2020 got struck down by the most irksome of all maladies did it not? I much prefer natural disasters over pandemics personally…hopefully this one will piss off sooner rather than later…
Chesswise 2020 has been my best year ever because I altered my style of play significantly and play much more actively and directly. The principle reasons for that is it was both long overdue and the psychological impact of applying pressure is understated, and significantly so. I think that sub-2000 mistakes are a certainty and aplenty, and if you apply pressure they are inevitable almost. So crack the whip I do in order to watch my opponent fall apart. The real skill comes finding the right moment to do so, and that’s not so easy, anyway…
With our offline lives being rendered irrelevant almost, I spent the last 6 months almost online at all times and played some 1000-1500 games, which helped solidify that shift in style to something I am proud of. If every cloud does have a silver lining, then you could argue the sense of occasion which was lost when OTB chess stopped made much more room for a ‘play to win’ mentality to emerge. An altered mindset emerged from which I pushed home all the way, and with chess theory now creeping back into the fray, since the calibre of my opponents is noticeably higher, I should reach my peak next year, and that is where the climb begins…
Yes, most probably if I applied myself solidly for five years I could reach FM level or be thereabouts but I don’t think I will give it all that. Getting over 2000 should suffice methinks…
Do enjoy 2021…
Olcmarcus
McCreadyandChess 