I'm currently carrying 61 games. I'm comfortable with 60-70 games because I usually only spend 20-30 seconds on each position to make a move. But then I used to give simuls against 30 or more college players at a time, so maybe I'm not what you'd call "average".
BTW, I've noticed my rating dropped out of the 1900's since I started making 100 moves a day from work. Very distracting, work! ðŸ˜
What Arrakis said is interesting. I wonder if someone handling about 70 games, taking about 30 secs per game considers any strategy or simply looks for familiar patterns. In that space of time, he obviously doesn't have time to consult databeses, so he must go on instinct alone. It is like giving a simul to players who also are giving simuls, so i guess everything evens out. In my load of 50 I only remember some of the games from move to move. Sometimes i have to go through the moves from the beginning to see what opening i started out with cause the position sure doesn't look like anything i've seen before.
I'm currently between 25 and 30, but I'm comfortable anywhere below around 60. I don't use databases, and I have one book that I consult when someone throws me a curveball, but everything else is purely my own thoughts. I take the time to make some decent moves in most games, but every once in a while you'll catch me blundering away a queen or something.
i'm wondering if a good chess player should even try to remember so many games at once. instead, shouldn't a good chess player be able to look at any position at any given time and realize it's potential? correspondence chess offers chess by moment- frame by frame, so to speak.
i keep around 30, but now i'm wondering is more games, longer time-outs is the answer. try different things from the same position. start the same opening 4 different times...
i wish i had a burrito right now.
I don't play all my games at once, I manage my games by using the time out and time bank cleverly. I'll focus on a few games that either require more thought, are close to ending, or if one opponent is online and moving back I'll play a bit of "live" chess and focus totally on that game. At weekends when I have more time I try to go through and make, at least, one move in all my outstanding games to keep them flowing. It's not as hard as people might think.
Originally posted by Talem16I suppose I mean the amount you can have on the go and actually have the time to play your best game. I feel that when the number of games go up, it tends to dilute my focus a little in each of the games and consequently I dont play with quite the ability I can.
what exactly you mean with manage? win all or just play good?
With a small number on the go, I feel less time pressure and sense more space to really look at the board and see what is what.
I also recognise that this may well be down to my lack of chess ability, as I can tell that some players can handle a huge volume of games and still play generally well through most of them.
In Peace, M
I suppose the number of games you can carry comfortably is directly related to your playing strength AND to the playing strength of the opposing players. Thus, a 1900 player could comfortably play 100 1600 p and below players on a 3 day time out (7 days). Give that 1900 player 100 opponents who are 1900 and above, then i'd think he'd have problems, unless he just doesn't care about his rating and just bangs out the moves. In which case I think you'd see a steadily declining rating graph.