i hear that people say u shouldnt read HTRYC until ur around 1700 and im only 1300 -_-. So i guess ill get to it when im that level

I still think that HTRYC has a lot to offer, but you need to make sure to keep up on tactics.

well as CTS goes ive dropped another 20 or so points bringing me down to about 1560 again... i lost like 60 points over the last couple of days

omg i feel like a total retard! I just lost all my games so far, which is about 5 or 6 blitz games... So my ICC rating is plummeting and im just feeling like crap. im missing all these stupid tactics, and Im taking too much time on moves... I just feel like a retard today... One of the games I won his queen for a rook and i still lost...

i give up blitz chess... i just cant win anymore so i just got to step aside. I heard a lot of people say that blitz chess is more for fun and not for improvement, so Ill just continue playing 15 min games

I suggest longer than 15 minutes. I started out playing 15 minute games but realized that I do better and learn more playing longer games. My standard game I play anymore is 25 5. The game usually lasts about the same as a 30 0 if both players take their time, but people are more likely to accept it as it seems shorter.

Good point rob

I haven't thought about that!

Im playing in the Amateur Team West starting tomorrow and it runs for 3 days. Im excited!

Got back from the US Amateur Team West. I got 2 points out of 6 which is not bad considering that the lowest person i played was a 1750. I drew two 1700s and I beat a 2000 So my new rating is 1444. Ill be playing in the K-12 state championships in two weeks so hopefully I can get my rating over 1500 after that tournament

The losing streak will pass. I had an 8 or 9 game losing streak on FICS and got into the mindset that I no longer won games on FICS and that was all there was to it. I stopped for a week or two, worked at CTS, watched Waitzkin lessons on Chessmaster, and Curtains' live videos. I tried FICS again and I've won a few, lost a few. Back to normal.

Very nice results!

well, got back from the state championship and finished with 3/6. Wut sucks is that i lost to a 900 I beat an unrated, an 800, and a 1600, but lost to a 2300, 1700, and 900... So I lost about 12 points that tournament so my new rating is 1431. Little bit disappointed, but oh well. Ill get those rating points back later

I understand completely. I just signed up there and lost my first three five minute pool games. My rating is 841.

i was watching some of the amber blindfold/rapid tournament and it inspired me to try and work on my visualization, which is an essential key for blindfold chess. So i will be trying to do some of the visualization trainer things on this website like the square color quiz and the find the best move quiz. Let me just tell you that right now, im horrible. I can barely get through the square color thing. I think i finished one all the way in like 150 seconds or something Eventually ill get better