Hey Ariel - welcome! I'm excited to see how it goes for you and I hope you enjoy Logical Chess MBM!
ArielTzentner's Novice Study Plan
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Feb 26, 2021
0
#3
Awesome! Especially with just starting out, I think your rating goals are well within range. My recommendation is, if you have extra time, go through as many of the chess.com lessons as possible. These were invaluable to me to learn basic strategy and not fall for a lot of the opening traps that are common in your rating range. Good luck!
IgnoratioElenchi33 wrote:
Awesome! Especially with just starting out, I think your rating goals are well within range. My recommendation is, if you have extra time, go through as many of the chess.com lessons as possible. These were invaluable to me to learn basic strategy and not fall for a lot of the opening traps that are common in your rating range. Good luck!
Thank you very much for the kind recommendation! Truth be told, I actually went through a good amount of the chess.com lessons already! And I agree, they are really beneficial, and I might revisit most of them real soon. Thanks again for the kind words!
Day 0 (#2): Rapid Games Takeaways
I wanted to stretch Day 0 to this Saturday as well since my weeks start on Sundays and I want Saturdays to be the 7th days of the week in the study plan - so I have more time to learn and analyze.
I started my day with 5 puzzles - 3 correct, 2 incorrect - for my puzzle rating to settle at 882.
Later played two 30-minutes Rapid games, just to warm myself up for the upcoming weeks and get used to playing more. I lost both of them - the first by checkmate and the second by time - and analyzed them to see what I can learn. The analysis of both games follow.
My Rapid rating dropped to 736, which officially makes me a novice (
) so I'm not feeling that bad. I know I have to endure many more losses in the future in order to improve, so no hard feelings 
Rapid game 1
Link: Andalors vs ArielTzentner - 8158453789
Positives
-
I started out the game pretty solid, after 5 moves I was pretty good (until I gave out the knight)
Improvements
- I blundered into a mate... should analyze the board a little longer to see which piece should best block the check (the queen and not the rook)
- Most of the time lately, castling is a mistake (or even a blunder)... I need to learn when is best to castle
- This time is was a mistake because I could’ve capitalized on my opponent’s blunder of Be3 with a bishop trade
Takeaways
- It seems like I’m a bookworm - I may be good at remembering opening lines
- Think hard to find a good move, especially in slow games - 30 mins is a lot of time!
- Sometimes getting the queen out is not so bad...
Rapid Game 2
Link: ArielTzentner vs mordor1999 - 8162011291
Positives
- 50% accuracy - played good moves throughout the majority of the game, and no actual blunders - but some mistakes.
- Started the game pretty good until move 10
- Could’ve won the game if had more time - blunders of opponent near end of game were catastrophic
Improvements
-
Ran out of time... think hard but not too long...
Takeaways
- Look to advance pawns if their new position is well defended
- Limit myself to one minute tops per move if in 30 minutes
End note
I don't expect myself to post every day, I know will try to do it in the first days and then the excitement of starting out will wear off, so this is probably a result of that excitement.
Feb 27, 2021
0
#6
Wow, this is a great summary! Don't worry too much about the rating fluctuations along the way as long as we see that positive trend
Week 1 - Day 1
Day 1 of the study plan! Feels exciting
Started the week with a bang - right after waking up, I grabbed my phone, opened the Chess.com app and crossed the first two items off the list 
After I got home from work I played the rapid game, analysis follows.
Daily Games
- One game ended because of time after two moves, not much I can take from it...
- One brought out his queen and left it hanging, so I just took it with my knight
- In the others I have a pretty solid Italian Game opening (or so I think)
Puzzles
- 3 correct - most of them were about trading pieces
- 2 incorrect - one puzzle was rated 2200+ (way above my grade, that I got +1 rating even after the miss), and the other was a back rank checkmate I just missed...
- My rating is now at 890
Rapid game
- Link: https://www.chess.com/live/game/8278565191
- Recap: I won the game after 18 moves by resignation, after my opponent lost a rook and a knight in consecutive moves.
Positives
- I felt pretty confident starting the game, even though I faces the Scandinavian Defense which I really didn't properly study (but surprisingly I played 4 book moves when my average is around 3)
- I capitalized on my opponent's mistakes - capturing hanging pieces whenever possible
Improvements
- I had 4 consecutive moves that were deemed mistakes/blunders/missed wins because of an evident king-rook fork - that I eventually played after those 4 moves
Takeaways
- Confidence is key! Even though I don’t know “the book”, stick to the basic principles - develop pieces, defend, capture opponent hanging pieces
- Look for free wins if possible - forks, hanging pieces, etc.
End note
I know I said I won’t post every day, but I think it really helps my accountability - I feel compelled to post the daily update, which forces me to perform all of my daily tasks! Let’s try it for now, and see where it goes.
Week 1 - Day 2
I’m sticking to it no matter what, even though I have stuff I need to do during the day, I make sure to hammer out the daily moves and the puzzles right before I get out of bed.
Daily Games
- Didn’t have anything very interesting
- Won another game on time after 4 moves, after capturing his loose queen
Puzzles
- Incorrect - mate in 1... silly me
- Correct - trading pieces and forcing a loss of material for the opponent
- Incorrect (1/2 moves) - forcing a rook for queen trade
- Correct - mate in 1 - king can’t move
- Correct - force a trade, opponent loses his rook
- Rating stayed the same - 890
Rapid game
- Link: https://www.chess.com/game/live/8367321307
- Recap: resigned after a really bad position, opponent up 9 points, with two rooks and tons of pawns vs my lone bishop and two-three pawns
Positives
- 33% accuracy - not the best but I’ve had way worse (especially in losses)
- I had a slight advantage throughout most of the mid-game phase, but couldn’t convert it to material
Improvements
- Develop pieces! Even if it’s just one square - I kept the bishop tamed for half the game
- Missed a key check with the rook late in the game - could’ve been a mate if my opponent didn’t think it through
Takeaways
- Need to improve my defenses of 1.d4, I kind of freeze and don’t know what to do
- I kind of tried to do it, but the takeaway from most of my mistakes is: it’s okay to retreat the knight backwards
- It’s also okay to castle queenside - I contemplated it in the game but though the 4 pawn wall I had two ranks ahead was not sufficient defense
- One last thing: I’m very defensive in my game and I don’t look out for attacks (or even good checks) very often
End note
I kind of fear the Blitz games tomorrow, because they are blazing fast and I often lose on time in fast games, maybe exercising it more will make me more comfortable and confident with making quick decisions. Onto the next one!
Mar 2, 2021
0
#9
You're going to learn to love the blitz! Try to have fun, be confident, and don't worry about the results.
Week 1 - Day 3
Daily Games
- Joined the ChessGoals tournament! Matched up against Jesse - I'm a little concerned for my winning chances...
- Other than that - continued the other daily games, solidifying my positions
Puzzles
- Correct - force check (and fork) with knight to prevent threat against queen, then capture everything
- Correct - trading pieces
- Correct - fork-check then capture queen!
- Incorrect - forcing rook for queen trade
- Correct - skewer (I think)
- Total: 4/5
- Rating - 933
Blitz Games
Game 1
- Link: ArielTzentner vs kais0x539
- First blitz game! Rated 1200 as a start...
- Recap: lost by checkmate after 12 moves...
Positives
- Not much, my opponent outmatched me and I made novice mistakes
Improvements
- Completely missed the rook on the open h-file... done a lot of trouble to me
- Blundered into a checkmate
Takeaways
- I need to observe the whole board and cannot miss important threats and pieces!
Game 2
- Link: kingpeeth vs ArielTzentner
- Recap: lost by checkmate
Positives
- 40%+ accuracy, I played quite well most of the game
- 5 book moves on opening - I unknowingly played a variation of the Philidor Defense
- I played some good moves throughout the course of the game - moves considered “game changers” and “best responses” by computer
Improvements
- Huge blunders near the end of the game, when the queen pressed all over my camp, later allowed my opponent to have a mate in 5 (or less)
Takeaways
- Don’t over defend coupled pieces - e.g. if the queen forks neighboring rooks on the same rank, don’t move them! They defend each other. Look for pieces that defend each other and play calmly, rather than looking to escape threats at all costs
- I panic under serious time trouble - got to find a way to settle that, maybe with more experience with Blitz games
End Notes
- I played only 2 blitz games instead of 4 due to a slight lack of sleep last night and some other personal arrangements and errands I had to run.
- The losses were just a bit discouraging, but it's only because I started out 1200 instead of around 800 - now I see how hard it is to climb the ratings! Still, I'm hopeful I can hit my ambitious mark with consistent efforts.
Week 1 - Day 4
Daily Games - 👍
Puzzles - 👍
- Incorrect - move order, force queen capture
- Correct - mate in 1
- Correct - king-queen fork
- Incorrect - forcing check and trading knight for queen
- Correct - pinning the bishop to the king
- Total - 3/5
- Rating - 934
Rapid game - 👍
- Link: ArielTzentner vs wills_s_townsend
- Recap: Won a tough game by back rank checkmate!
Positives
- Spotted a critical mistake of my opponent and delivered checkmate!
- Kept fighting despite being down material, felt pretty confident in my ability to come back to win it
Improvements
- Bishop move - clicking blunder
- Spot the back rank checkmate a move earlier, instead of keeping my queen in danger
- King move blunder - he could’ve mated me in two moves... Try to see what my opponent can do to me two moves into the future (hard)
Takeaways
- Keep doing what I’m doing, calculating several moves ahead and try to see what my opponent was thinking
- Keep my composure and poise while being down, try to think what is the best move
Week 1 - Day 5
Daily Games - 👍
Puzzles - 👍
Total - 1/5 - totally wasn’t on my best this morning...
Rating - 897
Rapid game - ❌
- Couldn’t get to play a game due to time constraints and personal stuff... I’ll try to hit it tomorrow
Week 1 - Day 6
Daily Games - 👍
Puzzles - 👍
- Total - 3/5
- Rating - 909
Lessons (Videos) - 👍
- Capturing Pieces - Skewers
- Finding Checkmate - Weak Targets: f2 and f7
- Intro to Book Openings - Intro to 1.e4 Defenses for Black (both lessons)
- Make the Most of Your Pieces - Using Your Bishop, Using Your Queen, Pieces Working Together (Full)
- Winning With Tactics - Sacrificing To Win
- Winning With Tactics - Trapped Piece (Full)
Rapid game (from yesterday) - 👍
- Link: kvapil98 vs ArielTzentner - https://www.chess.com/game/live/8702871721
Recap: Resigned after a very bad position...
Positives
- 45% accuracy of moves - gradually trying to improve in finding the right move
- I felt like I was ahead most of the game (which I evidently was)
- I started the game really well, until about move 13, and the blunder there wasn’t catastrophic - my opponent didn’t cash in
Improvements
- Late in the game I made crucial mistakes and blunders that gave it away... I should improve my non-trivial endgames
Takeaways
- Coordinate the rooks - try to put them on the same rank/file as much as possible
End Note
I feel like I know some tactics, but it’s incredibly hard for me to apply them in games, it’s as if I don’t know enough move combinations to come out on top in games. Maybe it will come with more practice, but I’m not sure. All in all, trying my best to improve, apply basic principles I learn and try my best in puzzles.
Week 1 -Day 7
Daily games - 👍
Puzzles - 👍
- Total - 2/5
- Rating - 885
Endgames - 👍
- Rook & King vs King
- Queen & King vs King
- 2 Rooks & King vs King
Rapid game - ❌
- Couldn't get to it because of me moving to a new apartment... will try to sneak one up next week
Week 2 - Day 1
Daily - 👍
Puzzles - 👍
- Total - 3/5
- Rating- 896
Blitz - 👍
Game 1
- Link - Chess: DKH34 vs ArielTzentner - 8861825591 - Chess.com
- Recap - loss via checkmate
Positives
- My first mistake came only in move 11, pretty solid opening
Improvements
- Don’t be afraid to take valuable pieces even if they are defended, high value pieces are poor defenders!
- Don’t move pieces aimlessly... try to attack/capture/check responsibly
Game 2
- Link - Chess: ArielTzentner vs eranba - 8880467333 - Chess.com
- Recap - win via resignation after 14 quick moves
Positives
- No mistakes at all! I was pretty confident with my play - 77% accuracy
- I saw the best move before developing the queenside - I should trust my intuition more often
Improvements
- The game was too short to have any
Game 3
- Link - Chess: ArielTzentner vs deathbybaby - 8881047113 - Chess.com
- Recap - loss via checkmate
Positives
- Played solidly until move 14 - and then it went downhill
Improvements
- Remain calm during time pressure
- Think about the opponent mating me - hard under time pressure
Game 4
- Link - Chess: ryz16 vs ArielTzentner - 8882822539 - Chess.com
- Recap - loss via checkmate
Positives
- Played pretty well most of the game
Improvements
- One blunder caused a mate in 1... Focus on what my opponent is doing!!
End note
It’s pretty frustrating to lose consecutively by checkmate, and also to know to fact that one blunder caused a mate in 1... I can’t seem to focus on what my opponent is trying to do throughout the game, especially in fast paced games.
Week 2 - Day 2
Daily - 👍
Puzzles
- Total: 2/5
- Rating: 889
Logical Chess Move By Move
Game 1 - Takeaways
- Control the center!
- Develop pieces in the opening and move only once
- Knights before bishops!
- Keep the three pawns guarding the king in place for as long as possible
- Conversely - try to remove most of them with a forcing attack
- Exert pressure on the center before launching an attack on the king
- Develop with a threat if possible
Week 2 - Day 3
Daily- 👍
Puzzles- 👍
- Total: 4/5
- Rating: 903
Blitz- 👍
Game 1
- Recap - loss via timeout, huge deficit
Positives
- No major “blunders”, which is good
Improvements
- Tons of mistakes and inaccuracies, take hanging pieces whenever possible
Game 2
- Recap - loss via timeout
Positives
- Nothing worth mentioning...
Improvements
- I’m playing without confidence, very unsure of what move to play, costs me a lot of time
- I made a lot of mistakes in the game
Game 3
- Recap - loss via resignation
Positives
- Nothing so far
Improvements
- Missed checks
- Stupid mistake in the end cost me a rook...
Game 4
- Recap - loss via checkmate
Positives
- Nothing
Improvements
- Blundered into a mate in 2
End Notes
Very discouraging to lose like that... It seems as if I can’t put together one good game. I feel very hesitant in the middle game, like I don’t know what to do and which move to make, and the blitz time pressure doesn’t make it any easier...
Mar 9, 2021
0
#19
We all do have those rough stretches of games. If the blitz time pressure is getting to you, you could switch to all rapid games for a couple of weeks. It's important to have fun along the way and not dread any portion of the plan. Feel free to ping me in the discord if you want to bounce around ideas for tweaking things.
Week 2 - Day 4
Daily- 👍
Puzzles- 👍
- Total: 3.5/5
- The 0.5 puzzle is one I had 3/5 moves correct and had my rating up, I also knew immediately the correct move after failing, the one I missed is one I thought of initially
- Rating: 922
Logical Chess Move By Move
Game 2 - Takeaways
- Try not to weaken the pawn structure guarding the king
- Do not grab pawns at the expense of development or position
- Threats must be faced before continued development
Day 0: Getting Started
Well, this is me starting out the novice study plan in order to break my mental barriers of playing chess and improving gradually, and also provide some accountability to the process.
Friends of mine have been imploring me to get into chess for quite some time, so I started out by downloading the chess.com app to my phone and played a few games, did some puzzles and learned quite a few lessons. I have been doing this for a few weeks, and noticed I lack the understanding of good moves in ambiguous situations, so I wanted to dive deeper into studying. And since I like structure and proven systems and methods, I'm starting out with this study plan in an attempt to decrease the amount of errors and mistakes I make in games.
My current ratings:
Chess.com Blitz: ~775 (actually unrated, never actually played Blitz, this is an estimation by the Dr. Wolf teaching app after playing 20 games vs. beginner AI)
Chess.com Rapid: 806 (after 8 games)
Chess.com Puzzles: 891 (after 134 attempts)
My ambitious goal: get to a stable 1000 rating in both Blitz & Rapid, and cross the 1200 barrier at least once in puzzles!
My commitment: update this forum topic every weekend.
I've just started 5 Daily games as recommended and also bought the Kindle version of "Logical Chess Move By Move" - I really like books and especially eBooks!
I may update this topic during the week sporadically (In addition to the weekend update) if I feel like it
.
Everyone, feel free to chime in, list your recommendations and advice! I'm a student of the game (and will be for a long time to come), so any participation will be greatly appreciated.
I hope these posts will benefit novices like me in their chess journey.
)
Please enjoy and good luck to everyone (and to me!