Recommendation(s) for best time control to improve

@StingerPuzzles said in #11:
> If you look at the games of people who ask this question they almost all resign in lost positions with more time on their clock than they started with.
>
> If you don't plan on using all your time, than starting games with lots of available time is meaningless.

Interesting. I never knew that you're really good at assumptions. In fact I saw some of your recent games and in most of them you resigned without using half your time. I somewhat understand your point but the way you stated it doesn't make sense. Rather than making assumptions, I suggest you to give a valid reply and if you don't have one then no need to reply.

@GnocchiPup said in #13:
> Here are what I think the assumptions are:
> 1. Limited chess time per week
> 2. Below 2000 in lichess
>
> So what to do?
> 1. Anyone below 2000 has chess thought process issues.
> 2. The best way to improve thought process is by doing it a lot, over and over.
> 3. A complete chess thought process cannot be done quickly, particularly in difficult positions. A thorough analysis of a position would take at least 20 minutes.
> 4. Playing blitz all the time creates bad habits thought processes, developing thousands of poor shortcuts.
> 5. Only by playing real classical chess would one have a chance of developing the habit of going through a good thought process, every move. Continuously.
> 6. Real classical games (at least 90 mins per side) seems out of the question. It's hard to find anyone to play this, and you don't have time.
> 7. You have limited chess time, what to do?
>
> Suggestions:
> PLAY CLASSICAL
> 1. Play classical chess using Lucas Chess. It has a lot of engines and personalities designed to mimic human play.
> 2. The best feature - it has adjourn. You can play for an hour per day, and if the game's not done, just continue tomorrow.
>
> THOUGHT PROCESS EXERCISE
> 1. Thought process exercise - see Dan Heisman YouTube 20 minute exercise. This is really good for time-limited people like us.
> 2. Puzzles, treat them serious. Put them on a real board before solving. That way, you sort of get punished if you get the solution wrong. Imagine rushing your solution, and then you do it wrong. You just wasted time and effort in setting up the position on a real board.
>
> CLASSICAL vs THOUGHT PROCESS
> 1. TP exercises improve one's TP.
> 2. But only classical can force you to develop the habit of doing the proper TP on each and every move. Stringing together a series of proper TP.
>
> SUPER CRUDE ILLUSTRATION
> 1. Blitz: auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; critical position - think for a little; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move you blunder; auto-move; critical position - think for a little; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; opponent blunders auto-move; auto-move you blunder; opponent blunders auto-move; YOU WIN
> 2. TP exercise: 1 position - Think properly; you found the best continuation
> 3. Classical; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; auto-move; out of book - think using proper thought process; think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; critical position - use full force proper thought process; critical position continues - use full force proper thought process;; think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; found something which looks clearly winning - use full force proper thought process;
> think carefully; think carefully; think carefully; YOU WIN
> 4. I hope this illustrates the major difference in terms of doing proper TP for the above chess activities.
>
> Do you have good TP? Try this
> 1. Turn off engine evaluation in lichess
> 2. Ensure that the moves are hidden, also try not to see the results
> 3. Go to this position lichess.org/analysis/standard/r4r1k/ppp1qpp1/3pbn1p/4N1B1/4P3/1B1P3P/PPP3P1/R3QRK1_b_-_-_0_16
> 4. You play as Black
> 5. Do NOT move the board
> 6. Set it up on a real board
> 7. Give yourself 20 minutes
>
> Questions:
> 1. What should Black play after 16. Nxe5 (a)?
> 2. Provide the 5-ply Principal Variation. 16. Nxe5 (a) 17. (b) (c) 18. (d) (e)
> 3. Provide the evaluation of the PV, who is better after (e)? Imagine how the position looks like after (e) and judge who is doing better. Equal? Slightly better? Much better? Clear win? For who?
>
> LAST:
> "What my main query is that what will have more improvement, playing more games or thinking more?"
> 1. You need to ensure that your thinking process is good in the first place.
> 2. IF your thinking process is poor, doing it lots of times won't improve the thinking process. You'll only harden the habits of poor thinking processes.
> 3. Even 20 | 10 is not enough time to train our brain into improving proper thought process.
> 4. Masters have already good thought processes, that's why they know how to properly do shortcuts and play blitz and bullet extremely well.
> 5. TP exercise position taken from

Thank you for the thoroughly detailed reply and some helping links. I see that you have given me a few strategies to manipulate the factors that stop me from achieving my goal. I will improve on the weak spots you have given me and will use the result to decide which time controls suits my thinking process best.

@Horsing-Around said in #18:
> Definitely play with increment. You want to improve your chess skills, there is nothing to be learned from a time scramble.
>
> I'd recommend something between 10+5 and 15+15. This way you still get enough games in.
>
> But most importantly: Analyze every game to actually learn from your mistakes.

Thank you, will do so.

If you are trying to learn the game or be a better player I would recommend longer time games like 30 minutes. Also correspondence games the 1 day time limits.
If you think your a strong player and want to improve your play under time pressure then you need to play faster games like rapid games with 10 minutes

BLITZ games are not helpful for learning. They are just for playing a game and no help to what your asking

@granik said in #24:
> first ask yourself if you want to improve your game or your online ranking as the answers will be different

I want to improve my game.

@lemurf said in #25:
> If you are trying to learn the game or be a better player I would recommend longer time games like 30 minutes. Also correspondence games the 1 day time limits.
> If you think your a strong player and want to improve your play under time pressure then you need to play faster games like rapid games with 10 minutes
>
> BLITZ games are not helpful for learning. They are just for playing a game and no help to what your asking

Thank you for giving your suggestion. I would like to be a better player as I consider myself out of the beginner level and on to a more intermediate level.

If that is the case, I suggest you play correspondence games with one day moves. Use these game to practice an opening. Use them to practice tactic like pins and forks. Also, if you are right that your past the beginner level you should not make any careless mistakes ,like leaving a piece unprotected and you should take advantage if your opponent does. The one negative of this is your timing will be off when you go back to timed games

@lemurf said in #28:
> If that is the case, I suggest you play correspondence games with one day moves. Use these game to practice an opening. Use them to practice tactic like pins and forks. Also, if you are right that your past the beginner level you should not make any careless mistakes ,like leaving a piece unprotected and you should take advantage if your opponent does. The one negative of this is your timing will be off when you go back to timed games

I don't exactly understand what YOU mean by "beginner level". What in your opinion is beginner level? In my opinion beginner level is learning how to never leave a piece unprotected. Basically in my opinion beginner level is below 1800 in rapid on lichess. If I could know what you mean by beginner level, it would be helpful and would help this doubt get clarity.

@Aviaansh92 said in #1:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I would really like if I could get some recommendations on what time control I should be playing to improve. The main factor to change this is how many games I can play in a week. I can roughly play for about 5 hours in a week (at average). More games you play, you have more improvement, but in longer time controls, you think more, but you can play less games. Most improvement (in a single game) vs More the games that can be played. The main and only objective behind these two paths is to improve. So basically to simplify it :
>
> Most improvement (in a single game) : 25+0 (classical), 20+0 (rapid), 15+0 (Rapid), 10+0 (Rapid), 5+0 (Blitz), 3+0 (Blitz)
> Most games that can be played : 3+0 (Blitz), 5+0 (Blitz), 10+0 (Rapid), 15+0 (Rapid), 20+0 (rapid), 25+0 (classical)
> The above time controls given are the time controls I would like to be recommended.
>
> What my main query is that what will have more improvement, playing more games or thinking more?
>
> It would be highly appreciated if I could get some recommendations to help me out.
>
> Thank you
> Regards,
> @Aviaansh92

I would personally recommend a mix of 15+10 (maybe a couple of games every week followed by analysis), a few 10+0 games and then some 5+3 or 5+4 Blitz sprinkled in depending on time. Analysis post 15+10 can be extremely useful for improvement.