The Chess.com Study Plan -- Tested
Week # 2 Day # 6 Rating 1229 +63 as I start the day.
I, Excheqquer as an inveterate nonimprover decided to put the the Chess.com Study Plan to the test. This is the chronicle of that challenge.
I continue to work through Plans for Beginning Players (<1399). I have completed step #1 The Basics, # 2 The Openings, # 3 Tactics. I should finish up #4 Strategy today.
- King in the Center 1 by FM Elliot Liu -- this video gives an example of attacking an uncastled king in the center. FM Liu assures us that his tactics are basic, not complicated, anyone should be able to find them. I hate hubris! I hate patronizing. The game is very well played and he found some excellent tactics that might come easy to an Fide Master, but this video is plunked into the study plan for Beginning Players, and these tactics are beyond my tactics ability (on tactics puzzle I have reached 2100) -- C-
What's up next. O right another video by FM Liu.
- King in the Center 2 by FM Elliot Liu -- ideas on how to attack the center.
- Strike While the Iron is Hot by IM David Pruess David Pruess put out consistently brilliant videos. (I'm not sure if he still does)-- we See the classic Bishop sacrifice.
- Alekhine's Attack by IM David Pruess
- Premature Attacks on the King by FM Joel Banawa -- These lessons give you practice at defending against the attack on a castled king.
- converting material advantages by GM Bryan Smith: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 -- now to do some more drills.
Vary it up a little. Puzzles than some visualization.
Puzzles 1861-1867 20 puzzles done 12 right 8 wrong. The 1800's and above are really challenging to me at this time, But it used to be the 1300's so I am improving.
This is a fabulous puzzle. White to play.
Visualization -- I use the chess.com tool vision to help me learn the algebraic notation quicker. If you listen to GM's talking they are throwing out those positions so rapidly. They see the board better than I do. I'm working on it. And then I got out a real board and just studied the colors and named them.
Endgame drills -- I used the endgame drill to really get down to the two bishop checkmate. Today I went back and did it two or three more times. The only way to learn something is to improve your intermediate and long term memory. Then I did drills on easy, intermediate, and advanced pawn endings, to win and to draw.
Okay a lot of hours put in today in study. And I have completed Objective # 4 Strategy. Tomorrow start work on the Endgame Materials.
