If you want to become a better chess player, play chess.
long time chess enthusiast, novice player- wants to improve game!
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OldScribe2010 wrote:
If you want to become a better chess player, play chess.
thank you for that pearl of wisdom. What do you think about the resources on this site like the chess mentor, worth subscribing for?
The unlimited wealth of this site is definitely worth the money. It's almost guaranteed to make you a better chess player
2DecadePlayer wrote:
The unlimited wealth of this site is definitely worth the money. It's almost guaranteed to make you a better chess player
would you recommend any specific package to begin with? or is it just a matter of how much you're willing to invest?
Jul 18, 2010
0
#6
Hi James - i note from your profile that you have been a member since April but haven't played any games. Reading a few books is good to get the basics (I did the same thing) but playing is the only way to really improve. I too have been a long time enthusiast (45 years) who likes to follow the international grand masters but didn't find enough time to play and so didn't improve. Since joining Chess.com I have played more games in 3 months than I did in the last 3 years.
After a few weeks I signed up for gold just to get rid of the pop ups but soon went to the top level to get Chess Mentor - it is worth the whole price alone.
And my games has improved. One of the best features when playing a game is to use the Analyze feature which I find really cuts down on mistakes.
dan-ostler wrote:
Hi James - i note from your profile that you have been a member since April but haven't played any games. Reading a few books is good to get the basics (I did the same thing) but playing is the only way to really improve. I too have been a long time enthusiast (45 years) who likes to follow the international grand masters but didn't find enough time to play and so didn't improve. Since joining Chess.com I have played more games in 3 months than I did in the last 3 years. After a few weeks I signed up for gold just to get rid of the pop ups but soon went to the top level to get Chess Mentor - it is worth the whole price alone. And my games has improved. One of the best features when playing a game is to use the Analyze feature which I find really cuts down on mistakes.
yes there is a reason for that; like i said i come in and out of the game quite a lot, so i joined just for the forums a while back but never actually played games here (i used to use another site, now i only really play the computer). thank you for your input anyway.
Jul 18, 2010
0
#8
I have a few chess computers as well. However I found that my game improved much faster once I was playing others on Chess.com.
You may prefer to play the chess computer rather than sitting at the computer but with On-line chess you can have several games going with, say, a 3 day move time and then just make the moves when convenient.
Or, if you are fortunate, as I am, you can have an iPad and play from anywhere.
First, get, study and read books that will help your game. The book you mentioned or purchased are hardly instructive. See the Chess Books and Equipment Forum of this site it will tell you what books you must have. I highly recommend the School of future champions series by Dvoretsky and Yusupov it is all you will need. Also, get books that feature annotated games from top GMs like My 60 memorable Games (Fischer), Life and Games (Tal) or My Best Games (Karpov), etc. so you can learn how they play and perhaps make it your own.
Second, practice with a tactics computer program (i.e., tactics trainer, etc.) to keep you sharp.
Finally, play lots of games online or anywhere. Apply the things you learned in your books.
All of these requires one important value -- hardwork. :)
Chess is like life as they say study the moves and decide them a win or a lose.Some players are gifted others not.Genius is hard work.Edison say 99% persiration 1% inspiration true also with chess.Even you are gifted if you dont study the hard way you will not go too far.Finally lot of study lot of improvement no study no improvement..........
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ickerson wrote:
First, get, study and read books that will help your game. The book you mentioned or purchased are hardly instructive. See the Chess Books and Equipment Forum of this site it will tell you what books you must have. I highly recommend the School of future champions series by Dvoretsky and Yusupov it is all you will need. Also, get books that feature annotated games from top GMs like My 60 memorable Games (Fischer), Life and Games (Tal) or My Best Games (Karpov), etc. so you can learn how they play and perhaps make it your own.
Second, practice with a tactics computer program (i.e., tactics trainer, etc.) to keep you sharp.
Finally, play lots of games online or anywhere. Apply the things you learned in your books.
All of these requires one important value -- hardwork. :)
do you know these books? what's wrong with them as opposed to the ones you mentioned? Chernev's book covers some games played by masters like Capablanca/Rubinstein like the ones you mentioned.
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Emmott wrote:
ickerson wrote:
First, get, study and rThe books ead books that will help your game. The book you mentioned or purchased are hardly instructive. See the Chess Books and Equipment Forum of this site it will tell you what books you must have. I highly recommend the School of future champions series by Dvoretsky and Yusupov it is all you will need. Also, get books that feature annotated games from top GMs like My 60 memorable Games (Fischer), Life and Games (Tal) or My Best Games (Karpov), etc. so you can learn how they play and perhaps make it your own.
Second, practice with a tactics computer program (i.e., tactics trainer, etc.) to keep you sharp.
Finally, play lots of games online or anywhere. Apply the things you learned in your books.
All of these requires one important value -- hardwork. :)
do you know these books? what's wrong with them as opposed to the ones you mentioned? Chernev's book covers some games played by masters like Capablanca/Rubinstein like the ones you mentioned.
I have the Chernev book. I'm not saying that's its a bad book because it's actually a good one. But reading from your post and assuming what your level is which is intermediate, you could learn a lot more from books which teaches you more theories and principles in chess rather than the book by Chernev. After you studied the books I mentioned go back to reading Chernev. That is why I recommended Dvoretsky's books because it is A highly instructive series because it shows you why masters play a certain way as a whole as opposed to learning why a move is made (which can vary in every game and dependent on on-the-board analysis). If you locked-up the necesary theories and principles done then you can actually comprehend and appreciate more the annotated games in Chernev's books.
Also, get books on the endgame, I suggest Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual or Silman's Complete Endgame Course, those are the two best endgame books.
Try my suggestion for a week, it surely worked for me. :)
ickerson wrote:
Emmott wrote:
ickerson wrote:
First, get, study and rThe books ead books that will help your game. The book you mentioned or purchased are hardly instructive. See the Chess Books and Equipment Forum of this site it will tell you what books you must have. I highly recommend the School of future champions series by Dvoretsky and Yusupov it is all you will need. Also, get books that feature annotated games from top GMs like My 60 memorable Games (Fischer), Life and Games (Tal) or My Best Games (Karpov), etc. so you can learn how they play and perhaps make it your own.
Second, practice with a tactics computer program (i.e., tactics trainer, etc.) to keep you sharp.
Finally, play lots of games online or anywhere. Apply the things you learned in your books.
All of these requires one important value -- hardwork. :)
do you know these books? what's wrong with them as opposed to the ones you mentioned? Chernev's book covers some games played by masters like Capablanca/Rubinstein like the ones you mentioned.
I have the Chernev book. I'm not saying that's its a bad book because it's actually a good one. But reading from your post and assuming what your level is which is intermediate, you could learn a lot more from books which teaches you more theories and principles in chess rather than the book by Chernev. After you studied the books I mentioned go back to reading Chernev. That is why I recommended Dvoretsky's books because it is A highly instructive series because it shows you why masters play a certain way as a whole as opposed to learning why a move is made (which can vary in every game and dependent on on-the-board analysis). If you locked-up the necesary theories and principles done then you can actually comprehend and appreciate more the annotated games in Chernev's books.
Also, get books on the endgame, I suggest Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual or Silman's Complete Endgame Course, those are the two best endgame books.
Try my suggestion for a week, it surely worked for me. :)
ok, thank you for your suggestions.
Research on the Dvoretsky books. They are intended for a level above the average serious adult otb tournament player, and beyond the good one as well.
Some think 2000 ELO is a minimum number for someone to use these books practically, and some (NM Reb here, as I recall) say even that number is too low.
Most of the advice you're getting in this thread is insane.
Chernev (or something like it) is probably the first serious chess book you should read...but it's too advanced for you.
How do I know this? Because you said, in your opening statement, "I'm always kicking myself for making stupid mistakes against the computer." This means that your tactical ability is not yet sufficient to make a legitimate study of any theoretical/strategical chess book.
Chess tactics are the bedrock upon which a chess education is built.
You've heard a thousand times, "Tactics, tactics, tactics." But very few beginners bother to understand why. It's because even the most elementary chess strategy books are making the basic assumption that you will eliminate from your consideration, when you play, EVERY move that simply blunders material.
UNTIL you play like that, even the simplest strategies are completely and utterly pointless. Concocting a seven move plan that will leave you with a knight on an advanced, protected outpost, doubled rooks on an open file, and your opponent's king staring down the barrel of a weak dark square complex is irrelevant if on move two, you drop your queen.
You must, must, MUST eliminate these kinds of errors from your chess BEFORE you study chess strategy. And these kinds of errors are tactics 101.
People hear "tactics" and think it's only studying "mate in five" problems, or "white to play and win material with an x-ray attack." Yeah, that's tactics, but that's not the first or second lesson. And until you master those first couple lessons, there's no point moving on.
So the first lesson is this: "Stop making stupid mistakes."
Easier said than done, to be sure. But always check to make sure none of your pieces is en prise. That's lesson one, and until it is absolutely mastered, you're stuck on the bottom rung. It's as simple as that.
So, a study plan:
1. Learn to spot your own pieces that are en prise.
2. Learn to spot your opponent's pieces that are en prise.
3. Learn to spot your own pieces that are unprotected, and thus may be vulnerable to elementary tactics.
4. Learn to spot your opponent's pieces that are unprotected, and thus may be vulnerable to elementary tactics.
5. Learn to spot which of your own pieces, even though they are not unprotected, are placed vulnerably...i.e., susceptible to forks, pins, etc.
6. Learn to spot which of your opponent's pieces, even though they are not unprotected, are placed vulnerably...i.e., susceptible to forks, pins, etc.
7. THEN practice, practice, practice with tactics.
8. Learn some elementary mates.
9. Practice those, too.
Those are the most basic, fundamental things ANY chess player MUST learn if he is to get any benefit whatsoever out of almost any chessbook education. Even the simplest chess book will say things like "NOT exd5, because of Bc2!, winning", and if you don't understand, tactically why Bc2 wins, the book does you no good.
You can practice all that without any books. And probably should, unless you enjoy chess puzzle books.
Wrap all that up, and then delve into endgames or elementary strategy. I know you won't pay attention to this prescription, because nobody ever does. But it's the difference between being a career guy-in-search-of-a-clue, and a student of the game, trending toward mastery.
Good luck, whichever path you choose. And have fun.
ScreamingLemur wrote:
How do I know this? Because you said, in your opening statement, "I'm always kicking myself for making stupid mistakes against the computer."
Although your advice is sound and I appreciate the detailed response, you are being presumptuous when you assume that by 'stupid mistakes' I meant dropping material, like the queen on move 2. I'm not that bad. When I make 'mistakes' in a game its usually when I realise a move or two too late that I missed such an afformentioned tactical oppurtunity; I'f I'm being defeatist/lazy maybe I neglect to address a pin/other threat that results in loss of material, but I'm learning to be more vigilant as (in adherence to the same principles outlined by your plan).
Don't get me wrong, because personally I don't mind but that kind of 'ah I see you must still be very inexperienced' attitude can be very discouraging for enthusiasts becoming introduced to the 'core' of the game. You argued your point tactfully for the most part though so no hard feelings 
Yes, learning tactics, tactics, tactics with a CD and repeat and repeat. It needs too long time with chessboard.
After a while you will see, that you very seldom has a possibility to use your tactic knowledge during the game - because your position is bad and you need also a little bit strategy knowledge.
It means tactic training and the Chernev book (or the strategy tutorials in chessmaster) is a good combination. But you need a more advanced strategy book, I think.
It was working for me, but now I finished to study, because family, work, children and many other things in the life.. 
But I am still playing for fun.
Regards
Do you maily play live or correspondence? Myself, i lose constantly in live games but recently after playing mainly turn based i have been on a winning streak like i would never see in live. on chesstempo.com i have a 1733 tactics rating but here on live i cant seem to get much higher than 1100.
Having as much time as i need to make moves made all the difference to me. I can sit and ponder over a problem as much as i want (or as much as my wife will let me ) or if needed i can just skip it altogether and come back fresh the next day if i am feeling burnt out. Sticking to mainly turn based, i have won nearly every game i have played and my game seems to be still improving.
I play 10 games at a time and, as I am poor, I set up my physical board (I dont use chess engines or any of the goodies here on chess.com) to play a couple moves my opponent can possibly make and see where that takes me, if it ends in a bad position, reset the board and try something else.
Maybe try turn based games with a physical chessboard for awhile, I play 10 games at a time and i spend the same amount of time as i would normally playing live each day and i feel like i retain the knowledge and information much better. Maybe im just a slow thinker, if you are too this could be useful.
Hope this helps, good luck!
First let me clear a few thing up- when I say 'long term enthusiast' I am being figurative to a degree, I appreciate that 'long term' for me is nothing compared to the majority of experienced chess players (I'm 18). Basically I've known how to play since I was a kid and, despite a lot of frustration in the early years, I've always admired the game and wanted to be a 'good' player. I remember when Fischer died and it was on the news, I think that was when my dormant interest in chess really came active (that would have been 3 years ago).
But still I go through 'phases' of chess, i.e I'll suddenly become interested again, play loads of chess in the evening, then after about a month ill lose interest, stop altogether, and a few months later the cycle will repeat, so its the whole dormant/active thing again (no im not a volcano. i know, i know, rubbish joke but someone was going to say it).
Anyway, I feel that despite the amount of time I've been involved in the game I should be better; I'm always kicking myself for making stupid mistakes when online and against the computer (I find playing the computer really hard- the highest difficulty i've ever beaten is 'adept' where it goes newcomer, begginner, adept -before that 'monkey' and child which aren't worth mentioning).
Naturally, like any enthusiast, over the last few years as my interest has increased I have bought books on the subject- I have 4:
-'Logical Chess, move by move' Irving Chernev, a beautifully written book, really interesting and I love his writing style, but it only covers pre-played illustrative games. It was the first book I bought and I found when playing after reading it I would play moves the had been praised as good ingames in the book, which obviously is a bad way to play as you have to accommodate for your specific situation (as I quickly found out). Consequently I have'nt read the whole thing through as I feel there would be little point, and its time consuming.
'The right way to play Chess', David Pritchard, another really good, concise book, but it only really covers the rudimentary basics- like the title suggests, it shows you what good chess is but won't make you a better player
-Batsford's modern chess openings (the most recent edition, I think, which I almost regret buying as you can get most of the contents online now for free)
-'Fundamental Chess endings', a German book, Karsten Muller and Frank Lamprecht, an excellent book but one I have not had time to look over.
One thing I would like to point out is that I don't plan on buying anymore books; I don't want to become a 'book player' as it were; I would like to think that what I have read so far has primed me well enough to improve through experience. But here is my dilemma, as I have reached a plateau that I have been at for such a long while and its apparent that I'm not just going to wake up one day and be a better Chess player (not that I ever really thought that, for the record).
I was wondering, maybe something like the puzzles/tactics training on this site? What is the membership to this site like, ould anyone recommend a specific package (the price per month looks to be quite reasonable). And don't anyone say 'maybe you just aren't meant to be good at Chess' or anything along those lines, as I believe that improvement is possible anywhere- I'm not a hopeless player as it is, I'm just interested in becoming more 'competetive' (I suffer from the fact that the only local chess club disbanded about a year ago). Better yet, can anyone realte to my experience?