How to play blitz games

I play fairly well in OTB matches, but never even get a win in blitz games. It seems that I always hang a pawn or don't see a mate in 1. Is there any way to get better in blitz games? Most people say things like: "Play more, you'll get better eventually." However this isn't the case. I am sick of losing to people in blitz games when I can crush them in a 2 hour game.

Originally posted by anthias
I play fairly well in OTB matches, but never even get a win in blitz games. It seems that I always hang a pawn or don't see a mate in 1. Is there any way to get better in blitz games? Most people say things like: "Play more, you'll get better eventually." However this isn't the case. I am sick of losing to people in blitz games when I can crush them in a 2 hour game.

stop playing blitz

Originally posted by trevor33
stop playing blitz

I disagree. Good blitz play offers no end of help when faced with time trouble in a full length game.

But to play well you have to have an instinctive grasp of strategy and tactics as you do not have time to analyse out a variation.

Spend enough time looking to avoid the obvious simple bluders like leaving a piece en prise and to capitalise on your opponents blunders but don't waste time trying to work out complex tactics. If your instinct tells you it will work go for it and when your opponent wastes time refuting it you win on time. If he can't refute it you win anyway.

its your intuition which needs to be improved and for that you need to play blitz and study tactics. solve easy chess problems and puzzles over and over again until you "know" the answer just by looking the position. thats called pattern recognizition and it is the main thing which separates novice players from club players and club players from masters.

Originally posted by anthias
I play fairly well in OTB matches, but never even get a win in blitz games. It seems that I always hang a pawn or don't see a mate in 1. Is there any way to get better in blitz games? Most people say things like: "Play more, you'll get better eventually." However this isn't the case. I am sick of losing to people in blitz games when I can crush them in a 2 hour game.

If you don't see mate in one, then you need to bone up on basic checkamte patterns. Polgar's Chess in 5334 Positions and Renaud and Kahn The Art of the Checkmate are both helpful in this respect. Blitz play combined with book study can improve your pattern recognition, as well as other aspects of your tactical strength.

Originally posted by Jusuh
its your intuition which needs to be improved and for that you need to play blitz and study tactics. solve easy chess problems and puzzles over and over again until you "know" the answer just by looking the position. thats called pattern recognizition and it is the main thing which separates novice players from club players and club players from masters.

^^ what that guy said and: -

** I define blitz anywhere from 2-6 min. all moves ***



5 things will help you improve
1) play bullet/lightening games (1 0) -- if you do this, you will get used to thinking quickly, and when you go back up to 3 min you will find that you have plenty of time to make reasonable moves.

2) generally, there are two types of tactical puzzle, the highly complex, multi-varaitional, etc ones, and the quick, easy an obvoius 1,2,3 move combo's (often mate)

To succeed in blitz you need to focus on the latter.

CTS is good for that (chessemerald.net ??)

3) the third, and slightly more sneaky thing is to understand the clock is the most important factor, its the main reason people win, be it by flagging or simply blunders in time pressure.

imagine a K+B+B+Q vs. K+Q endgame.... a very simple trick is to trade queens and watch them try to mate you in 20 secounds. (K+B+B is harder to do, thus with 20 secs on the clock less likely to do it)

little things like that will actaully get you far -- as you play, i'm sure you will think of a few.



4) change your opening repteroire, and learn several traps in common oppenings change to complex gambits, etc -- it doesn't paritucally matter if they are duboius and/or actually flawed (halloween attack)

and I'd Also recomend the KID as black, because you can pump out the first few moves almost regardless of what white is doing.


5) play the obvoius moves instantly.

if your in check with only 1 legal response, to which he has 3 possible (good) replies. DONT sit they on your turn thinking about a reply to each of those possible 3 things -- just play your move and wait to counter his response.

Expanding on Shinidoki's point three a little.

If you make an apparrent/actual Blunder, don't sit for too long trying to think of a clever reply to regain equality, just get on with the game with your material or positional loss, and try and swindle on time, or wait till your opponent blunders you back into the game. It might not work, but you'll have more chance than being down on marteial and time.

I get quite a lot of wins by accidently letting the opponent gain some advantage, and then they try to play far to sensibly to force the wins through, and end up losing on time.

That is interesting, I usually resign immediately when I lose a piece without compensation.

Originally posted by anthias
That is interesting, I usually resign immediately when I lose a piece without compensation.

Not necessary in blitz. Play on especially if ahead on time. Your opponent may very well give it back or lose on time.

Originally posted by Wulebgr
If you don't see mate in one, then you need to bone up on basic checkamte patterns. Polgar's Chess in 5334 Positions and Renaud and Kahn The Art of the Checkmate are both helpful in this respect. Blitz play [b]combined with book study can improve your pattern recognition, as well as other aspects of your tactical strength.[/b]

I've missed a mate in one before, especially in blitz.

and i have played OTB players rated 2000+ who have missed mates in one in a full length game.

Explain to me how and why this happens as I have the basic skill necessary?

I think I didn't write it correctly before. I do see mate in one positions only when I get to mate my opponents. However, for example, in a 10 minute game, my opponent makes a move and when I instinctually make a developing a move, BOOM! Mate.

Take this game I played 5 minutes before for example:


1. e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nf6
3.d4 ed
4.e5 Ng8
5.Nd4 Nc6
6.Bc4 Nd4
7.Qd4 b6
8.00 Bb7
9.Nc3 Bc5
10.Qg4 g6
11.Nd5 Ne7
12.Nf6+ Kf6
13.Bh6#

Embarrasing, really...

Originally posted by anthias
I think I didn't write it correctly before. I do see mate in one positions only when I get to mate my opponents. However, for example, in a 10 minute game, my opponent makes a move and when I instinctually make a developing a move, BOOM! Mate.

Take this game I played 5 minutes before for example:


1. e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nf6
3.d4 ed
4.e5 Ng8
5.Nd4 Nc6
6.B ...[text shortened]... b6
8.00 Bb7
9.Nc3 Bc5
10.Qg4 g6
11.Nd5 Ne7
12.Nf6+ Kf6
13.Bh6#

Embarrasing, really...

Thats exactly it. Those are the mates in 1 that I have missed and indeed where I have seen 2000+ opponents miss.

You feel you are better, your opponent tries for a cheapo and you develop normally. Wham you are mated! It is very easy to do even with a normal time limit as you think you are better and your focus is on your attack!

there are a couple of things to put in prospective while your playing a blitz game. first is the time. if your playing a 1 minute game you dont have ne time to think at all. also how well do you know your opening? and how well do you know how to go about the middle game of that opening. here are some little things thath elp wonders. ok so what if your time expires and you have a winning position at least you didn't make a mistake. there could be 1 minute on teh clock left but if you get mated then time doesn't matter. heres a good thing to watch out for. if he moves his queen and its right next to a bishop usually they form a battery for your h7 square. or if the queen moves and can attack your kingside piece just check a split second if hes trying to get a cheap mate. i prefer 5 minute games but i alos like 10 mihnute games with 5 seconds added each move.

Originally posted by kmac27
there are a couple of things to put in prospective while your playing a blitz game. first is the time. if your playing a 1 minute game you dont have ne time to think at all. also how well do you know your opening? and how well do you know how to go about the middle game of that opening. here are some little things thath elp wonders. ok so what if your time ex ...[text shortened]... mate. i prefer 5 minute games but i alos like 10 mihnute games with 5 seconds added each move.

http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=50349

to illustrate the point, (that time is more critical than position) ...I'll post a few examples, where I have simply had some fun.

[Event "rated blitz match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2006.08.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "NN"]
[Black "Shinidoki"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1441"]
[BlackElo "1404"]
[ECO "B00"]
[TimeControl "180"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 f6 3. Nf3 Kf7 4. Nc3 g6 5. e5 dxe5 6. Bc4+ Be6 7. Bxe6+ Kxe6
8. d5+ Kf7 9. O-O Nd7 10. Be3 Nb6 11. Bxb6 axb6 12. Nb5 Bh6 13. c4 c6 14. Nc3
c5 15. Nb5 Bg7 16. Qc2 Nh6 17. Rfd1 Nf5 18. Nd2 Nd4 19. Qd3 Nxb5 20. cxb5 Qd6
21. Qc4 Rhd8 22. Ne4 Qd7 23. d6+ Kf8 24. Rd3 f5 25. dxe7+ Qxe7 26. Rxd8+ Rxd8
27. Nc3 e4 28. Rd1 Rd4 29. Rxd4 Bxd4 30. Nd5 Qd6 31. b3 Kg7 32. Kf1 Bf6 33.
g3 Be5 34. Ke2 h5 35. h4 Kh6 36. a4 g5 37. hxg5+ Kxg5 38. Ne3 Qd3+ 39. Qxd3
exd3+ 40. Kxd3 Bd4 41. f3 f4 42. gxf4+ Kxf4 43. Nd5+ Kxf3 44. Nxb6 h4 45. Nd5
h3 46. Ne7 h2 47. Nf5 h1=Q 48. Nxd4+ cxd4 49. Kxd4 Qd1+ 50. Kc5 Qxb3 51. Kb6
Qxa4 52. Kxb7 Qb4 53. Kc7 Qxb5 {NN forfeits on time} 0-1

^^ I'm doomed from move 8. -- or rather, I should be.


[Event "rated blitz match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2006.08.27"]
[Round "?"]
[White "NN"]
[Black "Shinidoki"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1409"]
[BlackElo "1406"]
[ECO "C00"]
[TimeControl "180"]

1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 c6 4. Be3 b6 5. Qd2 a6 6. f4 f6 7. Nf3 g6 8. g3 h6
9. Bg2 Nd7 10. e5 d5 11. O-O f5 12. Nh4 Kf7 13. Qe2 Be7 14. Nf3 Kg7 15. h3
Bf8 16. g4 Ne7 17. Kf2 h5 18. g5 b5 19. a3 a5 20. h4 a4 21. b3 Nb6 22. bxa4
Nxa4 23. Nxa4 Rxa4 24. c3 Bd7 25. Rfb1 Qa5 26. Qb2 Nc8 27. Bd2 Bxa3 28. Qc2
Nb6 29. c4 Qa7 30. c5 Nc4 31. Rb3 Ra8 32. Rab1 Nxd2 33. Qxd2 Bxc5 34. dxc5
Qxc5+ 35. Qd4 Rxd4 36. Nxd4 Qxd4+ 37. Kg3 Ra4 38. Rf3 Bc8 {NN resigns}

^^ I have played this set up so often I even know a little theory for it, of course, I have never even dare use it in anything longer than 3 0



It can be quite fun to play like this, espeically if you win.