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Sally Rooney story about a chess player

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In the New Yorker , called Opening Theory.  She brings up an interesting thing. You play to your level, and then if you play above that you always lose, and if you play below that you always win. It's really hard to get your level. Online chess is pretty good, though honestly my rating has gone up and down and it seems sometimes I play a lot and don't care if I lose, and sometimes I just play a few games, and I get out of shape thinking about chess.  Rooney is a really cool writer, who really gets in there and describes romantic relationships. My guess is she's making a parallel with guys a man makes on a woman, and the opening theory of a chess player who studies all the major openings. It's a good example of her writing for those who want to try her out.  World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov (right) in a demonstration chess game, 1978 | Photo: Vladimir Rodionov
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Minor accomplishment for me

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So on Chess.com you can do leagues, where you just get points for every win (9 for 5 minute games (Blitz), 15 points for Rapid (10 Min). 3 minute Bullet were always too fast for me (you get 3 points).  It's a fairly crude tournament, you can just grind yourself to a win. But it makes you play a lot of chess, and focus on winning because you don't get points when you lose. I don't like to quit when I get behind but I'm more and more inclined to give up, despite spectacular comebacks. Sometimes it's too dire. Sometimes it's sweet relief to get checkmated, to play someone who has that quick killer instinct.  Sometimes in games I imagine both of us have our hands around each other's necks, choking each other, who's going to pass out first?  Playing a lot has improved my ranking, I got it up to 800, which is nothing, I know, but it's something to me because I live in the 700's. I think my highest ranking is 908 when I won my first game. You start out ...
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