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Photray94's Chess Training Journal
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Starting out: The Modern is on my to-read list. Do you like it?
May 12, 2009
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#17
Uh, yeah, I do. I got it when I was looking for just some new, out there, radical openings. The book is pretty interesting but it's more a reference to all its variations and stuff than a comprehensive guide. Not a "read this cover to cover because it reads like an novel", its just a typical chess reference. Though I gotta say the analysis is spot on.
Introduction Journal #1
Ray's the name. I love chess, and have since the age of six when my dad taught me to play. Always I've had a healthy fascination for the game, but recently it has become an obsession. Currently I'm on our high school chess team, and on our team is one of the top six(!) junior - under eighteen - players from Oregon. His brother too, is on the team - and my best friend, but that's not quite exciting for a post of this scope.
Through this team I met a FIDE master, to remain unnamed as of now - he may be titled, but that's no reason to give away an identity!
He teaches our team regularly at meetings. It may not be free, but $75/hour for five kids is a steal - that's $15/student for those who didn't work out the math. That man has brought a lot of success in chess into my life in the month that we've been getting lessons from him. Mainly he has focused on:
Which really, there isn't much better to focus on than that for me. He relates all things he teaches us in one category - e.g. opening theory - to another category he might introduce - e.g. tactics in the middle game.
Unfortunately I can't own up all my accomplishments in chess to our coach, it has come from playing with friends, family - a big thanks to my dad, who again I said brought me to this wonderful game - and opponents - the difference between friends and opponents to me is when a game is rated.
A lot of my success has come from reading both from online sources and books. My chess library consists of:
This repetoire of books I own currently satisfies me - especially the last title, which I believe I have and will get the most use out of in my entire chess career.
Here is a game I played on live chess. I went into the game previously preparing myself for playing a Ponziani if the opponent responded with e5 to d4 and with Nc6 to Nf3. Instead, he moved a queen to f3(?).