New Year Update..

So far, things have been going ok.

Quick update for the new year:

I've kept to my tactics training barring a few days over the holidays and I've played and studied a few long games but nowhere near as often as I would like. The issue is that I'm playing them way way too fast and treating them like blitz games until I make a mistake and only then do I slow down (which of course causes some problems..)

A few games both blitz and standard I've gotten into a strong position only to throw it away carelessly, largely by ignoring counterplay so I need to work on my thought process somewhat. I know what I SHOULD be thinking but I have bad habits that I need to get out of. I also have a habit of playing blitz after a few beers but that's a different story.. ;)

The aim now is to finish all of my existing correspondance games, and then only play very occasional games, or games in tournaments that I'm already taking part in. This will give me more time to focus on live chess. Correspondance is fun, but I always feel I "re-analyse" the game each time I play a move, and as a result lack the long term planning which I need.

By the end of the year, hopefully I can gain a couple of hundred rating points and be well on my way. I also hope to get to at least one live event although events in Finland seem to take place on really rare occasions.

Dan