1. Joined
    12 Aug '06
    Moves
    5380
    10 Jul '07 02:04
    I've reached 1569 OTB rating last month. Coparing this with the 1100 OTB rating on August 2006, I've improved.

    No idea what to do now.

    I've read only two books: Attacking Chess by Waitzkin and Unbeatable Chess Lessons by Svidler. Aside from that, I only studied tactics and played games.

    I have absolutely no opening repertoire.

    Any books or software that can help me jump to the next level?
  2. USA
    Joined
    02 Mar '07
    Moves
    8808
    10 Jul '07 02:14
    My System by Nimzovich pleanty of guidlines in there, minature chess problems by Russ, to improve tactics, and a couple of chess openings books, or get Chessmaster 10th edition for the x-box or PC.
  3. Standard memberwittywonka
    Chocolate Expert
    Cocoa Mountains
    Joined
    26 Nov '06
    Moves
    19249
    10 Jul '07 02:25
    Originally posted by anthias
    I have absolutely no opening repertoire.
    I'm assuming that you understand tactics, and I'm pretty sure (from how you describe yourself) that you understand the basics of positional strategy (open ranks for rooks, knight vs. bishop strategies, pawn structure strategies, etc.), so I would work on an opening collection. Granted, I do not have an opening collection, either, but you should probably familiarize yourself generally with some common openings and see which ones fit your style. In other words, you might want to choose an opening to play as white, and a reply to 1. c4, 1. d4, and 1.e4 as black to start.
  4. Joined
    21 Sep '05
    Moves
    27507
    10 Jul '07 02:52
    Originally posted by anthias
    No idea what to do now.
    You need to analyse your recent OTB games... identify common weaknesses from these... and let that determine what you should study next.

    e.g. all of your recent losses could have been in the endgame. Or maybe none of them were. Hence, study accordingly in terms of what your play needs most.
  5. U.S.A.
    Joined
    19 Feb '05
    Moves
    3455
    10 Jul '07 02:5414 edits
    Originally posted by anthias
    I've reached 1569 OTB rating last month. Comparing this with the 1100 OTB rating on August 2006, I've improved.

    No idea what to do now.

    I have absolutely no opening repertoire.

    Any books or software that can help me jump to the next level?
    "MCO(Modern Chess Openings) is good for finding a favorite opening. "1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices & Combinations" & "1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate" are great for improving on tactics play.

    Best wishes 🙂

    -- Paul
  6. Account suspended
    Joined
    29 Mar '07
    Moves
    1260
    10 Jul '07 10:35
    I'd say, for 10 units; tactics x6, endgame x3, openings x1
  7. Joined
    12 Aug '06
    Moves
    5380
    10 Jul '07 12:121 edit
    any specific books writtien for my level?
  8. USA
    Joined
    02 Mar '07
    Moves
    8808
    10 Jul '07 13:55
    no.
  9. London
    Joined
    04 Nov '05
    Moves
    12606
    10 Jul '07 14:07
    Originally posted by anthias
    I've reached 1569 OTB rating last month. Coparing this with the 1100 OTB rating on August 2006, I've improved.

    No idea what to do now.

    I've read only two books: Attacking Chess by Waitzkin and Unbeatable Chess Lessons by Svidler. Aside from that, I only studied tactics and played games.

    I have absolutely no opening repertoire.

    Any books or software that can help me jump to the next level?
    You could send a couple of your games of for analysis. I found this very useful. I sent in games with my anotations and then they were annotated by an IM who gave me tips on repertoire and what my strength and weaknesses were etc. as well as recommending some books. Although I did become very aware of how little I know - it did help me focus my study.

    My sessions were organised via www.improveyourchess.com which is a subscriber site run by GM Tony Kosten. They do expect you to commit to 3 games a month for 3 months. The Andrew Martin Chess Academy will let you send in 1 game for analysis and they give you a discount for 5. You can also find chess coaches via ICC and I presume Playchess.Com also.
  10. Standard memberwittywonka
    Chocolate Expert
    Cocoa Mountains
    Joined
    26 Nov '06
    Moves
    19249
    10 Jul '07 16:24
    Originally posted by anthias
    any specific books writtien for my level?
    Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Strategies isn't bad, but you may (probably) already know some of the material covered.
  11. Joined
    22 Aug '06
    Moves
    359
    11 Jul '07 00:29
    Originally posted by diskamyl
    I'd say, for 10 units; tactics x6, endgame x3, openings x1
    Just my opinion: For 10 units: tacticsx7, openingsx2, endgamesx1.
  12. Joined
    12 Aug '06
    Moves
    5380
    11 Jul '07 12:06
    so I should not have an opening repertoire right now but focus on strategy?
  13. Big D
    Joined
    13 Dec '05
    Moves
    26380
    11 Jul '07 14:07
    Study the endgame. Pour over every Capablanca and Rubinstein game you can find. Buy a copy of Fritz. Read Nimzovitch's "My System" and "Chess Praxis." Study Alekhine's books: My Best Games 1 & 2. Read Botvinnik's book. Then plow through Smyslov's games. If you do all this, you will have done more than 99% of all chess players.
  14. Joined
    14 Jul '06
    Moves
    20541
    11 Jul '07 15:211 edit
    Originally posted by anthias
    ...Any books or software that can help me jump to the next level?
    I bought CT-Art 3.0 a couple of weeks ago.
    It's a tactics trainer with 1200 interactive puzzles set by theme or difficulty from elo 1200-1300+ I should think.
    The learning process is helped because for each problem if you can't get the solution straight away, the lines of attack & key squares are hinted.
    If you still don't get it right, the piece to move flashes.
    If you're still having problems, a simplified 16-square corner version of the full-board theme is shown.
    Counterplay is shown where relevant - you can play the opposition tactical moves as well.
    I've done at least 300 of these & they are just like situations you get during a game, from simple forks & discovered attacks to multi-move combinations, I've learned more from this doing the problems than reading winning chess tactics from cover-to-cover twice!
  15. Joined
    05 Feb '06
    Moves
    5295
    11 Jul '07 15:27
    Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
    Study the endgame. Pour over every Capablanca and Rubinstein game you can find. Buy a copy of Fritz. Read Nimzovitch's "My System" and "Chess Praxis." Study Alekhine's books: My Best Games 1 & 2. Read Botvinnik's book. Then plow through Smyslov's games. If you do all this, you will have done more than 99% of all chess players.
    And after you've done this you'll be bored rigid - just play it by ear. 😉
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