Honestly, at my age, I haven't the time to devote to learning the openings, so I am resigned to playing mediocre chess for the rest of my life. Like Dirty Harry once said.."A man has to know his limitations". I'm good with that though. There is plenty of excitement under 1500 rating.
Tactics getting better for anyone else?
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i think tt has stabilized a bit - i have been hovering in the 1300's with a +/-100 depending on what kind of session i am having
i also think they may have tweaked it recently to give more higher difficulty problems (which i like)
i still feel like it is a tactics tester rather than a trainer; i use "the other site" to train- since there is no time penalty (i even had a tactic running in the background on my phone for +24 hours- and got it right!)
i use it frequently so no real complaints at the moment
i also think they may have tweaked it recently to give more higher difficulty problems (which i like)
i still feel like it is a tactics tester rather than a trainer; i use "the other site" to train- since there is no time penalty (i even had a tactic running in the background on my phone for +24 hours- and got it right!)
i use it frequently so no real complaints at the moment
Excalibr4 wrote:
I thought I was a superstar when my TT rating topped 2000.
Then TT popped my pretty balloon and I sunk like a rock. Once I got over that initial disappointment I am back in love with playing them.
Even looking at the stats on them after are amazing, such as what type of tactics I am best at.
I raised my rating today by about 100 points.
I thought it took like an hour.
I looked at the stats and it told me I did 34 and it took me 9 minutes!
Mine was going up fine but I'm left handed, had left rotator cuff surgery this morning, so I'm using just my right hand until tomorrow or the next day. So I looked at a problem, saw the correct solution, but I put a little too much pressure on my mousepad and activated the Clue button, which ridiculously appears where the start button was. Most unprofessional page design I've ever seen! It cost 11 points.
MickinMD wrote:
Excalibr4 wrote:
I thought I was a superstar when my TT rating topped 2000.
Then TT popped my pretty balloon and I sunk like a rock. Once I got over that initial disappointment I am back in love with playing them.
Even looking at the stats on them after are amazing, such as what type of tactics I am best at.
I raised my rating today by about 100 points.
I thought it took like an hour.
I looked at the stats and it told me I did 34 and it took me 9 minutes!
Mine was going up fine but I'm left handed, had left rotator cuff surgery this morning, so I'm using just my right hand until tomorrow or the next day. So I looked at a problem, saw the correct solution, but I put a little too much pressure on my mousepad and activated the Clue button, which ridiculously appears where the start button was. Most unprofessional page design I've ever seen! It cost 11 points.
Ouch! At least you had a legit excuse for the loss 
John Kurdow first taught me Pirc (which he called Yugoslav in his Boston Globe column so pronunciation wasn't an issue) so I go back to Bobby Fisher and I find I improve with every new group I play Pirc with, or against, because the attack on it progresses and needs to be countered.
Chess tactics are different from before and after a 20 year hiatus I took to regain my sanity. I get a lot of mileage out of Pirc, only opening I ever use. As a result, when I regularly beat +100 to +200 players, they play me forever as practice and to see, maybe use, generation old tactics.
I'm a USCF 1503, inactive. My points no longer bother me, so when I get matched into an 11-4 win/lose game I play it out and never play anybody ranked lower than me, so I pass on the easy points, so I hover around 1200 and find it easier to regain the points I lost playing because I was sick or preoccupied and such.
My goal is the Perfect Pirc. I never get tired of an opening that makes most people claustrophobic and think a closed game is draw-ish.
Hey, excalibr 4, I can relate. I have nerve issue and my eyes and finger don't always agree on a move and I hang a queen or go from +3 to-4 in the count. I've had the same surgery, too. Rehab is tedious but if you gut it out, you'll have fine mobility. Good luck.
I thought I was a superstar when my TT rating topped 2000.
Then TT popped my pretty balloon and I sunk like a rock. Once I got over that initial disappointment I am back in love with playing them.
Even looking at the stats on them after are amazing, such as what type of tactics I am best at.
I raised my rating today by about 100 points.
I thought it took like an hour.
I looked at the stats and it told me I did 34 and it took me 9 minutes!