Chess - What I Want From It

So I've played chess for a few years now, always on and off never committing properly for more than a period of a few weeks.

This has been for a multitude of reasons, mainly other priorities and losing interest (especially when playing online).

There's something about OTB chess which I just enjoy a lot more. Whether it be my experiences in Washington Square Park, in and around London or at a friends house there's something about playing against somoeone in the flesh and seeing their reactions which I just find so much more exciting/entertaining.

When I dedicate my time towards pretty much anything in life I want to enjoy it. In chess I gain the most enjoyment out of playing blitz. It's frantic, it's messy but it's also awesome.

I may be on my own here but my long term goals for chess are just to be a good blitz player and have fun interacting with others. I don't really have any aspirations to be a GM or to play a heap of 90|90 games.

tl;dr So, what I'm asking is how I can improve at blitz.

Expected responses:

Play longer games, getting better at chess will make you better at blitz and longer games are the best way to improve.

Tactics tactics tactics

Learn some funky blitz openings which throw people off (I love the Kings Gambit as white, not that funky though).

Play more blitz

Insert here.

What would your advice be?

Thanks!

my guitar teacher once said u have to play slow to play fast... it took months B4 i knew what that meant...  and he was right.  if i can't play a tune slow... why would i think i could play it fast?

If you're only into blitz, but still want to perform well without using the long games road, maybe you can try this :

• learn aggressive/tricky opening repertoire
• do tons of tactics
• after playing blitz games, analyze with computer and improve opening repertoire + review missed tactics

Thanks both for the advice, really looking to learn some tricky responses as black to certain openings.

Any thoughts?

Your base blitz strength is the patterns and ideas you know very well and can recognize immediately.

If you don't want to play long games to learn (and practice) new patters and ideas, you'd have to at least analyze slowly and methodically. Reading books is good too of course.

And for only blitz, I agree with hicetnunc. Make a very tricky or aggressive repertoire. It doesn't have to be sound (although it could be), prioritize making your opponent have to think.

Who knows? One day you find yourself on a cruise in the carribean and you have the skills to beat the IM on the ship. The other scenerio is you survived the apocolypse and youre on a pirate ship; either way you will use the skills to defeat the oppositions. I think, either way, you enjoy the journey... :D

Thanks guys.

Just as a follow up I just went up to london to see a good friend of mine (we actually first chatted after a blitz game right here on Chess.com.. how times fly's right.) and we played a lot of chess througout the weekend. I feel I've actually improved a fair bit and am seeing the game in a new light and thinking about positions at all stages deeper then I did previously.

It's funny how what seems like a couple weeks of playing and studying makes you feel like nothing is changing and suddenly you analyse games with a friend and chat about each of our thought processes and you feel like you've peeled off another layer.

Don't know what you guys think about this, could just be wishful thinking.