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deeper_insight 08-Aug-15, 19:50 |
 How to get better at chess: guide for all levels....Below 299: Learn basic rules of chess, how pieces move, and special rules (en passant, castle etc). 300-1000: Learn basic chess ideas such as checkmate, simple attacks, etc. 1000-1199: Learn basic opening ideas. It's recommended to play 1.e4 as white and sharp variations as black. Learn basic checkmates (King + Queen vs. King, Queen + Queen vs. King, Rook + Rook vs. King, King + Rook vs. King). Practice them until you are completely confident and can checkmate anyone (even a GM) in these positions. 1200-1399: Study more openings, but do not stick with "rarely played variations". It is a huge mistake that a LOT of chess player make while studying openings, to study rarely played/unusual lines which most likely would never come up in real life tournaments. Studying standard opening lines would yield a lot more results! Spend maximum of 20% of your study time to study openings. Until 1800 level openings aren't very important. Concentrate more on middle game and tactics. 1400-1599: Endgame is the key on this level. Only imagine the advantage you get against your opponent if you know how to play endgame well and your opponent does not. The odds are that your opponent will loose the endgame almost immediately. Study basic endgame schemes: King + Pawn vs. King, King + 2 Pawns vs. King, King + Pawn vs. King + 2 Pawns and so on. Besides the endgame do tactics problems (puzzles). Play as much chess as possible especially in real life over the board tournaments with a long time control (that's where you learn the most). 1600-1799: If you got on this level it means you are already strong, very solid chess player which knows a lot about all stages of the game of chess. Keep working on your middle game, strategy and tactics. 1800-1999: Now it is a good time to systemize your opening repertoire. Ideally, you should know very well 2-3 openings for white and 2 for Black. The key to advancing to the expert level here is to analyze your own games. After the game, sit down with a chessboard, paper and pen and go over the game move by move writing down thoughts on your own and your opponent's moves. Only then you may check your game with an engine (Rybka, Fritz, etc). The number #1 mistake chess players make, they either do not analyze their games at all or analyze them by using chess program right away. This is a big mistake which slows down chess progress.The main idea of analysis is not to look at what computer thinks was a good move, but to look for that move yourself! Would it make sense to solve chess tactics puzzles by plugging them into a chess engine? Probably not.Also it is great idea to go over GM games and think them over. The best way to go over these high level games is to first go over all the moves without author's comments and only second time read the comments and annotations. This works great with the openings too. Remember that when you read your opening book tomorrow. 2000-2199: You are now an Expert. Keep working on chess and I'm sure you'll be able to make at least a Master.Concentrate on some more obscure subvariant lines and openings that move out of book a bit quicker like the Trompowski Attack.With your pure strength and knowledge at this juncture,the element of surprise is key in winning more.You will start to obtain more draws at your level if playing opponents around 2200-2300 which is actually a good thing because it proves you are playing close to perfect chess moves as opposed to when you were 2000 rated. ====================================================================== Well,above,those are general guidelines actually,not set in stone.And the word "beginner" may be a bit different in the way you define "beginner"as opposed to someone else.The USCF considers a player with a rating of 1000 a "bright beginner",meaning he knows a few things,but still barely enough to even consider looking into book like openings with the exception of just kind of touching on them a small,tiny bit as it actually does say above...."basic opening ideas"."Ideas",however,do not necessarily mean memorizing a Ruy Lopez 20 moves deep.Thats where many chess theorists state that anyone in the so called "beginner"rating areas should not even look at openings until they have become familiar with much more in the theory dept,including,I should say,touching on the point value of pieces and how to develop your side of the board better in 10 moves. Now,as you can see from my other club link below,a beginner can also be someone in the 100 to the 999 level( class j through f),so they would still be a beginner,but not a "bright"beginner.So in cases like that,the word is passed around that they are also a "beginner" like the 1000 rated player,but as you can well see,they should certainly not touch on openings at all(J through f).Some of those "beginners"barely know how to move the pieces,let alone understand things like...En passant! ====================================================================== Just a general thought on those who want to improve? After getting some feedback a bit from players and perhaps a member from this club on wanting to improve their chess game strength....I come to the same conclusion I did decades ago: In order to improve your game play you MUST take a serious effort to improve,not just "keep wishing".This MUST involve more of your personal time towards the game.If you do not have the time or true desire,then,no,you will not improve.Thats simply the facts. Time to study games,diagrams,theory,tactical puzzles,reading books,buying new books and DVD self help chess training tools,taking a look at GM games,your past game losses and why you really lost,forum and club forum research and input,burning the midnight oil,some blitz games once in a while and even listening to TA and others occasionally! If you have no desire,time,effort or willpower or a bit of $$ to invest...no problem.But then,you can't expect to improve your game play and rating by hoping that one day you will wake up and go from 1500 to 1900 overnight because you suddenly "seen the light"!Its not going to happen unless your a chess prodigy that has suddenly risen from the ashes!And what is the odds for that to happen?Play the lottery...your chances are better to win at that! Don't really care about improving?Thats ok too,but I feel most chess players really want to improve!Why not try a bit harder?Need some book advice for your level of play?Ask me,Shamash or Jkarp.One of us should have the answer for you.Or search some of my club links.In there is some book advice.Books too boring for you?Well,I can't help you there except to say that alot of the newest DVD self help sets out there(like you can purchase through the USCF with the link on GK or my profile)give a great illustrated way to improve...perhaps less boring than books.There is also tons of youtube video's you can research on just about any chess subject.Just type in a specific subject on chess and most probably a list of video's will pop up regarding an opening or some theory on a game.I am not a mentor or chess instructor as I mentioned before,but I can atleast try and shine a flashlight for you down a foggy dark road to help your driving out a bit before you crash into that black brick wall! Let me add that,even though it may cost you some $$,investing in a tabletop chess computer(a good one,not some used old junky crap)will or should improve your game quite alot.Playing in an OTB scenario with a computer is way different than playing against a two dimensional chess program like Fritz or Shredder.The mind tends to subconsciously grasp geometric chess positions better in a 3D board setup as opposed to staring for long periods of time on a lighted computer screen.The newer generation may disagree with this,but I have personally conducted research on this subject and have found results that concur with my thoughts here.Way too many players today haven't even played on a real chessboard(or rarely)and have no idea of the positive mental value that can come about from real chess board usage.Giving the mind several "options"to view a position,like quickly walking around a real chess board on all sides or looking "down"upon real pieces,can create a better mental "snapshot"of the position. Not sure which tabletop computer to buy?Well,alot depends upon how much $$ your willing to spend...but ask me!I'm an expert on them!Better ones are usually $200-300 dollars US or maybe half that price if you find a good used one on Ebay.But some are better than others at the same price.So be careful in the purchase!No money to invest?Thats ok,but its may be something to consider in the future if/when you do have some money to invest in a nice tabletop system! Other pasted link which contains more info.... gameknot.com |