I am horrible at online rapid chess

In my brick and mortar club, we used to play 15 minute games, and I was pretty good at it, usually doing as well or better than my 1800 USCF OTB rating would suggest.

Now in the COVID world, I have been playing online with my friends and others at chess.com in 15 minute games, and I am horrible. I miss simple things, blunder pieces, and generally move as though I just learned the game.

My friends have been asking me if I am OK, because I play so badly. I think it is because I move way too quickly, as though I am afraid of an online clock more than a regular one.

Occasionally chess.com will tell me that my opponent was cheating ( they catch that stuff), but most of the time I lose because I just played really bad moves.

Sometimes I move quickly and blunder, then sit there waiting for the hammer to fall, but my opponent completely misses it.

That's almost worse, because I get this sense of cosmic absurdity and wonder why I am going through the motions.

I am considering traveling to the Highlands to meet the guru Greenpawn34 so he can metaphysically slap me silly and cure my affliction, but COVID has screwed up travel as well.

Maybe I will just sit on my hands.

Sorry for the ramble, but I am hoping this confessional will have certain therapeutic and cathartic properties. Here's hoping.

@Paul-Leggett

When I go back and forth between chess boards and screens, I find my board vision requires time to adapt. The two views look nothing alike.

Have a few drinks and then try again.
Works for me.

What is your rating over there?

Post a couple of your games and we can see if its tactics, lack of confidence, time management etc. You need nerves of steel during rapid chess and if you're taking too long to move then this may be down to nerves.

@Paul-Leggett

Your horrible, covid ridden, blunder filled games sounds like my standard play.

I will second that.

@congruent said
Post a couple of your games and we can see if its tactics, lack of confidence, time management etc. You need nerves of steel during rapid chess and if you're taking too long to move then this may be down to nerves.

He is playing 15 minute games, not exactly bullet chess.

I like to play 10 minute games, any shorter and I tend to lose on time. I have no issues losing on time.

I have just eaten someone up online in the few minutes I was reading this game and I could detect that my opponent was "ripe" once he started playing moves like Qd7.

I was eaten up by a much stronger player before that so you win some n lose some but learn.

It would seem you can't mention other sites.

Noted.

I was saying how the blitz sites have inflated ratings to make customers feel good.

@e4e5f4d5 said
It would seem you can't mention other sites.

Noted.

I was saying how the blitz sites have inflated ratings to make customers feel good.

Some sites' ratings are inflated as heck.

There's a guy I know who is about my level, played in person and online.
I have a slight edge in long-play, but in online rapid/blitz he wins because I don't have a mouse (using laptop touch-pad).

Anyway, he recently hit 2200 in blitz and now he's saying "I reckon I'll be 2100 FIDE within 2 years easy"

Utter nonsense... stick with classical/correspondence Paul, it's better for your sanity.
The rapid/blitz are full of people who can't play chess anyway, so they move fast to win on time. It ruins the game imho.

@congruent

I move too fast and blunder. I think it is basically a personality/character flaw I have.

@e4e5f4d5 said
Have a few drinks and then try again.
Works for me.

What is your rating over there?

I am (give or take) 1580 at chess.com and low 1900's at LiChess. My USCF OTB ranges +/- 1800, and here I range between 1950 and 2050.

Internet ratings basically defy comparison, so I do not put much stock in any of them, and even less so comparatively when the formats are different.

I suppose working for Disney in a COVID world with layoffs in the back of everyone's mind may be influencing me. I was going to use the "I've been sick" excuse, but a bunch of other chess players beat me to it, and the waitlist is huge!

I did have a beer while playing my tournament today, and went 2/3 in the tournament I played in for 2nd place. Did it help? Maybe, in the sense that it was a mild sedative. Or maybe the "Kona Big Wave Golden Ale Attack" is the opening of the future!

The Kona Big Wave Ale Attack is unsound and dubious. 🤔

Try the Monkeys Bum or 1.h4!
Thank me later.

@paul-leggett said
In my brick and mortar club, we used to play 15 minute games, and I was pretty good at it, usually doing as well or better than my 1800 USCF OTB rating would suggest.

Now in the COVID world, I have been playing online with my friends and others at chess.com in 15 minute games, and I am horrible. I miss simple things, blunder pieces, and generally move as though I jus ...[text shortened]... am hoping this confessional will have certain therapeutic and cathartic properties. Here's hoping.

I can personally vouch for your OTB strength Paul. (Having been victimized by it on several occasions.)

Anyway, I agree that playing online is a completely different cat. It could be that the difference in spatial relationships between the board and pieces affect us in different ways.

Long ago, in a previous incarnation, I was an Air Force electronic technician. I found that it took a little time to learn how to apply what I was seeing on the schematic to the actual equipment being repaired. I find the process of reconciling online play with OTB play very similar.

Keep trying my good man!
You're an excellent player and are bound to succeed.