Gaining points fast - lucky, with a crash coming? • page 1/1 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

In the past week or so I have gained 300 points playing Bullet, taking me into the mid-1400s. I have never got there before, but I have had big spikes up and down at various moments. I am not playing discernibly better chess, though maybe less likely to lose on time and less likely to panic than previously.

My question: could it just be natural deviation and a 300-point drop is just as likely around the corner? I have had 200 point gains and losses in the past, so I am poised for the inevitable, though I am trying hard to hold my 'new' level. The standard of play seems no better than 1100s, so maybe there is an element of randomness to ratings until you get up into higher levels.

In the past week or so I have gained 300 points playing Bullet, taking me into the mid-1400s. I have never got there before, but I have had big spikes up and down at various moments. I am not playing discernibly better chess, though maybe less likely to lose on time and less likely to panic than previously. My question: could it just be natural deviation and a 300-point drop is just as likely around the corner? I have had 200 point gains and losses in the past, so I am poised for the inevitable, though I am trying hard to hold my 'new' level. The standard of play seems no better than 1100s, so maybe there is an element of randomness to ratings until you get up into higher levels.

NM MrPushwood

#2

In a game where 1 e4 g6 2 Bh6 seems a viable opening...yeah, I'd say randomness plays a significant part. ;)

itsLani

#3

@BishopofBristol said in #1:

In the past week or so I have gained 300 points playing Bullet

Bullet is something, but it is not chess.

@BishopofBristol said in #1: > In the past week or so I have gained 300 points playing Bullet Bullet is something, but it is not chess.

Akbar2thegreat

#4

You could be actually improving and it doesn't necessarily need to be a deviation. Since increasing of rating is gradual process, your rating will fluctuate accordingly.

RooksOnSteroids

#5

Depends how good you think you are. If you have the mindset of a better player you (might) play like a better player!

BishopofBristol

#6

Thanks, all. The point of the post was that all those previous climbs in ratings proved false dawns when I thought I was improving. I generally think I'm improving but the stats this time in terms of accuracy say otherwise. And I had just never had such a crazy long run of points improvement. I guess I am more decisive in more situations and that bit more likely to play a good move rather than not than previously.

I take the point that Bullet's demands aren't the same as slower chess. I know that playing slower, thoughtful chess is the way to improve in the long run. I find the disappointment of losing at slower games harder to take, whereas with Bullet a loss doesn't leave a mark psychologically. But I need to bite the bullet and invest more time in fewer games.

Thanks, all. The point of the post was that all those previous climbs in ratings proved false dawns when I thought I was improving. I generally think I'm improving but the stats this time in terms of accuracy say otherwise. And I had just never had such a crazy long run of points improvement. I guess I am more decisive in more situations and that bit more likely to play a good move rather than not than previously. I take the point that Bullet's demands aren't the same as slower chess. I know that playing slower, thoughtful chess is the way to improve in the long run. I find the disappointment of losing at slower games harder to take, whereas with Bullet a loss doesn't leave a mark psychologically. But I need to bite the bullet and invest more time in fewer games.

Akarsh_2010

#7

@MrPushwood said in #2:

In a game where 1 e4 g6 2 Bh6 seems a viable opening...yeah, I'd say randomness plays a significant part. ;)
I can't belive my eyes. A NM with years ( even decades) of experience is suggesting this?
Bh6 after e4 g6 is a very, very risky opening. This is a well known trap known as the lefong, only successfully employed in bullet, but nowadays people know about this and more and more of them tend to not premove Bg7, which would lead to loss of a bhisop, so it is pretty risky even in 1+0 bullet, Not to mention the fact if the opponent realizes what just happened, they can legally triple their time by calling the arbiter and claiming illegal move ( there is a d2 pawn in the way of the move c1h6 ) , which adds 2 minutes to the clock.

@MrPushwood said in #2: > In a game where 1 e4 g6 2 Bh6 seems a viable opening...yeah, I'd say randomness plays a significant part. ;) I can't belive my eyes. A NM with years ( even decades) of experience is suggesting this? Bh6 after e4 g6 is a very, very risky opening. This is a well known trap known as the lefong, only successfully employed in bullet, but nowadays people know about this and more and more of them tend to not premove Bg7, which would lead to loss of a bhisop, so it is pretty risky even in 1+0 bullet, Not to mention the fact if the opponent realizes what just happened, they can legally triple their time by calling the arbiter and claiming illegal move ( there is a d2 pawn in the way of the move c1h6 ) , which adds 2 minutes to the clock.

Aluminium-27

#8

@MrPushwood said in #2:

In a game where 1 e4 g6 2 Bh6 seems a viable opening...yeah, I'd say randomness plays a significant part. ;)

Bh6 is illegal move. You lose.

@MrPushwood said in #2: > In a game where 1 e4 g6 2 Bh6 seems a viable opening...yeah, I'd say randomness plays a significant part. ;) Bh6 is illegal move. You lose.

openingtheorywizard6

#9

i have had a similar experience going from slightly under 2000 to 2200+ within a week in bullet,althugh it might just be due to the fact that i switched from laptop to phone and i move much faster now