Back to Playing Humans

On February 4th, during my lesson, my coach FM Mees van Osch told me something I kind of already knew… but didn’t really want to hear. “James, you need to play real people online.” And I immediately thought: But bots are so convenient.

After a full day at work, family responsibilities, and running the Columbia Chess Club, I’m usually exhausted. Bots don’t mind if I’m tired. Bots don’t judge. Bots don’t make me nervous. Bots don’t feel like little rating battles. Bots are comfortable.

But Mees reminded me of something very important: I’m training to beat humans OTB. So I should train against humans.

He also told me something else; something that hit harder. He said I need to work on my fighting spirit. Not resigning just because I feel lost. Not collapsing just because I’m worse.
Move quickly. Create chaos. Stay resourceful. Only resign when it’s truly over.

That’s different from playing bots. Bots don’t panic. Humans do.

So I queued up 10+0 rapid on Chess.com and I played four games.

Game 1 – Danish Gambit Chaos (Black)

Opponent: 1538 | Result: Win

He went for the Danish Gambit, which is always dramatic and slightly terrifying. There were blunders from both sides. It wasn’t clean. At all. But something interesting happened; I stayed practical. I kept pieces active. I didn’t freeze. At some point, it just… worked. And he resigned. It wasn’t pretty chess. But it was human chess.

Game 2 – Vienna Madness (Black)

Opponent: 1553 | Result: Win (Checkmate)

This game was chaos. There were sacrifices, king walks, rook invasions. It honestly felt like something you’d see in a blitz arena stream where nobody really knows what’s happening but everyone is confident anyway. I didn’t panic. Even when the position was unclear, I kept asking:
“What are the threats? What can I do actively?” Eventually, the attack broke through and I delivered mate. Not perfect chess. But resilient chess.

Game 3 – Scotch Game Grind (White)

Opponent: 1569 | Result: Win (On Time)

This one was messy and long. I was slightly better. Then unclear. Then maybe worse. Then better again. It was very human; full of small inaccuracies. In the past, I might have mentally given up when things got uncomfortable. This time, I just kept playing moves. And eventually… my opponent flagged. It wasn’t glamorous. But that’s part of fighting spirit too. Make them solve problems.

Game 4 – Giuoco Pianissimo Turned Tactical (Black)

Opponent: 1597 | Result: Win (Checkmate)

This game actually felt the most “real.” There were strategic plans. Central tension. A kingside attack building slowly. Then suddenly; tactics. And I didn’t hesitate. When the opportunity appeared, I calculated and went for it. The final checkmate felt earned. 

The Honest Part

I don’t feel super smooth online. I feel shaky. My mouse speed feels weird. My calculation feels rushed. I don’t play many real people online. I mostly grind bots. But here’s the thing: Four wins in a row against humans is not nothing. It tells me something important; the training is working. Maybe not beautifully. Maybe not elegantly. But there’s improvement happening under the surface.

After these four rapid games that were shaky, imperfect, slightly chaotic; I hit a new peak of 1616 on Chess.com. And it didn’t feel dramatic. There was no brilliant queen sacrifice. No perfect game. It was just… fighting. That’s kind of the beautiful part. I didn’t win because I was flawless. I won because I stayed in the game. I didn’t resign too early. I kept making moves. I kept asking questions. I let my opponents make mistakes. And they did.

It’s funny how improvement sometimes doesn’t feel like becoming a genius overnight. It feels like becoming slightly more stubborn. Slightly more resilient. Slightly more willing to sit in uncomfortable positions.

1616 isn’t the goal. But it’s a sign that I’m moving in the right direction. And honestly? That feels really good.

What I’m Really Training

This wasn’t about rating. It was about:

• Playing tired and still competing

• Not resigning too early

• Staying resourceful

• Building resilience

• Re-entering the arena

After peaking 1642 OTB and sliding back, I know 1700 won’t come from comfort. It’ll come from fighting. Bots are useful. But humans punch back. And if I want to get stronger OTB; I have to get comfortable being uncomfortable online.

So this is step one. More humans. More chaos. More resilience. And hopefully… more growth.