ChessBase and Blitz-King

I have two important bits of news regarding help I am getting towards improving. Firstly, ChessBase have taken an interest in my project by offering me membership of their excellent Playchess server, and by giving me Maurice Ashley’s new DVD ‘The Secret to Chess’. I’m incredibly grateful to Frederic Friedel and the ChessBase team for their generosity, and look forward to hopefully meeting them at the London Classic in December.

Secondly, I’ve decided to pay for some lessons from a Grandmaster. GM Damian Lemos Sarro, known as Blitz-King on the Internet Chess Club, offers lessons at an excellent rate, and I’m looking forward to my first lesson tomorrow.

Finally, I’m pleased to say that I didn’t actually leave the Paignton tournament completely empty-handed. I won £5, for a quarter-share of the Slow Starter Prize!

16 thoughts on “ChessBase and Blitz-King

  1. Read about your project on chessbase. First thing, best of luck and your draw with GM Adams shows great potential.
    Seems to me like you blunder in the opening, if you could play solid lines and go to endgames you could show your strength.

    However, if you are really serious about this, drop EVERYHTING except your girlfriend and degree, and get a full time teacher. Also try to set a side goal (becoming FM, 2300 rating) which seems more realistic. I have met 21-year olds who went from 1900 t0 2300, but never to GM strength. the diff between 2300 and 2500 is really too much. Set realistic goals so you wont get discouraged along the way.

    1. Thanks for your suggestions. I’m not sure the Paignton opening blunders are typical – they were mostly in offbeat lines and I’m not entirely sure how to remedy them, as learning theory for all offbeat lines isn’t possible (as it doesn’t always exist).
      I’ve been thinking about goals along the way, and will probably post some sort of plan with various milestones soon.

  2. I read the ChessBase article with great interest. Friedel is a good sport so I’m happy to help you on your quest too. I’m a little over FIDE 2100 and knocking on 50 years old (so on the way down again). I suppose you already know GMs know more than 1900 players and think diffferently – so you need to do something differently immediatlety. If you aren;t already doing so then work through a tactics DVD like ‘CT Art’ and (actively) read Yermolinsky’s ‘Road to Chess Improvement’. I did similar to this and went from FIDE 2000 to 2200 in my late 30s – so you shoudl be able to do thuis too 🙂

    How about also disclosing your PlayChess handle – then we can play you (suggest 3 minute games rather than 1 minute games if you’re seriously hoping blitz want to improve.)

    1. Thanks. 🙂 I purchased CT-Art a few days ago, and am currently trying to get it to work. The next book I was planning to work through is Silman’s ‘Reassess Your Chess’, and I hadn’t heard of Yermo’s book but I’ll have a search for it. My PlayChess handle is ‘Will Taylor’.

  3. about blitz games, it’s fun but dosen’t lead anywhere. Maybe Blitz in OTB tourns with very strong players, usually then is the only time Class players and Experts get to play GMs. Internet I wouldn’t play anything less than 5 minutes with 3 sec incerment.

    Also, Always try to play in the higher sections. I myself played the last few month in a lot of U2000 tourns as i am rated 1998 and wanted the money and the trophies/recognition. Huge mistake, cause even though i made a (very very) modest sum and 2-3 trophies to gloat to non-chess playing friends, it didn’t help my chess.

    1. I’m not sure I agree entirely about blitz. Sure, 1-minute games aren’t going to help you improve, but I think 3 and 5-minute games might be a good way to get experience in new opening lines, for example.

      I’m playing mostly in Major sections, not Opens at the moment. My reasoning is that I’m still getting challenging games in the Majors (scored under 50% at the last one). Also, any prize money I may win will be very helpful in funding my participation at future tournaments. However, I will play in 1 or 2 FIDE rated Open sections soon (November and December).

  4. I read your story on chessbase site and i have the same dream of you i am just i bit older than you (24) if you spent time on the net may be we can chat and share ideas for both of us it will be helpful for me thanks

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