Chess Learning & Development Checklist
Chess Learning & Development Checklist = A + B + C + D + E + F + G + H + I + J + K
A. INTROduction LeVeL
1.How many squares has the chess board?
2.How many light squares has the chess board?
3.How are the vertical lines called?
4.How are the horizontal lines called?
5.How many longest diagonals are there?
6.How do you check the board being in the right position?
7.How do you CODe the files?
8.How do you CODe the ranks?
9.Which are the symbols of king, queen and rook?
10.Which are the symbols of knight and bishop?
11.How much is worth a pawn, a knight and a bishop?
12.How much is worth a rook and a queen?
13.How do you check the queen's position at the start?
14.What is the knight equivalent to? And the queen?
15.Identify the centre squares.
16.Are pawns pieces?
B. Basic strategy LeVeL
1.Is pawns main TarGeT centre control?
2.Is pawns 2nd. TarGeT bishop development?
3.Is pawns 3rd. TarGeT king safety?
4.Is the pawn structure the bones of the position?
5.Which is the most important piece in the ENDing?
6.In which ranks is the rook most dangerous?
7.When 2 rooks are stronger than the queen?
8.Is castling as important as pawn structure?
9.Is castling to place king in safety?
10.Does castling activate the castled rook?
11.How do you know when development is complete?
12.Should you develop 1st. knights or bishops?
13.Towards where should pawns ideally take?
C. Basic tactics LeVeL
1.Do you know back-rank mate?
2.Do you know king + rook vs king mate?
3.Do you know about fork?
4.Know about discovered attack?
5.Know about pin use?
6.Know king + 2 bishops vs K mate?
7.Which are 2 weakest squares at the start?
8.Is it good to go for direct mates at the start?
D. Intermediate strategy LeVeL
1.Know about light-square strategy?
2.In open positions it is better knight of bishop?
3.Know good vs bad bishop?
4.What is piece quality value?
5.Which is the ideal piece for outposts and holes?
6.How many moves is the OPENing approx.?
7.Are 2 bishops almost as strong as 2 rooks?
8.Know how to handle doubled rooks in 7th. rank?
9.What happens with a knight on the rim?
10.What is the knights ideal positioning?
11.What do rooks need to fully operate?
12.What is centre superprotection?
13.Should you trade when ahead in material?
14.Should you trade when spatial disadvantage?
E. Intermediate tactics LeVeL
1.Which is knight's most common tactical weapon?
2.When is the pin effective?
3.Do you know about removing defender?
4.MINimum number of pieces for the attack?
5.Is tripling stronger than doubling?
F. Advanced strategy LeVeL
1.OPENing implies development?
2.Middle-GAMe implies positioning?
3.ENDing is usually a sort of race?
4.Know about pattern recognition?
5.Know about 'Zug Zwang'?
6.How many points value is the king in the ENDing?
7.Know about X-ray analysis?
8.What is best defence?
9.Know about Quality sacrifice?
10.All for the initiative is correct?
11.Know about tree analysis?
12.Know how to handle passed pawns?
13.Know how to handle ISOLated pawns?
14.Know how to use piece dynamic potential?
15.Know how to handle pawn fronts?
16.Only exchange to improve control is correct?
17.Do you know about pawn islands?
18.Do you know how to handle pawn chains?
19.Do you know how to attack a pawn chain?
20.A protected passed pawn in 6th. rank is equivalent to...?
21.Which are the weakest pawns in the ENDing?
22.Which is typicall reaction vs a pawn flank attack?
23.Is menace stronger than its realization?
G. Advanced tactics LeVeL
1.Know smothered mate (queen + knight)?
2.Is tactics an accident of the position?
3.Do you feel when tactics are in the air?
4.Do you avoid complications?
5.Are you good at Problem Solving?
H. Master strategy LeVeL
1.Are you able to think backwards?
2.Your OPENing repertoire is complete & reliable?
3.Do you know most ENDing TECHniques?
4.Do you have danger instinct?
5.Able to apply long-term strategy?
6.Able to go directly for the ENDing?
7.Able to keep own GAMe under control?
8.Able to simplify into won ENDing?
9.Able to use good N vs bad B ENDgame?
10.Able to identify forced lines clearly?
11.Able to keep centre tension as long as needed?
12.Able to see far and clear?
13.Accurate time management?
14.Able to recognise most exceptions?
15.Able to convert small advantages?
16.Able to VISualise candidate moves?
17.Able to use in-between move?
18.Able to use waiting move?
19.Able to apply small improvements?
20. Good at change management?
I. ENDgame TECHnique
1.Know K + P vs K (opposition use)?
2.Know critical squares in opposition?
3.Know Q vs P in 7th. rank handling?
4.Know Q vs R's P in 7th. rank draw?
5.Know Q vs B's P in 7th. rank draw?
6.In P races do you know the 'square' of P?
7.Know TREND with same colour bishops?
8.How is active K critical?
9.How is active R critical for initiative?
10.B vs N ENDgame control?
11.B + N vs R ENDgame control?
12.Bishops of opposite colour drawish use control?
13.Able to use transition into ENDing?
14.Passed P support TECHnique use?
15.Able to use minority attack?
J. Learning & Development tooling
1.Do you study 100% own GAMes?
2.Do you focus on repetitive ERRors?
3.Do you apply solid principles plus criteria?
4.Is dynamic approach understood and applied?
5.Know-how on own Strengths?
6.Know-how on own Weaknesses?
7.Know-how on Opportunities?
8.Know-how on Threats?
9.Aware of Results vs PERFOrmance paradox?
10.Own style already developed?
11.Aware that loss is greatest teacher?
12.Adaptable to changing circumstances?
K. Psychology of competition
1.Are you resilient?
2.Does surprise NOT unbalance you?
3.Are you cogent with your ideas?
4.Do you follow your own path?
5.Is your body LANguage under control?
6.Do you pay attention to opponent's body LANguage?
7.Do you keep your fighting spirit after an ERRor?
8.100% focused during all GAMe?
9.Do you accept your losses?
10.Do you fight back when under attack?
11.Able to hold own initiative?
12.Your losses lead to wins mid-term?
13.Are setbacks challenging?
14.Do you stay calm in time distress?
15.Where the is a will there is a way?
16.Feel the PoWeR of confidence?
17.Feeling comfortable in any position?
18.Are you true to yourself?
19.NOT afraid of much stronger players?
20.Instinct works in your favour?
21.Do you love CHESS?
22.Better learning ideas than moves?
23.Able to apply common sense to the unknown?
24.Is crisis an opportunity to change?
25.Do you use adversity somehow?
26.Does CHESS broaden life issues?
27.When focusing does time seem longer?
28.Do you snap under pressure?
29.Able to bend to the wind IF required?
30.The higher the staker the cooler...?
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