Chess is a wonderfully complex challenge. The game can also be a source of endless frustration and can, quite literally, drive one mad. This post will offer 6 tips to help you improve your chess game. Those are analyze your games, analyze GM games, don’t play blitz chess to improve, do puzzles, learn Algebraic notation and know the endgames well.
Analyze your games and find any mistake patterns you may have developed. After identifying systematic weaknesses, use Deliberate Practice to improve performance.
Study the greats. See how they do it. Find a GM who has a similar style to what your natural temperament is and copy their moves. Use the next move principle. That is, follow a game & try and guess the next move. Reconcile any differences in your move selection with understanding of the expert’s selection criteria. If analyzing from algebraic notation is boring to you, watch videos of GM analysis instead.
GMs can play blitz effectively because they’ve already committed the time to learn the positions in standard time controls. Playing blitz, when you aren’t very good, ingrains bad chess patterns with a lot of repetitions quickly. Time pressure will lead you to not think deeply about the game and will stifle your ability to learn. Blitz and bullet games are fun but you will not improve when you play. Play standard time games, if you intend to improve.
One book suggested studying the same 1000 puzzles on the most common tactical themes repeatedly until they become instinctual. Rapid Chess Improvement: A Book Review discusses said book. Puzzles contain the elemental tactics to win chess games. By improving in puzzles / tactics your granular understanding of the game will grow stronger and your skill will refine. Learn 5 easy tactics for beginners here.
Master how to talk about chess. By learning the algebraic board you will be able to better analyze games for yourself and with others. In addition, you’ll be able to start practicing position visualization. Through visualization practice you’ll be able to hold more complex positions over the board. If you stick with it, you may get to the level where you can play games blindfolded.
Chess is essentially endgames. In all the positions of chess, you have to know when to push and when to give the opposition. Additionally, by knowing the various endgames you can steer games into the directions for the endgame you prefer or identify positions where the endgame will not be in your favor. By knowing endgames cold, you’ll also have an advantage when time controls become crucial.
While chess can be a frustrating endeavor, it is also a game with endless discoveries. Use the tips above on how to improve your chess game continue to learn the magical intricacies of the Royal Game and win. Most importantly… HAVE FUN!!
A checkmate pattern is a specific identifiable positioning of pieces...
Chess is a game with many approaches to improve. Some...
