3 Steps To Pick Up Chess As A Hobby Today

It has never been a better time to pick chess as a hobby. It is a great hobby to keep you mentally active, but there are lots of materials out there for you to choose from. Well, maybe too many. In this post, I'll share what I would do if I picked up chess as a hobby today. 

1. Get the (free) Everything You Need to Know About Chess course:


The title says it all. This is a short course, consisting of five chapters and lasting 1hr 50mins. It touches on the different parts of the game and, at the end, brings everything nicely together. 

I will binge-watch this and do all the trainable lines before proceeding to the next step. 

PS. I'm not an affiliate, but I have recommended this to people who are thinking of starting out their chess journey. 

2. Play frequently

"The first 1000 games would be your worst. Play them as fast as you can.- GM Avetik Grigoryan"

I will carve out at least 30 minutes of my day to play online. This is the best way for me to see if I can get the hang of the game. Besides, I'll also join a chess club nearby. The chess club is the perfect setting to meet other chess lovers and see what events are hosted to get into.

3. Practice tactics  

Tactics is the chess version of the saying, "You can't run before you walk." Learning all the deep opening and strategical ideas only to blunder the queen in the next move won't cut it. 

Practising solving tactical puzzles is important as it helps improve the ability to look for threats and find opportunities when they do arise. At the beginner level, they come very often. So I will spend about 10-15mins a day to solve Custom Puzzles on specific themes. These are the ones I will start out with:

• Fork
• Pin 
• Skewer
• Discovered Check
• Discovered Attack
• Removing the Defender
• Checkmate in 1 & 2

Want help in improving your chess? I'm currently open to coaching new students. If you are interested, you can see more info on my bio and website.