Watch out for Ghosts...

[Roni]

29. A couple days to go til 2022. How was everyone's year like?

 

[Lycanthropy]

30. HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLES!! ~

I've been okay, I've managed to stay alive and mostly sane through the mess that the world and my life is in, so that's good!

As far as Pokémon goes, I have gotten a bit out of the loop. I did start a Randomized Soullocke the other day though with user gimmepie. We're both playing a randomized version of SoulSilver, where the Pokémon I caught on, say, Route 42 is linked to his Route 42 catch. That means if either is on the team, the other will need to be on the team in the linked game as well. And if one dies... the linked Pokémon perishes too. :c
It's been going pretty good so far! We're at four badges with only a few deaths which were mostly GP's fault smh.

So what has everybody else been up to? :D

 

[Zeostar]

31.

@Roni if you see this, I just took my turn.

I'm pretty sure you just won, but it was a nice game. Very well played and your definitely the stronger player. It was greatly played with how you broke my kingside. I actually have never seen that around our rating range. Most people will just trade down the center, and honestly I thought that's what you would play into.

 

[Roni]

31.

@Roni if you see this, I just took my turn.

I'm pretty sure you just won, but it was a nice game. Very well played and your definitely the stronger player. It was greatly played with how you broke my kingside. I actually have never seen that around our rating range. Most people will just trade down the center, and honestly I thought that's what you would play into.

32.

A very good game indeed Zeo! I believe you would fair better if we played with standard time rules however. I'm pretty sure I only performed well because I had literal days to think through the moves. I'm down to try a 15-20 min match next :)

I always prefer to go for the mating pattern when I can. Trading down simplifies stuff for sure, but I tend to not be patient enough to get that happening lol.

Oh, and I don't recall if I've already asked you this or not, but do you use lichess?

 

[Zeostar]

32.

A very good game indeed Zeo! I believe you would fair better if we played with standard time rules however. I'm pretty sure I only performed well because I had literal days to think through the moves. I'm down to try a 15-20 min match next :)

I always prefer to go for the mating pattern when I can. Trading down simplifies stuff for sure, but I tend to not be patient enough to get that happening lol.

Oh, and I don't recall if I've already asked you this or not, but do you use lichess?

33.

I got lazy. I should have taken advantage of the fact that I had days to think, but I mostly procrastinated and made my turn at the final moments.

I'm side tracked by ELO goal. Still fixated on reaching 1,000. No lichess, but maybe when I hit that goal on chess.com.

Some days I play above 1,000. (hence why i've won against people in those ratings). Other times I play like a 400. I need to get a handle on consistency. I seem to play way better when I'm playing for fun. When I get near 1,000, it becomes solely about hitting that number and I fall back.

 

[Roni]

34.

Fixating on arbitrary numbers like a true gentleman~ For me, when I reach a certain ELO, I get too scared to play others knowing I'm gonna face stronger opponents and definitely get crushed. I want to keep my rating more than anything, even if I don't technically deserve it what with my attitude. I don't listen to my own advice it seems lol.

I don't think it's about consistency of skill, it's just frequency of playing and learning. Everyone will have a bunch of off days to start with, but they start diminishing the further you go down the path. Here's a fun idea, put opaque tape over the area where your ELO is shown, so you won't see it and thus it won't become a factor lol (although I thought chess.com would've had an option to hide your own rating at this point).

 

[Zeostar]

34.

Fixating on arbitrary numbers like a true gentleman~ For me, when I reach a certain ELO, I get too scared to play others knowing I'm gonna face stronger opponents and definitely get crushed. I want to keep my rating more than anything, even if I don't technically deserve it what with my attitude. I don't listen to my own advice it seems lol.

I don't think it's about consistency of skill, it's just frequency of playing and learning. Everyone will have a bunch of off days to start with, but they start diminishing the further you go down the path. Here's a fun idea, put opaque tape over the area where your ELO is shown, so you won't see it and thus it won't become a factor lol (although I thought chess.com would've had an option to hide your own rating at this point).

35.

You can set your rating range to face higher and lower players. I think mine is set around 300+ and -300. I can get a good variety. This is why I keep going against 1000+ rated players.

Of course, this means if I mess up against someone rated 600 or so, I'm plummeting tons of points. And for some reason, many players around 600 like trying gambits. I never figured out what to do against those.

I love when the other person tries scholars mate. When you memorize the lines, it's not threatening at all.

 

[Zeostar]

34.

Fixating on arbitrary numbers like a true gentleman~ For me, when I reach a certain ELO, I get too scared to play others knowing I'm gonna face stronger opponents and definitely get crushed. I want to keep my rating more than anything, even if I don't technically deserve it what with my attitude. I don't listen to my own advice it seems lol.

I don't think it's about consistency of skill, it's just frequency of playing and learning. Everyone will have a bunch of off days to start with, but they start diminishing the further you go down the path. Here's a fun idea, put opaque tape over the area where your ELO is shown, so you won't see it and thus it won't become a factor lol (although I thought chess.com would've had an option to hide your own rating at this point).

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^ ^_^_^

Over a year and I finally hit my goal.

Thank you for the advice and encouraging me to keep trying.

 

[Roni]

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^ ^_^_^

37.

CONGRATS ZEO :D :D :D Super proud of you! Now you can finally put this challenge to rest haha, but ofc please don't stop playing chess!

 

[Hyzenthlay]

38

Oh wow, congrats Zeo, what a great achievement!! Must feel amazing! :D

 

[Zeostar]

37.

CONGRATS ZEO :D :D :D Super proud of you! Now you can finally put this challenge to rest haha, but ofc please don't stop playing chess!

Thank you for the game Roni! It was very fun. Next time it could easily swing the other way. You did a very good job at stopping all my checkmates, so I was forced into winning through pawn promotion. I was really hoping for a knight fork, so I kept in the center for much of the game. You didn't open any opportunity for it.

I played the opening that pushed me into 1,000 (Giuoco Piano), I'm willing to dong more silly stuff though.

38

Oh wow, congrats Zeo, what a great achievement!! Must feel amazing! :D

Thanks! It really did feel amazing. I got so close so many times and kept falling back. It made me think I was never capable of doing it. Words couldn't even describe how happy I felt.

I woke up at 7:00 AM that day and decided "This has to be it". I played until 4:00 PM in the evening hours, and finally reached my goal. Utterly tiring, but so worth it.

 

[Roni]

Thank you for the game Roni! It was very fun. Next time it could easily swing the other way. You did a very good job at stopping all my checkmates, so I was forced into winning through pawn promotion. I was really hoping for a knight fork, so I kept in the center for much of the game. You didn't open any opportunity for it.

I played the opening that pushed me into 1,000 (Giuoco Piano), I'm willing to dong more silly stuff though.

Ohh so that's what that opening was called lol. I didn't even think about a fork as I was too busy trying to find a way to kick it out of the center, or any possible hanging pieces/traps, but nah you kept everything very well guarded~ 94% accuracy! Very exceptional

Honestly I felt like resigning as soon as you got both your rooks in my back ranks, as it seemed a checkmate or an endgame in your favor was inevitable at that point :p Giving you a full piece advantage at the early mid game just to try and throw you off was one of my biggest mistakes :p I got thrown off myself lmao.

Also, as you could notice, not even 30 mins was enough for my slow ass lmao. I saw that you kept adding 15 seconds to my time xD Thanks so much for that.

40.

 

[Zeostar]

Ohh so that's what that opening was called lol. I didn't even think about a fork as I was too busy trying to find a way to kick it out of the center, or any possible hanging pieces/traps, but nah you kept everything very well guarded~ 94% accuracy! Very exceptional

Honestly I felt like resigning as soon as you got both your rooks in my back ranks, as it seemed a checkmate or an endgame in your favor was inevitable at that point :p Giving you a full piece advantage at the early mid game just to try and throw you off was one of my biggest mistakes :p I got thrown off myself lmao.

Also, as you could notice, not even 30 mins was enough for my slow ass lmao. I saw that you kept adding 15 seconds to my time xD Thanks so much for that.

40.

Regarding my thoughts on the game

I didn't expect 94% accuracy on my end. But I'm also fresh off that massive winning streak and hitting my goal, so I was in a very good state of mind during this game. That always helps of course.

When you tossed the knight out I was almost scared about taking it. I thought it was an elaborate checkmate trap, so I scanned the board about three times before figuring "Uh I guess it's...safe"?

During the center commotion, you would have had a pawn fork if I captured with the knight instead of my bishop. I really did not want to give up that bishop either.

I didn't know what to do with the timer. Would it be better if I don't mess with it? Thought it would be disappointing if we ended in a timeout.

 

[Roni]

42. Lemme just quickly revive this thread since it's pinned and hasn't had activity in over a month :p Howdy howdy y'all~

 

[Hyzenthlay]

43

Hihi! I was just re-taking this good old personality quiz and thought I'd share - I want to know everyone's results!! https://www.dragonflycave.com/quizzes/what-pokemon-are-you

This is the one I usually get, though I've gotten Teddiursa in the past!

 

[Zeostar]

44

I don't think it's given me this one before.

 

[ReKoil]

45

interesting result lol

 

[Roni]

46

I think I've taken this test thrice now and I get Pikachu everytime lmao

 

[Hyzenthlay]

47

Haha, I'd forgotten about that Magikarp one! I remember a few others that were quite amusing, too - mostly the edgy ones! Like Absol's, haha

Pikachu and Alakazam seem quite fitting, though!

 

[Sprigatito]

48
I got charizard, which is wrong. I'm not social