Playing same people

Hi Forum folks!  Are there benefits or hindrances to always playing the same person every day?  I'd tell you what I suspect but my opinion isn't what I'm after (I already know mine) ... it is those with a lot of experience in this game.

The person I play is related.  And we play every single day and many times up to four games a day.  We know each other VERY VERY well and can predict each other's moves.  Input appreciated.

If you struggle against a particular playing style, playing someone who plays like that a lot can help you to get better at playing against it. However, overdoing it can lead to overspecialization, which can be severely detrimental. Even Tal could play like Petrosian, and vice versa.

I don't like it because I feel forced to play a different line than what I'm used to just so we don't have the same first 20 moves as we always do

I've played thousands of games with my sister lol it's annoying

Oh my gosh @ChesssBlackBelt !!!! It's MY sister too! Not that YOUR sister is MY sister but ...

You nailed it. And I feel a bit bored. I like playing OP at least 800 higher than me so I sweat, shake and (when really brave play someone over 2,000) and almost puke! I feel a bit lazy (she's my sister so she loves me anyway). I feel SLOPPY since I don't care about Ratings (another reason ratings MIGHT be important for me to care about).

I am also afraid that, repetitive sloppiness and lack of focus ITSELF can become a habit. Do you think that muscle-memory applies to chess as it would to tennis or any other activity?

@Fr3nchToastCrunch Thank you! 'Playing styles' ... you mean whether positional or tactical? I'm afraid we're both uncertain what we are. I believe I'm tactical although my tactics are yet-to-show-themselves. I believe the OP is same.

'overspecialization' is a concern although we both switch it up - trying different openings but neither has been consistent. We can read each others' mind; I swear. And we only play Daily Game. So I'm trying to play more timed games such as 15/10 or at least 30.

I've become so twisted that my openings are everywhere and nowhere and I can't settle on one. I don't think I'll ever get good at a single Opening if I don't consistently play it!

I just need grounding or focus or a good whooping or something.

I don't even know my own playing style. I just know focusing entirely on one can be a powerful tool, but it's better to be a jack of all trades

In fact, I think my "style" of play could probably be best described as "please play something really stupid before I do" 💀

You shouldn't really be getting that nervous lol

I think I only get nervous if it's OTB and I'm in time pressure. There's no premoves and dirty flagging to save me like there is online

Oh that is so funny and it's MY style too - just survive! Is it the same as 'what's my middlegame style?' Another complaint is I never get to play endgames. And where IS the point of something being an endgame? I swear, chess is kicking my butt bigtime. I write code ... code is PREDICTABLE. Chess is not. Code is rational. Chess, ahem, MAY be rational but I haven't seen it yet. So ... just keep going, right? Patience - chess takes years to learn and 8 months ain't it.

* "Patience is not passive, on the contrary, it is concentrated strength" -Bruce Lee

*stolen from @LieutenantFrankColumbo

I suspect I have a very very bad case of Elo-envy. I DO respect those with higher Glick. I NOW have a TINY inkling of what it takes to get there consistently. When I play someone way above me then the pressure is on because they won't want to play me again if they beat me in ten moves. I must do my ultimate best so they'll play me again.

Why should OTB be different? Several have said similar. I've never played in tournaments either here or on real board so I can't relate. Maybe how I feel playing a 2300 here is similar to you playing someone your Elo OTB? Unknown parameters ...

OTB means more because your whole family is gonna ask what the result was after 💀

And also because the games are so long. It's the worst feeling to play perfectly for 4 hours and then make 1 blunder and lose

Here's an idea:

I play with someone I know in real life as well, and the problem is that the opening is just always the same, and there's no variety. So, what we do is we use a random opening generator so that we play a different opening every single time.

Sounds great if you're more advanced and know several opening. We're at 2-3 for white and then CK for black. I thought we should focus on becoming proficient at our current chosen opening first. So the question becomes: Do we want variety? Or do we want to become proficient at our chosen opening? It seems we can have both if we collaborate on the game ...

It's my turn to play white so I play my chosen opening to practice while OP throws everything but the kitchen sink at me. I get in my white practice while she gets her variety and we both learn my white opening AND which black responses succeed or fails.

And when it's her turn to play white and practice HER chosen opening, she can change it up if she wishes and I will play however I wish. And lastly, if she wants a different white opening from me then she'll have to bribe me - just as we did as kids.

This is forced at high levels. There are simply not enough ppl so you end up playing the same players again and again

I play against everyone and I do mean everyone. I don't play against the same people every day.

There are waaaaay more 1200s than 2300s. Only a handful of the 5000 ppl that are reasonably close to my rating are online at any given moment. Almost 100 each time I play are online, some of them are in current games, and so on, so it keeps getting narrower and narrower until you will have to inevitably play them again.

Just look in my bullet games. I almost never play someone new.

Well, if some of those high-rates REALLY want a sweated goated experience, they oughta give some of us low-rates a go. SOME of you high-rates have even turned off your messages, so far above us you are.

I am pleased and blessed that many of you high-rates remained decent nice folks and still talk to everyone.

Awwww, that is great to hear and it is truly appreciated. Some look down on us but you that get your trills from bullet and blitz are same as us ... our trill is almost beating you. HAH!!

whenever i play with my dad, he fianchettos is bishop and its very annoyging at the end when its super powerful and i cant do anything about it, so whenever i play with him, i just dont let him do good with the bishop

Being high rated at chess doesn't make us any better humans trust me. Besides we are trash at the game anyway. I think ppl who turn off messages are bothered with the coaching requests and the harassment, but If you don't do that in an annoying way then i respect you.🤝 Some ppl have asked for me to coach them and I respectfully decline, some just take the rejection politely and some keep ranting, one guy even threatened me lol. I respect you either way no matter the elo🌹