One of my passions and favorite pastimes is playing chess. The famous strategy game is intellectually stimulating and is always fun to play. I play chess regularly on the site Chess.com and the main types of games of I play are rapid, blitz, bullet and puzzles. My involvement and goals for these four different types are outlined below.
Rapid
Albeit this being one of my least played modes, it is the one where my rating is the highest. [A rating is a score associated with a player which estimates the strength of the player] A rapid game is a game of chess with a time control ranging from 10 to 60 minutes (I only play with a 10 minute time control). [Time control is the amount of time allocated to each player to complete their half of the game] Due to this relatively long time period, there is more time for me to think and come up with strategies to gain an advantage in the game. Attached below is an image with my stats for that time control.
My goal for the rapid section would be get a rating of at least 1450 by the end of DP 2. Since rapid is the one of the best tests of positional thinking and calculations I engage in, achieving this rating climb would prove that I have become a better player.
Blitz
This is probably my least favorite time control since it requires a combination of quick playing and calculations which I am not very good at. The time control for this mode ranges from 3-5 minutes, and is one of my least played controls. I always find myself feeling uncomfortable with the pressure of time and the urge to calculate every possible move. Attached below are my stats for this time control.
My goal for this time control is to reach about 1300 ELO or rating by the end of DP 2. This requires a perfect balance of both positional thinking and rapid calculations and would help improve my calculation times.
Bullet
This is arguably my favorite time control; it ranges from about 1 minute to 3 minutes. This quick paced type of play pumps adrenaline throughout my body and it is quite intense and entertaining. However, a downside to this is that it does not really build on your ability and only tests first glance calculations which are not really helpful. Furthermore, your rating and fluctuate a lot in this time control since the rate of losing and winning games is much larger than those of the previous ones. Attached below are my stats for this time control.
My goal for this time control is to reach 1350 by the end of DP 2. Setting a goal for this game mode would not really improve my ability but I have more motivation when I am working towards a goal and it would increase the amount of time I spend playing chess.
Puzzles
Puzzles are by far the best way to improve one’s calculations and positional understanding. Puzzles are essentially chess positions that one would encounter in their games, and the player must find the best move for either white or black, depending on whose move it is. Puzzles get progressively harder as you do more of them so as to improve your level of playing itself. Doing puzzles can help you see patterns in the games you play. Applying these tactics learnt in the puzzles into your games can help you gain an advantage. Attached below are my puzzle stats.
My goal for puzzles is reach 2700 rating by the end of DP 2. This would greatly improve my ability to calculate in different situations and my quality of gameplay would greatly improve. My vision for positional patterns would also become better.
This CAS experience deals with 3 learning outcomes. The first one is Learning Outcome 1, where I acknowledge chess as one of my strengths and hope to improve on it as outlined above. The second learning outcome would be undertaking challenges and developing new skills in the form of learning new tactics and ways to approach positions while playing this intricate game. The third Learning Outcome would be showing commitment and having such long term goals which represents commitment and perseverance in CAS experiences.