Clock Management

I appreciate the outline of the time issues that Princess discussed. I know from my puzzle practice, that I usually miss my target times for completing puzzle, though usually not by too much. Usually the quicker I am, the less I see the board. A true matter of finding the right balance.   So to start, if we were playing 5 minute Blitz, how quickly should we be making moves? So at 30 seconds per move, that is only 10 moves. What is a realistic goal or target for U1600 Blitz players (seconds per move), and what are some methods to reduce the time in our decision process?

My first recommendation, if you’re just beginning and doing puzzles, forget the clock.  It’s easier to learn a thought process and then get faster at it with practice.  Not one I have used, but chesstempo is a highly regarded site for practicing tactics as you can tailor a training regimen.  I use an app on my phone called chessimo.  It is a one time cost,  but it starts out easy in the units, but it repeats earlier units.  You can set how much time yuu have for the initial puzzle, but it gets shorter in future units for the same puzzle so you build pattern recognition.

Dan Heisman’s a great resource for reading about thought process improvement.  Here is an article regarding how he thinks of speed chess as a training tool - https://www.chess.com/article/view/is-speed-chess-good-for-you

I am also awake at 3am thinking about decision making and pattern recognition not just in chess but in all aspects of life.  I don’t know how true it is, but one theme I have stuck in my head is that your process in making small and big decisions in your life are going to be similar to how you approach chess.  One of they key phrases I hate hearing kids being told is “to think”.  Think about what?  How beautiful the pieces are, the adventures the knight is going to take?  Beginning kids have concepts to think about.  Even though in chess, everything is right there on the board, two people can “see” vastly different things.  The show and characters that I was ruminating on are ones like Sherlock, Macgvyer, or more importantly the guy from Psych who had been taught to be hyper-observant.  As your knowledge grows, you will start to recognize more things quickly.  

I don’t usually ramble I think., I hope some of this is making sense.  I don’t know if I can trust writing this at 4am.  

Thanks PrincessChess. I am still learning a lot (been playing online for 6 weeks after a 30 yr break), and trying to add speed is something I may try to over time.  As my handle suggests, I took up fencing after turning 40, and did well in my age group, making team USA and playing in the fencing World Championship about 5 yrs ago. COVID has helped cause me to refocus, and even though I was able to win a local tournament against college age last yr, my environment has changed, pushing me to explore other activities - "The Queen's Gambit" nudged me towards Chess.

I just turned 40 but the only new thing I haven’t managed to quite start is learning the ukulele that I picked up so that’s inspiring that you’ve picked up two new activities since then.  I took one fencing lesson a few years back but didn’t return for the rest.  I wasn’t the only female in the class, but it would have been nice to have someone I know attend with me.

For background, what are some of the main differences between - Blitz, Bullet, and Rapid? I've seen references to time intervals - 2 min, 3 min, 5 min, 7 min, and 10 min;  which games are associated with which time increments?  When I attempt to search for answers, it seems I only find Tournament listings - past and future.  With all the chess.com learning modules focused on classic, and the majority of events listed seeming to be Blitz (or speed variants), understanding the definitions and distinction between these games might help.  Fencing, like Chess, has major tournaments rotating to cities across the US, and around the world, so you get to meet your main competitors, as well the people you practice with at your local club - becoming a close network.

In the article by Dan Heisman, he describes: " By the way, this is an excellent place to note that wherever possible, you should play speed games with the same increment or time delay as your important games. If you are going to play in the World Open with a 10-second time increment, don't practice speed games at 5 0 or 3 0. Instead play 2 10 or, if that is too slow, you can even play 0 10. But make sure that same time increment is there. That trains your brain on how much leeway you have each move when your time runs short."  I don't understand the notation - 5 0 or 3 0; or 2 10. Can you explain?

I am headed into work, but this article might work as an introduction to time controls and the different classifications. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chess.com/amp/terms/chess-time-controls  

I have been preoccupied.  
With bullet, it’s almost all about the mouse and reaction time plus a good amount of premove tricks (at least online).  Though there are things your opponent would do over the board (like physically holding the button down so you can’t press it.). There are many that don’t consider bullet chess resembling anything close to real chess.  It’s really addicting as an adrenaline rush though (same puzzle rush feeling).

Blitz chess, depending on the exact time control, can start to feel like a bullet game or can start to feel as long as a rapid game.  Blitz chess can be fun but can also be used as a tool to practice openings, especially if you an agreeable opponent.

back to bullet, the best use of a bullet as a tool would to mimic time trouble of a longer game.  So start with a position that you might get later (like an endgame) and practice it against the computer.  Maybe start with a longer time control and then go faster as you become more proficient. At some point that position should become muscle memory and a pattern burned into your brain.  I haven’t used this method of training but I think I should start.

Heisman again has lots of articles and tips on time management and thinking processes.  He recommends at least 30 minutes if you want to develop good thinking habits.  There are lots of articles about what to think about for beginners (common advice is look for checks, captures, and threats).  If you’re reviewing your games, this might be a time to practice this.  Eventually with enough practice, it should be habit.  Though occasionally, even us higher rated players need a refresher on this.

And my final piece of advice to any advice you’re given, or if I am playing and sharing my thoughts, take everything with a grain of salt.  Even the World Champion can miss something on the chess board so don’t be afraid of ratings or titles.  We all have bad days and bad games so don’t assume that because someone higher rated played it, that it means that it was the best move.

Thanks PrincessChess regarding the grain of salt.  I recently thought I had a Bishop pinned, but the Bishop moved across the board for a check, and my Queen was left just sitting there, waiting to be captured on the next move. Vision is always important is the lesson for my 1st tournament loss.

Blitz Chess - A nice place to start, under the "More" label in the main dashboard section. Not sure why this section doesn't appear in the Search engine for the site.  

https://www.chess.com/terms/blitz-chess

Bullet Chess - Another find in the "More" section under Chess Terms. 

https://www.chess.com/terms/bullet-chess

Here is another "Learn" training exercise on Blitz:  https://www.chess.com/lessons/play-like-a-speed-chess-champion

I recognize that info about the time controls! We're reading "A Guide to Chess Improvement: The Best of Novice Nook" by Dan Heisman.

I've done some of the fast games (5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc), but I don't really enjoy them. Haha for me a 1 hour limit is fast!

Way to be brave and make the first forum post!  

J - thanks for the feedback!  I think I will also check out the book by Dan Heisman.

Also, as I prepared to enter my first "Rapid" event, I was unable to locate it in the chess terms section of chess.com.  Rapid seems to be equated with the description category of "Speed Chess".  The following article in Wikipedia provides some background, history, and context.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_chess

Time Management in Chess discussion thread:

https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/time-management-in-chess?page=2&newCommentCount=1#first_new_comment