1. Standard memberivan2908
    SelfProclaimedTitler
    Joined
    06 Feb '06
    Moves
    23543
    07 Feb '06 10:54
    Anyone knows what is the best way to improve your chess skills? I started to play chess about two months ago, and now I am in love with game. The only problem is that i think my improvement is too slow, so it can be very frustrated.

    I have Chessmaster 10th edition, so I try to learn the basics principles and strategies with a help of Josh Waitzkin interactive academy. I like it, but sometimes is difficult to do in real game what I learned on this course.

    I think now my ELO would be around 1200. What is the best way to rise it higher?
  2. Standard memberSmiffy
    SPS CLAN
    Wales
    Joined
    10 May '05
    Moves
    86045
    07 Feb '06 10:56
    Unless you play club chess you cant say what u think your elo is...If you join a chess club that will help you become better or study chess on sites like www.chessgames.com.
    smiffy
  3. Joined
    06 May '05
    Moves
    1771
    07 Feb '06 12:32
    Originally posted by ivan2908
    Anyone knows what is the best way to improve your chess skills? I started to play chess about two months ago, and now I am in love with game. The only problem is that i think my improvement is too slow, so it can be very frustrated.

    I have Chessmaster 10th edition, so I try to learn the basics principles and strategies with a help of Josh Waitzkin intera ...[text shortened]... his course.

    I think now my ELO would be around 1200. What is the best way to rise it higher?
    Play a lot of chess against a variety of opponents. Learn basic principles and basic mating patterns, and most importantly, a good tactics book.

    Then see if you can find individual positions with heavy annotations (key points in a game). Cover the annotations, and analyse the position for 30 minutes minimum. Then have a look at the analysis, and see how much you had seen. Try to do this without moving the pieces on the board.
  4. Big D
    Joined
    13 Dec '05
    Moves
    26380
    07 Feb '06 17:31
    To become a better chess player, follow this regimen in this order:

    o Learn all the mating patterns

    o Study tactical motifs

    o Learn basic endgames

    o Study middlegames by going through classic games (pre-Botvinnik)

    o Go through all the games of Rubenstein, Nimzovitch, Capablanca and Alekhine

    o Study Rook and Pawn endgames for two years like Capablanca did

    o Study the games of Botvinnik and Smyslov

    o Begin studying openings

    Becoming the chessplayer you are meant to be is a lifelong process so don't expect to become great overnight. Whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of studying opening lines at this point in your development. You may think you have to because you’re finding yourself “out of book” by move 4, but it's an enormous misuse of your time. Very rarely will you be able to apply your “book” knowledge and go on to win the game. At some point in the game, the opponent will vary the order of moves or you will exhaust your book moves and you will have to think for yourself. You will gain far more utility from studying classic games or tactics or endgames.
  5. Joined
    08 Nov '05
    Moves
    0
    07 Feb '06 20:16
    Why study old chess games? Are they more instructive because the themes are more basic?
  6. Joined
    17 May '05
    Moves
    6676
    07 Feb '06 20:341 edit
    Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter


    o Go through all the games of Rubenstein, Nimzovitch, Capablanca and Alekhine

    o Study Rook and Pawn endgames for two years like Capablanca did

    o Study the games of Botvinnik and Smyslov

    .
    😴😴😴
  7. Joined
    05 Feb '06
    Moves
    2712
    07 Feb '06 21:08
    Find a club, play a lot of games......DO NOT drag every game out to mate, if you've got a lost position (like dropping a piece and then some) resign and go on to a new game where you might learn something. (It's considered bad manners in some circles to refuse to resign in a hopeless position)
    After you develop some skills, play with a clock. You can learn more playing a bunch of game/10 min than laboring over a single two hour game.
  8. Joined
    28 Dec '05
    Moves
    2313
    07 Feb '06 21:15
    I've also heard that it is a good idea to go over your games, to see why you won/lost them.
  9. Standard memberArrakis
    D_U_N_E
    Account suspended
    Joined
    01 May '04
    Moves
    64653
    07 Feb '06 21:20
    Originally posted by ivan2908
    Anyone knows what is the best way to improve your chess skills? I started to play chess about two months ago, and now I am in love with game. The only problem is that i think my improvement is too slow, so it can be very frustrated.

    I have Chessmaster 10th edition, so I try to learn the basics principles and strategies with a help of Josh Waitzkin intera ...[text shortened]... his course.

    I think now my ELO would be around 1200. What is the best way to rise it higher?
    I recommend this website:

    http://www.entertainmentjourney.com/index1.htm
  10. Standard memberHomerJSimpson
    Renouned Grob Killer
    Joined
    17 Dec '05
    Moves
    14725
    29 Mar '06 05:21
    Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
    To become a better chess player, follow this regimen in this order:

    o Learn all the mating patterns

    o Study tactical motifs

    o Learn basic endgames

    o Study middlegames by going through classic games (pre-Botvinnik)

    o Go through all the games of Rubenstein, Nimzovitch, Capablanca and Alekhine

    o Study Rook and Pawn endgames for two ...[text shortened]... yourself. You will gain far more utility from studying classic games or tactics or endgames.
    Good posting as always. 🙂
  11. 127.0.0.1
    Joined
    27 Oct '05
    Moves
    158564
    29 Mar '06 14:03
    Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
    To become a better chess player, follow this regimen in this order:

    o Learn all the mating patterns

    o Study tactical motifs

    o Learn basic endgames

    o Study middlegames by going through classic games (pre-Botvinnik)

    o Go through all the games of Rubenstein, Nimzovitch, Capablanca and Alekhine

    o Study Rook and Pawn endgames for two ...[text shortened]... yourself. You will gain far more utility from studying classic games or tactics or endgames.
    I would study basic endgames before anything else. Why? because there is nothing worse than getting to the end of the game with 2 bishops on the board and not being able to mate. Basic mating patters can be next (there is no need to study all of them at this time).
    Then move onto tactics. Do tactics for a while, then learn basic opening principals, go back to tactics.

    After lots of tactics, then start studying games master games.
  12. Edmonton, Alberta
    Joined
    25 Nov '04
    Moves
    2101
    30 Mar '06 02:07
    Originally posted by ivan2908
    Anyone knows what is the best way to improve your chess skills? I started to play chess about two months ago, and now I am in love with game. The only problem is that i think my improvement is too slow, so it can be very frustrated.

    I have Chessmaster 10th edition, so I try to learn the basics principles and strategies with a help of Josh Waitzkin intera ...[text shortened]... his course.

    I think now my ELO would be around 1200. What is the best way to rise it higher?
    http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=39309&page=2

    page 2 half way down I post some advice.

    the suggestions in this thread are also good.
  13. Standard memberWulebgr
    Angler
    River City
    Joined
    08 Dec '04
    Moves
    16907
    30 Mar '06 02:13
    Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
    To become a better chess player, follow this regimen in this order:

    o Learn all the mating patterns
    How many are there? Where can I find a list of them?
  14. Parallel Universe
    Joined
    03 Mar '06
    Moves
    1599
    30 Mar '06 03:05
    To paraphrase somebody else on this site--and Steve Lopez from ChessBase:

    1. Study tactics!!! Chess is mostly short-term tactics.
    2. Study endgames. Studying endgames is incredibly boring, but it's almost as important as learning tactics. It's good to know how to win (or draw!) in an endgame. Endgame study separates men from the boys. Spend most of your time on those two subjects: tactics and endgames.
    3. Spend some time studying positional play/long-term strategy.
    4. Do NOT spend a lot of time studying or memorizing opening systems/theory until you reach Elo 2000+. That is a hard rule to unlearn, but follow it.
    5. Play as much chess as you can, especially with a stronger player. Swallow your pride and allow yourself to get beaten on the board. Your Elo will thank you for it.
    6. Record your games and go over them--especially your losses--with someone stronger.
    7. Replay over games of other good players (www.chessgames.com is good for this) and try to really understand why they made the moves they did.
    8. Don't kick yourself when you lose: losing teaches you things, and there are more important things in life than winning at chess.

    The above posts by RahimK and der Shwarz are good.
  15. Parallel Universe
    Joined
    03 Mar '06
    Moves
    1599
    30 Mar '06 03:09
    Originally posted by zebano
    I would study basic endgames before anything else. ...
    Many chess coaches start with teaching endgames for the reasons you listed.
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