Bullet vs. Rapid Why would a beginner play bullet ?
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I play bullet for the memes
Jun 1, 2023
0
#23
... you know what else is BS... I always end up playing bullet players in the 1200-1400 range (this is my bullet range when it fluctuates) and they end up killing me. I'm fine with losing... but then I see they are like 800-900 in blitz and rapid. So how are they so bad at thinking with your brain with actual time but good at bullet?
Online chess is just annoying in all scenarios though.
Play Longer Time Controls...
For many at the beginner-novice level, speed chess tends to be primarily an exercise in moving pieces around faster than your opponent while avoiding checkmate, in hopes that his/her clock runs out sooner than yours. And/or hoping to notice and punish your opponent’s blunders while hoping they don't notice and punish yours. The reason for this is that in speed chess there is little time to think about what you should be doing.
It makes sense then that taking more time to think about what you should be doing would promote improvement in your chess skills and results. Therefore one way to improve your chess is to play longer time controls, including "daily" chess, so you have time to think about what you should be doing.
This is not to suggest that you should necessarily play exclusively slow or daily time controls, but they should be a significant percentage of your games, at least as much, if not more so than speed games which, while they may be fun, do almost nothing to promote an understanding of how to play the game well.
Here's what IM Jeremy Silman, well-known chess book author, has to say on the topic...
https://www.chess.com/article/view/longer-time-controls-are-more-instructive
And Dan Heisman, well-known chess teacher and chess book author…
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627052239/http:/www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman16.pdfhttps://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/dan-heisman-resources
and the experience of a FIDE Master...
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/how-blitz-and-bullet-rotted-my-brain-don-t-let-it-rot-yours
As for learning what you should be doing...
Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell
CM RAU4ever ..... Thanks for the thorough reply
I've been playing one particular opening all my life and hadn't learned as much in 50 yrs as I have since I found Chess.com online back in Nov. I needed more time to see the board (as you mentioned) but find that w/ the amount of games I've played, I use less time seeing the board w/familiar response to my openings (blk or white). I actually find that I don't need 30 min anymore in that respect and have played 20 min games just fine. I still find that I have trouble w/ time when I see different openings or responses by more skilled or experienced players. I guess that's normal, but I can't doubt that I have been learning the things that are important to me (being 57 yrs old).
a) keeping my brain active
b) practicing critical thinking
c) retaining momory
d) making better choices
I believe the board is opening up for me , little by little , where I feel I see attacks & solutions more moves in advance. I'm sure this is not as true for openings I'm unfamiliar w/, but, along w/ seeing more placements of pcs, I believe I recognize strategies more as well. I imagine this will be of help as I learn new openings, middle games and end games.
Short story is I'm using Chess ( a game I like ) to exercise my brain. Winning is fun but loosing has always helped me in trying to understand ( thinking ) how or what I could have done differently.
Thanks for your generous consideration,
Sincerely ...................................
Steph ( Frisb714 ) Louisiana