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Speed Chess Culture

jslonim
| 0

There is a problem on Chess.com. Maybe some of you have been victim to it, and maybe some of you contribute to it. Regardless, it is a blight affecting the whole site. 

Players here (particularly lower-rated players) primarily play bullet and blitz games. I usually play "standard" games, which are what the rest of the world calls "quick." Even in these games, if I take three to five minutes to contemplate a move, I get worried comments in the chat box: "Are you ok?" "You know this game is timed, right?" 

Now, I have no problem with people playing speed chess, but there should be more appreciation online for a well-played slow game. This speed chess culture is harmful to the game of chess and makes it harder for newer players to learn the game well. The biggest difference that I've seen between  OK players and good players is that the good players think through their moves more carefully and thus avoid many blunders.

 Has anyone else felt out-of-place trying to improve their strategic chess play in a community of mainly tactical players?