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Looking Back at 2025

MatthewKCanada

What have you done to deal with or avoid burn out? If you have trouble playing, what do you do to get more games in? Do you have any interesting goals for 2026? Feel free to leave a comment.

What have you done to deal with or avoid burn out? If you have trouble playing, what do you do to get more games in? Do you have any interesting goals for 2026? Feel free to leave a comment.
baberle

Excellent post. I hope to see you keep writing. Something I am going to try to do to avoid my current burned out state is to switch openings. I am also going to try to vary the time controls in which I play and the settings in which I play them. For example, I think I’ll be limiting my 4545 games to just one team league game per week. Then I will fill in with Lichess Ladders and the weekly 960 rapid Arena on Sundays.

Excellent post. I hope to see you keep writing. Something I am going to try to do to avoid my current burned out state is to switch openings. I am also going to try to vary the time controls in which I play and the settings in which I play them. For example, I think I’ll be limiting my 4545 games to just one team league game per week. Then I will fill in with Lichess Ladders and the weekly 960 rapid Arena on Sundays.
tpr

"What have you done to deal with or avoid burn out?"

  • If you are fed up playing, then stop playing. Endgame studies are a good alternative: there is much beauty in them.

"If you have trouble playing, what do you do to get more games in?"

  • Quantity does not matter, quality does. Better fewer but good games. Losses are good as long as you learn from them.

"Do you have any interesting goals for 2026?"

  • Maybe play an over the board tournament again.
"What have you done to deal with or avoid burn out?" * If you are fed up playing, then stop playing. Endgame studies are a good alternative: there is much beauty in them. "If you have trouble playing, what do you do to get more games in?" * Quantity does not matter, quality does. Better fewer but good games. Losses are good as long as you learn from them. "Do you have any interesting goals for 2026?" * Maybe play an over the board tournament again.
Enlightenmania2022

Thank you for sharing.
I've read this post loud, (as usual practicing my English by reading Lichess blogs, which helps a lot by the way!)

Actually, It's amazing that you've never tiled during blitz, I wish I knew the secret to that!

Interesting goals for 2026 ....
Somehow curing my rating anxiety, start playing more, and maybe someday reaching 2000 rating in rapid or classical on Lichess! that was my goal from the beginning, but it turned out to be much harder than I initially thought.

Thank you for sharing. I've read this post loud, (as usual practicing my English by reading Lichess blogs, which helps a lot by the way!) Actually, It's amazing that you've never tiled during blitz, I wish I knew the secret to that! Interesting goals for 2026 .... Somehow curing my rating anxiety, start playing more, and maybe someday reaching 2000 rating in rapid or classical on Lichess! that was my goal from the beginning, but it turned out to be much harder than I initially thought.
Pineapplechiffoncake

I hope you continue to write! I enjoy your writing style and the article was very relatable.
My main goal for 2026 is to learn reduce my nervousness when playing classical and especially 4545 league games. Chess is more fun when you aren't having palpitations. Just playing more seems to help by making individual games seems less important, so I hope to make time for at least 2 long games per week.

I hope you continue to write! I enjoy your writing style and the article was very relatable. My main goal for 2026 is to learn reduce my nervousness when playing classical and especially 4545 league games. Chess is more fun when you aren't having palpitations. Just playing more seems to help by making individual games seems less important, so I hope to make time for at least 2 long games per week.
southernrun

Sounds like you have made some positive changes and so hopefully things heading into next year will be better. Hope to see you write more blogs as always insightful. And a good reminder for the use of the manual with the steps method as I tend to forget and just go to the puzzles.

Sounds like you have made some positive changes and so hopefully things heading into next year will be better. Hope to see you write more blogs as always insightful. And a good reminder for the use of the manual with the steps method as I tend to forget and just go to the puzzles.