5 Ways To Get Better At Chess in 2018

Too many times, people don’t try their best. They don’t have the keen spirit; the winning spirit. And once you make it you’ve got to guard your reputation—every day go in like an unknown to prove yourself. That’s why I don’t clown around. I don’t believe in wasting time. My goal is to win the world chess championship; to beat the Russians. I take this very seriously. —Bobby Fischer

Fischer via Wikipedia.

With the dawn of the new calendar year, it's natural to access your life, chess included.

Setting goals for 2018 is a good way to improve your chess, learn, and enjoy the game more.

We can't all be as good as Bobby Fischer, but we can take steps to improve our game right here on Chess.com.

Here are five ways to get better at chess in the new year.

5. Practice drills.

I've been playing chess for three decades, but I recently found out that I did not know the simple Lucena endgame—that is, until I practiced the Chess.com Lucena drill. Now I can solve it in my sleep.

There are enough drills available to last you till 2019, and you can play them all against the computer at your leisure. 

4. Watch video lessons.

Whether you're learning from the video lessons on Chess.com for premium members, or the many free lessons we publish on YouTube, the key is that you are getting better at chess without moving a single piece. 

3. Improve your chess vision.

Studies have shown that pattern recognition is the key to chess mastery, and there is no more powerful tool to learn chess patterns than our new vision trainer. 

2. Watch better chess players.

Whether you're tuning in for Carlsen vs Nakamura today, or rewatching the Speed Chess Championship matches on Twitch, you will learn ideas, concepts, and even tactics you've never seen before simply by watching the world's best. 

1. Play more chess.

Experience is the best teacher. Get online and play more chess. With the Chess.com mobile apps, you can play from almost anywhere. 

Be sure to analyze your games—win, lose, or draw—with a computer engine afterwards. 

What are your chess resolutions? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.