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Can you improve significantly in chess by playing mostly blitz (say, 3 0) games? Or will you eventually reach a wall where the only way to advance is by sitting down for lengthy periods analyzing board positions?
The way I see it, blitz is good because:
What's say chessexchange?
Blitz is good for working out the kinks in an opening repertoire and reinforcing themes that you already know, but it won't help if you want to learn new tactics or ideas.
Blitz is too fast to be conducive to figuring out new plans, especially 3 0.
There are some upsides to blitz, though. First and foremost, blitz is fun! If you have 20 minutes, a few blitz games are probably going to be more enjoyable than digging up an old master game and slogging through that. If you go over blitz games afterwards, you'll definitely learn more about your openings as well.
In terms of reinforcing themes and working on tactics, if you make an honest effort during the game to look for the best move and work out the complications (as opposed to just making speculative sacrifices), then yes, it can be useful.
So to summarize, nothing quite compares to going over games between two grandmasters, but blitz isn't terrible. Make sure that when you do end up playing slow games you settle down and think long enough on every move.
Mostly I agree with what everyone else has said. Blitz is great for practicing something you have already, or to just "try it out quickly," but it's not a good way to learn.
In fact, I find that if you play enough blitz you will eventually start getting worse at chess. Your ability to really think through moves diminishes.
So, I would say, treat it like spice. A little here and there is really good, but it should not be your main course.
Most likely, "you eventually reach a wall where the only way to advance is by sitting down for lengthy periods analyzing board positions." This would result from what the economists call the "law of diminishing returns."
But playing blitz should enable you to improve your game for a long time BEFORE you reach that point. That's because it will teach you to think quickly, and think tactically, thereby sharpening your skills in both areas.
Especially if you are a slow, non-tactical player.
In my experience, Blitz will not help improve the game significantly.
.000000001% Exception: You might be different and can see it differently and can help you.
No, blitz will not help your serious game. You do not have time to analyze in depth, which is the basic necessity to play serious games well. It may be good for trying different opening ideas and sharpening your tactical vision, but not for much else. Most strong players will agree on this. Botvinnik said he played a blitz game once, on a train, and Fischer said blitz kills ideas. Good players can play blitz well, but only after they've spent years honing their skills on slow chess. It does not work in reverse. And yes, analyzing your slow games is the best way to progress.
Blitz will evict overanalysis from your mind. It will teach you to play good moves.
To play great moves, calculation is required. But there's no time in blitz.
Blitz will teach you where to look. Standard will teach you what to do.
