How to maximise your chess wins: the "Time zone method"

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llama47

By the way, I doubt 500 points.

Every time I've checked someone it's been like this...

"I can beat 1700 players, and I can lose to 1200 players"

So I check their games... and the highest rated player they've ever played was 1600, only one, and they lost.

lol.

nTzT

This advice isn't good(original post). Just play when you are well rested and try and improve at the game, don't seek some cheesy wins or something weird like that. Ultimately OP isn't even at a strong rating anyway.

nTzT
Omega_Doom wrote:
llama47 wrote:
Omega_Doom wrote:
llama47 wrote:

On average a rating is a rating... but there are so many factors it's hard to know what's going on with a single person.

This contradicts the statement that ratings are amazingly accurate. And yes, sometimes my rating can fluctuate not 200 but even 500 points.

If you mean 500 up and 500 down then I call bs. If you mean 250 up and 250 down, then maybe. But even that is quite a stretch. If your rating has settled into what would be accurate that would not happen, unless you take a break and your RD is higher and you lose a bunch of games or something along those lines.

Swampy-Gum
nTzT wrote:

Ultimately OP isn't even at a strong rating anyway.

Such snobbery. Spectacular!

I think we have established that ratings need to be regarded with a grain of salt.

Steven-ODonoghue
Swampy-Gum wrote:empirically proven fact that it's never a good    idea to play first thing in the morning. Something to do with biorhythms.

Strange, because I always seem to perform my best and gain rating points when I am playing in the very early morning. But I am much weaker later in the day and at night

llama47

Yeah, I'd assume it's the opposite. Playing in the first half of the day would tend to be better I think.

Swampy-Gum
Steven-ODonoghue wrote:
Swampy-Gum wrote:empirically proven fact that it's never a good    idea to play first thing in the morning. Something to do with biorhythms.

Strange, because I always seem to perform my best and gain rating points when I am playing in the very early morning. But I am much weaker later in the day and at night

Man you guys treat this all so seriously, but thanks for the feedback.

Obviously those lucky people who are known as "early birds", or "early risers" or "morning people" do not need to fear early morning chess! Go for it!

I shall add another caveat to my caveat in the guide. 

nTzT
Swampy-Gum wrote:
nTzT wrote:

Ultimately OP isn't even at a strong rating anyway.

Such snobbery. Spectacular!

I think we have established that ratings need to be regarded with a grain of salt.

You are giving people bad advice and I'm calling you out on it, call me whatever you want.

Omega_Doom
nTzT wrote:
Omega_Doom wrote:
llama47 wrote:
Omega_Doom wrote:
llama47 wrote:

On average a rating is a rating... but there are so many factors it's hard to know what's going on with a single person.

This contradicts the statement that ratings are amazingly accurate. And yes, sometimes my rating can fluctuate not 200 but even 500 points.

If you mean 500 up and 500 down then I call bs. If you mean 250 up and 250 down, then maybe. But even that is quite a stretch. If your rating has settled into what would be accurate that would not happen, unless you take a break and your RD is higher and you lose a bunch of games or something along those lines.

One day I lost 500 points in bullet. In blitz once i lost 400 points. Since then I recovered all and gained more in blitz. In bullet i am still more than 200 points below of my peak.

Avemanyeg
Awesome post-Swampy-Gum.  However, I think one wants to play the toughest competition in your rating pool. If you're choosing to play us weak Canadians all the time, how are you going to get better vs the tough Indian, Russian and Italian players?
wrote:

Best way to maximise your chess wins and minimise your losses - apart from the usual boring methods like studying hard or getting a coach - is to learn WHEN to play.

For example, for those of us lucky enough to be operating out of the Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) zone, this is my understanding of the playing conditions:

*8am-10am: Easy pickings - with an important caveat (and a caveat to that caveat). Generally eastern and western Europeans playing well past their bedtime, sometimes drunk, possibly playing one last game at the end of a losing streak, so they tend to be beatable without too much effort. However, this natural time zone advantage may* be offset by the fact that for most people it's never a good idea to play first thing in the morning. Something to do with biorhythms. *This advice does not apply to "early birds" or "morning people", who may in fact be even more alert at this time of the day.

*10am-4pm: Ratings gold-rush. Primarily north and south Americans (eg USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil) and Australians, who are *COMPARATIVELY* the easiest opposition in the world.

*4-8pm: Good pickings. Primarily Southeast and South Asian opponents (e.g. Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Indian early birds - generally appearing in that order). Tough opposition, but generally beatable.

*8pm-Midnight: Tough. Hard core Indians, followed by Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, South Africa, Serbia, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, France, UK (generally appearing in that order). In my experience, this time bracket tends to have a 50% win-loss ratio, or worse. Given that some of these nations are 100% chess pedigree, not recommended.

*Midnight-8am: Don't even think about it. Prime time for western Europe & Indian night-owls - opposition far too tough. All AESTers should be tucked up in bed, letting the chess royalty thrash it out.

Cycle repeats....

 

JackRoach

The thing is, you play people your level. 

So I doubt it's even that accurate. 

GBTGBA
Omega_Doom wrote:
nTzT wrote:
Omega_Doom wrote:
llama47 wrote:
Omega_Doom wrote:
llama47 wrote:

On average a rating is a rating... but there are so many factors it's hard to know what's going on with a single person.

This contradicts the statement that ratings are amazingly accurate. And yes, sometimes my rating can fluctuate not 200 but even 500 points.

If you mean 500 up and 500 down then I call bs. If you mean 250 up and 250 down, then maybe. But even that is quite a stretch. If your rating has settled into what would be accurate that would not happen, unless you take a break and your RD is higher and you lose a bunch of games or something along those lines.

One day I lost 500 points in bullet. In blitz once i lost 400 points. Since then I recovered all and gained more in blitz. In bullet i am still more than 200 points below of my peak.

Tips to get points back from bullet:

1) Play hyperbullet  to get your points back faster.
2) Or if you’re already playing hyperbullet then try to match up with more high rated players and pray they have had internet.

Swampy-Gum
Avemanyeg wrote:
Awesome post-Swampy-Gum.  However, I think one wants to play the toughest competition in your rating pool. If you're choosing to play us weak Canadians all the time, how are you going to get better vs the tough Indian, Russian and Italian players?
 

Hey Ave thanks for your response! You are quite right.

Unfortunately, if one is seeking improvement, one must 1) study hard, 2) employ a coach, and 3) face tougher opposition - whether they are Canadians or Russians - and learn to live with losses rather than wins.

Kaddisj

Western European playing well past his bedtime. I have noticed the same, in the middle of the night (between 2am and 6am GMT+1), tired and watching tv at the same time it's one win after another. Any other time of day I'm generally getting more losses than wins.

isolomon97

Yeah try actually improving your game instead of trying to connive your way to a higher rating 

isolomon97
nTzT wrote:
Swampy-Gum wrote:
nTzT wrote:

Ultimately OP isn't even at a strong rating anyway.

Such snobbery. Spectacular!

I think we have established that ratings need to be regarded with a grain of salt.

You are giving people bad advice and I'm calling you out on it, call me whatever you want.

Exactly 

Jalex13
Why are you bumping old threads and replying?
Mono1813

was a fun read, thank you. am going to add this weapon to my chess arsenal.

FrancisWeed
Swampy-Gum wrote:

Best way to maximise your chess wins and minimise your losses - apart from the usual boring methods like studying hard or getting a coach - is to learn WHEN to play.

For example, for those of us lucky enough to be operating out of the Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) zone, this is my understanding of the playing conditions:

*8am-10am: Easy pickings - with an important caveat (and a caveat to that caveat). Generally eastern and western Europeans playing well past their bedtime, sometimes drunk, possibly playing one last game at the end of a losing streak, so they tend to be beatable without too much effort. However, this natural time zone advantage may* be offset by the fact that for most people it's never a good idea to play first thing in the morning. Something to do with biorhythms. *This advice does not apply to "early birds" or "morning people", who may in fact be even more alert at this time of the day.

*10am-4pm: Ratings gold-rush. Primarily north and south Americans (eg USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil) and Australians, who are *COMPARATIVELY* the easiest opposition in the world.

*4-8pm: Good pickings. Primarily Southeast and South Asian opponents (e.g. Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Indian early birds - generally appearing in that order). Tough opposition, but generally beatable.

*8pm-Midnight: Tough. Hard core Indians, followed by Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, South Africa, Serbia, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, France, UK (generally appearing in that order). In my experience, this time bracket tends to have a 50% win-loss ratio, or worse. Given that some of these nations are 100% chess pedigree, not recommended.

*Midnight-8am: Don't even think about it. Prime time for western Europe & Indian night-owls - opposition far too tough. All AESTers should be tucked up in bed, letting the chess royalty thrash it out.

Cycle repeats....

The hilarious thing about this is I live in a different time zone and win/lose at the same rate at the same times of the day. I live in the USA so I tend to think Americans are really good. although clearly it depends on what time of day you play them. 

Powerish

@Francisweed - yes, I think the assumptions of this post are mostly bunk on the face of them, not to mention whether trying for a rating above your true skill with stupid tricks is really something people should be perusing. 

 

The closest I have come is playing daily chess. There are a few times when I have noted that my opponent was playing late at night in his time zone, and sometimes even playing poorly, and I'll make a point of responding right away in order to play as many moves as possible while I'm at an alertness advantage.  I don't think it comes up enough to really affect ratings.