Creating a Chess Training Plan for Adult Improvers

Improving at chess as an adult can feel like an overwhelming journey. While many people want to get better, they don’t always know where to start or how to structure their study. As a fellow adult chess improver, I’ve developed an organized training plan to help me stay on track and work toward my goals. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how to create an effective chess training plan, what to include, and how to keep it manageable for consistent progress.  If you want a more in detail explanation, watch my video on my youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@AdultChessJourney/videos)

1. Understanding the Importance of a Training Plan

When it comes to improving at chess, the journey can seem daunting. Without a structured roadmap, it’s easy to feel lost or overwhelmed by the amount of material to cover. This is why creating a training plan is essential. As an adult with limited time, I need a clear path that balances improvement with the rest of my daily responsibilities.

The purpose of a training plan is to ensure that you're working on all areas of chess—openings, tactics, middlegame strategy, and endgames—without overloading yourself. By organizing your study into manageable chunks, you’ll stay motivated and see progress over time.

2. My Chess Training Plan Template

The first step in creating a training plan is using a simple tool to keep track of your progress. I use a Google Drive sheet to organize my weekly schedule. Regardless of when you start, the key is consistency and adaptability. For me, the goal is to prepare for tournaments, and having a weekly tracker helps me stay accountable.

Here’s how I structure my plan:

• Weekly Schedule: I assign specific tasks to each day of the week. This includes dedicated time for tactics, opening practice, game review, and rest days.
• 15-Week Cycle: My plan is based on 15-week cycles. After each cycle, I take a break to recharge and evaluate my progress. It’s important to disconnect sometimes to come back sharper and more focused.
• Rest and Review: One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the need for rest. Giving yourself time to step away from chess allows you to return refreshed, which is often counterintuitive but very effective.

3. Focus on What Works: Specializing in Openings

When it comes to openings, many players feel the need to learn multiple systems. However, I take a more focused approach. Instead of trying to master a wide variety of openings, I’ve chosen to specialize in two that I’ve been using consistently for the last six months. The goal is to go deep rather than wide.

By sticking to just a couple of openings, I’ve become much more comfortable with the typical positions that arise, allowing me to navigate the middlegame with confidence. It’s a common mistake for players to jump from one opening to the next without mastering any of them. By concentrating on just a few, you’ll build a strong foundation in those lines.

To track my opening progress, I analyze my games using tools like Chess.com’s game review. This helps me see where I’m excelling and where I need improvement. I focus on stats such as how I’m performing after the first 15 moves and whether my blunders come in the opening, middlegame, or endgame.

4. Middlegame and Endgame: Tackling Blunders and Improving Tactics

While my opening game is solid, I’ve noticed that my blunders tend to increase in the middlegame. This is where tactical awareness and pattern recognition become crucial. My training plan includes a heavy focus on tactics, as they are often the deciding factor in games between players under 1200 Elo.

I use tactics trainers like Chess.com’s Tactics Trainer to sharpen my calculation skills and focus on common tactical themes such as forks, pins, and skewers. This tactical training is vital for improving middlegame play and reducing blunders.

Endgames are another area where many players struggle. I’ve learned that mastering key endgames can make the difference between converting a winning position and losing or drawing. My training includes regular endgame practice, focusing on basic endgames like king and pawn versus king, and more complex ones as I progress.

5. Tracking Your Performance

One of the most powerful aspects of a training plan is tracking your progress. I regularly analyze my games to look for patterns in my play. Using a simple system, I categorize my mistakes into blunders, inaccuracies, and strategic errors. This gives me insight into where I need to focus my training.

For example, I might notice that while my opening play is solid, I tend to make tactical errors in the middlegame. This informs my next steps: more tactics training and working on middlegame strategy.

Having this data allows me to make informed decisions about how to adjust my training. If you don’t have access to a coach, I recommend working with a chess friend who can provide feedback or using an online engine to analyze your games.

6. The Mental Side of Chess Improvement

Improving at chess is not always a linear process. It’s easy to get discouraged when you don’t see immediate results. I’ve been working hard on my chess, and one of the most frustrating things is when progress feels slow. However, I’ve come to understand that improvement happens in bursts—after weeks of consistent effort, you’ll often see a sudden jump in your playing strength.

This is why it’s important to stay patient and trust the process. Don’t expect to see overnight results, but know that your hard work will pay off in time. Regular practice will help internalize patterns and strategies, leading to gradual but steady improvement.

7. Staying Flexible and Accountable

Finally, it’s essential to remain flexible with your training plan. Life happens, and there will be days when you can’t stick to your schedule. When this happens, don’t beat yourself up—just adjust and move forward. The important thing is to avoid letting one missed day turn into several.

I also use my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@AdultChessJourney/videos) as a way to hold myself accountable. By sharing my progress with others, I stay motivated to keep up with my training. If you don’t have a channel, you could use a chess forum or social media to share your journey with others and stay on track.

Creating a chess training plan is one of the best ways to stay organized and see real progress. By focusing on specific areas like tactics, openings, and endgames, and tracking your results over time, you’ll steadily improve. Remember, chess improvement is a marathon, not a sprint. Stick with your plan, stay flexible, and enjoy the journey.

Let me know in the comments what your biggest challenges are with sticking to a training plan, and feel free to subscribe for more content on adult chess improvement!