There's a good article on improving one's chess game at Chessville.com. Here's an excerpt:
"The plan which I'm suggesting may not be right for everyone, but it works for the majority of us. The basic outline of my plan is this: Master basic tactics, then basic endings, then study basic positional play and strategy, then learn basic opening principles, and finally bring it all together by playing over a collection of games with light notes or study a book like Chernev's Logical Chess Explained Move By Move. Then you'll be ready to learn a basic opening repertoire. Learn it and play it for at least a year, until you know it as well as anyone. Don't jump around and switch from opening to opening. Next, repeat the process, only with more advanced books, then repeat this process again using even more advanced books, and keep on until you reach the 2000 rating level. All the while, keep a book of tactical problems at hand and spend some time on them EVERY day. By the time you get to the 2000 level, you'll know what specific areas you need to work on from there on out.
"Now let’s look at the plan in detail from the beginning:
"What I'd recommend first is that you get a good book of chess problems and spend some time every single day, no matter what, solving a few of them. Polgar's 5334 Chess Problems or Combination Challenge by Hays & Hall are both great. This will build up your tactical skills, teach you how the pieces work together, and keep your vision of the board sharp. For most players, start with the Polgar book. Advanced players can skip straight to Combination Challenge, but only if ALL the material in the Polgar book is easy for you and has already been mastered."
Originally posted by bassoHmmm, i don't actually own a book of puzzles. Thanks for that, i'll check that out. 🙂
There's a good article on improving one's chess game at Chessville.com. Here's an excerpt:
"The plan which I'm suggesting may not be right for everyone, but it works for the majority of us. The basic outline of my plan is this: Master basic tactics, then basic endings, then study basic positional play and strategy, then learn basic opening principles, an ...[text shortened]... LL the material in the Polgar book is easy for you and has already been mastered."
I just quickly skimmed the "Path To Improvement" article, and it's companion article, "Suggestions for Improving Your Play". It seems like pretty good advice; I think I'll read it in more detail later.
One thing that raised my eyebrows was the 2nd article's caution to not play any games faster than 30 minutes. It seems to me that some fast games are okay, as long as you always analyze even your fast games. Even though your blitz and bullet games will be sloppy, by analyzing even these fast games, you'll be learning more templates and patterns at a fast pace. If you don't analyze these fast games, you'll miss most of the new patterns that you should be learning.
But more importantly, basso, don't you realize that these articles are providing competition for RahimK's improvement threads? 😀
Originally posted by bassothe only problem I have here is that it doesn't say anything about accertaining an understanding of how closely related everything being learned is.
There's a good article on improving one's chess game at Chessville.com. Here's an excerpt:
"The plan which I'm suggesting may not be right for everyone, but it works for the majority of us. The basic outline of my plan is this: Master basic tactics, then basic endings, then study basic positional play and strategy, then learn basic opening principles, an ...[text shortened]... LL the material in the Polgar book is easy for you and has already been mastered."
Originally posted by tomtom232Good point. The excerpt I posted was merely a small part of a four page article. Elsewhere in the article, the author says, "Playing solitaire and studying master level games will 'pull it all together' for you and greatly increase your understanding." The entire article is well worth reading.
the only problem I have here is that it doesn't say anything about accertaining an understanding of how closely related everything being learned is.
Originally posted by Mad RookHaha, I have read this and other articles. They all basically say the same. I'm just putting it into simpler terms and to the point.
I just quickly skimmed the "Path To Improvement" article, and it's companion article, "Suggestions for Improving Your Play". It seems like pretty good advice; I think I'll read it in more detail later.
One thing that raised my eyebrows was the 2nd article's caution to not play any games faster than 30 minutes. It seems to me that some fast games are okay ...[text shortened]... e that these articles are providing competition for RahimK's improvement threads? 😀
As for that person who said they don't have a puzzle book. Do you have a chess program? You can get some free ones online and there are lots of free puzzles.
Go to www.chessville.com . Go to downloads and tactics and there you can find 1001 Puzzles from Reinfields book in .pgn format.
I also linked some webpages with puzzles on my need help__ 1400 and 1600 threads.
Originally posted by Mad RookI agree with the 30+ min game suggestion. I also suggest this to my students.
I just quickly skimmed the "Path To Improvement" article, and it's companion article, "Suggestions for Improving Your Play". It seems like pretty good advice; I think I'll read it in more detail later.
One thing that raised my eyebrows was the 2nd article's caution to not play any games faster than 30 minutes. It seems to me that some fast games are okay ...[text shortened]... e that these articles are providing competition for RahimK's improvement threads? 😀
I have played over 2000+ game on yahoo blitz and then on other sites, icc, fics etc...
They never helped me improve or barely did.
After I joined a club and starting playing 30 min each side I started improving and then moved up to G 110 + 30 sec increment and improved lots.
One thing about blitz is that it's just for fun, you don't really care about the results. However in a OTB setting with all the pressure, prizes, excitement, etc... you want to do go. If you play bad you will suffer for the duration of the game (1 + hours sometimes). All this causes you to play better and study harder. At least for me it did.
Thus, I don't play blitz. It doesn't do anything good for me and causes bad habits.
Originally posted by MarinkatombGet the CD program Chess Tactics for Intermediate Players or Chess Tactics for Advanced Players (the name is something like that)
Hmmm, i don't actually own a book of puzzles. Thanks for that, i'll check that out. 🙂
I have the Beginner CD, and it is great. Way better than a book for a few reasons
1. You can see the answer right away without having to thumb all the way to the back of the book.
2. It gives hints that actually sharpen your tactical ability. It will point out a diagonals etc. that give you hints that help your tactical ability
3. It gives you an ELO rating so you can see your level of improvement
4. Once you install it, you don't need to keep the CD in to use it.
5. Generally has about 1000-1300 puzzles, and you can do them over again
Originally posted by chesskid001chesskid,
[b]Get the CD program Chess Tactics for Intermediate Players or Chess Tactics for Advanced Players (the name is something like that)
I have the Beginner CD, and it is great.
If the Beginner CD "is great," why do you recommend the Chess Tactics for the Intermediate Player? I'm probably somewhere between beginner and intermediate, and am puzzled as to which one to get.
Originally posted by bassoWhy not get the free one? If you can't find a chess program online which can access .pgn then I can send you some links.
chesskid,
If the Beginner CD "is great," why do you recommend the Chess Tactics for the Intermediate Player? I'm probably somewhere between beginner and intermediate, and am puzzled as to which one to get.
Most online sites also open these files such as ICC, Fics, etc...
Originally posted by RahimKI'm pretty new to online chess, programs, pgn files and the like, so much so that I really don't understand your comments. I'm kind of backwards when it comes to all this fancy computer stuff. :-/
Why not get the free one? If you can't find a chess program online which can access .pgn then I can send you some links.
Most online sites also open these files such as ICC, Fics, etc...
Originally posted by bassohttp://www.chessville.com/downloads/downloads_tactical_exercises.htm
I'm pretty new to online chess, programs, pgn files and the like, so much so that I really don't understand your comments. I'm kind of backwards when it comes to all this fancy computer stuff. :-/
Download that. It's free.
Now do you have a chess program?
Fritz, chessbase, shredder, winboard, chess master etc?
If not I can send you some links.
Then all you do is open that file with the chess program and you are set.
Free puzzles online instead of spending some money buying cd's etc..
Originally posted by RahimKI did Fred Reinfeld 1K excercises once and they are great. But, you need to know that about 10% of them have no solution when you even use Fritz to get the solution.....and there isn't one.
http://www.chessville.com/downloads/downloads_tactical_exercises.htm
Download that. It's free.
Now do you have a chess program?
Fritz, chessbase, shredder, winboard, chess master etc?
If not I can send you some links.
Then all you do is open that file with the chess program and you are set.
Free puzzles online instead of spending some money buying cd's etc..
Another great excercises are on the Chess tactics server. It also shows you your rating and most important, it has the "time preasure" factor. For my experience on many different "packs" of excercises, CTS is the best for mastering "simple tactics".
http://chess.emrald.net/
Hope this help.
Originally posted by sschere2I did several of them and I would say 1/5 have wrong solutions or are wrong 🙂
I did Fred Reinfeld 1K excercises once and they are great. But, you need to know that about 10% of them have no solution when you even use Fritz to get the solution.....and there isn't one.
Another great excercises are on the Chess tactics server. It also shows you your rating and most important, it has the "time preasure" factor. For my experience on ma ...[text shortened]... s the best for mastering "simple tactics".
http://chess.emrald.net/
Hope this help.