Correspondence/Online chess encouragement/tips

I never played correspondence chess before. I joined a tournament a few days ago. I wanted to give it a try. It is a 3 day per move tournament.

I suffered a huge loss today guys/gals. I need some friendly encouragement. Maybe even some correspondence tips.

I faced an International Master. I suffered a huge loss in 6 moves. It really is a huge blow. If it was a bullet game or something I probably would not care as much. However, It was a 3 day game. Which I lost in 6 moves it really hurts.

The mistake I made was a really bad one. Its a simple dumb mistake. However, The way I made the bad mistake was rather complex.

How do you break yourself from the game position and your analysis in a correspondence chess game?

I have a new respect for correspondence players. This is really tough.

My opponent made a move like every couple of hours. In total we played 6 moves in 2 days. I have never had a game go like that. An for some reason when ever the next day comes or something. I look at the position and just keep seeing new lines etc.

An for some reason I saw a completely different position than what was on the board. Than I played a move fitting with the position I had in my mind. It was totally losing. This is so sad.

I can show you guys/gals the game because I resigned its over.

I saw a variation which I thought was cool in my mind were my defensive resources was Nc3. You will probably never figure out how that happened. Than I convinced myself I was seeing that position on the board. An played the move Nc3. That has never happen to me before. However, I have never played a correspondence game before either. Is that even natural?

An just incase you are wondering what the position I saw in my mind was I'll show you.

I still have a few more games left. Hopefully someone can give me some helpful tips to prevent this in the future.

Make the move but before you click submit, do a quick blundercheck in your head.

Try using the analysis board to work out the lines.  If you have a number of games going, it's very useful to "copy and paste" the lines into your notes.  Obviously even if he makes the move you were expecting, you want to double check your line, but it can be a great time saver.

Yeah It really was strange. I have never had that happen to me before. I have played in some long games before. However, usually the position stays fresh in my mind. This was def not the case for me. Its def. a different experience. I will try your tip out for sure. Maybe even give myself some time before playing a move. It certainly is playing in a different ball park from regular chess.

Three days a move is really fast one warning beware of players who will try to apply strong psychological pressure on you to move fast all the time they'll answer your moves in seconds that's not what CC Chess is about take your time don't rush.

Moving fast like that can backfire on them I remember one guy who tried that tactic on me once in a 7 day a move game he was moving super fast bashing out his CC moves without reflection I caught him with a shocking Queen Sacrifice and it was mate if he took it he paused for 20 seconds before the 0-1 came he got he what he deserved.

Never reply instantly in either a postal chess game or a CC turned based game always look at the whole board and consider all of the possibilities avalible to you and your opponent it's not a race.

Good luck to you!!

Your opponent knew the opening very well and was able to give you a quick reply [I used to do that] and then you probably felt obligated to respond back right away? But you have 3 days for one move, that is all the time in the world.  Try not to respond quickly to moves of your opponent.

 Correspondence can be very tricky. It is harder than it may seem. I remember long ago, a very good USCF player rated 2400 just started correspondence and played me and lost in 9 moves and he did not just blunder a piece. He simply was not prepared for this type of chess.

By the way when you say 3 days for a move do you mean exactly that or is it more like 30 days for 10 moves?

With correspondence chess you will learn certain openings very well as your opponent probably did.

Your mistake was not playing 3. Bb5!

Here is the way I play online chess. I have been fairly successful with this method over the years. 

http://www.chess.com/blog/bobbymac310/how-to-improve-your-online-chess

I would suggest getting a good opening repertoire book and following the mainlines in the opening.  You're allowed to refer to opening books in online chess (just not databases or engines).

Then I'd suggest using the analysis board a LOT!!

Well to be honest. The game went on for 2 days he made 4-5 moves in that time frame. Not the fastest of opponents for sure.

However, I never had a game or a time when I would start a game position than like the next day or 2 I would have to relook at it all over again. I believe my mind was looking at the position as some sort of puzzle or something. I have faced this position alot on live chess etc. I mean its like the Accelerated Dragon, Macrozy Bind position. I had a game in this line on live chess like 1 day ago. However, for some reason the whole delayed gap threw me off.

I just realized they have a note section which baddogno pointed out to me in his comment little bit ago. I think correspondence chess is hard for sure.

I wanted to give it a try thats for sure. It is obvious there are different skills required when doing correspondence chess.

I played against a 1600 player who played all his moves in like all at once. I did manage to win those games. However, against some of the other players who have delayed there games movements against me. I do seem to be struggling. I hope I can make it through this correspondence tournament alive.

Database use is allowed: https://support.chess.com/customer/portal/articles/1444774-what-are-the-rules-for-playing-

Third and Fourth bullet items.

Engines, of course, are not allowed.

First, I try to play only a few games at once. I should be able to set up all the positions without checking the site. I only use an ECO for the opening, and a chess set. Of course you must take your time, and move the pieces on the board (this is like analyzing an adjourned position at the end), although I try to analyze without touching them at first.

Even when you see a move, I think is better to wait until you have an sleep before making it, and check again. You'll have more chances of see its possible defects or see better ones.

And lots of patience. Good luck!

You bring an excellent point. It was like an adjourned position. When I came back to the position. I was a little off which I noticed that in all my current games.

Its first time I ever been in a correspondence tournament before. I am facing like 8 people and some move fast others move slow. I will confess. It is a different type of game completely. I don't make any excuses of why I lost. I did a huge mistake and my opponent punished me.

However, I just don't want it to happen again in my other games. It was the first title player I play in correspondence. I wanted to do so good and have a good game.

Its kind of funny. I tryed to look at a bunch of different variations to prevent from making any mistake so I have good game. Than in that process I started believing the variation and made a mistake any way.

A strong correspondence player can play 50 games at once against other very strong players. Also at any point, if you ask, he can give you the exact position of each of the 50 games and also the moves, to date, for each game.

Each game is a logical sequence to him and that is why he can remember each move and the current position.

By the way, I think it is allowed to use data bases in chess.com correspondence chess.

Thank you guys/gals for these encouraging words and very helpful tips.

I did feel crushed after this mistake. It is a beginner/patzer mistake. The way it happen was weird.

I went off looking at different variations in my mind. I did look at several different continuations to be fair. I didn't think 6...Qb6 would of been blacks best response to 6.Be3 so I looked at other options as well. It just so happened that the last variation I looked at which I thought was cool was the Qb6 line. Than I ended up totally confusing the current position with the made up one.

It just drops off a piece. I resigned right there. I knew it was over. All I could hope for is some sort of a swindle if I played further. I didn't have the heart to play further. My heart felt crushed. It was a crushing blow.

Don't do what I'm doing--get caught up in playing too many games. It's easy to,do,and seems fun but even with a few days between moves, those games can and will pile up on you and blunders will happen. Good on you for asking for help and its frankly nice to see the constructive replies. The trolls must be on vacation. 😄

New to the site and am currently playing several online games.  For me its all about the Analysis Board.  Absolutely love that thing.  I work through as many lines as I think I need in order to settle on my move.  Then I make the move on the Analysis Baord and flip the board and look at it from my opponents point of view.  I'll run through the process again, trying to figure out the best response to my original move.  This has resulted in me finding my original move was not as good as thought quite a few times. 

Playing online games in this manner will absolutely make me a better player. 

I played a very strong team once. [their top player is now #2 in the USA in correspondence chess]

The game lasted 1 year. If you responded the same day that you recieved a move--it counted as no time. They would think and do emails back and forth for a week or more and send a move and then they would get a move right back and then have to start all over. After a while this was very difficult for them and they started taking vacation time and un authorized time outs.

The tournament director [I should same game director] told them they had exceeded the time limit [7 days for a move] but then they told him it was THEIR game and they could change the time limits. I did not object at all as I felt I was winning. When the game finished they had taken more than 300 days of time to my 1 day.