Hey y'all.
I've been working on my game seriously for about a year, and I feel like when I analyze my games, or lose, it seems like a lack of impulse control is what causes many of my losses.
For example, I move too fast and blunder a piece, or, more recently, I notice that I neglect to take my opponent's hanging material, or I fail to remember that I can use some time on the clock in a critical position. It's like there is the trope of the an angel and devil over my shoulder saying "don't move yet!" and "move! move!"
I think playing too much blitz has made me move before thinking.
I write down notes in a notebook after games, and I am noticing that I make the same mistakes over and over again. It's like the mistakes mentally register but I don't learn.
Is there a way to train my thought process to slow down? Is it just a matter of playing slow games? I feel like maybe playing against Stockfish with a checklist before I move might help train my thinking to become more methodical (since it's not allowed to use notes in an OTB game, I know there is an area in lichess to put notes but it feels like a bad habit).
It's almost as if in certain positions, not only if I am under time pressure but if there are major threats on the board, it drives me to play emotionally.
What are your experiences with this aspect of the game?
I guess i would play Classical or Rapid and often look at your time.
Play with a clear mind every time
Being someone who plays rapid in the midst of loads of ultra and bullet, I can assure you that playing with a clear mind helps
Just focus on the amount of time you have and utilise it
I often play quick, but im fine with rapid
I think it's more a case of you either have a mind for chess or you don't. If you don't then you won't improve all that much no matter what you do.
This happens at any level of play. The pressure keeps piling up till the point you can't take it anymore. So u just make a move that loses or u freeze and run out of time. You can see masters hanging a piece or not spotting a fork sometimes. The difference is they don't do it this often as other players. That's what makes them masters. The stress does not usually get to them till the late parts of the game. They played tens of thousands of games, of course, they got more used to it than u or me. Even in tough positions, they defend tenaciously and look for any chance to come back.
Another advantage stronger players have is that they start playing on their own much later in the game. It's harder to surprise them in the opening so in most of their games u can see them spending time for the first time on move 20 for example. Therefore, we come to a conclusion that opening prep is essential since it helps u save energy ( in fact sometimes people win their games without making a move of their own) and as a bonus, u get a much deeper understanding of the game in general.
But I do not claim that chess is all about opening theory. No, that's not true. Of course, once u are on your own u gotta be aware of the strategical and tactical aspects of your game. That is why people solve puzzles, play&analyze their games. There is some grind u have to accept if u want to improve. And the better u are the more grind there is.
I like that u are thinking about your play and trying to analyze your behavior. Keep doing that, nobody knows u better than u. You seem to come to a conclusion u need to slow down and play longer time controls, and I think it is a good thing to do. I tend to think that the weaker the player the longer time controls he should play. The reason behind this is weaker players are not so quick to grasp the position in 5-10 seconds. But the more experience u have the easier it becomes to spot a tactic or see a favorable change in structure. When I started, for example, I have played nothing shorter than 10+5.
Finally, remember this: if u are in this for a long run be prepared for a long struggle. You don't become better overnight but by continuously practicing, doing puzzles, studying opening theory. It takes years of hard work to even get to a decent level. And there is no shortcut.
Try to do deep calculation, difficult problems, that take like at least 30 min to solve, it will slow your game down seriously if you do a few of them.
If you take 30 min for a single move, a rapid game becomes a rush afterwards.
Where blitz speeds you up, slow time controls slow you down.
To control impulses, sit on your hands.
To elimininate blunders, always check your intended move is no blunder before you play it. Very helpful is to activate move confirmation in your profile: think about your move, play it, check it is no blunder, confirm.
Always use all the time allowed by the time control. Time is a resource, use it.
Most chess games are essentially decided by move 30. So use all your time by move 30 and finish the game on increment.
Pichk one time control and play it exclusively. Playing multiple time controls will make you play too fast and too superficial in the long time control and too slow in the fast time control.
Train tactics. Solve tactics puzzles in the same time as you use in your time control.
@cameodemon Have you tried ZEN mode?
For me, watching guys like John Bartholomew and ChessNetwork and Eric Rosen play blitz (and even bullet) helped speed up my thought process and take in the board more comprehensively. When playing, they are always thinking about the possibilities of the position and positions that might happen, not just what they expect their opponent to do. When I am watching them, I am thinking about what moves I would play and when they spot tactics or loose pieces that I missed, it is immediate feedback that helps train me to not miss those things.
Doing puzzles here on lichess has also made huge improvements to my game. There are different ways one can approach solving tactics. You can just go for the win, which is fine, but I saw someone suggest to treat it as an exercise in calculation. That made sense to me and so it is what I do and I think it has helped. I am not just looking for a solution, I am trying to see all the possibilities in the position and to successfully calculate the variations so that I know not only what works, but why it works and what the opposition should play. It can take a long time, but it forces one to become thorough in thinking things through.