HashtagChess (done PhDing, but still on a break)

Resigned as black to move in this position because I could see no way to stop mate on h7/h8... 🤦‍♀️

@ChessBlackWhite Yeah, they were all really close, although you were better for most of the games I played black, so you deserved the win! 👏

@hashtagchess Good games, went down to wire. Thought we might end up needing g a second tie break

Lost my quarterfinal match of the #ChessPunksChamps, but learnt a lot over the past few weeks, and am motivated to keep improving. Thank you to everyone involved in making the event happen, and an extra big thank you to the wonderful people who helped me prep 🙏

@MeerMaurits I was really happy to have the opportunity to play (especially after the first qualifier went terribly for me) - I think it's a great initiative! Well done on your 4th place 😄

@hashtagchess Thanks for playing. Always good to see chess celebrities in the Chesspunks 😄

@ChessBlackWhite @julesgambit @sadisticTushi Well played!

Placed 2nd in my section (u2000) for the #chesspunks championship. Faced @hashtagchess in round 1 and it went to tiebreaker (2-1) was able to win in the semifinal in two close games vs @julesgambit. In the Final I lost 1.5-.5 to @sadisticTushi Good games all!

Today is THE day. The first annual @chesscom #ChessPunks Champs is happening! 32 adult chess improvers will battle it out in 4 different rating categories (U1300 / U1700 / U2000 / 2000+) Watch it live on twitch.tv/chess Yours truly and the inimitable @DanielKingChess commentate Show starts: 18:00 CET / 5 PM GMT / 12 PM EST / 9 AM PT

@jett99x Thank you, good luck in the 2000+ bracket!

@hashtagchess Have fun and best of luck in the finals :)

For those who don't know, I qualified for the #chesspunks u2000 champs, taking place on 22 Oct 🏆 I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be trained by GM King (I feel I already learnt a lot in just 1h), and I'm excited to learn and compete against other adult improvers!

@DanielKingChess Thanks, I am too (and will be trying not to fling my pawns forward in the meantime!) 😄

@hashtagchess Was good fun! Looking forward to the next sessions.

@NealBruceBC Good luck with your own training!

@hashtagchess I'm rooting for your Rebecca! Team Daniel :)

@MeerMaurits Thank you!

@hashtagchess Good luck in the event! Hope this coaching will help you do well 😄

Sad news to start the day - I struggle a lot with studying chess books, and Silman's writing is the most accessible I've come across. He had a real gift for writing in an educational and entertaining way, and he will be missed 💔

@natesolon No-increment blitz & puzzle battle during the pandemic had a noticeable negative effect on my chess - I got used to playing on intuition, so then didn't have the patience to calculate when I did have time. Cut back on both this year and can see I'm returning to my 2019 level.

I'm working on an article about how blitz is actually good for your chess. I know lots of people who credit blitz with helping them improve, but I want to consider evidence to the contrary as well. Anyone out there who saw a big improvement after quitting blitz?

@MissLadyJay_ZA 😂 My dashboard recommended I try stream chess. Super helpful!

Thanks Twitch, I think I will give it a shot 😌

@lularobs Happy birthday Lula 🥳🎂🎉

I’m 25 today!! 🎂

@zenmadman "Not easy" is a good way to describe it 😂 Just know that the "1-star" difficulty is a lie in that chapter - I think that was what made the chapter more painful for me! Fortunately the book's balanced with easier chapters - I think there were only two that I really battled with.

@hashtagchess Thanks. Trying not to have too many expectations going in. I've seen one puzzle from Chapter 9 and it looks... not easy.

Started Book 1 in the 9-book Yusupov series, meticulously writing out each answer in my Tactics Training Logbook. Took about 2 hours for chapter 1. I'm thinking of doing one chapter per day for the rest of the month. Talk me off the ledge. Or don't. (1/3) #ChessPunks

@Theoreticalches Are they still blunders if they're the best moves? 🤔 But no, although I would have found it interesting to see how long it took my opponent to capture my free queen!

I know you've had bad chess games, but have you ever had hanging M1 classified as an 'inaccuracy' because it was best to give your queen away for M4? 😂 My opp found Qh8# after 6s, coincidentally their average move time across the entire rapid game - not at all suspicious :)

@KDlearns1 Looking forward to the games (and hoping I can remember everything)!

Created a blindfold account and won a 54 move game! Good prep for some blindfold games vs @hashtagchess on stream today!!