I started to play chess now more then three years ago, because all my friends did so. I knew only chess rules then (en passant exluded 🙂 ) and they were slaughtering me and making jokes. I then got Chessmaster 10th and started to learn from academy out of revenge. After year and a half, there was no point to play with them anymore because I could win 10 games in a row or more against each of them. So my goal was completed but while trying to achieve it I've fallen in love with the game. So I wished to improve more and know more.
I started to learn more with puzzles, tactics servers and two books, Logical chess (Chernev) and Amateurs mind (Silman) and eventually went to some 1700 or a bit more OTB strength (do not have my own rating but I score 50% against players of that range)
But in the last half year I didn't improve at all (except 3 and 5 blitz games). The reason is that I have overwhelming will to learn and it can be contraproductive so I start and leave unfinished all sorts of chess aspects ;
one week I "realize" that endgame is the key for me at this level. I will master each piece in isolation, so I will understand their full potential in other parts of the game, I will learn to use my rooks in most effective way, I will master opposition, outflanking, triangulation, Philidor and Lucena positions, I will get better in deep calculations...
but then the next week... "maybe I neglected my tactical training" so I log on to CTS and do tons of fast tactics, the other day I go for slow puzzles, then I read chapter from the book and mr. Silman convinces me that I took the wrong road; I must to master strategical ideas in order to let the tactics arise. Then I log on to FICS only to lose from cheap opening trap and start to memorize openings.
Then, I totally stop to learn, log in to RHP, start 50 games and blitz them. So after I lose 5 games by silly blunder, I resign all games in frustration and I am at beginning again.
So, my problem is not laziness, but total lack of methodological plan of improvement. I have start a lot of euphorical threads here on how do I plan to improve but now, I just do not know how.
I would like for strong players (if they have time to bother) to post their ideas and plans, how would they study, how DID they study to reach these nice chess heights.
So some of us maybe can use whole your plan and post our improvement on, say monthly basis. If it is a bad plan, we can just take another. I would be happy to reach 2000 within 3 years.
Advices can start to flow...
Thx
P. S. My rhp games are very bad indicator of my strenght and ideas, 'cause I usually play them rather fast and bad 🙂
Originally posted by ivan2908dicipline is the key. don't allow yourself to slack off, or waste time 'planning how to train' (which is just procrastination, to justify yourself why you're not training right NOW).
I started to play chess now more then three years ago, because all my friends did so. I knew only chess rules then (en passant exluded 🙂 ) and they were slaughtering me and making jokes. I then got Chessmaster 10th and started to learn from academy out of revenge. After year and a half, there was no point to play with them anymore because I could win 10 ga bad indicator of my strenght and ideas, 'cause I usually play them rather fast and bad 🙂
you can't learn everything at once. pick up a well defined area, like endgames. start training it rigorously. keep at it. for months, half a year, a full year. then select another area which you've neglected, and start training that. don't jump from one thing to another at will. keep your eyes on the prize.
Originally posted by ivan2908If you want to improve and become a better player seek out and become a regular customer of very strong Players they'll push you to work hard every game and kick your ass but every defeat will be a new lesson you'll learn far more playing them than you ever will playing Yahoo guys.
I started to play chess now more then three years ago, because all my friends did so. I knew only chess rules then (en passant exluded 🙂 ) and they were slaughtering me and making jokes. I then got Chessmaster 10th and started to learn from academy out of revenge. After year and a half, there was no point to play with them anymore because I could win 10 ga ...[text shortened]... bad indicator of my strenght and ideas, 'cause I usually play them rather fast and bad 🙂
I know you wanted to hear from stronger players but I could offer a method that is working for me. It's not very complex really; I have far too many books and a desire to learn everything like yourself.
I keep a notebook and try to open it everyday writing down the date of the days I do. I then write down the solutions to 5 tough tactics puzzles from a puzzles book I have. Then I write down the name of a concept from Silman's Endgame Course that I have studied (e.g. philidor position). Then I write down the name of a master game from my strategy book ("The Art of Planning" ) that I went through. Then I finish up by spending a few minutes on CTS to get me to speed and play a 15 minute game on Playchess.
It's more important that I do this everyday and it only takes about an hour and a half in the evening so I derive satisfaction from having a string of concurrent dates in my notebook. It's going well so far, you could try it?