Retrospective: Achieving A Personal Best And Identifying a Weakness

Hard work pays off.

Yesterday was the culmination of 3 years or determination. 

I have been diligently studying and drilling tactics into my head since the beginning of the pandemic. It started as a way to pass time during lockdown and learn more about a game that I was fascinated with, but was not very good at. As time wore on, I slowly began to realize just HOW big of an endeavor learning Chess can be. At the same time, I was never deterred no matter how difficult learning this game seemed. When I began streaming in 2021, I always had it in the back of my mind that I could become a Chess streamer. But I feared that the audience who'd come to watch me would not enjoy the game. Thus I pursued many other routes over the past 2 and a half years. 

A couple of weeks ago, Chess.com reached out to me and asked if I'd be interested in creating content as an affiliate of the site. It was an immediate yes. But in the back of my mind, I was absolutely brimming with anxiety. The community, which had come over from various other games and content creation corners, would they ACTUALLY watch me if I dedicated myself to Chess? Only one way to find out.

Yesterday, we did our first stream on Twitch w the Chess.com Affiliate Designation. Was it my biggest stream ever? No. Was it a huge rousing audience? No. Did I have an amazing time streaming and teaching my community about the game that I love? Absolutely. And my reward, for never putting this game down and taking a shot on introducing this game as a mainstay of my channel, was that they were able to watch me do my absolute best Puzzle Rush attempt in my entire Chess career. On Day 1. What a treat for me, what a moment for the community. What I learned in that run is that growth is simply a matter of study. My last failed puzzle is a common King & Pawn vs King ending. It's time to dive into these books. 

There's so much more I want to do in this space, I want to become a more consistent and competent player, I want to create tournaments and fun events for everyone to enjoy. Its going to be a journey, and I hope that I can continue to do this for a long time. I'm so happy to be here with the Chess Community.