Trick to Quickly Increase Your Rating By 100 Points

People always seem to be asking how to prepare. They ponder over what books or DVDs to buy, what openings to study, or perhaps, which endgames are worth having down. Many of these resources are useful for the advanced player, but for the up and coming player (usually below 2200) there should be one thing that trumps the use of all of these resources. TACTICS!!!!!

Although solving tactical puzzles seems like hard work, it is in fact the fastest way to improve (yes it will help you improve more than memorizing the 20 moves deep variation of the King's Indian). There are three parts of preparation that are important for a chess player to improve: Theoretical preparation, Analytical Preparation, and Application-based preparation. Theoretical preparation encompasses understanding opening ideas/lines, knowing endgame positions, etc. Analytical Preparation deals with practicing the important skill of problem solving. Application-based preparation involves playing games online or with a computer to practice the skills you have studied, and to evaluate your weaknesses. Funny story, theoretical and application-based preparation are often well practiced, while analytical preparation often takes the backseat to the typical chess player's study routine. 

Good News! It isn't too late to start. There are many free sites out there that offer tactical puzzles to your heart's content. All you have to do is start solving! Now you are probably asking, what is so special? How is this going to get my rating up 100 points? Well here is what you do:

1. Set up a time slot to work on tactics (at least 30 min)

2. Solve (focus on quality rather than quantity)

When you are solving puzzles, take as much time as you need, but do not let yourself answer a puzzle incorrectly due to frustration. Believe me, the more you do this, the faster you will begin to see these stronger combinations. Most importantly, be honest with yourself. If you put in the work, the 100 point jump will come much quicker than you realize. Here, let this puzzle warm you up to the many puzzles you will solve in the future.