my present strategy for increasing chess skill is to just go down my list of games and look at them as if each is new to me. my thinking is that this forces me to analyze a position quickly to see the possibilities. one problem with it is i forget my plans- but i feel like if they are good plans, i should be able to discern them again from just looking at the board...
i'm not sure this is the most efficient way to learn and i would like to get better, so i'd like suggestions on how other handle lots of games (well, not lots for some people, but around 40 is plenty for me), and improve my skills.
i don't use databases and i don't really want to start. it takes the fun out of it, i think... and it is, after all, a game.
any suggestions?
Originally posted by Darth SpongeApproach each move with fear and trepidation.
my present strategy for increasing chess skill is to just go down my list of games and look at them as if each is new to me. my thinking is that this forces me to analyze a position quickly to see the possibilities. one problem with it is i forget my plans- but i feel like if they are good plans, i should be able to discern them again from just looki ...[text shortened]... t. it takes the fun out of it, i think... and it is, after all, a game.
any suggestions?
Originally posted by Darth SpongeI'd say you've hit on probably the worst way to approach a game. If you are having problems remembering what your plan was in a game, use the Notebook feature and write down what you believe are your opponent's most likely next move (give a couple of possibilities at least) and your response to them. Chess requires an overall plan, but sufficient flexibility to change that plan if tactical opportunities arise. You shouldn't be trying to "rediscover the wheel" on every move; only chess engines can do that with unerring accuracy on each move. Make a plan and stick to it unless better opportunities arise.
my present strategy for increasing chess skill is to just go down my list of games and look at them as if each is new to me. my thinking is that this forces me to analyze a position quickly to see the possibilities. one problem with it is i forget my plans- but i feel like if they are good plans, i should be able to discern them again from just looki ...[text shortened]... t. it takes the fun out of it, i think... and it is, after all, a game.
any suggestions?
Originally posted by no1marauderthanks, this is what i want to know. but it's not that i don't plan, but i feel like i should be able to recognize my plan by analyzing the board. i use the notebook sometimes. i'm looking for a kindof "learning method" i can put myself on (without having to buy anything)
I'd say you've hit on probably the worst way to approach a game. If you are having problems remembering what your plan was in a game, use the Notebook feature and write down what you believe are your opponent's most likely next move (give a couple of possibilities at least) and your response to them. Chess requires an overall plan, but sufficient flex ...[text shortened]... h unerring accuracy on each move. Make a plan and stick to it unless better opportunities arise.
Start looking at databases, not only will they show you how to play the openings, they will also show you a wider range of variations, good moves and mistakes than your average chess book will get you. It will also give you an idea of the type of endgame you will get and how best to play them, for certainly openings/lines the endgames almost always have the same material and pawn structure.
www.chesslab.com has a 2 million strong database for free.
Other than that try to do tactics, I saw a link recently for a chess tactics server, I think it was on here but will paste it again to save you spending ages looking through the posts.
http://chess.emrald.net/index.php
Reading a few good chess books will never hurt your rating. The ones that spring to mind are, Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman, The Art of Attack in Chess by Vladimir Vukovic and the Yasser Seirawan series.
Reading a few good chess books will never hurt your rating. The ones that spring to mind are, Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman, The Art of Attack in Chess by Vladimir Vukovic and the Yasser Seirawan series.[/b]the art of attack is a really good book. you need to find out what kind of player you are. attack, positional, or little of both. if you are an attacking player study games of openings that suit your sytle. games from players like Tal, some Spassky, some Fischer. positional: Bottovick, Petroin (bad at spell some of their
names,sorry). dont be playing openings like the caro-cann if you are an attacking kind of player, e5 or the silician would be the best option for attacking/ sharp postions against e4. against d4- attacking: kid,benoni, etc..., postional: the queen's indian defense, etc... databases do help your openings, without knowledge of openings you will lose alot more thn you should. you might say it takes the fun out of chess but it just makes the game more complicated which in that makes chess funner(word doesnt exist but you get the message). if you are an attacking play read the book "the life and games of milikal tal" by milikal tal(lol). a very good book which shows the genious of the greatest attacking player in history. all i can tell you that chess is a never ending quest to become the best and stay there, only can this be done by continually studying and working hard.
p.s.- study and learn openings, dont just memeroize variations. i too am going through trying to become better. i am trying to get my uscf rating from 1500prov. to hopely to 1700+ by the end of the school year.
thanks for the suggestions. sometimes i think fewer games would help, but i have to wait for people to move too long and get bored, and then take on more games. and sometimes i think that more games are the answer. although it might be the "worst" way to learn, i feel like i'm still learning this way. but to learn more- books, databases... i'll look into those. thanks for the website and help.