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Date: 27 Apr 2005 00:09:07
From: John J.
Subject: Does Blitz chess make you a better player?
How many here feel that playing many 5min games have helped make you a
better player, in general?

I'm assuming that one analyses some of the blitz games.

Long time ago I played hundreds of blitz games against a master player and I
think it helped my game, at least in the openings...

Opinions please!!

J






 
Date: 27 Apr 2005 17:54:43
From: anthony mee
Subject: Re: Does Blitz chess make you a better player?
Hello John

I'm pretty lousy at blitz but still always take part - its a great way to
practice openings and try out some new ideas (but don't take it seriously!)
Never analyse blitz games!! they aren't worth it.
And don't forget that Botwinnik when asked about blitz said, "yes, I've
played a blitz game, once on a train"
Tony
"John J." <[email protected] > wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> How many here feel that playing many 5min games have helped make you a
> better player, in general?
>
> I'm assuming that one analyses some of the blitz games.
>
> Long time ago I played hundreds of blitz games against a master player and
> I think it helped my game, at least in the openings...
>
> Opinions please!!
>
> J
>




  
Date: 27 Apr 2005 18:21:06
From: John J.
Subject: Re: Does Blitz chess make you a better player?
Yea, sounds about right. It's a quick way to practice openings and such...

I have Pocket Grandmaster and it gives me a real good blitz game......

John
"anthony mee" <[email protected] > wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello John
>
> I'm pretty lousy at blitz but still always take part - its a great way to
> practice openings and try out some new ideas (but don't take it
> seriously!) Never analyse blitz games!! they aren't worth it.
> And don't forget that Botwinnik when asked about blitz said, "yes, I've
> played a blitz game, once on a train"
> Tony
> "John J." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> How many here feel that playing many 5min games have helped make you a
>> better player, in general?
>>
>> I'm assuming that one analyses some of the blitz games.
>>
>> Long time ago I played hundreds of blitz games against a master player
>> and I think it helped my game, at least in the openings...
>>
>> Opinions please!!
>>
>> J
>>
>
>




 
Date: 27 Apr 2005 14:45:33
From: Morphy's ghost
Subject: Re: Does Blitz chess make you a better player?
In the year of our Lord Wed, 27 Apr 2005 00:09:07 GMT, "John J."
<[email protected] > wrote:

>How many here feel that playing many 5min games have helped make you a
>better player, in general?
>
>I'm assuming that one analyses some of the blitz games.
>
>Long time ago I played hundreds of blitz games against a master player and I
>think it helped my game, at least in the openings...
>
>Opinions please!!
>
>J
>
>
The habit of analyzing your games will undoubtedly make you a better
player, regardless of the time control.




The enemy fight in chains, invisible chains, but heavy;
Their minds are fetter'd; then how can they be free,
-- William Blake


  
Date: 27 Apr 2005 17:45:41
From: Toni Lassila
Subject: Re: Does Blitz chess make you a better player?
On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 14:45:33 GMT, [email protected] (Morphy's
ghost) wrote:

>The habit of analyzing your games will undoubtedly make you a better
>player, regardless of the time control.

Of course analyzing blitz games tends to go as follows:

"Blunder. Blunder. Blunder. Blunder. Done."

I think more can be learned analyzing one complicated endgame than a
hundred blitz games.

--
King's Gambit - http://kingsgambit.blogspot.com
Chess problems, tactics, analysis and more.


 
Date: 27 Apr 2005 11:25:23
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: Does Blitz chess make you a better player?
John J. <[email protected] > wrote:
> How many here feel that playing many 5min games have helped make you a
> better player, in general?
>
> I'm assuming that one analyses some of the blitz games.
>
> Long time ago I played hundreds of blitz games against a master player
> and I think it helped my game, at least in the openings...

Most players who are strong at slow time controls are also strong at
blitz; the converse doesn't necessarily hold. Blitz is much more about
playing things that feel right without having time to analyze them
through; if you play like this in longer games, your opponents are much
more likely to find the refutation.

On the other hand, blitz does seem to be pretty good for learning and
practising openings, if that's what you want to do.


Dave.

--
David Richerby Hilarious Voodoo Dish (TM): it's like
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ a fine ceramic dish that has mystical
powers but it's a bundle of laughs!


  
Date: 27 Apr 2005 19:19:40
From: Ron
Subject: Re: Does Blitz chess make you a better player?
In article <h3r*[email protected] >,
David Richerby <[email protected] > wrote:

>
> On the other hand, blitz does seem to be pretty good for learning and
> practising openings, if that's what you want to do.

I feel like blitz is good for reinforcing what you already know about
openings, but I don't know if it's good for learning them.

The problem is that one of the most important things about openings is
knowing what to do when presented with a move you haven't seen before.
Anybody can memorize a variation, or a refutation to a common blunder.

But what happens when you opponent shows you something brand new? That's
when you need to slow down, put on your thinking cap, and really get
inside the position. But you don't have time to do that in blitz.

And because your opponents will be less likely to refute your unsound
opening moves, you may be lulled into a false sense of security.

-Ron


 
Date: 27 Apr 2005 00:22:07
From: CeeBee
Subject: Re: Does Blitz chess make you a better player?
"John J." <[email protected] > wrote in
rec.games.chess.analysis:

> How many here feel that playing many 5min games have helped make
> you a better player, in general?
>
> I'm assuming that one analyses some of the blitz games.
>
> Long time ago I played hundreds of blitz games against a master
> player and I think it helped my game, at least in the
> openings...


If you're a good or an experienced player, you can hone your
skills; if you're a beginner or a weak player, you don't have
those skills, so it only will worsen your play.
You won't learn to properly assess positions on the board.

Because if you think and calculate lousy, when playing blitz
you'll only think and calculate lousy faster.

--
CeeBee

"Eppur si muove!"