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coriollis' beginner study plan

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coriollis
coriollis
Dec 21, 2020
0
#1

Alright let's go trophies.png.

Day 0 stats:

  • clock.png Rapid: 988 (peak 1253 a month ago)
  • blitz.png Blitz: 709 (current lowest)
  • daily.png Daily: 1264 (only 3 games finished)
  • tactics.png Puzzles: 1686 (current peak)
SmarterChess
NM SmarterChess
Dec 21, 2020
0
#2

Welcome! Love the enthusiasm. 

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 21, 2020
0
#3

W1D1 (Rapid):

I'm really happy to be back to 1000+ in rapid. Now let's work to keep going up.

SmarterChess
NM SmarterChess
Dec 22, 2020
0
#4

Nicely done with rapid over 1k. Are you thinking about a few sentences for the takeaways each game? It'll be interesting to hear what things you're noticing.

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 22, 2020
0
#5

W1D2 (Rapid):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles
    • 10 mins. of standard puzzles
    • 3 5min. puzzle rushes (13, 13, 15)
  • Live game & analysis:
    • https://www.chess.com/a/mkER5XCaq9rE (draw)
      • Most important takeaways: don't get overconfident even in winning positions, don't get tilted when losing advantages, and more specifically, look out for perpetual checks.

A little dissapointing, but my rating didn't go down, and focusing the lessons from each game into a few sentences is really helping me.

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 23, 2020
0
#6

W1D3 (Rapid):

  • Daily thumbup.png
    • Forced myself to think for 5 minutes before moving anything.
  • Puzzles
    • 10 mins. of standard puzzles
    • 10 mins. of puzzle rush.
  • Live game & analysis:
    • https://www.chess.com/a/B9g5gwVpq9rE (win)
      • Atrocious game, but held on and won
      • Takeaways:
        • Managed to not get as tilted in losing positions than before.
        • Exploit pins inmediately
        • Beware of knights near the king, even in winning positions
SmarterChess
NM SmarterChess
Dec 23, 2020
0
#7

Good takeaways!

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 24, 2020
0
#8

W1D4 (Rapid):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles thumbup.png
  • Live game & analysis:
    • https://www.chess.com/live/game/6049876041 (win) (no annotations cause analysis function is buggy)
      • Managed to swindle white into blundering mate in 1.
      • Takeaways:
        • Played a queen trap opening in the opening. It succeded at first but I paid the price for taking out the queen too early and not playing perfectly.
          • Again, beware of nearby knights, especially with the queen out in the open
        • Impresed with my own play after that blunder, inmediatly capitalizing on my opponent's mistakes.
        • Always look for the moves that restrict the opponent the most

I'm obviously happy with my recent victories, but I notice I've only won because I've had luck after blundering in the opening (both times with my queen and the opponent's night, and both times after winning an advantage with the queen), so I really need to start playing more cautiously, at least at the beginning of each game. But I've managed to turn games the moment my opponent makes a mistake, so the tactics training is paying off.

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 25, 2020
0
#9

W1D5 (Rapid):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles thumbup.png
    • Now, after 10 mins. of normal puzzles, I try one puzzle at least 300 above my rating
  • Live games & analysis:
    • https://www.chess.com/live/game/6059482296 (win)
      • Not much to say
    • https://www.chess.com/live/game/6059548697 (win) (no annotations because analysis function is still buggy)
      • I was more or less in control of the full game. Started to get nervous because I didn't want to ruin my advantage, but kept playing solidly until my opponent cracked under pressure.
      •  Takeaways:
        • Beware of tactics with checks on the queenside
        • Missed a rook sacrifice that won the game inmediatly. Will look at sacrifice puzzles.
        • Again, exploit pins inmediatly.
🎄 Merry Christmas!

 

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 26, 2020
0
#10

W1D6 (Rapid):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles thumbup.png
  • Lessons thumbup.png
    • Introduction to book openings
    • Understanding the endgame
coriollis
coriollis
Dec 27, 2020
0
#11

W1D7 (Rapid):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles thumbup.png
  • Live game:
    • https://www.chess.com/a/35yeYj1hgq9rE (loss) 
      • Managed to turn a trapped piece mistake into a winning position
      • Do not stop checking for enemy checks, captures, attack, even in winning positions.

 

Week overview:

Stats:

  • clock.png Rapid: 1034 (+36)
  • blitz.png Blitz: 709 (=)
  • daily.png Daily: 1255 (-9, but my rating is still very volatile because of little play)
  • tactics.png Puzzles: 1792 (+106)
    • Puzzle battle: 1088 (about +300)

Happy with my weekly result. Playing only one serious rapid game per day allows better analysis of each. Started to take daily games seriously. My higher puzzle rating now requires me to think for a couple of minutes in each puzzle, and my puzzle rush rating skyrocketed.

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 28, 2020
0
#12

W2D1 (Blitz):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles thumbup.png
  • Live games:
    • https://www.chess.com/a/2ARryomg2q9rE (loss) 
      • Blunder because I played too fast.
      • Miscalculated the number of attackers and defenders and allowed for white to control the center.
    • https://www.chess.com/a/2M7FjTft2q9rE (win) 
      • Still playing too fast, not developing and forgeting to develop pieces and losing pawns.
      • I get nervous very fast against 1.d4.
    • https://www.chess.com/a/2p37qvcytq9rE (win)
      • Still learning a lot about closed positions
      • I suspect sometimes I go into auto-pilot mode in blitz and miss both mine and my oponnent's chances.
    • https://www.chess.com/a/X8Eti6WSq9rE (win)
      • Guy tried to cheese me, but stuck to principles and won.
      • Made an unsound sacrifice (probably because of watching too many Morphy games), but my opponent's inexperience made it worth it.

Blitz has always been difficult for me. Time to force myself to get more confortable with it.

SmarterChess
NM SmarterChess
Dec 29, 2020
0
#13

Can I highlight your forum posts in a future ChessGoals blog post? I love how thorough you are and I think others may be interested in seeing how you log everything.

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 29, 2020
0
#14
SmarterChess wrote:

Can I highlight your forum posts in a future ChessGoals blog post? I love how thorough you are and I think others may be interested in seeing how you log everything.

Of course, I'd be honoured!

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 29, 2020
0
#15

W2D2 (Blitz):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles thumbup.png
  • Live games:
      • https://www.chess.com/a/oSo5pZpSq9rE (win)
        • Good time management.
        • First time playing against the Evan's gambit. I'd heard it was hard to counter but managed to play a good opening.
        • Missed a discovered attack and blundered a piece (although I got it back). Must remember to look for chances especially after unexpected moves, and to not give up variations so quickly.
      • https://www.chess.com/a/34sKa8ECWq9rE (win)
        • Terrible game, but my opponent made the last blunder and got swindled.
        • Forgot to check my opponent's possible captures after moving a piece.
      • https://www.chess.com/a/xwg31NVCq9rE (loss)
        • Terrible game again. Blundered my queen on move ten. Got too excited after I thought my opponent blundered a piece, and forgot to check the whole board for captures.
        • Got so tilted I missed my opponent blundering his own queen (even though the position was losing for me anyway).
      • https://www.chess.com/a/3CHaC52nJq9rE (loss)
        • Lost in a winning position. Forgot to make defensive moves as my opponent got closer.
        • In the excitement of winning, I again forgot to check the whole board for captures (luckily my opponent didn't check either)

These loses got me a little upset, but you've got to keep going, right? I want to win next time.

SmarterChess
NM SmarterChess
Dec 29, 2020
0
#16

I used to get pretty upset after every loss. But it's something you can change over time. First off, give the opponent credit for playing well and creating/finding chances. Then really think about why a blunder was made on your part. Often times it's due to something earlier than the blunder itself that set you up in a tricky position. Or it could be time management at an earlier move.

 

coriollis
coriollis
Dec 30, 2020
0
#17

W2D3 (Blitz):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles thumbup.png
  • Live games:
    • https://www.chess.com/a/2jEK3P46zq9rE (loss)
      • Played a good opening and got a big advantage right away.
      • Missed a forced queen trade and blundered my queen.
        • which happens quite often. I must make a habit of checking on my queen on every move (especially when she's out on the attack or when enemy pieces get too close)
      • Allowed an enemy passed pawn to promote
        • Second time this week I lose because I don't deal with passed pawns as quickly as I should
    • https://www.chess.com/a/uBMtiq3Cq9rE (win)
      • Opponent was a bit inexperienced, winning was not too hard.
      • Again, miscalculated a move with my queen and lost a piece.
        • I seem to have some queen issues (heh).  I need to double check Everything having to do with queens.
    • https://www.chess.com/a/27LEoXabGq9rE (win)
      • Took a piece my opponent hung immediatly and played a comfortable game from there.
      • Missed a hanging pawn because of being too careful with my queen, but nothing too serious.
      • Hung a piece accidentally, but I was wining by so much that nothing came of it.
        • I notice I don't check for checks and captures every move (actually, I barely do at all), so I need to be more disciplined in that regard.
    • https://www.chess.com/a/2jnpsCsiEq9rE (loss)
      • Misread the board and blundered my queen (again).
    • https://www.chess.com/a/2aDQWBagWq9rE (loss)
      • The queen. Again.
coriollis
coriollis
Dec 30, 2020
0
#18
SmarterChess wrote:

I used to get pretty upset after every loss. But it's something you can change over time. First off, give the opponent credit for playing well and creating/finding chances. Then really think about why a blunder was made on your part. Often times it's due to something earlier than the blunder itself that set you up in a tricky position. Or it could be time management at an earlier move.

 

I have a very big issue with my queen. I'll play some unrated blitz to train my queen vision asking myself every move "Is my queen under attack if I play that?".

SmarterChess
NM SmarterChess
Dec 30, 2020
0
#19

Very nice observation. It's great to be able to think about that ahead of time.

coriollis
coriollis
Jan 1, 2021
0
#20

W2D4 (Blitz):

W2D5 (Blitz):

  • Daily thumbup.png
  • Puzzles thumbup.png
  • Live games:
    • https://www.chess.com/a/2ML7xVYPpq9rE (win)
      • Solid game. Punished my opponent for bringing out his queen too early and not developing.
      • Missed some ways to win an even bigger advantage.
    • https://www.chess.com/a/23pNn4VWnq9rE (win)
      • Another comfortable game. No mistakes and no blunders.
      • Again missed some ways to win even faster.
    • https://www.chess.com/a/2iMh6kAgvq9rE (win)
      • Not as easy as the previous games, but still solid.
      • Must remember to check all captures. Missed a free pawn.
      • Every pawn move creates a weakness that might be exploited.
    • https://www.chess.com/a/kHmg1sQiq9rE (win)
      • Got this close 🤏 to tilting, but took a deep breath and managed to maintain control, take advantage of my opponent's mistakes and win.
      • Got my first brilliant move (according to the computer).

No blunders today (altough some mistakes were made), so feeling pretty pumped. blitz.png.

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