I guess I flatline at Maria (1200)

Now I hear word the computer is inflated by 200 or so...that aside.

I've been playing a ton of the AI moving through, learning, taking all the lessons I can. Not jumping online yet really, just getting 'decent.' And I thought I was doing pretty well. I started winning against a fair amount of AI, winning most games around 1000, and even taking a few 1600 games...

But now, after working my way up the ranks...I hit Maria (1200)...and something just isn't right. It feel different. She wins 95% of games. No matter how I played before. It's like, this new AI is saying...'the way YOU played the entire time...terrible.' The difference between the AI character just before was close rating, but I won against him with not nearly as much a problem.

I guess I just need to get gud. It's sad that 1200 is where I hit my first ceiling. Pretty low.

I used to feel like that about "Laura".  Even though she is 1100 (inflated) she felt harder to me than the other 1100 bots.  I played her a lot and then won a few games and got more confident.  Maybe the way the Maria bot plays is harder for you than the other bots at that level

It just feels like Maria is playing at a WAY higher rating than 1200. She's bouncing around, forcing me to places, pinning me, and then moving and repining and making it look super easy. No matter how much time I put in. It doesn't feel anything like the other 1000-1600 level AI characters. I'm not whining (although it feels like it), I just think it feels off that I'm stuck on this clearly better than 1200 bot.

Could not agree more! I've been stuck on her for weeks...she destroys me and makes no mistakes. And when I review the game summary, all of her moves are almost always excellent or best. I refuse to give up and move past her, but c'mon now.

Yeup

Pah, I'm just decidedly average and smashed her about with a simple queen discovered attack then took all her friends. Nelson , that's my nemesis 🤣

I archived the game so you could check it out, to be fair it was a good game from me. I do appreciate the post is many months old however the forum is my social group 😬

I'm an 800 rapid player and been playing bots trying to improve for a little over a year.  Overall I start having genuine trouble with the 1500 bots but can more often than than not win up to that level. IMO some days various individual lower level, 1000 through 1400 bots,  are a lot tougher than usual.  IMO it varies from day to day and bot to bot.

Yes!!!! Maria is making me question whether I want to actually play Chess or not. She low key makes me want to kill myself. 

I had a very hard time. It came down to two rooks vs two rooks end game for me.

https://www.chess.com/game/computer/26741157

I have a friend with similar rating who has struggled with Maria she seems to be a strong test for players around the rapid 700-800 mark

Hmm, I hear the Bots are inflated and have higher rating than a human counterpart would have, but Maria is 1200...is the difference up to 500?

BTW, update. I've beat Maria awhile ago. I'm on Advanced Pablo now. I've got a star on him, but he's tough! So, if I'm playing 1600 level bots now, I'm probably 1100 online against humans?

I still don't play humans (other than my friends) online yet. I know it's a bad habit, but I'm learning the basics, and ridding myself of basic blunders first.

Thanks ya'll.

#14 buster - it's hard to say and imo depends on the difference between playing bots of a certain level and regularly beating bots of that level. For example I'm trying to beat all the bots and am currently stuck on Sakura (2200)... But when I eventually manage to beat her that won't mean I'm better than her, it will mean I've concentrated, played a good game and minimised my mistakes while capitalising on hers... In 1 game out of the 20,30 or 40 games we've had. So if you're playing 1600 bots that doesn't tell us much, but yea if a player was regularly beating the 1600 level bots I would expect them to be able to regularly beat humans rated 1100 - higher in fact, id say 1300 perhaps, maybe higher, it's hard to be sure

Thanks Anxious! Ya, I can't regularly beat Pablo (1600). But I feel like I will be able to in the near future. I definitely see much more now when I play. I rarely blunder pieces, I see pins, skewers and forks now...I just need to start learning what trades are better, and positionally what looks good and what looks wrong. I'm also learning openings now. 

The adaptive bots are strange though. Like Devon and Natasha...they play really well, and then make super stupid blunders to give you the edge back if you make mistakes yourself. I guess humans make stupid blunders too...it's trying to balance the accuracy between the players.

Try playing Santa (1200) - I found he plays well for a while and goes to pieces at the start of the endgame.

What is worrying is that I logged into play computer and found a game against Argentina which I have absolutely no recollection of. I don't do drugs and haven't had a drink in 5 years. Maybe this is the onset of dementia?

Try to get a piece or two off her, castle, then offer a queen trade. She'll do it, and if you're better positioned at that point then endgame comes soon enough. That's how I beat her.

I wish I had all the bots unlocked.. I get stuck on Isabel. She's really tough.