Achievement Unlocked:

After 4 years and 298 days…

Nearly five full years of focus, frustration, and painfully slow progress…

On Wednesday afternoon, amidst a slow and peaceful, yet stormy post-psilocybin ceremony day, I finally broke through 2000 in chess.com’s rapid time control. 

(I first wrote about my push for this goal here.)

Here are my receipts:

I always knew that I could reach this level, but I didn’t know if I would—for chess is intoxicating and frustrating in equal measure. 

A single innocuous mistake can unravel your entire game instantly. There’s enough chess theory to fill libraries. You need to memorize specific sequences of many moves and perform under pressure, recognize when sub-optimal-but-playable moves are necessary, anticipate your opponent’s ideas, visualize positions and how the board changes when pieces are moved, and coordinate your pieces in harmony.

Not easy or simple.

Curiously though, cracking 2000 feels oddly quiet. 

Satisfying, but not electric. And I find myself wondering, “Now what?”

I don’t feel called to dive into a deep study phase. Despite the practice plan I laid out for myself in The Road to 2000, all I’ve done is play—and take better care of my mental and spiritual health. I’ve also made a deliberate effort to limit how much I play in a given day, and be (mostly) firm about stopping after two losses in a row.

In other words, my focus has been on raising the floor, rather than studying chess.

There’s a time and place for more theoretical learning, but I knew that knowledge hasn’t been my shortcoming. Focus, consistency, and mental sharpness have.

All that said, breaking into the 2000s with over two months to spare before my self-imposed deadline feels a rather nice reward for the quiet work I’ve been doing.

(I’ve actually kept climbing and am in the 2020’s at the time of publishing.)

So here’s to seeing a five year old goal through to completion, and the quiet, dogged, mostly-consistent, unglamourous work that made reaching this point possible.

As for what is next, I don’t know yet. And I don’t feel in a rush to know.

So for now, I’ll keep playing and see what unfolds.

With love from the forest,

~ Alexander

P.S. Tuesday’s 🍄 ceremony was so, so beautiful, grounding, and satisfying—like a long overdue energetic flossing. I may dedicate a full Whimsie to the experience, but would like more time to let the experience settle and integrate first.

Thanks again to everyone who checked in with well wishes <3