Do you study as well as compete?

Just looking for input, but how many here study things like endgames, tactics, or their favorite opening lines independent of their RHP games, and if you do, what do you study?

I normally play through opening lessons and tactics training on youtube a few times a week, but wonder if this the best use of my time in terms of becoming a stronger player.

I use lichess.org for puzzles/tactics training and sometimes enter tournaments with 5 min time controls to (try) sharpen up.

Also follow a couple youtube channels, including ChessNetwork and Kingscrusher, both strong and instructive players who analyse different openings and discuss strategies.

And any chance I get to follow a strong GM tournament with all the world's best players I do so for the interesting games and analysis... the recent tournaments in St. Louis were very good.

Almost always have a chess book in progress, usually on positional play. The internet is invaluable as a resource for me. The local newspaper has a weekly chess column with problems and games.

I used to try to study. I found the personal chess trainer to be very helpful. It was basically a chess puzzle program with puzzles put in order of difficulty.

I learned the importance of the need of keeping opponents in check while forcing mate, as well as mating patterns. One pattern I learned I called micky mouse ears, the pattern needed for queen giving mate when next to a king. I also liked the knight and rook mating pattern and putting the king in a tube.

Since then I've been learning and relearning miatakes not to make over and over again.

When I first started here, I thought I'd wing it on my own brain for a while before I tainted my game with book learning. Still winging it 8 years later!

Originally posted by @john-osmar
When I first started here, I thought I'd wing it on my own brain for a while before I tainted my game with book learning. Still winging it 8 years later!

Do you get advice or just see things for yourself?

Originally posted by @mchill
Just looking for input, but how many here study things like endgames, tactics, or their favorite opening lines independent of their RHP games, and if you do, what do you study?

Not actively. I have read and played through a number of books (though not for several months), but I've never treated it as homework.

Originally posted by @shallow-blue)

...but I've never treated it as homework...

When I treat chess as homework, I make the most progress and get the best results. I try to study 40 minutes a day and keep a notebook of various games here at RHP looking at them in depth

Originally posted by @eladar
Do you get advice or just see things for yourself?

No advisors, just a slow learning process. There are leaders, and followers. Then, there are those of us who just wander with a purpose.

Originally posted by @john-osmar
No advisors, just a slow learning process. There are leaders, and followers. Then, there are those of us who just wander with a purpose.

No tactics no nothing but game experience on rhp?

Originally posted by @mchill
Just looking for input, but how many here study things like endgames, tactics, or their favorite opening lines independent of their RHP games, and if you do, what do you study?

I normally play through opening lessons and tactics training on youtube a few times a week, but wonder if this the best use of my time in terms of becoming a stronger player.

I defer to stronger players for this kind of advice, however personally I think studying is far more valuable. Playing games all the time can often mean repeating the same mistakes over and over.

One of my favourite things to do to study is play through master's games on my chessboard at home, and try to work out the idea behind a particular line, predict the next move etc.

Originally posted by @montymoose
When I treat chess as homework, I make the most progress and get the best results.

Whereas when I do so, I quickly lose all interest and stop not only studying but also playing. For me, chess is first and foremost a game and I want it to stay that way. I can quite understand if other people's mileage varies, though.

Originally posted by @eladar
No tactics no nothing but game experience on rhp?

My dad taught me how to play, but I never played again until RHP. I found the site when my grandson got interested. He and I signed up and played each other a couple times. He lost interest, but I got hooked. I made all the rookie mistakes the first couple years. Now, I only make veteran mistakes!

I enjoy reading through the books of famous tournaments, playing over the games and digesting the analysis. Hastings 1895, New York 1924, Nottingham 1936, etc.

Originally posted by @john-osmar
My dad taught me how to play, but I never played again until RHP. I found the site when my grandson got interested. He and I signed up and played each other a couple times. He lost interest, but I got hooked. I made all the rookie mistakes the first couple years. Now, I only make veteran mistakes!

I think the term veteran chess player means different things to different people.