The Reminisces of Top Bloggers - Part II

Greetings, welcome back to the Hornet Editorial! Today's blog has been quite literally one year in the making. In May 2023, back in my Top Blogger days, I released a blog titled (you guessed it) "The Reminisces of Top Bloggers". It originated from an idea I had to interview Top Bloggers about their time posting on chess.com. At the time I didn't think it was anything grand, but once I had posted it, I saw exactly how well received it was. Not only did the average reader find the post interesting, but Chess.com actually featured the post on the  Chess Today page.

After this initial success, I immediately began thinking about writing a second part. Unfortunately, at the time, I just didn't feel there was enough content to actually pull off a second part successfully. Fast forward a year and a half later to December 2024, and the idea had freshly entered my mind again. This time, I was actually going to write it. I had five bloggers who said they'd be willing to participate, but when it came to actually writing out their answers, all but one blogger had backed out. So, I gave up and shelved the idea again. Fast forward another year later and I decided to try writing a second part for the third time. The blogging landscape had changed a lot since 2023. In fact, only one of the six bloggers I questioned in "Reminisces of Top Bloggers" were still actively writing blogs. So, I decided to find five more Top Bloggers and ask them five different questions than the previous post.

I already had the answers from the previous participant who hadn't dropped out (@AstroTheoretical_Physics), so I asked 3 additional Top Bloggers (@Lightning, @VOB96, @nbrasington,) if they would like to hop on board this project. Luckily for me, they all agreed and enthusiastically gave me their answers within one week. What I said in the previous edition stands true here: "Their answers are superb pieces of work, and I hope you enjoy them."

Enjoy!

1. Intros

Hello there! I'm @Lightning, I've been writing about chess-related things since 2020, one of the hobbies I picked up during covid. My blogging journey began in the... Not-So PRO Chess League. Perfectly normal place to start writing, right? I decided to write weekly recaps for the team I played for and, to my surprise, people quite enjoyed them. I then decided to create my blog and post league recaps there.

At some point in time, I decided I should write about my OTB chess tournament adventures since I had a blog. Might as well, right? I was once again surprised to learn that people seemingly quite enjoyed my blogs. So I kept writing and writing, never fully understanding why anyone read my blogs, but I enjoyed it, and others enjoyed it, so I continued. Eventually, @Rodgy recommended me for Top Blogger and, yet again, to my surprise, I got it! And... after all that, y'all got a fairly in-depth reply that likely wasn't expected. Yay? 😅

- @Lightning

Hello everyone! My name is Vanessa Bristow and I am an air traffic controller at Auckland Airport in New Zealand. I started blogging on Chess.com because a friend once asked me why I like chess so much. Rather than giving a generic answer, I decided it would be a good opportunity to organise my thoughts and write a detailed explanation, which resulted in my first post.

I really enjoyed it, and after seeing that my friends received it well, I decided to write more posts on different topics. Suddenly, I found myself where I am today!

- @VOB96

Greetings, people, this is @AstroTheoretical_Physics, known by the name of Astro on this site. I have been blogging for more than 3 years now (since October of 2022), and like every beginner blogger, my start to blogging was quite sloppy and rusty.

Let me begin from the very start. I don't quite remember how, but I discovered the account of Top Blogger and chess coach @Lightning in September of 2022. Now that was a cool username, and like most people do when they see a cool username, I went through the account and discovered his blogs. I found them fascinating, but I still didn't get the urge to write a blog myself. But while randomly going through @Lightning's club list one day, I discovered the club BlogChamps. When I learned that the winner was going to be recommended for Top Blogger, I wanted to try it out. And this is when I wrote my first post, about Garry Kasparov and his match against IBM's Deep Blue. At this point, I was blogging because I wanted to get a reward, not for enjoyment. And it didn't go well. It was quite a traumatizing post, with everything bold, no signs of something called 'good editing', with huge lumps of word walls.

I was upset when my blog literally performed the worst, which is why I immediately deleted the blog. I then wrote the blog on Bobby Fischer and Pawn Sacrifice, which didn't do much either. Even after being eliminated, I continued to read a ton of blogs, which is when I learned that it's not about winning. Writing about chess can be a beautiful experience for a chess enthusiast. I competed in the BlogChamps Season Two, and even though I was eliminated in the first stage again, I wasn't upset at all. I followed the season closely and tried to imply everything that the writers who performed better than I did. I was still discovering my love of writing about chess. 

I was getting better with every post. And my breakthrough came with the blog Puzzles From The Master Games.  This blog was a huge turning point in my blogging career. This is when my journey actually began. 

- @AstroTheoretical_Physics

 My name is Noah, known on Chess.com as @nbrasington or "nbras" for short. I've loved writing for as long as I can remember, and when I fell in love with playing chess on Chess.com, I learned about the blogging feature and saw that this was a great opportunity to blend my interests.

I started posting a ton and was eventually invited to join the club BlogChamps, which hosts a chess blogging competition here on the site open to all, where I was able to improve my blogging skills greatly by learning from competitors and judges. Soon, I was granted the title of Chess.com Top Blogger. I've now been playing chess for over four years and chess blogging for over two.

2. Favorite and Least Favorite Part of Blogging?

I'd probably say the community aspect of blogging has always been something I favored above other things. It was nice to have people to talk to and connect with in the chess world. You can look through my blogs and see that my comments sections were... very chatty, to say the least. One of my favorite things to do after posting a blog was to see the comments and reply.

Always loved it. And really, it's quite nice to have a place to talk about my chess life. I can't really do that outside this site. My friends don't care. My family does, but they can't understand it the way people on here can. It was just nice to have this outlet, ya know? And I will always be able to look back and see my chess journey documented in my blogs, which I'm thankful for.

My least favorite part of blogging is the amount of time it takes. Blogging is not typically a quick process, I take several hours per blog, and that doesn't include the hours of procrastinating that also go into it! I'm currently in blogging hibernation, and right now I'm 7 blogs behind. I'm dreading the moment I finally get back into blogging, it's gonna take me forever to catch up haha...

- @Lightning

My favorite part is that I learn a lot about the topics during the research. This has helped me discover many hidden gems about chess that I would never have heard of if I hadn't started blogging. The positive comments and constructive feedback from my followers are great, too, and blogging has also helped me develop my writing skills.

However, I don't like it when some people completely misunderstand the text and make nonsense comments or send me private messages that have absolutely nothing to do with what I actually wrote.

- @VOB96

I don't think there's any aspect of blogging that is my least favorite, or which I hate. Writing about chess has helped me learn a lot about different topics related to the royal game. I have likely dedicated countless hours to researching and writing. As I got better at analyzing games for my blogs, it also helped me a lot with my own chess improvement. I have always enjoyed reading about chess topics from my fellow bloggers. Creating thumbnails for blogs has always been a source of enjoyment as well; it's just fun because you're allowed to use your own creativity. But the part that I love the most is the comments by my readers. Whenever you read a kind or appreciative comment after all that hard work, it just feels good. When you learn that your readers enjoyed your work, self-satisfaction is at its peak.

I was awarded Top Blogger in July 2023 and wrote my first post as a Top Blogger in August of 2023. I believe it's my best post, and for the first time, many bloggers, including @Rodgy, @SheldonOfOsaka, and @Nimzo-IndianaJones, whom I have always admired as bloggers, complimented me in the comments. There were other great writers, too (including @Lightning), who appreciated my post in private messages. I was really happy. Whenever you get appreciation from the people you admire, it's always a great feeling. 

- @AstroTheoretical_Physics

 My favorite part of blogging on Chess.com has been the community I've found through it. I've gotten to know a lot of people through blogging and gained a following. There's always a lot of support for my blogs, and I love hearing that my audience enjoyed my posts or learned something new from them.

My least favorite part of blogging is hard to say honestly, my experience has been mainly positive. I'd probably have to say the formatting. I've found that Chess.com blog formatting can be inconsistent and often causes some weird issues that are hard to fix. Also, although having the perks of being a Top Blogger has helped a bit with this, there are limited editing tools available, and the advanced layouts are very difficult to use.

- @nbrasington

3. What Is Your Creative Process?

Here's my typical process these days. With me, it's don't think, just do. I write whatever I feel like writing. Then I read it with a refreshed mind after some time has passed, and if there's anything I initially wrote that I felt should not remain in the blog, I take it out or rephrase it. I format it as I write, and I also make sure to watch out for word walls while editing, cause people do not like those. I edit until I, personally, am happy with it. I tend to enjoy chess content far less than the average viewer, so if I think it's good... I figure there's a decent chance most people would agree? That's the hope, at least! 

- @Lightning

I always try to consider whether a blog is relevant and will make a real difference to the readers. Not every blog needs to be serious or extremely well-researched, but it should have a purpose and a clear reason for existing. If you feel that it means nothing to you and that nothing will change for your readers, then maybe wait. Don't publish just for the sake of it.

- @VOB96

 I foremost consider asking myself why a reader should read my blog, and what will make it different from regular blogs. While I don't always succeed, I always try to write on intriguing topics that haven't been covered on the internet.

Another thing to very much consider while blogging is to make sure that your post is polished, which I always try to do. Editing and formatting are two essential ingredients to produce a good blog. The blog should be well-researched with accurate information, and there should be no word walls. Good-quality images and a few chess diagrams are always a thing to add, but only then is the reader actually able to feel it all. 

Before publishing the blog, I consider re-reading my text a few times to ensure it flows. The writing must be engaging with no unnecessary things. I have always tried to produce an article easy to read and understand, without the need to bring in complex words. A short but unique and up-to-the-point title is also what I consider.

Last but not least, I have always put a lot of effort into my thumbnails. A thumbnail is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of your text. I try my best to make my thumbnails simple but stunning, with everything on point, so that the thumbnail conveys the basic idea to the reader. 

- @AstroTheoretical_Physics

Some things that I think about before publishing a blog are:

1. What do I mainly want my readers to take away?

2. Is the post original?

3.Does this help my readers learn about something they might not have known before?

4.Does it read smoothly?

5. Is everything correctly formatted?

6. Are there no grammatical mistakes?

7. Does it overall benefit Chess.com?

4. Has Being a Top Blogger Benefited Your Life?

I suppose it has. It's forced me to interact with fellow human beings more often. I am very, very introverted in person, and I'm quite socially awkward. I still am, but I'm a whole lot better these days, and being part of the chess.com community for a while because of blogging helped me out early on, I'm sure. It's also forced me to become a better writer, and I have no doubt the acquisition of writing skills will serve me well long-term.

I'd also say it's helped a lot with my confidence over the years. Being able to publish a blog and get such positive comments and feedback was so nice. I can actually create something and... people enjoy it. I have a much stronger belief nowadays that I can create content, and it can be good. That will absolutely serve me well long-term.

- @Lightning

Being a blogger: Yes! As I wrote previoulsy, it helped me in honing my writing skills and gaining chess knowledge. However, being a Top Blogger is actually just recognition for this good work and an award for the passion you show through your writing. The main difference is that my blogs have reached a wider audience, and I have already earned $50 for having them chosen as the Blog of the Month twice.

Therefore, I'd say that becoming a blogger has certainly made a huge practical difference. Becoming a Top Blogger, on the other hand, hasn't made that much, but it's still a nice achievement I'm proud of.

- @VOB96

Writing on Chess.com has surely helped me practically in my life. For almost two years now, I have been writing, sharing, and reading lesser-known, tragic, or inspiring chess stories about not-so-famous chess players (except one of them). I can confidently say that as a teenager, diving deep into these topics has trained me to understand people better. The tone control required for tragic stories, the humility, the light-heartedness, and respect, has surely taught me a lot, and contributed to my emotional intelligence. Maybe I am not yet perfect in this, but I am still learning. 

Blogging requires consistency and discipline. And so does life! Consistently producing good blogs as a top blogger is a must, and consistency in order to succeed in life is a must, too. I have been preparing for a very important exam since May of 2024, and writing about chess in the middle of this chaos has been a source of much-needed quality breaks in between so many times. It boosted my mood and brought freshness. The lesson I have learnt about consistency through blogging is helping me right now.

Reading positive comments from my readers keeps giving me self-confidence boosts in between, and at the same time, blogging has also taught me the importance of negative feedback or criticism. Talking about confidence, I have started to open up more, engage more socially, and express my thoughts in a much better manner than before. Blogging has also taught me the art of doing accurate research. I was never good at this, and my research was always lacking whenever my school sent me for a debate competition or something similar. But if I ever enter such activities in the future, I can confidently say that it won't be the same as before! 

And finally, blogging has boosted my creativity. Thinking about topics and creating scenarios myself, and then researching whether they actually exist or not, actually helped. What do I mean by that? Well, this is how I found out about Peter Winston: I thought and created this scenario myself, whether a chess player has ever disappeared out of nowhere, and then my research told me yes. Whenever I think of a topic, I create a story myself and then research to see if it's true or not. Having done this a lot of times, some of the results were my blogs on Peter Winston, Reginald Bonham, Marcel Duchamp, John Healy, etc. Thinking about creative titles, creating thumbnails (I just love creating thumbnails myself), and rewording sentences in a much more expressive manner from various sources has boosted my creative thinking and originality.

- @AstroTheoretical_Physics

I would say yes, being a Top Blogger has improved my life in a practical way. I've been able to regularly practice my writing ability through blogging, a skill that carries over to school and just everyday experiences as well. It's taught me how to research and edit writing well and how to think about the way readers will interpret what I say.

- @nbrasington

5. Would You Recommend Blogging?

'm happy with my decision years ago to start writing. It's a nice hobby to have, and I've met some awesome people on here because of it, and now I have my OTB chess adventures documented for the past 4 years. So I'm very thankful overall, and let me just say... God is good! Granted, I also have met some... not-so awesome people because I started blogging... but that's life. It's unavoidable.

The good has far outweighed the bad for me, so I will be one who definitely recommends blogging if you enjoy writing. If you don't enjoy writing, then... don't start a blog. And if you don't know if you enjoy writing.... well, it wouldn't hurt to find out. It may be absolutely worth it for you as it was for me!

- @Lightning

 I recommend that you start writing and blogging, as this will benefit you in many ways. You will learn how to express yourself and organize your ideas, how to research any topic that interests you, and how to connect with your readers. As I wrote in my post about BlogChamps Season 9, these skills are useful not only for chess blogging, but also in life.

So you can be sure that this activity will exercise your brain and make a practical difference. And I haven't even mentioned the pleasure of finishing a blog post and the pride you feel when you think, 'I did it!'. This is great for your self-esteem, too.

- @VOB96

I highly recommend that every chess enthusiast be an active chess blogger.

First, blogging on this platform helps you connect with other enthusiasts. Blogging is like serving the chess community, which is just a source of pleasure! It enables you to discover those aspects of the game that you probably have never heard about. It boosts your knowledge about the game along with engaging the community. It helps you to express your passion for the game. 

Blogging is also a source of personal growth. Blogging about chess education and sharing your knowledge about chess helps to deepen your understanding of the game. If you do not wanna write for other people or the chess community, you can use blogging for your self-benefit. Go and write down the concepts and principles of an opening so that you can better understand, or try analyzing/annotating your games in the blog. It helps! 

If you step into the field of blogging, it's for sure that you will learn an important life lesson. Blogging will teach you the importance of valuable and meaningful negative feedback and constructive criticism. As a beginner blogger, not taking negative feedback won't help. I can assure you that a successful blogger is also a humble person who listens to the views of his or her readers, whether positive or negative. If positive feedback boosts your self-confidence, then negative feedback provides you with the much-needed opportunity to learn and improve. 

Another thing is that by writing about your chess journey, your humble beginnings to where you are now, OTB recaps, and online games, you can inspire and motivate others, especially beginners. It can be a source of encouragement and guidance. A selfish reason to start blogging is to improve your image in the chess community. Writing good content will make others admire you! 

In the end, I would just like to say that blogging adds an extra layer of enjoyment to your chess experience by allowing you to share and celebrate your love for the game. If you are not a blogger, go and click the 'Create Post' button right now and start writing your blog! 

- @AstroTheoretical_Physics

I would absolutely recommend being a blogger on Chess.com and getting into the social side of the site. Anyone can post their ideas, and it's a great platform to share your passion for chess and connect with a community of other people who love the game in a fun and educational way.

- @nbrasington

"How do I get into blogging?"

@HornetCruise: Thank you for reading this post! If you're wondering, "How do I get into blogging?" or "What is BlogChamps?", well, I have one answer to both of those questions!

BlogChamps is the largest chess blogging community on this site, bustling with over 900 members! It was originally founded by @Lightning and @Rodgy in March of 2022, but is now run by Vanessa Bristow (@VOB96). The club features bloggers of many different levels of experience. From beginners, to seasoned Top Bloggers, wherever you find yourself in your blogging ventures, BlogChamps will have a place for you.

The club's main function though is the competition that is run there. Bloggers write at their best to see who will be the one to hoist the Zachary Isaac Snow II trophy. The winner of a BlogChamps season receives a recommendation from a Top Blogger to be a Top Blogger as well as a 25$ Amazon gift card, a One Month Diamond Membership, and a mention in Vanessa's recap of the BlogChamps season. As a matter of fact, many of Chess.com's past and present Top Bloggers competed and improved their blogs through BlogChamps (including myself). The staff will support you in any way they can, and I can personally vouch that if you set your mind to writing better, you have the potential to be great!

Conclusion

Thank you for reading this post! I had so much fun revisiting this series, and maybe one day in the not so distant future I'll have to revisit again. If you have any questions about the blog, please feel free to leave them in the comments, but if you have a question for one of the bloggers featured in this post, I recommend taking it to their DMs. Once again, thank you to @Lightning, @VOB96, @AstroTheoretical_Physics, and @nbrasington for participating in this post! I hope you enjoyed their stories as much as I did. I'll see you all in the next post!

- @HornetCruise