Consistency Is A Real Superpower In Chess!
Who improves the most, the person who consistently studies something each day or the person who studies something whenever he feels like it? Sorry to say this or to burst your bubble, but if you don't play chess consistently, you're never going to improve the way you want to. You might take the idea just to play more games, and then you will inherently know how to play better; however, you still have to review the games and learn from your mistakes.
So that's why it's beneficial for you to study every single day. It's not the most enjoyable thing in the world to do, but if you want to improve at chess, you have to.
Additionally, if it's not pleasant, it's not for you. You've got to do things that you're interested in, and if you're not, stop doing them.
It takes a lot of work and effort to become decent at chess, and if you're not willing to put in consistent effort, then that's fine. Just don't complain about not improving at chess. Many people ask me this question while I'm live streaming: 'How do I get better at chess?'
And when people ask me this question, they don't realize how much effort it took for me to get to this point on my own. For example, if you haven't just sat there for an hour straight and learned from a chess book, then you're definitely not putting in the effort that you have to. Just watching videos on YouTube is not enough to improve your skills. You need to start studying topics that are not related to YouTube. Because those Concepts are really the ones that you need, and most YouTubers are looking to gain views, what you need won't give you the results you want. Additionally, if you're not watching the right YouTube videos, for example, if you're not watching instructional videos but instead watching more entertainment videos, then you're definitely not gaining the right knowledge you want. Unless you just want to have fun.
So, I suggest a book because a well-written one is likely to provide you with many gems in a quicker fashion as well. Unless you're watching the video at full speed all the time, watching a video is usually slower than reading a book. Therefore, strive to become more consistent with your study schedule and more accurate in your approach to studying. I recommend starting to study topics that interest you, so I don't mind when a person focuses on a specific opening, because that could be crucial to setting you up for winning chess games.
If you have a good opening, then you should have a decent middle game. You just have to look up the ideas after the opening so you’re not lost, but that's a good start. You should not be discouraged by people telling you what to study and what not to study
If you enjoy something so much, it’s natural to want to perfect the craft.
You play chess not just to play without thinking. If you want to play a game without thinking, play something else. But if you want to play chess, not only do you have to keep track of what you're thinking, but also what your opponent is thinking. That's what makes chess a tough game to play.
We also have to master certain parts of the game. Now, many players review openings and watch every available opening video. So you're good on that facet. But what about the middle game? How can we play perfect chess in the middle game?
You have to learn the principles of chess and develop your thinking skills.
Critical thinking is vital as you become an experienced chess player. Understanding the difference between holding onto material and knowing when to sacrifice it for a better position, you start to perfect the game of chess.
It's all about understanding what the other player doesn't understand.
There are probably still players who think a pawn and a rook equals a knight and a bishop. Now, of course, there are a lot of positions where you can take advantage of the opponent, but generally, from my chess career, I will always prefer the knight and bishop over the rook and pawn.
To perfect a game, we must learn these principles, which are numerous. And not only principles, but I would specifically say human principles, because clearly, how computers understand chess is not exactly how we should approach it. We should avoid getting into a position where we have to find obscure moves, and not only obscure, but only moves to keep a position going. For example, if someone gave me two choices to drive a car on a spacious road with a margin of error or a cramped road where even an inch of a turn can throw my car off the road, which one would I take?
Clearly, as humans, we're going to make mistakes, but you have to at least give us some possibilities so that we can learn from those mistakes or at least get back into the game—this principle encourages flexibility in chess. So, of course, perfection is a dream; in reality, it's not possible. Just like how an artist wants to curate a perfect painting or a photographer wants to take the perfect photo, you should find your own type of perfection.
Go at your own pace and enjoy the journey.
So, many people just go, go, go and never think about taking their time or even stopping. There is this misconception that if you stop, then you will lose all the knowledge you once had.
This is true to a certain extent. Of course, if you take a whole year break, then the experience that you gain will be out the window. Especially as a beginner, taking long-winded breaks is against your best interest. But if you time it correctly, then you should be fine. Maybe a week break or a few days. You can make a month work, too.
Before becoming a social media influencer, I took the whole summer off from playing chess, and not even intentionally; I just didn't feel like engaging in the game during this time naturally.
But don't rush to be the best in the world. Knowledge shouldn’t be forced. You don’t want to pretend you know a topic that you don’t.
To be a good driver, you must first drive correctly. Enjoy the journey instead of being in a hurry to win against the friend who always beats you at work. It will eventually come to forewishing if you're consistently playing chess instead of playing chess for the moment.
Keep on fighting til the end, staying focused in chess and in real life too.
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