Simple Chess: Return of the chessnerdbird

My break from chess seems to have helped make chess fun again. Since November of 2017 I have been spending all of my time learning web development. Now that my schedule is freeing up I think it is time for a new blog post. 

What do I mean by chess is fun again? Well, chess was always fun for me. However, on my road to expert chess was becoming a thing of results and improvements, or lack of improvement. I wasn't allowing myself to see the beauty of chess anymore. 

If you did not watch my death match against another chess streamer, you did not witness an embarrassing defeat of 24-6 in my opponent's favor. Mainly this came about because my opponent came better prepared. I also helped my opponent by being unsure in the openings on plans and ideas. I played passive moves allowing him positions he thrives in. I did not make complications where I could out calculate him. I was afraid of losing so I couldn't play to win. 

Well I had vowed to never again have a performance like that. I took a deep dive into tactics and attacking play. I watched some GingerGM for inspiration. I looked back at some of my more exciting games to feel the rush of being on edge not knowing who is going to win because the position is so double-edged.

With all of that my games since then have been fun and exciting for me. My return to the Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy has led to 3 wins and 1 loss since I suffered that 24-6 defeat in front of hundreds of people. I have included these games and hope they bring you lessons and excitement.

Very first game back:

Second game back:

Third Game Back:

Fourth Game Back:

Aside from the first game back, my play has shown signs of rust. My calculations and my evaluations are not up to par. However, it also shows that if you create enough complications even against stronger opponents then you might have a chance to come out ahead.

This isn't always a good strategy to improve your rating points, but it does lead to fun and exciting chess. When you aren't as worried about results this is exactly what one needs. I hope to see you over a chessboard soon.