"Portrait of a Man Playing Chess" by Gwenn Seemel is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Rediscovering Fun in Chess
Sometimes our enjoyment of chess wanes. Perhaps all you need is a fresh look at why and how you play.Why I Questioned Myself
Over the past few years I've been a bit frustrated that my Lichess blitz rating is stuck around 1500 - 1600. (Why I consider only my blitz rating here is a subject for another post.) If you're in a similar situation, perhaps my recent realizations will help you leave your frustrations behind.
When I started on Lichess I was in the 1300's, so I have improved, but that improvement stopped a couple years ago. I don't have time to study chess consistently nor deeply with a home, family, and full time job requiring my attention, so I never expected any dramatic rating increases--but not even a little more? I had hoped one day to be 1800 or 2000 on Lichess blitz because then I could beat most people I encounter online...but would I?
Maybe not.
Self-reflection
What do I do when I come to play online? I choose opponents around my rating. As my rating went up or down, so were the ratings of those I played against. So being rated 2000 wouldn't change that, I'd just have to make extra sure to play extra carefully all the time. I realized that this is not why I play chess.
I play chess because the game is fun and can even get exciting! "Fun" is subjective; it's different for everyone. I thought one level deeper--what is fun for me about chess? I came up with a few ideas:
- Surprise: I usually don't want to be way overpowered and lose quickly, but I don't necessarily want to stomp on and too easily win against my opponent either
- Ability to play my game: as long as I have a chance to play my best I don't care if I win or lose...usually
- Creativity: producing ideas and seeing how they unfold on the board
Playing against others around the my rating on Lichess touches all these items:
- Surprise: Yes, I'm going to blunder because that is my skill level. But you know what? It's likely my opponent will too! I've had some rather thrilling games due to mistakes on both sides. I even turn off the ratings display so I won't even know if they are slightly better or worse than I am; that's just a distraction anyway.
- Ability to play the game my way: I lose about half my games, but I still get to choose how I deal with a bad position. I know my decisions may be poor, but I get to try the best I could at the time.
- Creativity: the multitude of pieces and their move styles makes it easy to try new, crazy, and interesting ideas. When I don't know what to do I've been known to make a move just because it looks like it'll lead in an interesting direction, although not necessarily winning.
Question Yourself
So if you wished you enjoyed chess more, take a deep, humble look at yourself. What happens in the games you enjoy the most? When do you feel a rush or happiness or excited in a game? Once you have some answers then ask yourself why those things bring you enjoyment or a thrill. Once you figure that out tell Lichess to find or create games that are likely to have traits you'll enjoy, or learn how to guide the game in the direction you prefer.
Consider how game characteristics affect your mood: having more or less time per game, more or less challenging opponents, open or closed games, sharp or solid positions, etc. If you're not sure where to start, change some settings (even ones you normally wouldn't), play a few games, and see how you feel.
I hope you found this article interesting and/or helpful. If you find your enjoyment in chess wavering, I hope you'll find your way back to full enjoyment again.