Playing higher rated players
Submitted by
on Fri, 03/28/2008 at 11:30am.
When I first started playing at chess.com my rating advanced fairly quickly. Then somewhere in the mid 1500's I felt as if my game wasn't really advancing. I was an average player playing other average players. Granted I had a fairly high percentage of victories, but the thrill of victory was on the wane. So I went to the games in progress section and started challenging players above 2000 (otherwise known as the experts) I wasn't surprised to find that they really play on an expert level. I also wasn't surprised to start a losing streak. Still, I had made a pact with myself -- keep playing the experts. Then I noticed that it took them more moves to win. Did that mean I was getting ? Could be.
At last a victory against a 2111 rated player. The thrill of winning was back! I felt I was playing my opponents side of the game even more intently than my own. I was visualizing complex combinations on the other side of the board and developing strong responses. Then when my opponent made the same move I anticipated I started having confidence that I may even be playing on the same level. Then another victory -- a light-bulb had turned inside my head.
There are a few of the experts on chess.com that only want to play other experts. But on the whole, most of them know what it takes for a less experienced player to advance and seem willing to give you a chance.