Melodía J. Parker

Category: Chess

  • An update on my chess progress.

    An update on my chess progress.

    If you’ve been keeping up with my chess progress, then you’ll know that I only started playing chess very recently and that I started on chess.com. On chess.com, I played my very first game to a draw. After a while, I left chess.com and moved on to Lichess. Then, I discovered chess on Duolingo and started playing games on Duolingo (and even winning games there).

    Well, I’ve decided to leave Duolingo and just stick with Lichess. Duolingo was fun, but the games on there weren’t really challenging. I won every game I played, and I think it was because chess on Duolingo is probably geared toward more casual players who maybe play a chess game here and there, but are not interested in learning more. I’m not trying to be in a tournament or anything like that; I just want to get a good challenge.

    After I’ve done some more training and practice on Lichess, I’ll start playing games with other players. Duolingo was just a bit too casual for me. Lichess, along with YouTube videos, is probably all I really need for my chess practice. I’ll be sure to post more as I start getting deeper into chess.

  • Some recent chess wins.

    Some recent chess wins.

    I’ve been playing (and winning!) some more games on Duolingo. Yes, I know, winning chess games on Duolingo doesn’t really count. But, for me, a person who only picked up chess very recently, every win counts for me! My current ELO on Duolingo is 401, which doesn’t mean anything, I know, but it’s a big deal for me!

    Game 2 on Duolingo – Checkmate
    Game 2 on Duolingo – Winning Screen
    Game 3 on Duolingo – Checkmate
    Game 4 on Duolingo – Checkmate
    Game 5 on Duolingo – Checkmate
    Game 5 on Duolingo – Winning Screen
    Game 6 on Duolingo – Checkmate
    Game 7 on Duolingo – Checkmate
  • Winning my first chess game.

    Winning my first chess game.

    You may have remembered that the first time I played a chess game, it was a draw by repetition. Well, since I’ve left chess.com (that is where I played my first chess game), I’ve been using Lichess. However, I just recently discovered that Duolingo also has chess, so I decided to do some lessons on there and then try a game over there. It was a success!

    This is my second chess game I’ve ever played. I managed to win! Unfortunately, Duolingo doesn’t have that nice game animation like chess.com or Lichess has after you play a game, so I could only get a screenshot of when I won.

    Yes, I know how problematic Duolingo can be. Yes, I’m aware that this might not be a “real” win because it was on Duolingo. But, for me, it is a win. I will take a win, on any platform! I’ve only been learning chess for a month, and this is only my second game. It’s going to take (a long) time before I’m good enough to play rated players on Lichess.

  • Leaving chess.com for Lichess.

    Leaving chess.com for Lichess.

    Last month, I wrote about learning how to play chess and playing my first chess game. I’ve been using chess.com this entire time, but I’ve decided that it is time for a change.

    chess.com has excellent tutorials and puzzles, but I find that it’s way too expensive. There’s a lot of bloat, as well. Since I’m a newbie to chess, I am looking for tutorials, puzzles, and game/move analysis. However, these are very limited on chess.com’s free plan. I decided to have a look at lichess.org. This was exactly what I needed! Tutorials! Puzzles! Game/move analysis! And it’s all free and open source.

    I only have one issue with Lichess and that’s the app for Android. It’s nowhere near as good as the website. So, what I did was install the site as a web app to my phone. Now, that way, I can have the same access to all the features on the site. Perhaps one day the app will be better. But, for now, I’ll use it the site as a web app.

  • The results of my first ever chess game.

    The results of my first ever chess game.

    Recently, I played my very first chess game. I am still learning and there are a lot of things I still don’t know. So, when I decided to test the waters on my first game, I will admit that I was a little overwhelmed! I am very, very, very new to chess. So, I will be struggling in these very early games.

    I made a few blunders and mistakes, but I didn’t lose! The game ended in a draw by repetition. I have analyzed my moves and now I definitely understand what I did wrong. I will be playing another game soon to see if I can (hopefully) not make the same blunders and mistakes!

    Here is the game below. I was white.

  • Learning how to play chess.

    Learning how to play chess.

    As some of you know, my dad passed away a few years ago. He loved playing chess. It was his favorite game. He tried to explain it to me when I was younger; he had even bought a game called “Chess Teacher” to try to help me to learn, but I just didn’t understand it. Sadly, I never learned how to play chess while he was still alive. My mom doesn’t play chess either, so he had to play chess solo. He wasn’t interested in joining in any clubs or sites to play chess. We had gotten him a handheld electronic chess game, and he loved it! He could play chess whenever and wherever he wanted. He took it everywhere with him.

    I think I’m still processing my dad’s death. I know he’s gone and that his death was not a surprise (he had suffered from incurable cancer), but I am still in shock that he’s gone. I use his old iPhone as my backup phone as one way to connect to him. However, a few days ago, I had a strong urge to go to chess.com, a site I had never visited. I’m not sure why, maybe my dad’s spirit “nudged” me towards it. Well, I spent some time on the site and I was impressed by the puzzles and lessons. They are perfect for a complete beginner like me. I immediately signed up for an account and downloaded the app. I’ve even started doing some of the daily puzzles! And, even more shocking, I’ve even joined the US Chess Federation! I’m not going to be a Grandmaster or anything like that, but I am thoroughly enjoying chess now! I’ve even purchased a cheap chess set so that I can try the puzzles out on the chessboard before doing them online. I learn better by doing, so having the physical chessboard in front of me will be very helpful.

    I wish my dad could see this. I think he’d be so proud of me, learning a game that I never thought I could learn. I think this is also helping me to keep connecting with him and to process his death. Also, chess is good for your brain!