https://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blogToadofsky's Blog2026-04-10T14:19:17.656Zhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/april-2026-state-of-online-chess/z7Y0jG552026-04-10T14:19:17.656Z2026-04-10T14:19:17.656ZApril 2026 State of Online Chess<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" src="https://lichess1.org/assets/hashed/user-blog-default.08ce0024.png" /><br />Do players need more resources and innovations?Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/play-bughouse-players-on-lishogiorg/AQ5oCFW22026-04-01T05:00:50.223Z2026-04-01T05:00:50.223ZPlay Bughouse Players on Lishogi.org<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="Kiyozumi Dera, Kyoto, Japan" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=7FQ-9bk5r4Zz.webp&w=880&sig=3ef7a47966b3a5d484261e38a39986680a0a9db5" /><br />Inspired by Japan invention of invertible pawns, this year Wanderer adds a new variant!Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/lies-damned-lies-and-statistics/DaQBnxDY2025-05-02T22:01:02.458Z2025-05-02T22:01:02.458ZLies, damned lies, and statistics<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="Harvard Cup 1992, Patrick Wolff and Don Dailey" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:DaQBnxDY:bjeVglXH.webp&w=880&sig=16764360b312a4959f3912b3228d2ae176de360f" /><br />Statistics, while often used for accurate representation, can also be misused to distort the truth.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/long-term-goals-are-malarkey/x3f6g7lF2024-01-20T16:57:50.794Z2024-01-20T16:57:50.794ZLong-Term Goals Are Malarkey<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="roulette wheel" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=toadofsky:ublog:x3f6g7lF:qHbCF1Xo.jpg&w=880&sig=48db2e0dcae5512a6ad69caf9933c8c6ea54fb4d" /><br />What is your chess goal for 2024?Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/international-shogi-festival-2021-new-events/r3REtOrv2021-10-16T14:12:57.214Z2021-10-16T14:12:57.214ZInternational Shogi Festival 2021 New Events<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="shogi puzzle" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=toadofsky:ublog:r3REtOrv:5u5cgTaR.jpg&w=880&sig=072758b2b95b7d4e210b7b59bd0e6d8195b08be7" /><br />This article is original, not sponsored. Shogi is not a "chess variant", but chess variant players may enjoy shogi.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/hope-chess-is-better-than-hopeless-chess/XSfkFPjK2026-01-12T02:10:37.318Z2026-01-12T02:10:37.318ZHope Chess Is Better Than Hopeless Chess<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="A sweet moment with a cup of tea and a serious study of chess!" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=2nbnc3sdRuWM.webp&w=880&sig=2f53dc6d5052ddb2dbc8044ff2c1d557e9792174" /><br />"Only the player with the initiative has the right to attack." - Wilhelm SteinitzToadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/ratings-science-is-hard/WJGJYsHS2025-12-24T19:43:35.989Z2025-12-24T19:43:35.989ZRatings Science is Hard<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="go game" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=0gXY-maNqkxv.webp&w=880&sig=8ff371c2118077307631e4bf747eb6d1b589042e" /><br />How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/what-is-creativity/zah56xd62025-12-24T16:43:43.98Z2025-12-24T16:43:43.98ZWhat is Creativity?<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="Maldives light bulb sunset" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=5pzOJtL3JVIl.webp&w=880&sig=72bedf97498507dcdd5e29c7afb2e6738450bf5e" /><br />Are we creative at using technology, or do computers have a mind of their own?Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/world-championship-format-comparison/mmzaUcBd2025-11-14T10:08:00.934Z2025-11-14T10:08:00.934ZWorld Championship Format Comparison<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" src="https://lichess1.org/assets/hashed/user-blog-default.08ce0024.png" /><br />We've heard of e-sports like Pokémon having annual championships, so why are chess and other board games different?Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/logistic-growth-of-chess/3t5JVaua2025-11-02T06:28:31.385Z2025-11-02T06:28:31.385ZLogistic Growth of Chess<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="star trek 3d chess" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:3t5JVaua:njR0tE2b.webp&w=880&sig=aab2cc131364e88b86fbd5238762f92befed8a87" /><br />How do parlor games become popular, and why are some more popular than others?Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/monoculture-mediocrity/q5c5HBjo2025-10-25T06:20:10.595Z2025-10-25T06:20:10.595ZMonoculture Mediocrity<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="soybean field tractor harvest" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:q5c5HBjo:51yz4W09.webp&w=880&sig=a451f39150f8e6c0566036bbf436274627e286b4" /><br />"Logic!" said the Professor half to himself. "Why don't they teach logic at these schools?" (C.S. Lewis)Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/chess-does-not-speak-for-itself/p1E40U5k2025-10-20T22:59:20.749Z2025-10-20T22:59:20.749ZChess Does Not Speak For Itself<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="X posts about Danya" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:p1E40U5k:NGjrkEdO.webp&w=880&sig=e5c2041f1661f65b2d31bcf83b7d1471f68c2bf1" /><br />Voice of online chess Naroditsky passes at 29Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/on-on-recent-changes-to-lichess-analysis/goR6wJ852025-09-12T02:47:00.651Z2025-09-12T02:47:00.651ZOn On recent changes to Lichess analysis<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="cake shaped like a chess board on a table" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:goR6wJ85:Qlleq5at.webp&w=880&sig=c2d6975fbd3379d1cc541889254a8e45c60ee83f" /><br />Old man yells at cloudToadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/art-of-the-nerd-snipe/rxLpGts52025-08-05T17:34:27.916Z2025-08-05T17:34:27.916ZArt of the Nerd Snipe<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="xkcd - Nerd Sniping" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:rxLpGts5:CdCnt328.webp&w=880&sig=2f5c52f4cc088c78ebe27196cc3186c90a279176" /><br />The threat is stronger than the execution!Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/tactics-flow-from-plans/RBn7z1282025-08-03T03:45:12.106Z2025-08-03T03:45:12.106ZTactics Flow From Plans<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="game analysis graph" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:RBn7z128:RYKwfeow.webp&w=880&sig=b785811746529bca48c3acdb0eb7c9addf5a990f" /><br />To compete as a tactical player, you also need to be a positional player who can find plans until tactics appear.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/history-always-repeats/BEigANU82025-07-04T04:22:47.213Z2025-07-04T04:22:47.213ZHistory Always Repeats<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="portrait of checkered apartment building" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:BEigANU8:PDAS5LtM.webp&w=880&sig=920a90e47a3565ca22c438e56d126508e3ea33a4" /><br />We live in an era where people fail to listen to one another.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/chess-is-a-skill-based-game/38rtyujX2025-06-24T05:19:20.493Z2025-06-24T05:19:20.493ZChess is a Skill-Based Game<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="game analysis graph" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:38rtyujX:jk3wWYi1.webp&w=880&sig=a7f3a2e41bb1e8f8729947d6e8c090dffce2888c" /><br />There is no luck in chess.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/canadians-quit-hockey-to-play-chesscom/zqXTO43A2025-06-22T15:22:34.833Z2025-06-22T15:22:34.833ZCanadians Quit Hockey to Play Chess.com<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="Chess.com accounts per capita" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:zqXTO43A:y1BgxONt.webp&w=880&sig=c190b265cff769867a7c1fc130c669261bcdf4bc" /><br />According to Nathanial Green, more Canadians play chess than hockey.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/more-2025-fide-sexual-harassment/FhUUtvZk2025-05-24T21:11:26.973Z2025-05-24T21:11:26.973ZMore 2025 FIDE Sexual Harassment<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="black queen in darkness" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:FhUUtvZk:Mr7Roi6g.webp&w=880&sig=2ffbce30bbbe8f2deee272bc954275fbc8ba0bef" /><br />Does FIDE care about women?Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/humans-make-consecutive-errors/upZzI5Pk2025-05-18T14:16:10.03Z2025-05-18T14:16:10.03ZHumans Make Consecutive Errors<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="chess board set up incorrectly" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:upZzI5Pk:Ytf7Clnx.webp&w=880&sig=67b4afed87b7ab76de617ac036339d54182425dd" /><br />"If you make consecutive threats, your opponent will blunder." - GM Dimitri KomarovToadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/right-to-earn-a-rating/B4pz2RlR2025-04-29T04:13:49.846Z2025-04-29T04:13:49.846ZRight to Earn a Rating<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="dark room checkered floor" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:B4pz2RlR:4QJJb4HZ.webp&w=880&sig=f780d6a3d8b3c3f96423d31971a321223262decd" /><br />Collective action problems exist in our modern world.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/you-are-your-rating/zExxuQS72025-04-11T22:59:13.09Z2025-04-11T22:59:13.09ZYou Are Your Rating<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="chess tournament" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:zExxuQS7:SNQK7kF0.webp&w=880&sig=4f498d84be4678f46a3fd44b678612bdf07d91a0" /><br />The world may not care for your achievements, but they are yours to celebrate.Toadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/art-is-dead/54gT5iSN2025-03-28T12:43:17.097Z2025-03-28T12:43:17.097Zart is dead.<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="night sky" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:54gT5iSN:y3MaDJpg.webp&w=880&sig=43fc9024879578e9b7b877f716aab90f3cb4a6ae" /><br />AI replaces human intelligenceToadofskyhttps://lichess.org/@/Toadofsky/blog/road-back-to-2300/MocqX98w2025-03-10T01:03:00.79Z2025-03-10T01:03:00.79ZRoad Back to 2300<img class="ublog-post-image" width="880" height="550" alt="Shibuya scramble crossing" src="https://image.lichess1.org/display?fmt=webp&h=550&op=thumbnail&path=ublog:MocqX98w:UtlX3fJc.webp&w=880&sig=c5f39d01fbc0bf8ee2c57b131e8636ef031af108" /><br />Ratings aren't what they used to be.Toadofsky