Mindset for blitz - win vs draw

I'm a beginner who played only rapid (rating ~1100) until a few days back, when I tried 3|2 for fun. I'm ~320 there.

In some games, even with a big material advantage (6+), I get tempted to repeat moves and draw because I'm unsure of finishing the endgame fast. (In rapid, without the time pressure, I generally manage an inefficient but mostly alright endgame). My question is, for players who play both formats, do you play blitz with a different mindset? If so, is it more or less aggressive? Or is the difference not about mindset at all, but about precise decisions?

Thanks in advance!

I would say it is more about precise decisions.

You should try late game, fail at it, and learn from it

I worked with a chess coach over the summer and was told speed chess is bad for developing players like us if you want to improve. That and you still need to learn and play well in “slow chess” (rapid or classical time controls) if you want to perform well in speed chess. Therefore, I actually had to stop speed chess for a couple of months to strip poor habits and relearn the game.

But, if you are insistent on playing blitz either for fun or working on openings and middle game planning, I would recommend starting with 5/5 then work your way down to 3/2.

Also, do a lot of rated puzzles training to warm up.

Also, take the opportunity to experiment for what works for you because there is less time investment and commitments in a blitz vs rapid. For example, I’ll play sharper lines in blitz but calmer in rapid. Either way, look for accurate moves and tactics without blundering; awareness you can carry over to rapid. Another example was I learned how to equalize out of the opening which I carried over to rapid.

Oh one last thing, continue to analyze each game so you’re continually learning and don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Yes, some days are better to learn chess and some are not.

Imo play, play and play, you will eventually stop making mistakes and have bigger precision.

Well, if the queens have been traded off and there are not many pieces on the board, in 3|2 one should be able to win with such an advantage (like 6+), even in zeitnot (because of the increment) and even against a machine (because endgames are very technical). Of course, we can always make a serious blunder, but if you feel uncomfortable in that stage of the game, you can pick up one of the many books on the subject and study well basic endgames first (like K+P vs. K, K+R vs. K and K+R+P vs. K+R) and then move on to more complex ones (K+Pawns vs. K+Pawns, K+minor piece+Pawns vs. K+minor piece+Pawns, etc.). Studying the examples in the books is useful to understand the technique, then you need practice, as other posters said, to make experience and speed up things.

If for "endgame" you mean just the final part of a blitz game, instead, when you are in zeitnot, I don't know what to suggest, because I have the same problem! In the final part of a game the position is usually open, so tactics decide most of the times and I am usually quite slow in tactical positions too, compared to my opponents.

Thanks a lot, these were useful suggestions! Will try focusing on tactics and rapid more and see how it helps.

#1
"I'm a beginner who played only rapid (rating ~1100)"
++ at rating 1100 just stick to rapid, preferably 15|10.

"In some games, even with a big material advantage (6+), I get tempted to repeat moves and draw because I'm unsure of finishing the endgame fast."
++ Blitz requires good endgame technique.

"do you play blitz with a different mindset?" ++ Blitz is more about intuition and technique acquired from classical and rapid. There is no time to calculate.

"is it more or less aggressive?" ++ It is more aggressive: it is easy to attack on intuition, but it is harder to defend accurately with little time

"is the difference not about mindset at all, but about precise decisions?"
++ Blitz is not precise, rapid is deeper.

I think study your games so you will have a bit more confidence in those positions and not be afraid to play them for a win. But there is no need to play fast games if you enjoy the longer ones, rapid is better for improving as a beginner.