Is 5 minute blitz chess bad for a beginner?

blitz helps you realize tactics and strategy much quicker, and also helps in case you're in time pressure in an OTB game. Just be careful not to play too fast in an OTB game . 

I'm not fantastic as blitz, and yet it can be good as i've read here in similar threads, but generally only for shaking chess rust off a player, generally, long games are better. I myself have noticed when I played some bullet and blitz after a coupke 15 minute games, I did ok, but after bullet, when I tried to concentrate, my thinking was shot.

So generally I would say a rule of thumb is play what will allow you to do some high level thinking, but will at the cost, later force you to play against time pressure, while i'm no coach it will help you keep your cool in longer OTB ganes when you do get into pressure, and probably help streamline your thinking process.

A final tip of mine would be if your too impatient to play complicated games yourself, try unclear or imbalanced (knight for bishop) solitaire games (Games played by masters where you try to guess their moves) give yourself 15-30 minutes per move then pick your best choice when time is up, then look at what the master played. It may also be useful to play your moves against a strong computer so even if you make a mistake, you can keep going in the position, additionally, it may help you understand the position better depending on what, and how the computer plays vs the masters.

Chessresearcher, when I first came to this thread, your comment was all I could see, and actually thought I was answering a post you had written. Found out later such was not the casee, however, about Capablanca and the game of chess.

Your interpretation is similar, I think, to what I said, only my words are extreme. I oversimplify for a reason. I'll go back to that.

Trust yourself so that you won't be afraid ? I hope you meant. as well as you will be afraid of moves if you don't trust yourself ?

His pricipled play was very impressive, and his book, Chess Fundamentals, was filling, to be sure. But have you not noticed that when you DO trust yourself, whatever task it is at hand is also "fun" or, at the least, more enjoyable ?

I certainly cannot fault you, only that I thought that the simplest avenue was that whatever method is used in the study of chess, it should include several facets. Openings and their flow into middle games and plans and ideas can be filtered much quiker with the help of speed chess and a willing partner. But the emphasis is not on the many methods, but rather on the individual's want of the game, to whatever ends he aims at.

40 minute games are marvelous. But let's have an example, a simple enough one that I can understand.

1. d4  Nf6  2. c4  e6  3. a3 ....

It might take a month of fourty minute games to finally see that it isn't called for, whereas it would take a single afternoon of five minute games with a willing partner.

Further in that same game, there are avenues one can go down that are frivolously laid out, that look right, but are wrong, fly in the face of logic.

(if instead of a3) 3. Nc3 Bb4  4. Bd2 Nc6 5. a3 Bxc3 6. bxc3

Doubling the Pawns instead of Bxc3 ? Yes. Because it is a better move. However, again, a month of afternoons or one afternoon?

A also concede that longer games are needed for study purposes because that QB move isn't the only piece of intervention. But it's more that a person has many games to study some aspects ...at least, in my opinion.

So generally blitz helps me relaize tactics much quicker. I tell you this though, when I went to a chess club meeting at my highschool, I played rather quickly even though there was no time. I eneded up defeating my oppenents rather easily and quickly.

I see a middle ground here: when I first found this site I used to play blitz  and I stank at it. I changed to Online games and I got much better results. But then I went to an OTB tournament and I literally threw away a couple of games that I had won cold because I got to feeling time pressure. Now, after developing some experience, board vision and tactics playing Online games I have gone back to playing some blitz and I am winning consistently and my rating there is rising. My take is that while waiting on a move Online I am analyzing and I'm prepared for my next move before my opponent makes his. That really has started to help in blitz, and I think eventually it will help me chill out when playing OTB.

We can definitely make just phylosophical conclusions, but I think that it's more important to take something useful out of our discussion. Trust yourself means to be logical and consistent with your thinking and making moves. I believe that Capablanca didn't mean "having fun" with his statements.
There are some Pros and Cons in playing blitz games in general, but if we consider that for beginners or easy level chess players, I wouldn't recommend it for them. It makes thinking very superficial. It's useful only a little bit to be confident in time trouble (it's just better to be rational with your time and avoid it), training your opening repertoire, and practising your simple calculation just for quite strong experienced chess players.
I agree with you that there are many personal opinions, and everybody chooses. That's just my one. 

Maybe simple tactical moves, but for deeper tactical combinations, deeper and longer calculation lines, blitz will not be a help for beginner in developing this aspect...Sorry you defeated your opponent rather easily, but what is their level of play? Are they the type who commits simple blunder? Against better player playing that quickly could lead to recipe of disaster....

Until recently I never played blitz, all my life I play longer time control. Then last year, I tried 3 minutes blitz in FICS, I easily get to 1500 (I already stopped playing there). Of course playing in longer time control is not enough to improve, you must also study chess!

I've only been playing serious chess for about two weeks now, I also do competive running as well as chess. I only played two games agansit two diffrent members, though I beginner myself I was easily able to put down both of them with not much trouble(My second win could have been avoided if my oppenet simply moved his pawn up to avoid mate, instead he went for my unprotected rook). I beleive the team is not as strong as I come to believe. 

Today I stepped into blitz games arena. Holy cats. Three minute games! The fastest I had ever played poorly at before were five minute games. But that was..a few years back. OK, a little more than a few years. OK  OK  1983?

HOWEVER, I was a shallow player then. Anyone of you larger numbered fellows care to explain to the others what a "shallow player" was in 1983-4?

It means, book read. Memorized, almost.

Shallow in that I would lead wit a Lasker punch from a book and follow through with a boneman punch. Sometimes it worked. Not as often as i would have liked...but, I knew why then.

Today, after finally dragging my butt OUT of book playing, and playing MY game, moving what I felt I wanted to play (started last Spring) (don't get me started on if it's OK to be slower at learning things, either) but today, I can shirk off at least three of some very shallow ideas I had.

You see, when you are LEARNING how to play, and not mimicking books (or, I suppose in this day and age, computer contraption machines) then youu are bound to have some real shallow ideas, too. THESE NEED TO BE CUT from your repoitw...reproirt.... from your moves. From your notebooks, which any good student has. Writing all the moves and going over them.

When you play fast, you don't get to take time thinking about a lot, you have to move what you think is best, and it may be a terrible move that worked for you a few times. Butthat is the surface.

PLAY fast games (at least ten minute games) but, give yourself time to immerse into it. Then, play a flurry of games against a specific partner. Someone who has something they want to work out. Me, the KIA is out. I cannot wield it for thunderation. But the Ruy has changed a lot in the last fourty years, hasn't it? Gotta love Smyslov's determination...and well, heck. Just sitting across from the guy must be intimidating. But his g6 reply in the Ruy is lacking.

So, I have other avenues to seek, and seek quickly.

How can I best pare down to as few openings as possible? Quickly? hmmmm

Capablanca. I heard he could drink most under the table WHILE playing winning games of chess.

"have fun" is an obvious translation from my mouth. No book said that that I know of. Remarkable character in his time, and quite similar to Bobby Fischer's playing plans from his small (but apt) book, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. Both were Rook kings. Both thought up lightning moves mid-game.

I left a video marker for the question: How many pieces should a person sacrifice to win a game? Bobby Fischer said he had gotten down to sac sac, mate. This is what Capablanca thought of the question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRjiRxk47rs

And I guarantee you, even though near thirty years before I was born, Jose was celebrating that night. But the point is, he invented it over the board. And quite quckly, I might add.

If you work at a job you hate, you are at fault. Quit. Do something you enjoy doing.

If you play chess and don't enjoy it, quit. Find a card game looking for a fourth.

Not being insulting, mind you. I mean it in respect of you, your position.

But we're only here a short while.

Get all the good laughs you can.

Five minute games are fun, they help cut out the BS one picks up thinking them good moves, when in actuality, they are terrible moves ideas. AND, not in conflict with what I just said, longer games are also needed. 40 minute games. Deeper analysis. Correspondence is also good for devising ideas. You are highly rated, you may have forgotten the bottom rung.

I'm old, but, I'm ON the bottom rung. What I see is room for individuality. Room for "NEW"... first four (and all sets of four for well into the middle game, there are around 271 billion move possibilities and responses. There is no ONE best way or method.

again...

with respect.

Five minute chess is fun, long games put me to sleep!

5 minute games are fun but you will not improve you chess abilities very much from them, in fact they can be a hindrance if your goal is to improve you chess abilities.

Then you might like this correspondence game between Warren/Selman, 1930 (mail being slower than swimming upstream in moleasses in the Wintertime)

1. d4 Nf6, 2. c4 e4, 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. a3 d6, 5. exd6 Bxd6, 6. g3 ?? Nxf2 and White resigns. (7. Kxf7 Bxg3+ wins the Queen.

So, even a correspondence game could be "quick"....

well, via the mail service. d=^))

2

I wish I could go back and write 2. ... e5

However, I have yet to discover the method of time travel EXCEPT into the future. YES, I have a TIME MACHINE upstairs, and it works!

Gets me forward about six to eight hours. However, it doesn't go back in time, and if interupted, sometimes I get out of my time machine a bit grumpy until I find a cup of coffee.

(bed)