Want To Be A Great Chess Player?

I just finished reading a great book, "The Story of You," by Steve Chandler. He opens the final chapter with these words:

'My work is often to find a magic key for people to use to take themselves from good to great, and I think I've found it. The magic key to greatness is doing something counterintuitive and pursuing the 'hard part' of your work.

'Most people don't want to do that. They want to focus on the easy (and soft) part of their work. But it helps more to focus on the hard part. To find what's hard and do more of it. Not less.

'Most of us avoid what's hard. Unless we are truly commited to being great. Then it changes. Then we seek what's hard.'

The author goes on to give the example of a basketball player who is a good shooter and passer but not such a hot dribbler. So he goes around dribbling all day, day after day, and before long, he is a great dribbler and his game is vastly improved. 'He turned the hard part into the easy part. The best part.'

I found this rather inspiring. So, . . . what is the hard part of Your game?

Originally posted by basso
I just finished reading a great book, "The Story of You," by Steve Chandler. He opens the final chapter with these words:

'The magic key to greatness is doing something counterintuitive and pursuing the 'hard part' of your work.

'Most people don't want to do that. They want to focus on the easy (and soft) part of their work. But it helps more to focus '

I found this rather inspiring. So, . . . what is the hard part of Your game?

Endgames - I always try to study them, but they're SO BORING! I've just entered a rook + pawn endgame against Korch on here (unrated, in progress, no comments) where if I knew endgames REALLY well I'd probably know EXACTLY how I stood - unfortunately I don't, so I've been analyzing the position over and over again...OTB I don't have the analyze board to help me analyze these positions.