What went well?
- I am completely focused on ChessMood right now. I have been spending all of my chess time studying the video content from them. I was also able to join a private stream where a GM starting a ratings climb. What I like best about this is that everything is coordinated and has the same message and style.
- I played a lot of 10-minute rapid games, trying to get used to my new opening. I played 40 games and won 22, which is not too bad. My rating is all over the place, but mostly staying in the 1200s. I’m not too worried about my online rating right now, which also feels good.
- I spent a lot of time on Chessable this week. Mostly grinding a new opening for white from ChessMood. I’m not sure this pace is sustainable, but it has been fun. I also have kept up with my 10-minute-a-day tactics training in Chessable.
Professional what? Professional #chess player? I don't think so. I think I need to get paid to be a professional.
— Matt (@MattPlaysChess) March 17, 2022
Maybe this is an offer from @chessable to start paying me now? If that's the case, I accept. pic.twitter.com/sWzNyIYgSZ
What could have gone better?
- I had a very organized plan for working through some of the ChessMood videos/courses. However, I was a bit ambitious about how long that would actually take. I watched over 100 videos last wek. Many of them were short, but that still adds up. In the videos I often paused to try to figure out positions, which added time that I did not account for. I also did not take into account what I had going on outside of chess each day, so some days were a little stressed trying to get it all done.
- I also feel like my focus on things outside of chess suffered a bit as well. For one week this was OK, but I need to find a better balance.
- Playing so many games, I did not really analyze them, which I feel guilty about. However, I am mostly just trying to get used to an entirely new style of play, trying to be more attacking. I feel like I just need to play a bunch of games in the short-term to get a feel for these new types of positions.
What will I try next?
- I am going to continue my focus on ChessMood videos and learning. But, I am going to plan for about 20% less than I did last week. Now that I know a bit more of what to expect with each course, it should be easier to plan.