Milestone: 1400 on Lichess Blitz
As fun as winning every game of chess is, some victories are more satisfying than others. Nail-biters, i.e. games decided by fractions of a second, engage every blood vessel and adrenal gland in the body, and when they end it is like escaping from a pack of hungry wolves. Brain-twisters, i.e. games decided by carefully planned strategy and subtly laid traps, engage every neuron and synapse in the brain, and when they end it is like discovering the solution to a long and tangled equation. What makes these victories triumphs is when they elevate one's rating to new heights. Of the four Blitz variations Lichess offers, the two I alternate between are "5+0" and "3+0." I only played 5+0 in the beginning; but, interestingly, when my rating stagnated and I gave 3+0 a try, it soared as though I'd unlocked a secret power. Now, each is a backup for the other. When it feels like I'm in a 5+0 slump, I switch to 3+0; and when 3+0 turns against me, I switch to 5+0...