Progress

Just wanted to register my own progress and I thought it could be useful to share it, if this can help other beginners. My brief Chess story so far: Learned how to move pieces when I was a kid, never touched the game for 25 years until the 28 of September of this year. I quickly felt in love with Chess due to all the learning material, competitive aspects, challenging my brain and possible becoming a long term hobby. My short term goal is to achieve the ELO of an average player, medium term to beat a colleague that plays already for 30 years (without studying much) and long term to be a decent locally (clubs and small tournaments).

Week 1

ELO end of the week: 540 

Learning Material: Nothing

Comments: Started by just getting acquaintance with the game again. Already understood that just by playing I was not going to get better. On another topic: even though I love how easy it is to play games with my laptop or smartphone, my work requires 100% on-screen time so I was about to move to another hobby to avoid being all day on-screen, but I discovered e-boards. After some research I decided to get the Chessnut Air and what a nice experience it has been so far!

Week 2

ELO end of the week: 600 

Learning Material: Started with Chess.com lessons (completed “Learn to Play Chess” and “From Beginner to Winner”), they really helped me to start playing with more meaning than just moving pieces because they can. Bobby Fischer teaches Chess (15%).

Comments: At the end of week, I realized that 10 min rapid games were not enough to really thing what I was doing. I changed this to 15|10 and I could quickly see a change in my decisions AND better decisions from opponents as well. Also, since the (brief)theory I owned allowed me, I started to realized some weak points I had already (beside making stupid mistakes of course).

Week 3

ELO end of the week: 690

Learning Material: Chess.com (“Think Like a Chess Winner” 87%), Bobby Fischer teaches Chess (50%) and since I was looking for something beginner friendly that helps me to understand how to think my moves, I also added Pandolfini’s Ultimate Guide to Chess (50%), I really like the style of the book, which is a conversation between a Teacher and a Student. The student actually ask a lot of questions I would've also think of.

Comments: I added a personal rule in which if I lose two games in a row, I have to either open a book or continue with Chess.com learning path. At this stage also I am realizing that I could win by only not making basic mistakes, probably this could carry me on until I play people that uses tactics and strategy consciously.

To be continued…

Please feel free to comment, recommend, hate or anything. 

At 690 you can safely move to 30/0 with a view of migrating to 60/0 around 800/900.

You'd be surprised how the opponents' level of play improves the closer you get to classical time controls, but don't let that discourage you. You're doing the right thing and you're on the right track.

Enjoy!

Well done, progress here is similar except I've been playing since Feb, I seem to have bad tilts but every time its quicker to bounce back up. Slow and steady wins the race 👍

@1

"just by playing I was not going to get better" ++ Key is to analyse lost games.

"Bobby Fischer teaches Chess" ++ Good.

"I changed this to 15|10" ++ Good.

"beside making stupid mistakes of course"
++ Make it a habit of checking your intended move is no stupid mistake before you play it.

"something beginner friendly that helps me to understand how to think my moves"
++ Chess Fundamentals - Capablanca

"if I lose two games in a row" ++ Do not lose 2 games in a row. After you lose 1 game, stop playing and analyse the game thoroughly while the impring is still fresh.

"I could win by only not making basic mistakes" ++ Yes, hang no pieces, hang no pawns.

"this could carry me on until I play people that uses tactics and strategy consciously"
++ Not making stupid mistakes carries you to 1500.
As long as you make stupid mistakes, all the rest is useless.

"I could win by only not making basic mistakes"

That is one of the key to get you to +1200 

And you need to find an opening that you really feel comfortable with of course and to do many hours of tactic puzzles and a bit of endgame study.

Interesting thought - I've been told two opposing views by different people. One that you should stick to an opening you're comfortable with & the other that you should keep taking yourself out of comfort zone. The latter having a negative impact on your immediate rating, but being quite good for your general development as a player (playing different positions, pawn structures etc).

Aggressive players want an attack and to mate in the middlegame. Positional players prefer to play a technical endgame where their talents shine the most.)

Say an opening is extremely tactical and requires a lot of theory and skill to handle it accurately. That may be easy for some and difficult for others. Or the opening is easy to handle but leads to complex positional and strategic middlegames. That again may be easy for some and difficult for others. Or the player needs to win and his repertoire doesn’t include sharp systems…

So, there is no answer which fits everybody. 

Finding and sticking with an opening that you are very comfortable with your style mean trying dozen of opening.....like i did for many months....before i did find the one style that I feel very comfortable with....then i added another one a long time after and even a third one over the years....

My point is do not play any opening that you do not feel very comfortable with...try them all.

Chess must be fun and not feeling like work!

Nice progress! I too like to watch a lesson between games especially after a loss

Thanks!