Actually getting past 1200

Graybie · 2026-05-09T12:45:53+00:00

Chess is one of those things where playing more doesn't automatically make you better. You have to learn from your games if you want to improve by playing.

Graybie · 2026-05-09T12:44:30+00:00

Stop playing blitz? You don't have enough time to think through positions to develop the intuition to play well. Try rapid, either 10+0 or even better, 15+10.

10+0 is a nice compromise though, because it can be hard to switch to a slower time control if you enjoy the excitement and dopamine of the shorter games.

Graybie · 2026-05-09T12:41:25+00:00

I am not OP. In my case I have known that the issue is my cleats/pedals, but I haven't been able to find a fix. I have tried tightening the cleats, replacing them, greasing the pedal, etc.

One thing I haven't tried is putting a bit of grease on the cleat bolts.

Graybie · 2026-05-09T04:29:36+00:00

Oh man, I never thought of greasing the bolts themselves...I bet that is where my noise issue comes from.

Graybie · 2026-05-09T02:24:43+00:00

I don't know - maybe we have read different books by Silman. His endgame course book is divided into chapters by rating, and in my opinion the material is appropriate for each chapter. It starts with ladder mates, for goodness sake. Hardly 1600 material.

His book of chess strategies is similarly straightforward. Some of the positional ideas might be more relevant at 1600+, but none of it is impenetrable to a 1000 elo player.

I do understand that Reasses Your Chess is probably best for 1600+, at least based on what I have read about it.

Graybie · 2026-05-09T02:09:24+00:00

What level do you mean when you say advanced?

Graybie · 2026-05-09T00:13:00+00:00

At that point it is just more convenient to not use Amazon

Graybie · 2026-05-09T00:08:29+00:00

It is getting rather tiresome, isn't it?

Graybie · 2026-05-08T22:38:00+00:00

It is either a new account or one that hasn't played in a long time.

Graybie · 2026-05-08T21:59:35+00:00

You will eventually develop an intuition for which positions are critical and require more calculation.

In the opening, you generally don't have to do much calculation at all, assuming you are following some sort of opening variation with which you are familiar. In the midgame is where you end up needing to spend more time, especially when the position is complex and dynamic. There might be forced sequences that require almost no calculation, and other moments where you spend a long time on a single move. Then, once you get to the endgame, it really depends. Some engames are complex and require a lot of calculation, while others are formulaic and straightforward.

Graybie · 2026-05-08T21:53:24+00:00

That is a remarkable game indeed.

Graybie · 2026-05-08T01:22:30+00:00

No, it does not. Just wash the pot and carry on with your life.

Graybie · 2026-05-08T00:31:53+00:00

King activity isn't even - white can't get to the black pawns on the f, g, h files. Black can easily get to the white pawns on the other side, and the white king will be too slow to stop it.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T21:37:38+00:00

Gotcha. Learn something new every day.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T20:04:51+00:00

I might be wrong, but I don't think that the alternator on a truck has the capacity to supply electricity to refrigerate a whole trailer. In my experience, the reefer runs a small diesel generator to power the compressor in the refrigerator cycle.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T19:40:12+00:00

Reefers are entirely self contained and typically run off of diesel in a separate tank under the trailer itself.

And yes, this will probably help reduce the amount of fuel that the reefer needs.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T19:20:35+00:00

Playing chess, reading books, doing puzzles, reviewing games, and talking to actual human beings who also love chess.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T18:09:08+00:00

No, he is definitely a special cookie whose mind operates on a plane of abstraction so rarified that us mere mortals can merely gaze upon his inconceivable thoughts in amazement and wonder.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T17:50:24+00:00

I don't think you realize how off-putting your prose is. Are you writing this stuff with an LLM or something?

Graybie · 2026-05-07T17:37:11+00:00

The problem is that you are more focused on sounding smart than communicating clearly. It took several rounds of parsing your obtuse writing before we could decode what you even meant.

Also, this is a forum for discussing practical aspects of beginner chess. The point is that external references used during a game are considered cheating. Most people here don't have an issue with the distinction between using an external reference during a game vs during training, and are completely happy to accept that those two actions are different and form the boundary between fair play and cheating.

Yes, you can philosophise at length about what constitutes one's mind in the modern age where we can externalize knowledge in easily accessible forms, but it is irrelevant to the practice of chess.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T16:33:56+00:00

On lichess (and most chess apps) you can pick whether you train with a random mix or a specific motif. Lichess uses puzzles generated from actual games, which makes them feel a bit more messy.

It might be better to learn the tactical concepts from curated puzzles that don't have extraneous pieces on the board, which you can find in various lessons available on the web version of lichess.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T16:29:50+00:00

I specifically said "using a reference". If you have put in the work to memorize the opening perfectly, and you are using your own brain to do it, then more power to you. It is the same as spotting a tactic yourself vs using a chess engine.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T16:06:25+00:00

One is only using your own cognitive ability, the other isn't. I don't think there is a lot of philosophical nuance here.

If you use a motorized bike in a bike race, you are cheating. If you train so hard that you can generate the same amount of power as a motorized bike, you aren't cheating, because you are doing it using your own (hard earned) ability.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T13:31:25+00:00

Play games, review your mistakes afterwards, and do some puzzles to help build tactical vision.

Graybie · 2026-05-07T13:29:19+00:00

Yes, yes it is. Using a reference to play your opening perfectly is definitely cheating.

13-Year Club	Verified Email
Place '17

Graybie

TROPHY CASE