Why I'm Better at Blitz

Avatar of erik
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I'll be honest - my ability to focus on a chess game goes down hill after a few minutes. It's sad. I've won a few OTB regular tournaments in the lower classes, but I'm not a great tournament player. And I'm not a good turn-based player either because I play so many games and once and rarely take more than a few seconds on each move. So I end up making a lot of stupid moves. But at blitz I can sometimes be a monster.

Now I think I know why - I stay aware of the game the entire time. I play turn-based chess with the same pace as blitz, but I don't maintain the positional awareness from all of my mental processes before. I am essentially starting over with each move, not holding onto the plans and calculations from before. But with blitz, it is all there. Example games:

Here is a recent turn-based game. Look how some of my moves are purposeless and repetitive, and then I ultimately make the worst possible blunder:

 

And here is a recent blitz game:

 
 
One day maybe I'll learn to focus my play with a bit more patience and become a better player! :)
 

erik
Erik

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Yes, I am the guy who started Chess.com (along with Jay, Igor, Piotr, and many others). I have 3 amazing daughters, one wild son, and a wonderful, patient wife! I learned chess when I was 8 years old. Since then I have been playing, studying, and enjoying it regularly. I prefer semi-open and closed positions that blow up tactically (like the Closed Sicilian, King's Indian, Glek etc). 

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