Monday, October 29, 2007

Taking a break

For a few reasons, I'm going to alter my training regimen. I'm going to stop doing the 3 week repeats on the CT-Art problems.

I finished level 40 on Thursday at 93%. Even with time left to start on level 50 for the first time since I started 3 week repeats, I decided not to. For one, it has been helpful to write narratives on the level 40 problems. There are some on that level that I don't think I could get just with repetition. So that seemed more useful than trucking forward on level 50.

I believe I need to play more games, and in the way that blitz doesn't count. I generally don't play long time control games because I simply don't have time during the week if I'm solving CT-Art problems. Since I recently signed up at chess.com, I've fired up some turn-based games there (I don't understand the terminology here, aren't all chess games turn based?? I would call it correspondence).

I've noticed in recent games that I have a tendency to overestimate my tactical chances. The simplest hypothesis is that constantly solving problems where I have a tactical win has made me over agressive. Hopefully if I put CT-Art aside for a spell and play some real games, I'll get a nice balancing dose of reality.

Of course, the blog will change with me. I may post a few more narratives from CT-Art, but annotated games will likely take a more central focus.

3 Comments:

At 6:23 PM, Blogger Blue Devil Knight said...

Sounds good. I changed my routine many many times during my training during the Circles, and looking back I'm very glad I wasn't inflexible, forcing myself to stick to something that feel suboptimal.

 
At 3:05 PM, Blogger Loomis said...

It is much like a game of chess. You attack one weakness until it is no longer the weakest part of the position, then you shift your attack to a different weakness. I fully expect to come back to a tactical regimen at some point.

 
At 1:18 PM, Blogger BlunderProne said...

I call it teh "rubber ducky theory" As you try to improve in one area another problem pops up elsewhere.

when I was hyperfocused on the cricles and doing nothing but tactics, I found my games to also be overly agressive and "seeing" tactics that just weren't there.

I've since balanced that off a bit. I now practice looking for simple "seeds" that i recognize. If I do, I calculate... if not I play positional.

 

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