Progress versus Bots

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DuncanSpencer1

I'm a poor rated player (~700 - but I think that's actually a bit overstated as I rarely beat other 700 rated players), recently I've been playing progressively through the bots to see where I get to. I've only been moving on to the next bot up if I beat one four times in a row, two as white and two as black. It seems that I've met my match at Arthur, I think I'm currently at 8-8 with him. Below is what I consider to be my best game, won with a 94% accuracy, however there are plenty of times when I get into trouble in the opening - typically a Sicilian variation that the Arthur bot plays.

 
Duckfest

If you enjoy playing the bots, go for it. But if you're trying to improve it's better to play humans.

Bots don't make the typical mistakes that human players do: you can't outplay a bot and they don't fall for tricks. Instead they play perfect moves most of the time, depending on their rating, with an occasional blunder mixed in at random moments. The game you shared provided a perfect example. The game was decided by 8. h4, a move so random that it's played only once for each 7,000 (roughly) the position was played. That doesn't mean you didn't play well, you did. But it's not a normal game evolvement.

When you play bots, you need to avoid mistakes and simply wait for the bot to mess up. Against humans on the other hand, you can outplay them, put them under pressure, sacrifice material to weaken their King's safety, etc. Against human players you get much better feedback of the practical strength of your moves.

Based on your puzzle rating and puzzle rush scores you should have a higher rapid rating if you played more games. Puzzle ratings aren't the only indicator of a player's strength, but the gap is too big. Most players have a rapid rating that's 1000 lower than their puzzle rating (plus or minus a few hundred). That means you can improve.

SamyakNaranje

There's nothing in Rating, don't play against bots instead play online. You know how I learnt?, I played online again and again and my practice was done. Atleast play 2-3 games a day. Thankyou

ChessMasteryOfficial

After each game against a bot, use the analysis tool to understand where you went wrong. Pay attention to opening mistakes, blunders or missed tactics. Focus on learning from your mistakes rather than just the result.

SwimmerBill

Playing in general and against bots in specific helps improvement only when you use the games as diagnostics to see what you need to do better. Then you need to work to improve that specific aspect of your game.

One thing playing bots doesnt help is practical fighting chess vs humans due to the typical errors of each being so different.

IMO at least, Bill

DuncanSpencer1

Many thanks for the comments. I guess I'm lacking a bit of confidence at the moment when playing real people, and I think that shows in my games i.e. I start out thinking I'm going to get beat and often I get crushed (I don't have the same feeling against a bot). I blunder and don't see any tactics. But I agree, I should play real people more and accept that my rating will fall before it rises.