The first half of this blog is a rant; a rant directed at this thing…

More specifically, when this thing ends up like this…

The timer is a necessary evil, one that I have appreciated when my opponent is stalling out a lost game on purpose, but one I detest when backed into a corner. I would estimate 15-20% of my lost games are not due to my opponent, but due to this ticking nuisance ticking me off. This may also be a symptom of being newer to the game, as it takes quite a lot of focus and attention for extended periods of time to figure out my next move, but even spectating masters you see the timer show its force.

In terms of game length, there are multiple options and categories available for play.

“In chess, the categories of short time limits are: “bullet“, “blitz“, and “rapid“. “Bullet” games are the fastest, with either a very short time limit per move (such as ten seconds) or a very short total time (such as one or two minutes). “Blitz” games typically give five to ten minutes per player, and “rapid” games give between ten and sixty minutes”.

The game mode I have preferred is ten minute “rapid” which seems to be the standard in online chess communities. I enjoy rapid the most as it seems like almost enough time for me to fully think out my moves, which forces me to learn patterns and commit to lines I otherwise might not commit to if I had more time. Although blitz (5 minutes) and bullet (1 minute) have also challenged me in different ways, I often find I learn less from those games as I end up guessing a LOT. Maybe the next Check Check Check in will feature a different time category! Speaking of…

For this week’s blog I thought we would also do our first “Check Check Check in” which will be accompanying videos where I narrate my thought process while playing the game. The hope of this series of videos will be to see my knowledge and thought process expand over the course of this inquiry into chess. At least that is the hope!

Thanks for reading/watching, keep your piece of mind and your mind for pieces!

Best, jordan