21–30 of 32 posts
Then I decided to quit. It was incredibly fun, but also a lot of work which is not going to pay off unless you become a very strong grandmaster. I'm still thinking what a loss it was not to spend that "teenage energy" into doing something more profitable.
But it was so fun that I'm thinking about a comeback :)
Interestingly, Terrance Tao's brother (Trevor) used to play in the same competition sometimes.
One innovative tool that helped a lot is http://chesstempo.com. It presents puzzles, but each puzzle has a dynamic rank, so the site is always adjusting what it gives you to your current skill level.
I won money in the U.S. Open and the New York Open, but that was only because I was basically improving quickly and was better than my rating. When I reached the point I could play speed chess with a clock without looking at the board (blindfold chess) I had overdone it and pretty much quit.
What I think are the three ESSENTIAL chess books are listed here: http://j.mp/bvbRoO ...The cheapest one is a lot of fun. I won money in the U.S. Open and the New York Open, but that was only because I was basically improving quickly and was better than my rating. When I reached the point I could play speed chess with a clock without looking at the board (blindfold chess) I had overdone it and pretty much quit.
That Bobby Fisher chess open, middle, and end game puzzle book is a great way to step back into the game despite the major personal flaws that BF had.
I used to play competitive A LOT when I was younger, my best was 3rd place for an all Ontario (Canada) competition and I won some county competitions. But it got to the point of being too time consuming and too boring, all you're doing is memorizing openings and certain strategies for middle play and end game situations rather than playing. Having said that I really enjoy going through the old Master's games. If you'…
I used to play competitive A LOT when I was younger, my best was 3rd place for an all Ontario (Canada) competition and I won some county competitions. But it got to the point of being too time consuming and too boring, all you're doing is memorizing openings and certain strategies for middle play and end game situations rather than playing. Having said that I really enjoy going through the old Master's games. If you'…
Nice, I think I might have played in the same provincial tournament (Ontario). Tied for 2nd in the Intermediate devision when I was in highschool. That particular tournament took place in Trent University. (I'm shazow on Chess With Friends!)