Saturday, June 12, 2010

Improve your Chess

OK.  Here are some older (good) posts from a different Blog I had.



 If you’re interested in improving your chess, then keep reading.  If you like reading about on-going or historical chess events, then bookmark this page.


My goal is to improve your chess as well as comment on-going or historical chess events. 
Nobody is born a chess master, though some of us have more natural ability than other.  For now, I want to look at how to improve your chess.  Well, the following quotes have formed the basis for improving my chess and will help your chess too:

1. “Every chess master was once a beginner.” — Chernev
2. “Chess mastery essentially consists of analyzing chess positions accurately.” — Botvinnik
3. “Chess is 99% tactics.” — Teichmann
4. “Tactics flow from a superior position.”  –Fischer
5. “Strategy must give way to tactics.” — Euwe


First of all, TACTICS ARE IMPORTANT.  How many games have you already lost due to a tactical oversight?  If you’re rated under 2000 (USCF “Expert”), then you probably need to spend more time doing tactical puzzles.


Next, you need to learn how to accurately analyze a chess position?  Why?  This will give use a superior position.  Why?  This will allow us to setup tactics that will material, checkmate the enemy king, or both.  So what is the best way to learn how to analyze chess positions correctly?  Well, there are plenty of good books out there, but I recommend studying games of the great chess players.  With each game, you get to study the opening, positional play, tactics, strategy, the endgame (hopefully).  Let these masters show you how to correctly analyze the chess positions through their play.


Lastly, we need to PLAY chess.  We play chess because we love the game, and we study chess to improve our game.  If you only play chess and never study, then you’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes and your improvement will be slow (or non-existent).  Let me put it this way:  have you been stuck (or know someone who has been stuck) at a rating of somewhere between 1200 and 1400 (USCF).  You play and play chess and never get better.  The problem is that you do not study and are unwilling to change the way you think and play—this may be a tough pill to swallow but it’s the truth.  They only way to improve your chess play is to study, learn how and how to change, and then play chess using the things you learn.



Therefore my motto is: Do Tactics. Study Games. Play Chess.

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