Building a Study Program

With some help, I have begun the task of putting together a much more functional and ongoing training routine for myself to follow.

THE ELEMENTS

As I need to work on my weaknesses, of which there are many, my training will focus on the following elements:

Tactics

After some effort, I managed to nab a copy of Understanding Tactics, by Martin Weteschnik. I was looking for Chess Tactics from Scratch, but I guess I will just have to make do. I will examine this material by setting up the positions and then studying them OTB.

In terms of practical application/testing, I have available:

- Tactics Trainer here on chess.com

- A large database of tactical training exercises in Chessbase

Strategy & Attack

In order to help me study important ideas and advice on how to plan and attack, I am most grateful to a mysterious stranger for donating a copy of Winning Chess Strategies, by GM Yasser Seirawan. In order to make the review of this material more effective, I will again setup the games and examine them OTB.

Master Games Study

Again, I am very lucky to have been given another important book that I shall be using to experience the beauty and grace of master play, My Great Predecessors Part 1, by GM Garry Kasparov. Once once again the plan is to setup the games on a real board and ideally spend 90 minutes per game playing solitaire chess (guessing or predicting moves).

Practice Games

Long-time control training games for the purpose of applying studied principles.

DAILY ROUTINE

So, my basic daily routine might include the following:

30 minutes - Everyday Subject: Tactics

  - theory: Weteschnik, Understanding Tactics

  - training exercises (chessbase)

  - tactics trainer (chess.com)

90 minutes - Major Subject: Strategy

  - Theory: Seirawan, Winning Chess Strategies

  - Master Games: Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part 1

OR

90 minutes - Play: Themed training games

  - long-time control games

  - apply studied principles

Any extra time - Openings

Ok, now, here's my attempt at balancing this out over the week:

A work in progress. Feedback welcome :B