What is the first step to becoming a NM?!

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zborg

@Bankoscarpa, you've played for 3 years, lately with lots of bullet games against computers, and your ratings remains rather low.  Moreover, your standard rating is against opponents whose average rating is 250 points below you.  What's up with that?

Consider slowing down your games, hitting the chess books, and finding yourself a new business model.

Your current business model is failing, rather badly.  Sorry.

P.S., you really must stop playing computers in bullet.  On balance, you need human competition, at slower speeds, in order to improve.  Game in 10/5, up to about Game in 30/5, are reasonable practice speeds.

So Hit the Books, or Get a Coach.

worldthought_com

I personally like studying a wide range of openings, but my goals aren't to improve my chess ratings but rather more along the lines of mental exploration.

If you just want a high rating, you would probably be better off sticking with just a couple openings so you could master its various lines and turn it into a serious weapon.

ChessforCharityonYouTube

@zborg

I have been on chess.com for 3 years but have not been playing seriously for only a few months. haha

The bullet games against the computer are games I play at 2 o'clock in the morning. haha 

I will try to play longer games. I think I do not have a business model, that is why i am asking.

Thank you for your input. 

zborg

Your late-night "business model" is a joke.  You might as well play drunk.  

Your games against the computer look ridiculous.  Ditto with your Games in 5/0.

Better to keep working on Fermat's Last Theorem.

johnyoudell

Sorry to break it to you zborg but Fermat's conjecture has been demonstrated already.

I think the Riemann hypothesis is still up for grabs.

iFrancisco
manikcharan wrote:

the problem with only doing tactics is that if there are no tactics then your playing strength drops to a good player rather than rising to NM. you have to be a jack of all trades and ace of few rather than ace of one.

Are you speaking from experience (i.e. you are a master or higher) or simply saying what you think occurs? The amazing thing about studying tactics is that it helps you analyze concretely and accurately which transfers over to all other parts of your game. It doesn't matter if there is no direct tactic now, but rather that you can see the possiblity of one occuring in the short future.

zborg

Indeed, working on the Fermat's Last Theorem is circular logic.

Much like @Banko's Plan to make NM.

ChessforCharityonYouTube

those games are not intended to be games that make me better. Those late night games are just for fun. Fermat's last theorem was solved already. But I like the joke. haha :) The reason I am asking for help is because I am sick of playing the computer at 2am not trying to get better. NOW, i am trying to get better, so I am asking for help. I appreciate your view, although i think it is a little wrong. haha

Thank you for your help though. :)

zborg

With 6 milllion players on the site, set just about any "open seek" and you will get all the competition you want.  Nuff said?

ChessforCharityonYouTube

I understand that. Although, doing an open seek might not be the best thing to do. That is why I am ASKING that site that is full of 6 million players for the BEST possible idea. :)

zborg

Paul Littlewood, Chess Tactics, (1988) & (revised, 2005).

150 pages of themes and bite-sized exercises.  Imbibe it, learn it cold, and reach USCF B Class, rapidly.  

Set your "open seek" at plus and minus 150 points, and slow your game down to at least Game in 10/5.  If your TT rating is really 2100+ you should rise like a Saturn Rocket.

Why wait, knock yourself out.  Smile

splitleaf

Maybe your first step is to realize you missed some pretty big steps?

johnyoudell

Son, 2 am is the time to dream.  Work on that notion first and I warrant your chess, love life, wit and wisdom will all improve exponentially. If you really must be awake at 2 am, let it be together with someone or other not a machine.

ChessforCharityonYouTube

@zborg

Sounds great. :) Yeah, i love tatics. I am usually on chesstempo.com Thank you for your help. I REALLY do appreciate it. 

 

@splitleaf

that is very true. great picture. :)

ChessforCharityonYouTube

@johnyoudell

It is the time to sleep. I am always thinking about chess and I just love playing. I will try to keep to it a min. :) Thank you.

sirrichardburton

btw i had never heard of nm before so i looked it up.It stands for National Master and the rating bottom is 2200.

zborg

Also read, Jeremy Silman, Essential Chess Endings, Explained Move by Move, (1992).

Learn this cold.  Learn to play it fast, at roughly Game in 10/5 speeds.

And you should slaughter most of your opponents, as you rise (quickly) into roughly the USCF B Class, or higher.

ChessforCharityonYouTube

Sounds good. :) Thank you. 

mkchan2951
iFrancisco wrote:
manikcharan wrote:

the problem with only doing tactics is that if there are no tactics then your playing strength drops to a good player rather than rising to NM. you have to be a jack of all trades and ace of few rather than ace of one.

Are you speaking from experience (i.e. you are a master or higher) or simply saying what you think occurs? The amazing thing about studying tactics is that it helps you analyze concretely and accurately which transfers over to all other parts of your game. It doesn't matter if there is no direct tactic now, but rather that you can see the possiblity of one occuring in the short future.

im not speaking from experience just what i think it takes but its different from people to people so hes better off taking your advice

EliasAStern

my ultimate goal is to become a titled player as well. Ive gone from 1200 or something a few months ago to about 1600 on this site. what really helps for me is watching chess videos of annotated games. the insights superior players offer is really good and helps me realize mistakes that ive been making. also i occaisionally do tactics in pandolfinis chessersizes:checkmate book. also playing slow games otb really helps. i used to play 15 min games but found that i wasnt giving myself enough time to work on my thinking so i switched to 30 min games. my advice to you is to look at more annotated games, wheter written or video, and to play slow games, the longer the better.