Playing high level bots as a study seems to help. Not neccassarilly to beat them but each move write down all candidate moves and a line, say three moves by you or the bot, what you would play and what they play. It's not to beat them, more to get the old grey matter thinking again. Then go on to lose horrendously to obvious blunders in live chess if your anything like me 😬🤣
Sharp (good) days, dull (bad) days, and rust ...
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Took some time off from chess.com. Not much, a week or so, just didn't do much but read. Come back to goof around with games vs. bots or games played as Guest and I am rusty as heck. It's shocking how "out of it" I am now, half in and half out of a mental fog after just one week.
Even before this when I was regularly practicing though, I would have some days where I felt razor-sharp: good board awareness, study each piece before moving, have a general idea of what I'd like to do, always a keen eye peeled for my opponent's attacks. But other times, I was as dull as an old butter knife: staring at the board but not sure what I'm seeing, not sure what to do, even LESS sure what my opponent is up to - just lost. These days outnumber the sharp days, unfortunately.
Anyone else having these problems? If not I guess I am just getting o l d . . . 👨🦳