivation."
( Very nice.)
Question Number Nine!
How is your journey to NM going? Please tell us everything about this amazing experience!
Lightning, "My journey to NM, right now, is not going so well. I peaked at 2142 not long ago and have been stuck between 2100-2142 for a year now. It's dreadful, but I hope to break through soon. I know I'm capable of it, it's just a matter of proving it, to myself, and the doubters out there. My current USCF rating is 2125 - a USCF rating of 2200 is all that is required for the National Master title - so I am 75 points away!"
( Oh man! Sorry to hear that! But look on the bright side, you can still beat me! 😂)
Question Number Ten!
Who was your best game against?
Lightning, "Oh man, my best game? I dunno what my "best" game would be, I've had a lot of really good games. However, I'll show you one of my favorites that I haven't shared online before. It was from 2019 in Alabama's State Championship, where I played 5 straight masters and scored 3/5 against them - as a 1967-rated player. Here's the game that got that going for me, and showed me I was worthy of competing with masters".
(Wow! What a game!)
Question Number elevon!
I heard that you coach, do you coach all players or only certain ratings?
Lightning, " I do coach, yep. I coach all players who are willing to pay for lessons. I don't know why anyone close to me in rating or higher than me in rating would want lessons from me, but I mean, if they offer to pay, then why not? Lol!"
( You don't know why anyone would want lessons from you?! Because you are awesome!)
The End,At Last!
Wow, am I right? This was amazing! I hope y'all had as much fun reading this as I did making it!
Yo lighting, before you go, would you like to say a few words and uh maybe give me an autograph?
Lighting, "Happy to do the interview CD, it's not an issue. And yes, yes of course you can have my autograph!"
There you have it! I hope you all enjoyed this interview with @Lightning!
Stay tuned for more blogs!
#SayNoToWar
#LoveNotHate
