https://lichess.org/72j8K9qW/black This is my last classical for a bit. I’m going on Vacation and won’t be playing classical. This game was tough. It was a gambit line. I was winning but threw it away and we were dead locked. But then he left the game and I was able to claim a victory.

I decided that Blitz may be a lot of fun but not very good for my game, at least not at this time. My rapid on Lichess is 1805 but that’s with only 4 games so far. Chess.com rating for rapid is 1844 with 6 games. There are a lot more blitz games on both sites but I played my last blitz online at least for now. It’s strange. Years ago I did better at blitz than longer time controls but I feel my positional understanding has improved. I took a few years hiatus from chess but back into it in full OCD mode.

My obsession with chess got a little costly but I’m not complaining. Purchased a 4” king wooden set and wooden look mousepad board on Amazon and then started looking on house of Staunton to see what they had, just for the purpose of browsing. They had some really good mousepad boards that were less expensive than the one I just purchased so I bought 3 of them. And a ZMF Pro chess clock and HoS tournament bag. Since it was a first purchase they gave me a 25% discount and I thought since I would probably not have such an opportunity again I added a wooden set with wooden board, box and board bag. I figure it won’t increase my rating points but it will give me a similar feeling of joy.

Hey all, I'm curious your thoughts. Should I go for the 2k on LiChess in classical or focus my attention on obtaining the AFM (Arena Fide Master) on their online platform?

Went to a couple of chess clubs that were advertised but they were old listings. I decided to start one myself at my local library. I’m hoping there are still people who appreciate over the board play. Playing online is great but for me I still enjoy the experience of playing in person.