Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Progress Report, Week 4

(Compare Week 3)

Most of my chess activity this week consisted of Chess Tempo (where I'm rpearson if you're interested): +98 -47, 1673 (1652)--NOT good enough! 67.6 %, while my competition at the Reno Chess Club like Soapstone is hitting 79 % with rating around 2000. That's where I need to be.

I did get in a couple of 15 minute games on FICS with a good fighting draw against a 1670 and an unfortunate loss against an 1856 (I was a pawn up). Standard Rating there now 1631 (1645). I also played 9 blitz games (majority 2 5) and dropped most of them--the difference in quality between blitz and the 15 0 or 15 5 games is simply enormous. Blitz isn't doing me any good in improvement and even that small number was basically a waste of time, though I sometimes use the excuse that I only have "a few minutes," but sorry sucker, you should be doing Chess Tempo problems in that time! Okay, at least there was a lot less blitz than last week; if I was a smoker I could say that I went from a pack a day to half a pack, I suppose.

I'm a little bummed that I probably won't be playing any OTB at the Reno Chess Club until January, in the Class B Ch.--so I better get back to strictly tactical study and longer games.

Overall grade for Week 4 considering real life and all that rot: C-.

9 comments:

Glenn Wilson said...

A data point for comparison (I'm about USCF 2030). [Seems like my stats are in the general vicinity of soapstones).

Blitz Rating: 2357
Standard Rating: 1875

Stats for standard
Problems Correct: 209
Problems Wrong: 60
Percentage correct: 77.70%

Stats for blitz
Problems Correct: 2385
Problems Wrong: 1701
Percentage correct: 58.37%

Liquid Egg Product said...

The point, I guess, is to be continually improving...haven't done Chess Tempo in weeks; need to get back on it.

I really will send Singaporean police with bamboo canes over if you keep up the blitz.

gorckat said...

lep: You say that like you once spray painted a bunch of cars as an American teenager on vacation...

(So close! The captcha I got was "ectazy")

Blue Devil Knight said...

If the choice is between blitz and no games, I'd choose blitz. Just working on problems gets people rusty in their play. Of course, playing blitz gets people rusty in their thinking during slow games, but I find it enough to force myself to think, "OK now you are going to play slowly. You have the luxury of thinking. So think you fool." This usually helps.

Robert Pearson said...

Glenn--thanks, and I need to get your excellent blog linked!

LEP--I'm "scared straight."

gorckat--He did, but he got across the causeway before they could catch him...so he only had to contemplate the canes from a theoretical standpoint...

BDK--I agree, with all your points; I have come to the conclusion that for me, one 15 0 game is more useful than 10@ 3 0...so while I'm out of tournament play I'll just try to get in my two or more per week, and just do tactics if I only have 10 or 15 minutes. Plus I'm scared of Liquid Egg Product's threats...

Unknown said...

Hi Robert, I'm reminded of a "Dire Straits" tune called "Calling Elvis..."

I haven't seen you in so long, that I'm now inspired to write a tune myself called, "Calling Robert..."

Unknown said...

Hi Robert, as you know, I am consolidating and will need your help with a few things soon. So let me know when you have time. Thanks.

I deleted the "Pale Rider" blog in favor of "Shoemaker's Hidden Study" where I will be focusing less on what I do and actually be providing a sort of tutorial.

Some of it old fashioned and some of it modern because I like to mix the old with the new.

transformation said...

hugh? ICC rating: Look Up (Finger) Player glennwilson very evidentally inflation exists in more than one place beside the oil industry....

transformation said...

Opponent Type ECO End Date

0: + 1377 B 1232 perhaps [ br 1 3] B07 Res Dec 14 07 20:50

99: + 1366 W 1243 perhaps [ br 1 3] C21 Res Dec 14 07 20:44

98: a 1355 W 1414 DannyDee [ br 1 3] B00 Sho Dec 14 07 20:44

97: = 1355 B 1328 Ryson [ br 1 3] B09 Agr Dec 14 07 20:27

96: - 1356 W 1344 Donspawn [ br 3 0] B21 Fla Dec 14 07 20:09

95: = 1374 B 1326 Donspawn [ br 3 0] A02 Rep Dec 14 07 20:04

94: + 1376 B 1244 Rilo [ br 1 3] B08 Res Dec 14 07 19:43

93: + 1365 W 1255 Rilo [ br 1 3] B21 Res Dec 14 07 19:34

92: + 1353 B 1350 funtoplay [ br 1 3] B09 Fla Dec 14 07 19:11

91: + 1335 W 1368 funtoplay [ br 1 3] C21 Res Dec 14 07 19:06

90: - 1316 B 1494 WimpB [ br 2 8] A41 Res Dec 01 07 12:53

89: + 1325 B 1469 WimpB [ br 2 8] B07 Mat Dec 01 07 12:47

88: - 1301 W 1537 WimpB [ br 2 8] C21 Res Nov 25 07 16:33

87: + 1308 B 1538 WimpB [ br 2 8] B08 Mat Nov 25 07 16:28

86: - 1281 W 1622 WimpB [ br 2 8] B21 Res Nov 25 07 14:15

85: - 1285 B 1612 WimpB [ br 2 8] B09 Mat Nov 25 07 14:12

84: - 1289 W 1635 WimpB [ br 2 8] C21 Res Nov 25 07 14:11

83: - 1293 B 1600 WimpB [ br 2 8] A41 Res Nov 25 07 14:08

82: - 1298 W 1626 WimpB [ br 2 8] B21 Res Nov 25 07 14:05

81: = 1302 B 1615 WimpB [ br 2 8] B09 Rep Nov 25 07 14:05