Lockdown and Queen's Gambit have boosted my online rating
Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:46 pm
I wonder if anyone else is experiencing a minor online ratings boost? As a complete wood-pusher, I have always had fairly static ratings on Lichess/Chess24/Chess com and so on. In the last few months, my ratings have been edging up - not by a lot - but consistently so. Certainly higher than ever.
Now... I have been studying more, doing more puzzles, playing more chess. That accounts for some of the progress, or so I'd like to think. However, more than that I think there is a 'happy time' (to use a WW2 U-boat term) at the moment at the lower levels of online chess. More often than not I am playing 'newbs' (sorry, awful word), or just rusty players who have not played for years but have gone back online due to lockdown boredom or Queen's Gambit. They don't see fried liver and stuff like that.
Whenever I check out an opponent's profile, I increasingly see they are either provisional or have very few games. I'm a very poor player myself, but am amazed how they keep falling for basic tricks, and even throw away games when I've blundered my queen. I generally still get at least a draw.
Oh well, long may this 'happy time' last. Can't help thinking my rating is artificially slightly high though.
Now... I have been studying more, doing more puzzles, playing more chess. That accounts for some of the progress, or so I'd like to think. However, more than that I think there is a 'happy time' (to use a WW2 U-boat term) at the moment at the lower levels of online chess. More often than not I am playing 'newbs' (sorry, awful word), or just rusty players who have not played for years but have gone back online due to lockdown boredom or Queen's Gambit. They don't see fried liver and stuff like that.
Whenever I check out an opponent's profile, I increasingly see they are either provisional or have very few games. I'm a very poor player myself, but am amazed how they keep falling for basic tricks, and even throw away games when I've blundered my queen. I generally still get at least a draw.
Oh well, long may this 'happy time' last. Can't help thinking my rating is artificially slightly high though.