My plan is to not login to my account, not check out chess news, not to solve any puzzles, not to open any of my books... I guess I'd like to say "not to think about chess" but that's probably not realistic. But the idea is to step back, clear the mind...
Taking a break from Chess. The 100+ Day Challenge.
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Jun 9, 2019
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#3
I plan to come back in late September and, with a more clear mind, start the real work on improving my chess. I believe I have been very inconsistent in my "endeavors" and want to get serious about chess. This is why, I think, a break is necessary. Perhaps it's the most important first step...
Jun 9, 2019
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#4
Toward my quest of becoming a good chess player. But before one can master the game, one needs to master himself - make the necessary adjustments in Life and develop good habits.
Jun 9, 2019
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#5
And when I am back, I plan to use the site primarily as a learning tool to "re-learn" chess. I have no illusions that taking a break will automatically improve my game. The break is necessary to leave the past bad habits in the rear-end window. After that, the real work begins... 
It will be interesting to see how my plan will play out in the future.
best wishes for your plan.
a website blocker might help?
what are you going to do with your chess-time instead?
Jun 10, 2019
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#7
Best wishes for your plan.
When you return to chess, think out how you'll work to improve in a way that maximizes your gains.
For example, instead of simply trying to solve Tactics Trainer problems here or elsewhere and hoping that it will improve your chess by experience alone, study each problem you do. Identify and be able to name and demonstrate the key tactic involved - there are lists of tactics where you can find them if you don't know them. If it was hard to solve, ask yourself why it took you so long to see it. When you win or lose games, ask yourself why and study the game with engine analysis.
Finally, some words of wisdom from what's becoming a modern classic chess book:
Martin Weteschnik says in his very excellent Chess Tactics from Scratch, 2nd Ed. (c.2012) (pp. 16-23): "Solving tactical puzzles without fully understanding the underlying mechanisms is not the most efficient way to learn. Instead you must first understand the elements of combinations....[the patterns] might look...trivial...but might turn up in complicated situations. Only if you know these simple patterns by heart will you be able to recognize them in very difficult situations. Have you ever lost due to an unforeseen [tactic]? [From such] games,...put the positions on a board and try to figure out why these [tactics] came as surprises. Don't be satisfied with just being able to pinpoint the exact mistakes. Always try to understand the underlying causes of your defeats. In some sense all defeats are caused by lack of understanding. So the question one must ask oneself after a loss is: What more do I need to understand to improve my chess?”
You should slowly memorize, and then review from time-to-time, lists of tactics and positions like:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-tactics--definitions-and-examples
https://chesstempo.com/tactical-motifs.html
https://chesstempo.com/positional-motifs.html
Jun 10, 2019
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#8
To me it just seems like another flavor of "this magic bullet will make me improve."
Not that I blame people... real life is pretty boring i.e. you improve by working at it. Not because you read a special book, or did a special exercise, or (lol) stopped playing for 100 days.
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Although if you really love e.g. blitz, then that can be a motivator. I've done stuff like that before "I'll give up blitz, because I love it so much, until I finish this chess book" and that motivated me to work on the book every day.
Jun 22, 2019
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#9
IMBacon wrote:
Their was a time when i thought it would have been impossible to do nothing chess related for 100 days. Now...It would be really easy.
Apparently, it's not so easy for me. I clicked on a chess video on my computer. So that disqualifies the endeavor on the spot, LOL. I guess I'll try again, this time moving the date to Mid-October.
Jun 22, 2019
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#10
ghost_of_pushwood wrote:
At last, a Non-Playing Plan!
Yes, but at least it's a plan! In the vast majority of my games I fail to come up with one, LOL.
Jun 22, 2019
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#11
catfishman_incel wrote:
thats nothing try taking a 3 year break
I believe that's a bit too long for chess. Now, when it comes to girlfriends, I get them once every 5 years. 
Next one is up for 2020. My relationships with them never last too long either - we're talking about a few weeks tops. I have a low tolerance for the drama train and stupid, trivial b/s. 
Jun 22, 2019
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#12
MickinMD wrote:
Best wishes for your plan.
.......
Appreciate your advice... It seems to me that my main problem has been that I cared about chess way too much... A lot more than I should have... As a result, it's just like fighting against yourself... I believe that once I trained my mind to be more casual, rather than obsessive, about chess, I will make much improvement. Of course, with that, I won't even care nearly as much - it'll be like meh... But, apparently, nowadays it's been hard for me to accomplish even the simple task of taking the 100 day break and I'll need to start over. Although, I must say, I've made some progress and have been thinking about chess a lot less.
Funny thing is that in most other tasks & things when I don't over-analyze things, and don't care that much, I tend to concentrate and perform much better. So I hope to achieve that in chess as well. Again, thanks for the kind wishes.
Jun 22, 2019
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#13
ghost_of_pushwood wrote:
and why should we care?
You really should not. But since you're here, might as well.
Oct 19, 2019
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#15
While away from chess, I became a U.S. Citizen and fully embraced the MGTOW philosophy. The flag combines the two ideas in one.
Oct 19, 2019
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#19
novacek wrote:
"Chess does not drive people mad- it keeps mad people sane"
LOL!
So, I figured that I need to take break from chess. I think 100 or so days should be a good break... To have a fresh start.