How to Improve at Chess with the CLIMB Method

Recently, I started learning a new game. Nothing crazy, just something different from chess. It’s been nice to be back in the shoes of an improver who is early in their journey actively striving to get better at something! It’s been a few months of learning so far but I’ve noticed that I’m improving pretty fast and I can sense my progress in small improvements that have kept adding up over time.

And since I’ve been able to progress quickly at this other game, that got me thinking about this from the perspective as a chess coach: Why do so many players and students, people who say they’re “training hard”, barely make much improvement? Why does one person progress quickly while another stays stuck, even when both claim to be putting in the hours?

This also led to me reflecting on my own chess improvement journey. For myself, I realized the answer wasn’t what I studied or how long I trained. It was how I was approaching the improvement process that made all the difference.

With this new game I was following a simple set of habits that I’ve actually used for a long time in my own chess improvement, without even realizing it. These principles tend to lead to consistent improvement and it’s a framework I’m now going to call C.L.I.M.B.: Consistently Learning with Intensity and a good Mindset leads to Breakthroughs.

Consistency is about showing up. Improvement usually doesn’t come in bursts despite what a rating graph might sometimes show. It comes from the accumulation of effort over time. Missing a day here or there isn’t the end of the world but the players who progress steadily are the ones who return, day after day, and treat showing up as part of the process. Consistency is less about perfection and more about honoring the small, daily commitment to growth.

Actionable advice: Set a minimum standard for yourself. It could be as simple as “30 minutes of focused chess study, five days a week.” Some days you’ll do more, some less but the act of showing up matters more than the volume. Build your training around habit, not emotion. Try not to miss two days in a row. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Learning is the curiosity that drives meaningful improvement. It’s the moments when questions arise naturally: “Why did this move work?” or “What patterns am I missing?” and you lean in to understand them. Learning isn’t about memorizing positions. Instead, it’s about discovering, experimenting and letting curiosity guide the process.

Actionable advice: After every study session, write down one question that genuinely interests you. It could be something like “Why does this pawn structure favor White?” or “What happens if Black plays this instead?” Then explore it. Curiosity keeps training alive and prevents it from becoming mechanical. Ask a friend or coach if you need help understanding a position. You can also use the engine to help here too. Instead of just accepting it’s suggested move, try to figure out why it recommends that move.

Intensity is the focus applied to each session. It’s not simply about spending hours on training but instead, about how fully present you are while you’re doing it. Distractions fade, attention sharpens and the subtle details start to matter. This is where ordinary training turns into growth that actually compounds.

Actionable advice: Before you start studying, remove every possible distraction. Put your phone away, close other tabs and set a timer for pure, focused work even if it’s just 15 minutes. The goal is to train your attention, not just your memory. The more you train with intensity, the more likely the things you learn will stick. It’s better to have 30-minutes of intense, focused training than 3 hours of lazy, unfocused training. Don’t multitask while training!

Mindset is the persistent belief that effort produces results. It’s having a growth-oriented outlook: the understanding that hard work can lead to improvement, that mistakes are part of the journey, and that focusing on the process (rather than obsessing over outcomes) often produces the most lasting gains. A positive mindset doesn’t make the work easy but it does make it meaningful.

Actionable advice: After tough games or bad results, write down one lesson you gained instead of one regret. It shifts the focus from self-criticism to self-awareness. Over time, this practice builds resilience and the confidence that you can and will improve.

Breakthroughs are the natural outcome of consistent effort, curiosity, focus and the right mindset. They’re the moments when patterns click, when positions suddenly make sense and when subtle improvements accumulate into clear progress. Breakthroughs aren’t instant but they are the reward of steady dedication and the visible proof that the CLIMB was worth it.

Actionable advice: Keep a “progress journal.” Every few weeks, write down what feels easier or more intuitive than before. Even small notes like “I recognized this pawn structure faster” or “I was able to figure out my worst placed piece quicker” remind you that progress is happening, even if it’s not obvious at first.

What I’ve found over the years is that the students that improved the most didn’t chase shiny objects and change their training around constantly. Instead, they stuck with a plan and worked on it consistently with focus and curiosity. Their improvement came from adhering to a process that emphasizes showing up, staying curious, maintaining focus, cultivating the right mindset and trusting that the small actions compound over time.

CLIMB isn’t a rigid formula or a checklist. It’s a way of thinking about training that makes growth feel almost inevitable. The process becomes its own reward and the breakthroughs follow naturally, sometimes when you least expect them.

It’s encouraging to see that the path forward doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Small steps compounded over days, months and years, can transform a player’s understanding and performance. And when you reflect back, the moments that once felt ordinary are often the ones that carried you to the top of the climb.

Don’t just read about improvement but instead, experience it! Contact me at NextLevelChessCoaching.com if you’re interested in coaching. Hope to talk soon!