1. Joined
    25 Nov '06
    Moves
    2946
    05 Nov '10 08:27
    I was wondering if anyone out there recommends a good chess course to take.
    I would like to develop my skills & don't know where to go!

    Any & all suggestions are welcome

    I have seen this one but would like to know what people think about it ?

    http://www.chessmasterschool.com/?gclid=CMewybqgiaUCFYxH4wodR1W_Nw
  2. Joined
    28 Mar '10
    Moves
    3807
    05 Nov '10 11:04
    Originally posted by DUFFley
    I was wondering if anyone out there recommends a good chess course to take.
    I would like to develop my skills & don't know where to go!

    Any & all suggestions are welcome

    I have seen this one but would like to know what people think about it ?

    http://www.chessmasterschool.com/?gclid=CMewybqgiaUCFYxH4wodR1W_Nw
    I don't believe in these courses.Perhaps I'm wrong but I just don't.

    Instead:
    Play a lot against stronger players and ask for a post mortem.If irl,use your money to buy them a drink 😉
    Join a chessclub.
    Practise tactics.
    Read the chess threads of this forum.
    Bookmark www.chesscafé.com

    toet.
  3. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    05 Nov '10 11:591 edit
    Hi.

    Only looked at three recent games.

    No need to shell out good cash on a course.

    You have Queen Syndrome.
    You look for Queen moves all the time, often as early as move two
    and you never trade her even if it means losing a piece.

    Game 7838100

    Don't bring your Queen out so early.
    Let the Knights and Bishops do the work in the opening.

    You were actually a piece up and had a chance to swap off the Queens.
    When ahead like this on material it's often a good to trade down.

    Your opponent missed a mate in one in that game dragging it on for
    another 15-16 moves. See if you can see it.

    Game 7841124

    Another odd Queen move on move two and again you came out of this OK
    because he loosened his K-side.

    Here...Black to play.



    Instead of 12...Qh5+
    12...f3+ was far better and wins a piece.

    Then when you ran out checks your opponent took over.
    (he too missed a mate in one, see of you can see it).

    Your early Queen sorties are going to get you into trouble.
    You do not realise the danger you are putting yourself into because your
    opponents have not punished you.

    Game 7827507 You won this. Well done.

    If you had been playing me you would have been in tears on move 4.

    Go and see what should have happened.

    Leave Your Queen Alone

    In the 1600's it was known that early Queen moves were dangerous.
    This from Graco about 1620.

  4. Joined
    25 Nov '06
    Moves
    2946
    06 Nov '10 09:16
    Thank you very much for taking the time to look at my games.
    It's very much appreciated
    Will take what you say on board & keep the Queen back.
    I'll work on developing the knights & bishops.
  5. Joined
    25 Nov '06
    Moves
    2946
    06 Nov '10 09:17
    Chesscafe ~ never heard if it but I'll get into that right away !
    Thank you
  6. Joined
    25 Nov '06
    Moves
    2946
    06 Nov '10 09:20
    Any book you would recommend to get ?
  7. Account suspended
    Joined
    26 Aug '07
    Moves
    38239
    06 Nov '10 10:33
    Originally posted by DUFFley
    Any book you would recommend to get ?
    here is a free online course in tactics, every tactic is explained in plain English and the thought process on how to find tactics also, i found it most excellent a few years back i hope you will too. Go through the exercises, look at the explanations and your chess will improve.

    http://www.chesstactics.org/
  8. Standard memberpdunne
    Badmaster
    freeshell.de/~dunne
    Joined
    04 May '10
    Moves
    73405
    11 Nov '10 06:47
    If you're not averse to spending a bit of money, get yourself book or two. Tarrasch's "The Game of Chess" is probably still the best general treatement for the improving amateur. An essential addition I think, at least for anyone to whom tactics doesn't come naturally, is Ivashchenko's "The Manual of Chess Combinations". It comes in three volumes, 1a 1b and 2; no need to buy all at once, it'll take you years to exhaust them.
  9. e4
    Joined
    06 May '08
    Moves
    42492
    11 Nov '10 20:58
    This website is not too bad. One of the very very few I've seen
    that I would actually recommend.

    http://www.thechesswebsite.com/index.php

    Plenty of stuff for the student of the game here.

    (Look st the 'Birds Eye View' trap and spot the flaw).
  10. USA
    Joined
    22 Dec '05
    Moves
    13780
    11 Nov '10 22:14
    For tactics I recommend Chess Tactics for Beginners . It's a CD, but is far superior to a book because you can quickly look through solutions, and can be given instructive hints without being given the answer. When I was a 1100 USCF rated player, I did about 50 puzzles a day (it has around 1300 puzzles)) along with frequent tournament play and a potpourri of other studying, and improved rapidly to 1600 over the next year and a quarter. Unfortunately, I don't think it works for Vista or Windows 7, but if you have XP or 2000 it is well worth the 20-30 dollars.
  11. Philadelphia
    Joined
    19 Oct '07
    Moves
    22826
    11 Nov '10 23:27
    The website below is great:

    http://www.chesskids.com/lessons04.shtml

    It's great for almost all situations - openings, specific endings, and other bits and pieces. What's great about it is that it gives general principles to follow rather than specific advice. It's also great that the previous poster's name in this thread is chesskids, what's the odds on that happening?

    When I started off I used to refer to that site a lot. Actually I still do to be honest. Once you get beyond the openings I'd recommend looking at their stuff on the endgame - it was massively helpful for me.

    If you're looking for a good book I'd recommend Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess books. And anything by Iain Banks if you're taking a break from chess. Good luck!
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