Busy Dad's Study Plan
Committing time to improving at chess is not easy. All of us have other demands on our time, and for the amateur chess player, chess is often not the most important thing. But, while we love it, we make the time. I love the images of Magnus Carlsen in his private training camp, with his team, but that ain't me.
I teach high school full time. I have 2 adult children living at home trying to find jobs, finish school and survive the stresses of the pandemic. I have sewing projects and a home to care for and hey, the Book of Boba Fett ain't gonna watch it self. All that being said, here is what I do for practice and study.
1. I have a coach. I have a one hour lesson each week in which we do practice games, puzzles and endgames. He makes me talk through my thought process.
2. Puzzles every day. I try to do at least 10 and I try to really take my time when it isn't obvious. This week, my coach also has me doing a puzzle battle every day.
3. Chessable. I am currently on working with the free "Short and Sweet" courses, but they are useful as I explore repertoire options. an e4 and d4 option as white and a response to each as black. When my review accuracy gets over 80% for a few days, I add a variation.
4. Practice games. I stay away from bullet and blitz for the most part and try to play at least one rapid game a day (10-30 minutes). I am also in a number of daily tournaments. Each move is like a puzzle. What is developing? What is the best move right now?
5. Streaming on Twitch. I started this as a tool to hold myself accountable to playing longer games, playing them slowly and talking through my options. No one's watching for the most part, but hey, it's for me in the end.
6. Mindset. I am more than the roles I play. Husband, Father, teacher, musician, chess player, etc. Life is hectic and crazy (especially now). So if I miss a day of something in my practice it is NO BIG DEAL. But don't treat a missed practice day as a failure. Don't let it kill your momentum. Just pick up and start where you are. Let me say that again...
Just pick up and start where you are!
In the end, it's all we can ever do.
I do other stuff to get better, but these are the consistent, daily elements of my training and practice.
