Play chess, be happy
Some Enlightening Stuff
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There is at least a sense in which chess was more entertaining before ratings, when players met over the board and you didn’t already have the math for who is expected to win.
I remember reading Tal bio once and he said “In the beginning I didn’t play to win. I played to sacrifice”.
I always thought this was an interesting approach. I would try it, if I was better at sacrificing!
I always thought this was an interesting approach. I would try it, if I was better at sacrificing!
BTW good luck on the local (for me) chess tournament! It will be awhile yet before I do one, for COVID reasons.
Good luck at the tournament, maybe Im a bit late and it already finished
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I've watched/listened to some stuff, which has really fascinated me, and I want to share it with you all.
On a road trip yesterday, I listened to the Gothamchess podcast episode with Sagar Shah, founder of Chessbase India.
I'm too lazy to look where he talked about it... so watch the full interview, it's very fascinating anyway. What stuck with me is that Sagar mentioned how when he interviews young Indian talent during/after a tournament, they seem indifferent about the rating gains, and the prize winnings (some of them are winning money in the thousands of dollars)... however, they get super enthusiastic when they mention a good move or idea they came up with over the board.
I think the rating mentality hurts a lot of aspiring improvers, including myself. It's important that your top priority is learning as much about the game as you can, and improving on your mistakes. Being fixated on your rating is only going to take you so far.
Also, while I'm at it... we live in a culture where we can get instant (computer) feedback from our games. However, I believe most people misuse it. This video I also watched is very enlightening, and I think everyone (especially somewhat new players) needs to watch it:
That's my two cents, feel free to discuss, and let me know if you agree or disagree
On one note, if you thought after my most recent blog post that I retired from competitive chess, then, you're wrong!
I will be playing in a 1-day tournament in Houston tomorrow (well technically today since it's past midnight here).
As the post mentioned, I am taking my *rating* improvement to the backburner... so it'll probably be the first tournament in my career where I don't burden myself with any expectations. Honestly, I'm looking forward to that. I'm just playing for the enjoyment of playing and looking for two quality games that I can learn from, review, and share (it's a 3-rounder, but I have to take a bye).
Anyway, that's all friends. Take care, and I'll see you around!