blitz chess


I don't know what others think but it seems to me, especially in blitz, the standard of say 800 - 900 players seems remarkably higher than a couple of years ago. Maybe because of old brain I'm just getting slower & worse.

Good lord 100 is the threshold, if there'd have been no value as such, we might have witnessed history made by my guy.

Yeah, the player pool in blitz can feel a lot stronger because blitz rewards speed, instinct, and pattern recognition more than deep calculation. In rapid, you have more time to think through positions, while in blitz, mistakes and blunders happen quickly. If you're struggling, it’s not necessarily because you're a bad player—it’s just a different skill set. Try focusing on quicker decision-making, improving opening prep, and practicing tactics to get better at blitz!

I don't know what others think but it seems to me, especially in blitz, the standard of say 800 - 900 players seems remarkably higher than a couple of years ago. Maybe because of old brain I'm just getting slower & worse.
You're not imagining it! The overall chess player pool has definitely improved in recent years, especially with more people learning openings, tactics, and strategy from online content. Blitz also favors younger, faster players who rely on instinct. But don’t be too hard on yourself—chess is evolving, and adapting takes time. Maybe focusing on time management and sharpening pattern recognition can help keep up!


The faster the time control, the more experienced the players tend to be.
For what it's worth, I didn't start playing blitz until I had already been playing for a few years. For the first few years, I only played untimed games, or slower rapid games (like 30|30 or 20|20).
But if you really want to get better at blitz, the secret is to simply play it a lot, and to analyze all your games. Expect to lose quite a lot along the way ... it's a necessary step in the learning curve.

Players who do well in blitz often have stronger pattern recognition and pre-move skills.
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