I play a lot of blitz and bullet chess (from 5 to 1 minute for the entire game). It's really entertaining. I'm also into the deeper side of chess, studying openings, mastering tactics and advanced strategies. But what has caught my attention in the last years has been the artistic side of chess, solving studies and problems. Over the board, actual competitive chess pales in comparison to the best studies and problems, which are perfect expressions of the possibilities of the game.
that haven't helped me to surpass a 1800 rating, though
If you like the game and want to have a glimpse of the higher side of chess, I'd recommend watching these series of videos of Kasparov (arguably the best player ever) playing simultaneously against a group of very strong american young players. You can see how competitive, deep and absorbing the game can get for a super Grandmaster. Kasparov looks like a mad ogre during the exhibition, and gets really upset when he concedes a draw or a loss
You won't be bored, I can assure that
Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRmpp3vkkXsPart 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RWqJC6yokQ&feature=related