Like many of you, I believe that a clear mind, plenty of sleep, and optimal health are crucial for consistent chess performance. However, this past week, while I have been hit by an annoying energy consuming cold, I hit a new peak blitz rating of 2073 on chess.com! Something I did not expect.
Does this mean we should all catch a cold to improve at chess? I don’t think so. But it does highlight that sometimes, progress doesn’t follow a linear or logical path. There might be factors at play that we aren’t entirely aware of. Fluctuations in the rating pool, variance, life, or luck?
Maybe it was the slower pace of thought due to being unwell, or perhaps it was the reduced pressure I put on myself when I knew I was not at my best.
So if you are working hard to improve at chess, remember that chess, like life, can be unpredictable. Sometimes, the significant leap comes when we least expect them.
Stay persistent and keep learning.
/Martin
I think improvement is a lot like cooking, and not baking. Baking you follow a recipe and end up the same way every time. Cooking often starts with a recipe but you have to adjust it based on the ingredients that you have. Sometimes you need more seasoning or a little less time with the heat to make a cooked meal perfect.
And if you cook like me and add in ingredients that just happen to be in your kitchen sometimes you get disaster and sometime people want to know how you performed your magic. If you're lucky you can figure out what you did and do that more in the future.
Consistency is key I have found.