The Chess Improvement Journey: How I Transformed in One Year and Learned What I Didn't Know

Have you ever wondered why you're stuck in place and not improving in chess? I believe 80% of players feel the same way — wanting to improve but realizing they're at the same level they've been at for a long time.

Don't worry, my friend, I used to feel the same way. But let me share my experience from 2024 with you. I started the year as someone filled with despair, but I ended it like a roaring beast, devouring every study opportunity, improving daily, and even having a clear plan for growth!

In fact, I began 2024 with deep frustration. In 2023, not only did I fail to improve, but I felt like my level was actually declining, especially as I approached the age of 30. However, I looked at myself and decided not to give up on the pursuit of improvement.

But honestly, the journey felt incredibly daunting. Where do I start? How do I improve? I felt like I already knew everything, but when I compared myself to higher-rated players, like Magnus Carlsen, I felt as though I knew nothing.

I started looking for a private coach, but the prices were overwhelmingly high, which only left me feeling even more discouraged.

I participated in an official rapid tournament in February and scored only 3 points out of 9. I couldn’t even understand the reasons behind my losses. Sometimes, I felt like I was better than my opponents, but I would end up losing badly.

This left me frustrated once again, and I spent two weeks without playing a single game.

At that moment, hope was revived. I stumbled upon Chessable by chance and started searching for lessons. At first, I thought it was like YouTube channels, but let me tell you, Chessable is the greatest treasure I've ever found in my life. I truly discovered the right method for studying opening variations there. It has been a remarkable process for me. In fact, many titled players on this site simply share some tips that completely changed my way of thinking.

I actually started using the site and began with the free lessons. I discovered so many details that significantly deepened my understanding of chess. I gained a wealth of knowledge, and let me summarize it for you in a few short words:

1. Openings are ideas, not just moves.
2. Chess patterns are your key to mastering tactics.
3. Understanding weak and strong squares strategically will help you find the best moves faster.
4. Studying chess intensely but infrequently is like writing on water, while consistent, small study sessions have a tremendous impact.
5. Focus on studying one opening for White and three for Black: one against 1.e4, another against 1.d4, and a third against 1.c4. Leave the rest to your experience.
6. Practice endgames regularly, just as you practice tactics.
7. You don't need to calculate every possibility, but you must know what to calculate and why.
8. Avoid playing blitz while training on ideas, but you can play it once you've mastered them.
9. Watching games of World Champions and players rated 2500+ who play your openings will improve your skills by 90% and help you develop faster.
10. When learning something new, start applying it in classical games first, then rapid, and finally blitz. Don’t skip the order.
11. Always play games against engines and treat them like your classical matches.
    Never play when you're tired, exhausted, or feeling sleepy.
12. Play to be satisfied with your performance, not just to win the game.
13. Time in a game is as important as the pieces.
14. Engines might tell you that you have an advantage, but they won’t tell you how much time you need to realize it.
15. Don’t solve puzzles randomly. Focus on specific areas, such as endgames, middlegames, or a particular opening.

In fact, these are the most important points, and I hope I haven’t overlooked anything. But honestly, they transformed me from one type of player to another. Let me tell you now that by the end of the year, specifically in December 2024, my official FIDE rating increased by 150 points!

If I had more opportunities to participate in tournaments, I would have done so. I was completely satisfied with my matches, as I even defeated a champion I once dreamed of just drawing against a player rated 350 points higher than me!

Let me also share that on Chess.com, all my ratings improved across all categories. My rapid rating increased by 250 points, finally surpassing the 2000 . My blitz rating jumped by 200 points, and even my bullet rating rose by 200 points!

now I have more than 7 openings that I play confidently, without hesitation or fear. I’ve also learned how to prepare for my opponents before matches. Honestly, I’m proud of myself. Everyone used to say, "If you don’t learn when you’re young, you’ll never learn." But here I am, having improved in just one year.

I now realize what I need to do to reach my dream of becoming a Grandmaster. I know it’s difficult, and it won’t happen soon, but I will reach it someday even if I have to wait until I’m 60 or older. What I’ve learned this year is that you only truly lose when you give up hope of making a comeback.

In the end, I want to share something with you that I wish someone had told me a while ago:

You need to know the road before the method. Embrace your time and don’t look for how others studied before you. We are the children of today, and technology is constantly evolving. The methods of learning and development evolve with it. So don’t get stuck in a particular era and say, "They used to study this way." Their way of life was different, and so was their way of studying. In fact, if they knew what we have today, they would wish to have the same opportunities we do.

Today, we have easy access to the internet. You can find a coach from the US while you’re in China, without much effort on either side. If the cost of a coach is too high, you can still take paid courses, and if you can’t afford them, there are free courses available on platforms like Chessable or even YouTube.

Always search and search until you find the path you should take. Don’t walk down a path without knowing if it’s the right one. Fate will guide you to the right path, and when you find it, you will never regret a single moment spent learning something. Even reading this article could be fate—it may provide you with some insight or guidance.

Wishing you all a happy new year!