Blitz and quick games: just fun or something else?

I have recently discovered Live Chess here. I always had rejected that kind of chess games, felt it was a nonsense moving so quick, but now I'm wondering that, apart from the extreme fun you get from those games, whether there is or not some learning values on it. I mean, do you develop some chess skills by playing these way? Or, on the contrary, is it disruptive because you get used to superficial chess and after that you don't analyze in depth positions?

I really don't know what to think about it. 

I know many strong players (2000+) that play blitz and they all feel that it is a good way to view many positions and learn openings. While it probably isn't recommended as preparation for a tournament, I don't see how it can destroy your game assuming you stick to the way you play in longer time controls. Personally, I feel blitz is good practice.

One of its faults is hurting your timing (moving too fast in longer time controls), but again, that is another reason why its not recommended tournament practice. 

Personaly I play blitz just for fun. My blitz-rating jumps up and down between 1950 and 2100.

To improve ones game it's better to play slow chess, do exersices, analyse your games etc....

There is no educational value to blitz.  Play it for fun, or don't play it ay all.

Yes you do learn somethings u wouldnt in a slower games such as calculating faster with accuracy should be a basic goal if nothing else, increases some attacking idea's because its practice and not serious as much as a slower time control. But it doesnt really help the finer details of playing like the slower form does. Be warned though faster chess can make u play your slower chess faster to which would make your over all chess worse in my view. I rekon u play slower chess for more serious calculating and faster chess for fun mostly...

Soooo..... what you learn is how to play blitz better? 

I'll grant you that.

Who are the best blitz players?

The strong slow chess players!

The better you get at slow chess, the more and the faster you can recongize patterns. Blitz is a lot about pattern recognition.

I think blitz gives you a chance to play many games in a short period of time, and for someone at my playing level It is a big
help, by showing you the really BAD moves. 

I agree with the pitts.  I'm not a great player but I'm miles better than I was ten years ago when I played in tournaments.  I think the 1-5 minute games are rediculous.  However, the 10-15 minute time controls allow you to play a totally valid game of chess.  When I was a kid in tournaments I might spend 3-4 minutes per move in the opening and lose due to time.  I think it's better to have lots of blitz practice to reinforce the memorization of openings and tactics.  Then maybe you can spend 30 seconds per move in the opening and have more time than your opponent in the endgame.

Just my opinion.

 

FreeCat> I mean, do you develop some chess skills by playing these way?

Blitz can quickly reveal holes in a new opening repertoire and it reveals tactics you still cannot 'see' but rather have to calculate. Blitz is a good test; blitz is not good OTB training. It throws off your timing, discourages good habits such as tactical scans every move, encourages unsound but tricky moves, encourages wood pushing, etc. 

There's one exception. Playing with a +5 increment can be useful in learning how to deal with OTB time scrambles. Here's an excerpt from an interview with NM Dan Heisman:

Atkins> You recommend playing slow games instead of blitz. Why?

Heisman> Two reasons, well documented by me: 1) No world-class blitz player got that way by playing blitz, and 2) You can't learn about a position without thinking about it for a while, and you can't compare similarities of a previous position's "lessons learned" to see if they apply in a short amount of time. Therefore to learn how to play positions you must play lots of slow games - and besides you can't play Real Chess quickly - it is just not possible.

Blitz is also alot of fun, so despite all this I still get in some games. :)

Of course, the chess blitz has a huge educational values! If, you are a good student of the game

Most players I know play blitz for fun/relaxation more than anything else. I dont think blitz helps much in playing better slow chess except perhaps when you run short of time and are involved in a time scramble. Before the internet a lot of players could only play a few hours a week, usually at a chess club or having another chess player over one evening a week or going to their house. (this was my situation for many years) When you can only play a few hours a week its much more fun to play many games of blitz rather than a couple of slow games in the same time frame. My slow games came in tournaments and such games are not much fun , to be honest, with the pressure thats normally involved in tournaments. With the net....everything has changed. I still think playing a lot of blitz only makes one better in blitz though and really doesnt help much in slow/tournament games, except in time scrambles. However, when I have studied chess and raised my slow otb rating I found my blitz also improved.

You need perform your skills as much, as you can!

The chess was exploded!

 The blitz is one of best methods of chess training!

You need think very fast, deep and smart, to win, or survive at the chess battle! 

I think it is important to be able to calculate variations quickly and accurately, even at longer time controls.

Consider for example GM Hikaru Nakamura, who has played tens of thousands of games of blitz (and quick) on ICC. Not only does he hold some (incredible) ICC records; he has also recently consolidated his position as one of the world's top grandmasters, now rated just under 2700 FIDE.

Right! Play Blitz!

Anatoly Karpov was  the World Blitz Champion, too...

And Tal, Bronstein, Kasparov, Kramnik,  Anand... 

Now it is a chess new reality! It is not time of Botvinnik's slow methods, that worked good, at the past!.. 

Play Blitz! And think blitz! 

Since you've brought up Super-GM Nakamura, I'll point out that even he has stated that he doesn't consider blitz games the right way to hone normal chess skills. He used the tried and true "slow analysis of master games" method to move up from 2000.

Goldowsky> You're well known for your blitz prowess. Do you use blitz as a training tool?

Nakamura> I treat it mostly as a completely different type of game. It’s not the same as normal chess.

Goldowsky> Do you have any favorite chess books that you've read over the years?

Nakamura> I think when I was younger, around 2000 (USCF), I look at Fischer's 60 Memorable Games.

Well, alright. But if you don't believe that playing blitz has any particular benefits, at least there is some evidence that it doesn't necessarily harm your game.

I'm quite sure these GMs do benefit from it though, even if they don't realise it. If nothing else, they can try out new opening ideas that they would be afraid to try for the first time over the board.

claymore> there is some evidence that it doesn't necessarily harm your game.

You have a point. His game is superb at both time controls. :)

I started out playing all long games.  Now I don't have the time to play a bunch of long games.  I do think playing blitz can help you just as much as playing long games. 

 

First reason.  You get good at playing the opening fast.  In many games I can get out of the opening in around 10-20 seconds.  In a long game this leaves me with much more time to calculate in the really important points as well. 

Second reason.  You learn what you really know.  If you can pull off a king +p versus k draw in a few seconds flat then you know you KNOW it. 

 

Third reason.  You have to zone into the keys into the position and learn where you should be putting most of your thought- a huge key to chess especially long chess. 

Forget about the parts of the position which don't matter.  If there is a mate in 2 pending then why would you be thinking about winning a piece on the other side of the board.  A simple illustration of how you need to see the important points of the position(as in anything in life). 

There are many moves which can be played without much thought.  Then  there are moves which must be calculated.  Once you find your plan the other moves just follow naturally.   Until you get to that point where you have to think again ;D