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WARNING: NON-POLITICAL POST!...Is there anyone here who's good at chess?

MarkHarman 7980 posts Original UHND Member

Posted12:57 pm on Mar 13, 2025

I rejoined the USCF after a long absence. Played two recent tournaments and my rating plunged from 1456 to 1386, getting beaten by players rated 300-400 points lower than me, something that never used to happen. Joined chess.com and my rating is in the low 800s, and it seems everyone plays well (I've ruled out cheating as they still make mistakes and inaccuracies). Has the game passed me by that badly with the advent of computer studying or did my skills erode that badly? Or maybe both.

Level 1
ND521 and Basil are your guys.

iairishcheeks 30463 posts 2:30 pm on Mar 13, 2025

(no message)

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- Level 2
  How's the market doing Dummy? Stick to Checkers.
  
  ND521 9881 posts 3:45 pm on Mar 13, 2025
  
  (no message)
  God may not care who wins, but His mother does
  
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  - Level 3
    Of all the libs on the board, you seem the angriest.
    
    mtthawk1 7013 posts 7:18 pm on Mar 13, 2025
    
    (no message)
    
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    - Level 4
      Nah, just out of tolerance for MAGA lies, diversions and distortion.
      
      ND521 9881 posts 8:59 pm on Mar 13, 2025
      
      (no message)
      God may not care who wins, but His mother does
      
      View Single #240673
  - Level 3
    I bought Ford for $2.15 in 2009 and sold it at $15 six months later.
    
    iairishcheeks 30463 posts 7:11 pm on Mar 13, 2025
    
    (no message)
    
    View Single #240643
    - Level 4
      Nice trade
      
      ND521 9881 posts 9:11 pm on Mar 13, 2025
      
      (no message)
      God may not care who wins, but His mother does
      
      View Single #240677
- Level 2
  Go back to eating your, Fudgie the Whale.
  
  jimbasil 55046 posts 3:23 pm on Mar 13, 2025
  
  (no message)
  Jack, he is a banker
  and Jane, she is a clerk
  
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  - Level 3
    Must be some potent shroom.
    
    Frank L 64990 posts 3:45 pm on Mar 13, 2025
    
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- Level 2
  Says the guy always posting on politics.
  
  Frank L 64990 posts 2:45 pm on Mar 13, 2025
  
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Level 1
I’m in a couple of groups and top % of all. Attack mode 24 7

Frankx 6604 posts 1:43 pm on Mar 13, 2025

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Level 1
question or two:

und67 7152 posts 1:33 pm on Mar 13, 2025

how is your opening repertoire? there have been a lot of changes (as usual) over the past several decades.
were your tournaments online or over the board? i'm a former member of the uscf and a current subscriber to chess.com. i do not trust online.
it takes a while to get your rating moving in the right direction, but, imho, it's better to start lower and move up than start high and maintain/improve it. again, my opinion.
do you keep a record of your games so you can analyze them? very helpful.

msm, dnc, antifa, blm: trying to kill america.

View Single #240604
- Level 2
  I'm decent at the openings and actually fairly competent
  
  MarkHarman OP7980 posts 2:25 pm on Mar 13, 2025
  
  And normally get an advantage going into the middle game.
  The analyses on chess.com show I continually don't accurately spot opponent's attacks and often miss basic plays, such as failing to capture a hanging piece or executing a simple fork....mistakes I used to rarely make for a 1456 player.
  So I guess I just answered my own question. I just suck.
  
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  - Level 3
    two things to consider
    
    und67 7152 posts 5:30 pm on Mar 13, 2025
    
    exposure and patience.
    i find the more i play, the less i miss when it comes to opponents' gambits. the more time i take, the more options i look at and (sic), the more hanging pieces and forks i see. i'm guessing you're still very good - just need to play more and look for some of the more complicated tactical maneuvers.
    
    msm, dnc, antifa, blm: trying to kill america.
    
    View Single #240636
    - Level 4
      Based on what you said, the 10-minute format isn't my strong suit
      
      MarkHarman OP7980 posts 7:41 pm on Mar 13, 2025
      
      I looked back at my history (have played a bunch of games since being laid up from a second ankle surgery) and I've lost on time a ton, even though I was ahead.
      Having said that, I don't remember anyone under 1200 being much of a challenge, but on chess.com I'm losing a consistent 2 out of 3 at all rating levels, from the 1450 I started out at to the 800 level. You'd think I'd start winning more but I'm not ... but I'm not losing any more, either, which is the strange thing.
      
      View Single #240651
      - Level 5
        one more thing.
        
        und67 7152 posts 8:40 pm on Mar 13, 2025
        
        the older you get, the more chess-type thinking helps with mental acuity. great cognitive exercise regardless of ability. the exposure is what's important.
        
        msm, dnc, antifa, blm: trying to kill america.
        
        View Single #240665
      - Level 5
        well, with chess.com, i played against exactly 2 opponents.
        
        und67 7152 posts 8:37 pm on Mar 13, 2025
        
        one was an eastern european who worked in my office and who i thought would kick my ass. turned out, he was hideous at it but kept telling me how bad he was going to take me down the next time. never came close. the other was a scandanavian who i played completely by accident. beat him but i think he was a teenager. after the company we were working for folded, i never played online again. chess.com has some really excellent puzzles that help a lot with spotting tactical moves and trying unusual moves to gain an advantage. i always do the "daily puzzle" and then the 5 free "puzzle" quizzes they give you each day. my current rating there is 2600+, so i'm reasonably satisfied with that. anyway, i don't trust online. when people paint themselves into a corner, they have difficulty accepting it. that's natural. some just use the computer against their opponents to boost their ego.
        over the board is the only legit way to go, imho.
        
        msm, dnc, antifa, blm: trying to kill america.
        
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        Level 6
        I think you're right about people using the computer to play
        
        MarkHarman OP7980 posts 12:20 am on Mar 14, 2025
        
        I think their M.O is to use it when they fall behind, because I would say about 80-90% of the time I have an advantage somewhat into the middle game that always seems to mysteriously disappear.
        
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- Level 2
  Online is awful, wayyy to easy to cheat
  
  Frankx 6604 posts 1:41 pm on Mar 13, 2025
  
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  View Single #240606

End of conversation