Do You Binge?

I’ve been more focused on study than play the past three weeks and have had fewer days where I play game after game for an hour or more.

So far in 2025, I have played 18 rapid games, which are my usual daily fare. My score is 16 wins, one draw, and one loss.

However, I’ve played 82 blitz games. A decade ago, I would play 3-5,000 or more blitz games every year. Since 2020, I’ve focused more on rapid.

Through the first eight days on 2025, I limited my blitz. Usually one game per day. Two days with four. I had 12 wins, one draw, and two losses. Then, I played nine games on 9 January, losing six and winning three.

The past three days, I have two or three lengthy sessions of games after game. My record for these three days was 25 wins, four draws, and 28 losses.

Binging does not help my game. But, sometimes it is necessary.

My aged perceptual scanning and processing engine is too slow for blitz So playing daily games only.

Yet faster time controls are necessary to play from time to time as they assist much better performance in OTB zeitnot situations.

Naidorf and Tal playing blitz

I’m playing some OTB casual tonite. I’ll be lucky if anyone wants a game as slow as ten minutes.

I very rarely binge games, usually I play <10 blitz games or <5 rapid games a day... improvement hasn't really slowed down since I started this, so I suppose I'll continue to do it for a while.

most of those Rapid wins you've played this year where against much lower rated players.

True. I have a problem OTB: I play to the level of my competition. That's why I favor Arena and pairings against players who I should beat. I have plenty of streaks where I binge rapid games and lose to several 1200-1500s in one day.
Today's blitz binge started poorly, losing five of six, but it ended well with nine wins and a draw in the last ten games. Today's score 12-3-12.

I really struggle with consistently "defending my rating" versus lower-rated players. This is a good idea to practice this.

Most of my waking hours are invested into my academic research, so it's difficult to ready myself for rated games. Whenever I can pull away from my more pressing obligations, I'll warm up with lessons and puzzles and binge chess for hours. I've played chess for 13 hours straight in the past.

It's an addiction.

Nicd

what a cool photo!

I played 100 blitz games yesterday, lost 100 elo. Though it's okay as I know I can recover (hopefully)

Rather than playing 20 blitz games in one sitting, focus on 5 games and analyze each one afterward. This way, you can identify patterns in your play and improve.

That’s the point of this thread, although I’m too old to improve. It takes me constant study just to slow the loss of skill that gains on me with every passing year.

My past 50 rapid games: 42-2-6. Two of my losses were to opponents whose accounts are now closed.

I continue to binge blitz and some tactics sessions.

I’m also racing through in 60 days a book the author says should take 60 weeks.

What book is that?

I played four rapid games today. This excessive number is due to losing the first two.

Thomas Engqvist, 300 Most Important Chess Positions (2018). Subtitle is "Study five a week to be a better chess player".

I got through January with no binges in rapid (10 minute), but February started with bad habits. After the better part of three days without internet, I played 19 rapid games yesterday with 12 wins and 7 losses. One of the losses was to a 1200 and my rating fell to 1834 after starting the day at 1877.

Today, so far, I've played 13 rapid games with 10 wins, one draw, and a single loss (that player now has a closed account). I was on the cusp of a second loss when my 2190 rated opponent moved into a mate in one. My rating is back up to 1887.

Maybe now I can get back to my studies.

Well, to answer your question, I don't. Playing daily games (Fischerandom and classical) only

only with food :>