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how can i improve my chess?
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NN asked:
What do I need to do to improve my chess? I feel like a moron - I read books and I play at least two games a week and sometimes I beat 1500 players, sometimes I lose to beginners. I don't seem to improve no matter what I do. I am now studying your Endgame book, section 1400-1599, hoping to climb my rating to that level, but I am becoming very frustrated with my play. What am I doing wrong?
Silman Replies:
Asking what you’re doing wrong without me knowing your personal weaknesses is like saying you take lots of medications yet still feel poorly. Of course, medication for an undiagnosed illness is madness, as is trying to patch together your chess game without knowing what needs to be fixed, learned, and/or worked on.
So, since I’m working “blind,” I’ll say the following:
The most important reason to play chess is that you find it fun and stimulating to play. Low rated players usually have far more fun with the game than masters. So, if you’re having a great time playing (in other words, the battle is a rush, not the result), then you are doing fine.
When one takes up the game, you need to first build a proper foundation. This means a basic opening repertoire that’s easy to learn, has serious sting, and has plans that you can comprehend and implement. You need to master basic tactics. You need to master positional basics. And you need to master basic endgames. [You can find many fine repertoire, positional, and tactics books in our book review archive]
Finally, you need to play and lose. Losing is a huge part of the learning process. When I was starting out, I had two friends who were better than me and they would regularly come over and beat me (at blitz) 20 in a row. However, though they laughed at me, I was “stealing” their skills and knowledge from them. In time, they became my bitches.
I’ll cut this short with this advice: Find a teacher (good online teachers are available on the ICC). Deeply annotate about 20 of your games, showing what you saw and didn’t see during the contest, how you felt, etc. DO NOT use computers. Give your teacher these games and have him figure out what the problem is. Have him give you a written description of what you need to do/study to reach a new level.
Please keep in mind that people progress at different rates. Kids do so quickly, but adults can take years and years to make significant gains. And that takes us back to “fun.” If it’s fun, enjoy the process. If it’s not, then you might want to adjust your expectations.
| | Copyright © 2008 Jeremy Silman | | | |
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