Chess as Lifelong passion and be winner in life

Chien took the time to help me understand where I went wrong in our 45|45 game today. He is really passionate about the game and helping others to understand it. Very good coach and tournament director!

A writing from 1 of friend

https://www.chess.com/blog/Chessdemon2019/chess-business-why-chess-is-a-game-of-philosophy

An insightful quote there: Being good at chess is not the only ultimate goal. Perseverance is the ultimate goal. People who never become good but have played chess for 50 years are a lot successful than GMs who would quit chess after one awful tournament.

"No offense, but here's an unprovoked insult."

Why even make this comment? What is wrong with you?

Anyone can be the happiest chess player & never be affected by outside factors.

my story & life philosophy and how I maintain my passion:

https://www.chess.com/blog/fhunfi/chess-as-lifelong-passion-and-be-a-winner-in-life

and only one who has love & passion to the game can maintain doing these below continuously without break

- https://www.chess.com/forum/view/clubs-and-teams/if-1-of-your-new-years-resolution-is-to-play-more-serious-games-at-slow-time-controls?newCommentCount=1&page=1#comment-102310203 

- https://www.chess.com/forum/view/tournaments/new-invitation-to-swiss-online-open-90m-30s-1-rd-every-2-weeks-rd-1-start-on-apr-13#comment-102284411 

Chein has trained me in the anti sicilians in preparation for rolling out my dragon as black, he is very knowledgeable in various openings and plays strong theoretical lines to test your systems effectively. He is very reasonably priced too. My chess development has gone through the roof after our sessions of training games. highly recommended.

Chein has been able to organize tournaments now for quite a while very successfully. It is difficult enough to keep players engaged the entire time, and yet he has a knack for encouraging players to join the tournament on a very regular basis.
While I run a tournament every night on another site, he has provided me with a little of his free time to help provide me with advice to keep the players engaged.

I just joined the club recently, but I'm amazed at how well organized all of this is. Also, Chien always replies within hours. For now it has been a very enjoyable experience.

Responding to @tychooju12 post that he said "Chess has been the worst nightmare in my life so far. I really can't imagine how you can combine such a toxic game and a successful life"

Countless interesting books, articles, videos have been written on this subject.

Just some of them are:

* Books

How Life Imitates Chess: Making the Right Moves, from the Board to the Boardroom by Kasparov

The Moves That Matter: A Chess Grandmaster on the Game of Life By GM Jonathan Rowson.

* Articles

Chess Improvement: Key to a Better Life https://nextlevelchess.blog/chess-improvement/

https://www.chess.com/blog/Chessdemon2019/chess-business-why-chess-is-a-game-of-philosophy

https://www.chess.com/blog/fhunfi/chess-as-lifelong-passion-and-be-a-winner-in-life 

* Videos

Building Life Skills Through the Game of Chess https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U8kCoVcDLs 

Win, Draw, Learn - Life Skills for Success Through the Game of Chess https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdV1n2crrTI

* I suggest you trying at least these steps:

1) play longer game than just blitz (or 10 minutes game)

2) play not more than 1-2 games on a day, whatever the result is.

3) Don't play new game right away, before learning what is your strategic & tactical mistake (either opening, midgame, or endgame) in the last game. Try to remember the mistake for not repeating it (write it down or save it is even better if you are willing). This way, every finished game will only be a new learning experience.

4) then repeat the process of Step 1-3 on regular base (anyone can have different pace or spare time, one can do it every day, the other can only do it once every few days / it does not matter)

Chess is not a toxic game, it is a highly competitive game that can either be a positive or a negative in your life depending on your relationship with it and how you deal with all the ups and downs that are part of the journey.

Chess is played in prisons to help inmates learn various skills that are useful in many areas of life. As the teacher says "Chess is beautiful and brutal, just like life" https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-65889955

For anyone who is finding the game difficult psychologically I recommend watching this video.

Chess is a very logical game but it can take many years to come to appreciate this because it is also a very complex game with many positions where the most intuitive moves are the wrong ones.

With experience your intuition improves and having good calculation skills is even more important because that can lead you to the best move even if your intuition is telling you the wrong idea.

I think a lot of people get into chess for the wrong reasons. I remember reading a post recently from someone who was completely new to chess and posted that he was going to become a grandmaster in 6 months! That is an extreme example but I think most chess players, myself included although so much recently, worry about their rating too much.

Almost everyone would enjoy the game much more if they forget about their rating completely and only think about all the ways to learn and improve.

These slow tournaments are a good way to improve, and they are a really good opportunity to practice your calculation skills. You have a lot of time to analyze all the different possible variations in each position. If you use this time effectively you can play much better.

For me, having one very well played slow game to look back on is more valuable than winning 100 blitz games. Not that one time control is necessarily better than another; you have to decide for yourself what you enjoy and what you want to do in life.

I generally aim to learn more about the game by studying lines with Stockfish, checking what tactics I missed in previous games, and seeing what I can employ in future games. It seems my rating is beginning to asymptote, however. It is likely because I struggle with calculation in short timespans, due to the inner workings of my mind. Long time controls help me calculate properly and fully and to learn from my errors by seeing how opponents can counter my play. It would be easier with multiple analyses per day, but I am able to make do without them.

time

Thanks for your great post, KevinOSh! The YT video you shared ("How to Avoid Burnout in Chess" by ChessCoach Andras) is quite insightful. I never knew about ChessCoach Andras before seeing your post today. The videos on his YT channel look excellent.

Thanks for all your support!

I just added a new feature!

Forum to find peers for practice classical chess outside official tournaments:

https://www.chess.com/clubs/forum/view/forum-to-find-peers-for-practice-classical-chess-outside-official-tournaments

* If you cannot post at that forum page, you need to join the club main page first at https://www.chess.com/club/90m-30s then I will approve it *
Thank you

Send me a friend request if you feel able. Would appreciate it. Cheers

Hi John. I have sent friend request also invitation to my 90m+30s club. Thanks

Mr. Chien is an exceptional chess teacher. He embodies the qualities I've been searching for in a chess mentor: intelligent, patient, and highly skilled. My first session with him was last night, and it was an incredible experience. We played through a game together, and afterward, he invited me to a virtual classroom where we reviewed the game in detail. He provided invaluable advice that I took to heart.

I must admit, when I first met Mr. Chien on chess.com, I had no idea he was a teacher. It wasn’t until after our initial game and his invitation to his virtual classroom that I discovered his teaching prowess. There's a saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." This perfectly describes how Mr. Chien entered my life at a much-needed time.

As someone relatively new to chess, I’ve struggled with knowing what to work on next and finding a structured path to follow. In just one session, Mr. Chien painted a clear picture of what I need to focus on over the next year. This clarity is both incredible and immensely helpful.

I highly recommend Mr. Chien as a chess teacher. He explains concepts in a very accessible way, making learning less intimidating and more encouraging. I tend to get easily overwhelmed with learning chess, but his teaching style makes it manageable and enjoyable. His extensive experience as a teacher for over 18 years is evident, and it’s clear why he receives such glowing reviews from his students.

In many ways, Mr. Chien reminds me of Mr. Yasser Seirawan—wise, patient, intelligent, and humble. These are the most important traits for a teacher, as they make him an excellent role model for his students. He is one of the first people I’ve encountered who truly admires and continues the tradition of classical chess.

I am very grateful to be part of his 90m+30s chess club and eagerly look forward to future tournaments. In my opinion, classical chess is true chess. It’s not about making the fastest move possible, but about pushing oneself to think deeply and make the best move. This type of mental exercise is unparalleled and should be honored and passed on to future generations.

Mr. Chien's dedication to classical chess and his exceptional teaching abilities make him a standout chess mentor. I strongly encourage anyone looking to improve their chess skills to learn from him. His passion for the game and his commitment to his students' growth are truly inspiring.

- Kit

Mr Chen Ming is an extremely great teacher-i was worried about playing the dragon opening mainly because people play the anti-sicilians. Chein and i decided to play a match where all the different antis were tried by Chien against my defenses each giving me a period (of two weeks in-between) to prepare against the themed opening we decided on beforehand.

with this method not knowing the particular line attempted but having a distinct first few moves and analysis of the lines i was prepared enough to start playing the dragon.

Chess is a wonderful hobby. Even if you do not compete, you can enjoy the game.

play through the games of the great players of the past—even the lesser players. I have books on the games of Spielman, Rubinstein, Marshall, and many others and often spend an evening with their games.

Play through the great tournaments of the past. These are easy to find and will surprise you with the competitiveness of the fields.

play through the world championship matches—even the early ones. Opening theory has moved on, but it is fun to see how the theory developed.

look at the compositions of Sam Loyd or the retrospective analyses of Raymond Smullyan. Great entertainment.

so, when players burn out or go on tilt, there is always something you can do to rekindle your love of the game.

I have had many teachers for many different subjects in my life. Chien Ming is one of the best.

Playing a game against fhunfi was pretty nice, in my opinion. I take him for quite the generous man, but he also is an excellent teacher and helped me greatly when reviewing the game, showing me some techniques and calculations I did not know about and likely would not have learned without his help. Though I am not a professional reviewer by any means, I'll give his service five stars. Thank you very much, fhunfi!