Sample Study Plan for the 1500-2000 player

For anyone interested, here is my study-plan. So far, it has been very effective for me. I have improved over 100 points after using the plan for a month now. If you want to improve you must commit to some deliberate practice!

My study-plan currently features a lot of endgame study, especially rook endgames, with a supplement in middle-game studies (much more interesting than studying endgames). I currently use 2 books: Reassess Your Chess (a must have), and Art of Attack in Chess. I watch 2-3 videos on this site every day and complete 10 lessons from Chess Mentor everyday. In total it takes about 3-5 hours / weekday; I do not play or study chess on weekends. I play 1 game / week-day under 60/30 settings.

1) 45 minutes: 15 consecutive Sharpen Your Tactics! Problems - I consider this a warmup to my chess thinking. Tactics are more important for players who are new or novice to the game; I put in alot of time to tactics in the past and have moved on to middle-game study, a building block from tactics.

2) 45 minutes: 1-3 chapters from Reassess Your Chess. This book teaches you how to formulate plans (it is harder than it seems) and all about imbalances and how to play them well. Also a book I'm considering is "Think Like a Grandmaster".

3) 45 minutes of reading Art of Attack in chess. I like this book more or less as an interesting read than for being extremely useful like Reassess Your Chess. I just started it last week, so don't have much more to say on its value.

4) Watch a Chess.com video or 3. These are useful!! Besides "Reassess Your Chess" this is my most useful resource.

5) I enforce whatever concepts I learned through videos on Chess Mentor. If I learned about rook endgames I do lessons concerning rook endgames. It is extremely important that you practice endgame positions for yourself so that you learn them! This applies to ANYTHING! You must complete physics problems to pass the exam! You must practice Rook endgames to win / draw a close OTB game!

6) Play a game 60/30 settings and then analyze the completed game. I can be found on ICC as Ramned. Currently rated 1654 there. I play OTB whenever possible to enforce these ideas.

7) Starting in AUGUST: "Pawn Structure Chess" by Andrew Soltis. Another important middle-game concept.

It is important to re-read the books. Doing so allows you to gauge your progress and understanding. I hope to do that about 6 months after finishing the first go.

If you have any comments, want any elaboration, or have suggestions please let me know

Recommended Site:  www.clausjensen.com  and  for a book-list,  www.jeremysilman.com