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Blitz...to play or not to play,THAT is the question!

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tactical_abyss 11-Jul-13, 23:10	Blitz...to play or not to play,THAT is the question! That answer is easy...but it depends upon two things: 1.What are your true aspirations in chess.Do you want to "truly" improve in your regular long correspondence and/or longer time control OTB games,or are you sort of content with your corresp/OTB game level and just want to enjoy chess at the level you are at for recreation,not really that concerned about ratings and more? And #2.What is your present rating,is it above 2200? The blitz question is an old one and has been a controversial one for decades.Let me answer it for you.But before I do,keep one thing in mind.Not everyone will fall under this "should or should not play" scenario of blitz play,but what I will say,will apply to most chess players in general on a statistical level. Lets begin with a statement Bobby Fischer said many years ago....."Blitz chess kills your ideas".Unquote.What he meant by that is more than meets the eye.Basically,your ability to concentrate on deeper/longer positional strategies in your longer time control games diminishes as your playing habits are further augmented around blitz games,even 15 min blitz,let alone 3 to 5 min blitz.In blitz play,you are playing usually many games at one time in a very short period of time and you are making very quick positional and tactical analysis and many times "unsound"sacrificial attacks.On a subconscious level,playing blitz can be harmful to your regular long time control games because you are "conditioning"your mind in ways that run opposite to the necessary though patterns that are needed to be developed in your regular longer time control games...thus your ability to improve can and will be very possibly curtailed in the long games,and your rating can suffer or in many cases,simply not advance as far as your actual potential abilities "could"allow.In others words...you may very well be screwing yourself up and never know it!How would you know unless you are actually beginning to lose rating points,and even then you may not be figuring out why and blame it on other factors. I say,playing blitz in small amounts is ok,but even that is argumentative!Some GM's have told me that even playing small amounts of blitz can be harmful!It depends upon how much of the neg qualities one embeds in their minds relative to the blitz/long game ratio of different strategic concepts which are night and day in both types of games. What happens is this:Many blitz players will end up by habit playing a blitz style of game/thought in their regular corresp games.Many times these players will basically rapidly analyze or fortify the positional ideas in the game without taking enough time.And some of the deeper positions can then be more easily overlooked by,for example a 1900 rated player and be discovered by a much lesser rated opponent where he may easily be able to gain an advantage on you,maybe even a draw...and you never knew it or why he is playing so good against you!See? Yes,blitz can increase your "tactical awareness"in may cases,but the negatives of blitz can pull that awareness away from your positional strategies.As to tactical awareness and practice on tactics,one does not have to play blitz in large quantities or at all!Playing,for example,the tactical exercises on GK or perhaps better yet...in many books available can help your tactical abilities to improve on a better level because it will not necessarily conflict with your corresp games as opposed to the fast time controls in blitz. In the words of Kramnik..."Playing rapid chess, one can lose the habit of concentrating for several hours in serious chess. That is why, if a player has big aims, he should limit his rapidplay in favour of serious chess”. But just reading and playing through books like the link below,can improve your game immensely without playing one game of blitz. www.onlinechesslessons.net Now,as to the #2 reason above that I mentioned in the very first paragraph: If you are at a level of playing strength that is very high,perhaps over 2200+ or higher and you are a pro at the game and have reached pretty much your ceiling of ability...then blitz may not affect you game play at all.These kinds of players have already honed their abilities in positional/tactical ploys and blitz,for the most part,will probably not affect their longer time control games.Yes,its possible that it may,but much more unlikely!I myself play alot of blitz,but my mind is differently conditioned than,say,a 1200-1500 rated player who is still in the major learning phase!So,what is ok for me,isn't necessarily the formula for you! So the bottom line?Its up to you to discover the potential negatives by yourself.Only you can determine if blitz can/is affecting your game play.In small amount of play,probably not.But if you become a "blitzaholic",then yes,it may very well affect your longer time control games on GK or longer time control OTB games,especially if you are at the lesser rating levels of strength. Blitz is habit forming,just like a drug.So be careful of how much of that"drug"you consume! TA
tactical_abyss 11-Jul-13, 23:32	PS...thundarknuckle13.... So Jeremy,our newest member in the club.... Let me copy/paste what your wrote in the club intro: "Now-a-days I like to play blitz. My rating is probably suffering because of it" Yes,it is very possible!And I first recommend cutting back on it!I know,its sooooo much fun! But if your really serious about improving your game strength,even in tactics,well,my suggestion is to cut your blitz play drastically!Take a look at the link on my post above.That book was recommended to me by a GM at the Marshall and I suggest getting it,its inexpensive,for sure.As to my personal advice on other things that will improve your game play(like in tactics),I don't have the specific time right now,but will get back to you in time.I may look over your games a bit and make better conclusions for you.I'm sort of the guy that tends to promote studying long term positional strategy first,intermixed with higher statistically sound openings and tactics second.This is not the formula for many,but who said that a precise formula "must"be followed for proper chess learning? I already know who said this on GK!But that individual is as stubborn in his ways as a colonial teacher from the year 1800 is with a stick.And if you do not follow his "only way"he beats your butt back by the shed! Don't listen to these type of people.I know much more than them! TA

From

Message

tactical_abyss
11-Jul-13, 23:10

Blitz...to play or not to play,THAT is the question!

That answer is easy...but it depends upon two things: 1.What are your true aspirations in chess.Do you want to "truly" improve in your regular long correspondence and/or longer time control OTB games,or are you sort of content with your corresp/OTB game level and just want to enjoy chess at the level you are at for recreation,not really that concerned about ratings and more?
And #2.What is your present rating,is it above 2200?

The blitz question is an old one and has been a controversial one for decades.Let me answer it for you.But before I do,keep one thing in mind.Not everyone will fall under this "should or should not play" scenario of blitz play,but what I will say,will apply to most chess players in general on a statistical level.

Lets begin with a statement Bobby Fischer said many years ago....."Blitz chess kills your ideas".Unquote.What he meant by that is more than meets the eye.Basically,your ability to concentrate on deeper/longer positional strategies in your longer time control games diminishes as your playing habits are further augmented around blitz games,even 15 min blitz,let alone 3 to 5 min blitz.In blitz play,you are playing usually many games at one time in a very short period of time and you are making very quick positional and tactical analysis and many times "unsound"sacrificial attacks.On a subconscious level,playing blitz can be harmful to your regular long time control games because you are "conditioning"your mind in ways that run opposite to the necessary though patterns that are needed to be developed in your regular longer time control games...thus your ability to improve can and will be very possibly curtailed in the long games,and your rating can suffer or in many cases,simply not advance as far as your actual potential abilities "could"allow.In others words...you may very well be screwing yourself up and never know it!How would you know unless you are actually beginning to lose rating points,and even then you may not be figuring out why and blame it on other factors.

I say,playing blitz in small amounts is ok,but even that is argumentative!Some GM's have told me that even playing small amounts of blitz can be harmful!It depends upon how much of the neg qualities one embeds in their minds relative to the blitz/long game ratio of different strategic concepts which are night and day in both types of games.

What happens is this:Many blitz players will end up by habit playing a blitz style of game/thought in their regular corresp games.Many times these players will basically rapidly analyze or fortify the positional ideas in the game without taking enough time.And some of the deeper positions can then be more easily overlooked by,for example a 1900 rated player and be discovered by a much lesser rated opponent where he may easily be able to gain an advantage on you,maybe even a draw...and you never knew it or why he is playing so good against you!See?

Yes,blitz can increase your "tactical awareness"in may cases,but the negatives of blitz can pull that awareness away from your positional strategies.As to tactical awareness and practice on tactics,one does not have to play blitz in large quantities or at all!Playing,for example,the tactical exercises on GK or perhaps better yet...in many books available can help your tactical abilities to improve on a better level because it will not necessarily conflict with your corresp games as opposed to the fast time controls in blitz.

In the words of Kramnik..."Playing rapid chess, one can lose the habit of concentrating for several hours in serious chess. That is why, if a player has big aims, he should limit his rapidplay in favour of serious chess”.

But just reading and playing through books like the link below,can improve your game immensely without playing one game of blitz.

www.onlinechesslessons.net

Now,as to the #2 reason above that I mentioned in the very first paragraph:
If you are at a level of playing strength that is very high,perhaps over 2200+ or higher and you are a pro at the game and have reached pretty much your ceiling of ability...then blitz may not affect you game play at all.These kinds of players have already honed their abilities in positional/tactical ploys and blitz,for the most part,will probably not affect their longer time control games.Yes,its possible that it may,but much more unlikely!I myself play alot of blitz,but my mind is differently conditioned than,say,a 1200-1500 rated player who is still in the major learning phase!So,what is ok for me,isn't necessarily the formula for you!

So the bottom line?Its up to you to discover the potential negatives by yourself.Only you can determine if blitz can/is affecting your game play.In small amount of play,probably not.But if you become a "blitzaholic",then yes,it may very well affect your longer time control games on GK or longer time control OTB games,especially if you are at the lesser rating levels of strength.

Blitz is habit forming,just like a drug.So be careful of how much of that"drug"you consume!

TA

tactical_abyss
11-Jul-13, 23:32

PS...thundarknuckle13....

So Jeremy,our newest member in the club....
Let me copy/paste what your wrote in the club intro:

"Now-a-days I like to play blitz. My rating is probably suffering because of it"

Yes,it is very possible!And I first recommend cutting back on it!I know,its sooooo much fun!
But if your really serious about improving your game strength,even in tactics,well,my suggestion is to cut your blitz play drastically!Take a look at the link on my post above.That book was recommended to me by a GM at the Marshall and I suggest getting it,its inexpensive,for sure.As to my personal advice on other things that will improve your game play(like in tactics),I don't have the specific time right now,but will get back to you in time.I may look over your games a bit and make better conclusions for you.I'm sort of the guy that tends to promote studying long term positional strategy first,intermixed with higher statistically sound openings and tactics second.This is not the formula for many,but who said that a precise formula "must"be followed for proper chess learning? I already know who said this on GK!But that individual is as stubborn in his ways as a colonial teacher from the year 1800 is with a stick.And if you do not follow his "only way"he beats your butt back by the shed!

Don't listen to these type of people.I know much more than them!

TA

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