Back to 2000 Bullet Rating on Chess.com

I have been making some progress on my Chess.com bullet rating recently and I just wanted to share how much it has changed in the past 30 days. Honestly, this doesn't really give any idea of a person's actual chess level since there are so many factors that contribute to a person's online chess rating especially in bullet. However, if you were to look at the individual games closely, then you might see trends on how one generally plays.

For example, I tend to use just one type of opening when I play bullet because I try to maximize the amount of time that I have and having to think for a long time because the position is unfamiliar could potentially cost me the game. This also comes with several downsides.

First, if you stick with one opening structure, your play tends to become predictable. Of course, it's not a big deal if people aren't really spectating your games but if you were to play one opponent for an extended period of time then they might get accustomed to your playing style and adapt accordingly. This has happened to me a lot because I play almost the same moves in every single game.

Second, you tend to lose sight of other possible moves that might result in a better outcome. I have been used to blitzing and pre-moving because you generally have an idea of how you want to play the game. But if you don't stop to think about your moves, you will inevitably end up with almost the same result over and over again given that you use the same opening structure or make the same moves. Granted, your opponent may change things up and you might get lucky enough to get a good position out of it but it's not guaranteed that things will turn out in your favor in the end.

Having said that, I would say that my win percentage has generally been around 50% for all games. I have a slightly higher win percentage as White though the difference is negligible. One advantage I have with playing this way is that I get to see various responses to my playing style although there are several cases in which I also see almost the same structure every time. Though since I'm playing bullet, I have this mindset of playing my moves quickly so as not to fall behind on time to the detriment of my position.

A big factor why I was able to increase my rating relatively quickly in a short span of time is luck. In chess as in life, luck does play a big factor. Sure, you can prepare openings or hone your middle game or end game techniques but there are times especially in the online setting when luck becomes the deciding factor. I have seen my rating fluctuate extremely but there are times when I'm able to keep my composure for most of the time I'm playing and have good games all around. There are times when I play and have a good position but lose because I don't have time. And there are times when I'm in a losing position but win because of time. It's bullet. Time plays a big role.

So far, I haven't really reached a point where I can say that I have greatly improved my chess skill because if I had, then I would probably be able to go toe to toe with really strong players even in bullet but as it stands I'm not confident enough to say that. I've tried playing some blitz games as well and I have noticed a slight improvement but not enough to really say that I've surpassed myself. My next goal is to reach 2100 in bullet and 2000 in blitz.