Some time ago I reached a point in Chess where I could go toe-to-toe with National Masters. It was around that time when I realized the game, while still tactically based, became more about assorted memorization of patterns. I still enjoy playing, yet my love was for the puzzle and finding a way my opponent hadn’t yet seen. That knowledge, and my natural desire to continue improving, actually eroded my desire to continue, and I fell off since.
Just the way it is, and it isn’t even really about winning; it’s about my own reason to improve. That end goal just seems so…predefined.
You are in good company (of sorts). Magnus Carlsen got tired of that level of memorization/preparation, so decided to not defend his world championship. He now plays WILD chess, that does not require memorization. He forces players out of their preparation. He loves the tactical side, and is attempting to force it.
My problem is that there is very limited amount of such people :/ People either don’t or can’t play chess or are really into it.
And of course there is always this one guy/gal who’s like “Let’s play, you’ll probably beat me because I’m really rookie el oh el. Yeah I’m in local chess club but there are much better players than me. It’s true that this one time I finished second in that chess championship but …”
There has to be some online chess simulators that match opponents based on skill-level. Playing IRL might be tougher to find, but if you’re in school I would look for chess clubs there.
Just play against people at the same skill level
But they don’t let me near the ten-year-olds any more
ಠ_ಠ
I feel like with chess it’s always the kids that absolutely dominate everyone else.
We just only take note of the weirdos who got an early manual and obsessed over it, not the ones shoving the knights up their nose.
Some time ago I reached a point in Chess where I could go toe-to-toe with National Masters. It was around that time when I realized the game, while still tactically based, became more about assorted memorization of patterns. I still enjoy playing, yet my love was for the puzzle and finding a way my opponent hadn’t yet seen. That knowledge, and my natural desire to continue improving, actually eroded my desire to continue, and I fell off since.
Just the way it is, and it isn’t even really about winning; it’s about my own reason to improve. That end goal just seems so…predefined.
You are in good company (of sorts). Magnus Carlsen got tired of that level of memorization/preparation, so decided to not defend his world championship. He now plays WILD chess, that does not require memorization. He forces players out of their preparation. He loves the tactical side, and is attempting to force it.
My problem is that there is very limited amount of such people :/ People either don’t or can’t play chess or are really into it.
And of course there is always this one guy/gal who’s like “Let’s play, you’ll probably beat me because I’m really rookie el oh el. Yeah I’m in local chess club but there are much better players than me. It’s true that this one time I finished second in that chess championship but …”
There has to be some online chess simulators that match opponents based on skill-level. Playing IRL might be tougher to find, but if you’re in school I would look for chess clubs there.
Tried one of those once. It just opened Minesweeper for me.
Oh yeah, that point in an interest where you learn just enough to realize how little you know.