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To play for fun or to play to improve rating?

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  Humans are competitive. I'm not going to pay to get better, but I do as many free puzzles as I can each day on Chess.com.  My lowest ranking came when I had Covid and I played anyway because I was bored. I thought I was heading to 700, 800, 900. I have to admit, my rating has dipped. I've gone on spurts of playing and if my rating goes up I get quite excited, but the habit of playing often takes over and I enjoy the game and I keep playing even if my rating goes down.  I think I have this idea that if I play a few games and really concentrate and put pressure on myself to win, then my rating will go up. Sometimes I like to play instinctually and there are unseen consequences to it. I like blitz games, 5 minutes each, because there's not too much thinking.  11/22/24 Ding Liren is the world champion. I thought it was Magnus Carlsen, who I learned relinquished his title in 2022. Didn't know it was Ding Liren who took the crown in 2023.  Gukesh Dommaraju is...
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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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