The Spreadsheet I Used To Get To 2500

After I posted my blog about breaking 2500, I got a lot of requests to share the spreadsheet I used to track my results. While I don't think this been some big key for improvement for me, tracking my blitz games and reviewing the data has been a good experience for me. Perhaps it will be for you as well.

Basically, after every blitz game I play, I add the game to a Google Spreadsheet, putting in the game URL, title and rating of the opponent, color I played, result, opening, time left on the clock for I and my opponent, and game accuracy. I may also add some other notes in a text field. If you want to make a copy of the spreadsheet template I used, you can do so here:

COPY SPREADSHEET TEMPLATE

First, I should credit IM Greg Shahade for this idea. I took it directly from the last video on his YouTube channel. The reason he uses a spreadsheet is to avoid tilt by looking at his performance in game over longer stretches, but I also it for a few other purposes.

1. Avoiding tilt.

As credited above, this is Greg Shahade's idea. Tilt is common in chess, and it's often a result of short-term thinking. If you lose several games in a row or lose a particularly bad game, you may start to be frustrated with yourself or your opponent, the chess world, your upbringing, your internet connection, etc. etc. Tilt tends to lead to worse play, which leads to more tilt, which leads worse play, and so on. It's a truly vicious cycle. Losing games is part of chess. So is losing to players rated much lower than you, losing to a dirty flag, losing because you blundered your queen in a crushing position, and so on. We all KNOW that these things will happen, but in the moment, we fixate on these "unjust" losses and our vanished rating points.

By tracking your results over not just one game, but over the last 10, or even the last 100, you take a bigger picture view and can better process bad games as a natural part of play. Keep in mind that you also benefit from the same gaffes from your opponents, but somehow most people don't see errors from their opponents as "unjust" in the way they see their own blunders.

2. Being mindful about my games.

It's easy to start a game, finish, click new game, and repeat until suddenly you look up, and it's 3 a.m., and you've played 100 games and lost twice that many rating points. If you are like me, you barely remember any of these games, and any opening errors you made, wins you missed, or other interesting moments have come and gone with me none the wiser. It's nearly impossible to learning anything this way, and it's also just not that enjoyable. I love chess! I like reviewing games and finding all sorts of ideas and variations hiding inside.

Taking a break between each game to run Game Review and have a look at key points keeps me grounded. I get more out of each game, and I find that I play more strongly in my games when I've had a moment to clear my head from the last game before starting a new one.

3. Detecting patterns.

Do you ever feel like you are just repeating the same mistakes over, and over, and over again? Worse yet, are you unable to identify the repeat mistakes you are making?

Addressing mistakes in your own play often involves first identifying those mistakes. Systematic review of my games is incredibly helpful in this regard. For instance, I can measurably say that I am much worse at time management - on average - than my opponents. When I don't fall behind my opponents on the clock, I perform massively better. I've also observed that when I am in a slump, my time management is even worse than usual. The moves literally seems to come a second or two slower on every move. My worst slumps often aren't because I am playing worse, but because I'm playing more slowly.

Some other observations are identifying specific opening variations that I repeatedly struggle with, identifying conceptual errors I routinely make like overoptimistically evaluating positions, or being impatient in critical moments.

One mantra I've honed in to improve my time management and approach in critical positions is "Shut if down, or speed it up." In good positions, I often slow down, looking to win soon, BUT I don't slow down enough in critical moments where I sense the opportunity for forced mates or massive wins of material to find the absolutely crushing lines I seek. Then I get in time pressure and may spoil my winning positions. My goal has been to better identify these critical moments and seize on them, BUT if I can't find these wins, I need to speed up and appreciate that most blitz games will still be decided on the clock, even if I have a +1, +2, or +3 position.

4. Celebrating achievements.

Celebrating achievements has (to my knowledge) little to no benefits for improvements, but to me, it's very important to enjoy all of our successes and highlights. Chess is a difficult game. Taking a moment to celebrate a brilliant move, a very accurate game, a quality combination, a winning streak, or any other proud moment, is very valuable for keeping yourself motivated. It's also fantastic to be able to share these achievements with others! Obviously, it's empowering to post a highlight on social media and get some likes, but it's also a great joy of mine to see others sharing their beautiful moves. I LOVE chess positions, and I enjoy beautiful ideas from other games almost as much as I enjoy the special occasions when I can play them in my own games.

Do you track your games in any way? What are you working on in your game, and how do you measure your improvement?