“Blitz chess is like watching 20/20 cricket,” says Drayton

Blitz chess has taken the world by storm, as it is the current craze among chess fanatics in society.
The game can be played online via websites such as Chess.com, ICC, lichess.org, Chesscube, and PlanetChess – which usually have more than 1000 members online at any given time. With time frames of three minutes and even 5-10 minutes, even the best of the best are definitely challenged as their brain is now put into overdrive to figure out which move should be played next within the given time constraints. But the format of the game can be very exciting as FIDE [Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation] Master Anthony Drayton notes.
In an interview with Guyana Times Sport when asked about the benefits of the Blitz format of Chess, Drayton said, “The fast format of the game is very thrilling and exciting. The 5-10 minutes that you would play for is like watching a 20/20 cricket match throughout the game, it keeps your heart racing. As for the benefits, it helps you to become more creative and cunning when it comes to making decisions at a very fast pace in order to sometimes confuse your opponent. It also forces a player to find the best possible variations or moves in order to get out of trouble or even to win.”
Drayton went on to state that when viewed on a long-term basis, the format of the game helps you to find and analyse the right moves more quickly in the longer format of the game. He also told this publication that while some may say that blitz chess is not real chess, his views on the issue differ as he believes that in the end, even in the long format, you have to be able to think on your feet and if that isn’t done in the end, you will suffer defeat because the individual would lose the ability to play instinctive chess. In closing, Drayton reflected on the recently-concluded James Bond Birthday Blitz Tournament, “… I was able to score 11-12 rounds winning the tournament; my only loss went to Chino Chung in the fifth round, because I lost a Bishop in the middle game by being greedy by giving back the pawn I won earlier in the opening stages of the game, which caused me to have weaknesses with my back rank. But blitz chess is fun, thrilling and exciting at the same time.”