Skadoosh Limitless journal (chess)

Journals - Major Programs
#1

This journal is for goal accountability with Limitless.

Goals:

  • Reach 2000 rating in the 2 main formats Blitz and Rapid (don’t have time for Classical) on Chess.com as fast as possible by only playing 30 minutes a day max. This should put me in decent percentile.

I always thought chess was boring, but being good at it would be a nice skill to have under my belt. I’m also burnt out from learning languages and need to switch it up.

Notes:

  • I’ll share my username later so people can actually look this progress up.
  • I’m expecting it to take 1 year max with Limitless.

This should be a fun and interesting project, lol.

8 Likes
#2

current ELO?

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#3

I used to play on a different website called lichess.org because there were no annoying ads and shit. All I ever played on there was Blitz, and I think my highest was in the 1100-1200 ballpark. However, I have no clue how that rating translates onto chess.com which I just recently started playing on.

On chess.com, I’m 532 in Blitz. I’ll share my username later, and people will be able to monitor the progress of my rating and even view my games (I think).

Funny thing is I’m a very immersive learner. If I’m learning Spanish, I’m playing spanish music, eating spanish food, wearing spanish clothes, etc. It’s one of my learning strategies that tweaks my ability to focus. With learning chess, I might have to get a combover… look nice, neat, and sharp… maybe put on some Bach, rofl.

3 Likes
#4

puzzles on lichess are great. all the improvement stuff you have to pay so much for on chess.com is free on lichess. make sure at your stage you know how to checkmate without pawns… so, just a king and one two rooks, and a king and one queen. Once you do that, learn how to checkmate with one rook. They’re simple patterns that will be the exact same every time, and it’s embarassing (and common) to draw a game up a queen for free.

The opening you should learn for white is the Ponziani, GothamChess and Eric Rosen both have great videos. There’s a bit to learn and remember, but those openings really only have “theory” a few moves deep, so, it’s really not much, and there’s great traps which make them easy to remember but also teach you tactics.

At 500 - 1500 the most important thing is tactics, strategy, and knowing how to win when you’re winning (aka getting checkmate, not stalemate/draw). Not openings. Puzzles are great in general to show you what you’re good at and not good at… and there are so many different “types” of tactics that really it’s just easier to hit them with rote repetition instead of formally “studying” them.

Chessable has some really good free courses.

This one is for openings. It’s all about WHY openings are the way they are… you’re too early and low ELO to memorize reams of theory, but this will help you make decisions when you haven’t memorized what the right move is. Hint: you should never know, at your stage, what the right move is. Don’t even try and study a opening for black, just use the fundamentals and figure it out.

These “(Piece) on the attack” courses are excellent for general gameplay and finding great explanations for lots of really “simple” scenarios that are NOT so simple.

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This is an introduction to tactics course

And this is a great endgames course.

2000 is a very very advanced rating so just be mindful of your expectations vs reality. If you hit 1200 by spring or summer that’s definitely do-able but already a huge growth curve. To go from 1200 to even 1800 is 10x harder, and to go from 1800 to 2000 is another 5-10x harder. You can do it. You have subliminals. But once you hit 1500 don’t be surprised or ashamed if you don’t care anymore, lol.

1 Like
#5

Fantastic, thanks. If I get plateaued then I’ll be sure to check all of this stuff out.

Good to know, lol.

#6

:joy:

Get glasses as well, if you don’t need glasses just get fake clear ones. Then before each checkmate move do this anime move (adjust glasses on nose) with an evil nerd smirk.

:joy:

Khans Gambit Inc.

1 Like
#7

Roflmao

#8

I’m getting into this habit of instead of just looking for my best move, I look for the other person’s best move from their perspective as well. Trying to predict their move, lol. Limitless already working strongly.

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#9

https://www.chess.com/member/skadoosh156

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#10

Just got absolutely destroyed in the endgame. I can’t let that happen again, lol.

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#11

Just like putting in Golf… the most important part. Look at the best player in the world Magnus Carlsen, if he gets to the endgame most people fold mentally because they know he’s the best endgame player by far.

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#12

Just went through one of your games. I would say the number one thing you need to learn is tactics. You had several opportunities to win material with simple tactical moves. You can destroy your opponents at your level with pretty simple tactics. I would recommend that you research chess tactics. They’re easy to learn and implement and will improve your ratings immensely.

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#13

I’m throwing Bullet into the mix too now, lol. So Bullet, Blitz, and Rapid.

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#14

I felt and did noticeably better today in the endgame. Limitless already working on my weak spots. A lot more mindfulness, and things on the chessboard making a lot more sense. I have yet to look into chess material or tactics. I’m mainly self-teaching myself by analyzing my own games, looking at where I went wrong, which moves lost position, how I missed checkmate, what I could do better, etc. I tend to be a hands-on type of learner, and the best type of learning for me is experiencing. Also, I’ve made some queen blunders, but I don’t get very frustrated or tilted. I just intend to do better next time.

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#15

I’m noticing more confidence on the chessboard today. A lot less doubtful about the moves I make. Even though they’re not the best, lol.

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#16

I’d avoid bullet… practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent.

Try “blitz” but with a 5+5 time control. Go to “more time controls”

you’ll get an even amount of time throughout the game without having all your time skewed towards one section (open, middle, end, whatever)

Did Mind’s Eye intrigue you for chess?

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#17

It’s funny you say that, lol. Today I started off playing a bunch of Bullet games, then took a break.

During that break, I realized that Bullet is heavily geared towards your ability to instinctively recall pattern recognition and intuition. It would make more sense for me to start with the longest time control that I can play (Rapid) and work my way down. I attribute this insight to Limitless.

After that, I went back and played a Rapid game. I lost, but I noticed a big difference. My calculation is getting deeper and more natural. For the first time, I had an instance where I automatically went into calculation beyond just a 3-4 move trade. I don’t think I’ve ever done that while playing chess. I also notice that I’m more aware of how my pieces are placed in relation to each other. A lot of interesting things happening.

2 Likes
#18

I think that’s smart. You can also mix in some untimed practice games against the bots on chess.com.

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#19

Chess is fun when you’re winning, rofl.

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#20

Me too. I started with blitz but it was too fast for me for calculation. Maybe later after i have more practice. At the moment iam playing rapid 15-10 only with a nice cup of tea. Enough time for deeper calculation and going into the moment. No stress.

1 Like