My names Bryan and I'm 22. I've played chess casually since I was about 12. During that time I've never actually studied notations or any literature about the game. I've gotten to my current level (don't know rating. prolly around 1100) by competing with friends of relative skill. The reason I'm posting is because I've rediscovered my love for the game and need some direction.
I want to become a respectable chess player. I'm willing to study up to a certain extent as long as I don't start to loose the fun aspect of the game. My ultimate goal with the game would be to have a handful of groundbreaking games in my lifetime and, if I'm to put a rating as a goal, to get to around 2200 eventually.
As of right now I believe I have a decent understanding of all the basic tactic motifs. I have decent opening logic and can hold my own during the middle game but when it comes to endgame my fate is usually decided by default of my chaotic middlegames. I need to sharpen up all my skills and start to understand theory and pawn structure more deeply.
I'm looking for a teacher. Someone to show me the ropes and play a couple games with. If anybody's up for it let me know! Thanks.
Originally posted by SnTiaLThree steps is all you need. 1. Study tactics 2. Study tactics 3. Study tactics. When you are 1800 come back for more direction. This is not a joke.
My names Bryan and I'm 22. I've played chess casually since I was about 12. During that time I've never actually studied notations or any literature about the game. I've gotten to my current level (don't know rating. prolly around 1100) by competing with friends of relative skill. The reason I'm posting is because I've rediscovered my love for the game and ne ...[text shortened]... the ropes and play a couple games with. If anybody's up for it let me know! Thanks.
"Discovering Chess Openings" by John Emms will get you through the opening...and introduce notation.
"Silman's Complete Endgame Course" will help you finish.
"Winning Chess Tactics" by Yasser Seirawan will help you get between the opening and the ending....and solving some tactics puzzles will be good to.
"Logical Chess Move by Move" by Irving Chernev...takes you through the whole game step by step and you'll probably get more out of this once you've been playing for a bit.
That's if you like books....and there are many more.
There are many websites and a lot of free resources on the web if you want to hang on to
your cash.
e.g. http://chesstempo.com/
www.chessgames.com
http://chess.emrald.net/
http://www.shredderchess.com/online-chess/online-databases/opening-database.html
http://danheisman.home.comcast.net/~danheisman/Main_Chess/chess.htm
http://www.chessvideos.tv/
MISTER CHESS - has a valid point!
Originally posted by SnTiaLFWIW, I'd recommend you not to use that phrase again, ever. you can never get good enough with tactics. 🙂
As of right now I believe I have a decent understanding of all the basic tactic motifs.
If you are really around 1100 like you said, it' very unlikely that you're OK in the middlegame but lose due to weak endgame play. that usually doesn't happen unless you're an expert. perhaps you should analyze your games with a computer to see where you've gone wrong.
tactics training is the fastest way to move forward. Join chesstempo.com and study 1 hour a day, it will make all the difference.
Originally posted by SnTiaLBryan,
My names Bryan and I'm 22. I've played chess casually since I was about 12. During that time I've never actually studied notations or any literature about the game. I've gotten to my current level (don't know rating. prolly around 1100) by competing with friends of relative skill. The reason I'm posting is because I've rediscovered my love for the game and ne ...[text shortened]... the ropes and play a couple games with. If anybody's up for it let me know! Thanks.
2200 is an expert rating, and if this is your ambition, you must study hard and play seriously. It doesn't mean you need to 'lose your love' but you will need to redefine 'love'. You will have to learn to love the detailed opening principles, middlegame tactics, and endgame strategy that get players to that level. You will note that on this site, with some 19,000 active players (excluding provisionals), only 43 players have achieved this rating.
The first thing you must accept is that if your rating is 1100, you have not grasped any aspect of the game to any great standard (being frank). You need to invest in 3 good books - one on opening principles (don't get one which teaches you to learn move orders like a parrot - you need to know the concepts to apply flexible thinking). A quick and easy text is 'Opening Play' by Chris Ward.
Next, learn tactics - these are the weapons your army will carry. Try 'Chess tactics' by Paul Littlewood.
And last, as already mentioned, get Silmans endgame manual. It is divided into rating levels and lets you learn according to your increasing ability.
Contrary to what a lot of people say, I really don't believe you improve at chess without concurrently learning about all 3 key stages - opening, middlegame and endgame.
If you can't do the first, you will never get a chance to improve the others. If you can't do the end, you will never put the nail in your opponents coffin. And if you only learn the openings and the endgames, you will never truly enjoy the best part of chess - the infinitely complex and beautiful middle bit!
And yes, you need to constantly practice and review your games. Pick opponents rated 50-100 points above your own, and only aim higher as your rating improves. This way you wont play whipping boys or opponents that just annhialate you, as this teaches you very little.
Hope my humble view helps.
PS - unless you possess rare ability, there is no easy way to chess success.
Most people hope and strive to improve about 200-300 rating points a year based on average gameplay. Some go much faster, some don't improve, but this is an acceptable level of progress if you are committed. Of course it starts to slow considerably as you reach your natural ceiling, which for most people is probably the level at which you lose the will to put in the effort to get better. For those hard workers, it is the level of your true ability.
Few get to 2200 Bryan, but I wish you well.
Appreciate the responses! I like pragmatic and objective people and you all seem to have given me advice that reflects that. After signing up at chess emerald I've been slightly humbled in my confidence in my tactics. I'm hovering around 1000 right now.
I will definately pick up 3 books for different aspects of the game according to your advice.
I know 2200 is lofty but I also plan on being a billionaire, so...
...anybody around my level up for playing some correspondence games?
Originally posted by SnTiaLHey, I'm not knocking your ambition.
Appreciate the responses! I like pragmatic and objective people and you all seem to have given me advice that reflects that. After signing up at chess emerald I've been slightly humbled in my confidence in my tactics. I'm hovering around 1000 right now.
I will definately pick up 3 books for different aspects of the game according to your advice.
I know ...[text shortened]... g a billionaire, so...
...anybody around my level up for playing some correspondence games?
Aim for the stars and all that.
Just be advised they're a bloody long way away! I should know, I set off years ago and I'm still somewhere near Jupiter 😉
Originally posted by SnTiaLAgain, take this for what it's worth, but I would go for a tactics website (namely, chesstempo.com) instead of a tactics book. having a real rating, setting competitive goals (aiming for top 200, 100, 5, whatever), making and reading comments etc makes all the difference in the world. on the other hand, tactics books are lonely and are way less effective if you ask me, UNLESS they have some kind of VERY special aspects like Dvoretsky's books (which at this moment would be above your level).
Appreciate the responses! I like pragmatic and objective people and you all seem to have given me advice that reflects that. After signing up at chess emerald I've been slightly humbled in my confidence in my tactics. I'm hovering around 1000 right now.
I will definately pick up 3 books for different aspects of the game according to your advice.
I know ...[text shortened]... g a billionaire, so...
...anybody around my level up for playing some correspondence games?