A Year in Blogging
Almost a month into the year, and I've finally figured out my plan for blogging in 2022. This purpose of this post is solely to lay out my design and schedule for my posting in 2022, and to look back on what I've posted since I started.
I began blogging on chess.com in summer of last year, and my first post was published on June 21, 2021. Back then, I was just another one of your common bloggers, not yet a top blogger. In the beginning, I shared some of my best games, a 12-post series looking at and analyzing some of my "best" 10|0 games, all played here on chess.com. Looking back on them now, I can see how much has changed since my first posts. My writing morphed, but I feel like in each different post, with my feelings on the topic, I almost have a different style of writing.
During the summer, I posted almost every day for a week or two, and finally realized that it was more productive to take breaks and make better posts.
Once I finished my Best Games series, I started posting on lots of different topics. I analyzed submitted reader games, analyzed different analyses, wrote about and analyzed immortal games, started tactics training, started (and abandoned) the chess.com study plan, and more. At the end of this post I'll list links to all of my previous posts if you want to check some topics out.
I became a Top Blogger right around when I started my series on the KID, which I'll say a bit more on later, which you can evidently see from a jump from 200 views to 700.
Without the support of the chess.com community, I couldn't have done all of this, so I want to say thanks to everyone who supported my blog in the past.
I've been extremely inconsistent when blogging in the past, posting once, taking a month break, posting five times in five days, starting series and abandoning them... I either had extended periods of laziness or spurts of willpower. You could say my new year's resolution for blogging is to start being more predictable and blog more consistently. I'm going to set some realistic and flexible expectations for my posting this year.
I'm continuing with my course on the KID, but instead of posting randomly whenever I feel like it, I will post regularly, once a month, and as high-quality as a player and writer of my strength can.
The idea behind this setup is so that I also have time to post more freely on lots of other topics, without having to spew KID posts consecutively, losing both the reader's interest and mine. I do realize that with only twelve posts on the KID a year (eleven this year, since I won't start until February), this project could take years, with the vast expanse of knowledge on the KID there is to be explored and shared. However, this way, I can spend more time on each post and also write about other things.
My goal is to give chess players around the world a bit of joy or revelation each time they read one of my posts to cut into the stress of this pandemic, and that will always be my motivation.
Links to all previous blogs ordered by series:
Best Games Series
#2: Opening the Closed Sicilian
#4: Katalimov Sicilian Punishing Slow Development
#6: Alekhine-Chatard Gambit 16-Move KO
#10: Surviving the Canal Attack
My Best Games Final Post: Bonus Compilation
Finished
Reader's Best Games
Never Underestimate 800s | OneTrueBapee
To be continued (hopefully)
Game Analysis Comparisons
To be continued (hopefully)
Immortal Game Analysis
Adolf Anderssen's Immortal Game | The Evergreen Game
Akiba Rubinstein's Immortal Game | Immortal Games Part 2
To be continued
Tactics Training
Saturday Speed Chess Highlights
Finished
Chess.com Study Plan
Reaching for 2200: Starting the Chess.com Study Plan
Finished
KID Opening Course
Breaking it Down to the Basics
The Mar del Plata Attack Part 1: Main Ideas of the Classical
The Mar del Plata Attack: The Neo-Classical
The Mar del Plata Attack: The Neo-Classical, 13. a4
The Mar del Plata Attack: The Kozul Gambit
The Mar del Plata Attack: The Neo-Classical with 13. 13. Nd3 and 13. b4
Collection of Demonstrative Games Part 1 | 13. a4 Neo-Classical
Collection of Demonstrative Games Part 2 | The Kozul Gambit
Hikaru's Immortal Sacrifices | KID February
To be continued
Holiday Specials
Adopting the Holiday Bots Part 1 | Powder the Snowman
Adopting Even the Elf | Adopting the Holiday Bots Part 2
Can I Adopt Santa? Holiday Bot Adoptions Part 3
Adopting Dash the Reindeer | Holiday Bot Adoptions Part 4
The Final Challenge: Is Holly Adoptable
Bongclouding to the New Year | Bongcloud Blitz, Bullet, and Memes
Other
How You Can Cut Down on Blundering
How to Crush the Sicilian Dragon
I'll add to this list as I go on, so if you ever want to come back and revisit a post, this will always be here.
I can't end a post without any chess diagrams, so here's a few puzzles that I found interesting.
White to move and win, puzzle by former WC Emanuel Lasker
White to move and mate (hint: I love underpromotions)
Amazing puzzle by Sam Loyd
Can't forget this pattern:
White to mate
I hope you enjoyed those puzzles as much as I did!
Let's look forward to a great 2022 - see you next time!
Share your ideas for topics that you would like to see my blog on in the comments! You can also message me if you would like me to analyze your games and post it.
