Progression
Sort:
I probably play chess for around 4 hours a day. I am 1100 elo but I find I am not improving. What do I need to study?
Aug 17, 2022
0
#2
At your rating range, you'll benefit from a lot of different topics, but usually, these two will give you the best bang for buck:
Calculation training (Tactical puzzles, etc). You are mixing in a lot of bullet games each day, this is a bit risky as it can make you impulsive/impatient and even 'lazy' with calculation even when you play a rapid game. I'd dial this down a bit if I were you. If you want to enjoy some speed chess, I'd recommend blitz instead.
If you haven't already, I'd also study checkmate patterns thematically, eg. Arabian Mate, Hook mate, Greco's mate, Max Lange mate, etc. If you do not know what all of this is - then great - it's an opportunity for you to hone in on. Just being aware of the concept of a checkmate, even if it isnt directly available, gives you a sense of direction for what you should be doing next (eg. kicking away a defensive piece of your opponents, to execute the attack). If you do not know your mating patterns, you will miss many plans.
Most checkmate books will cover this, there are some free study's on other sites too. The best resource of all is Checkmate Patterns manual - which is on chessable.
Endgame Training (prioritise rook endgames and king and pawn endgames). Rook endgames account for about 50% of all endgames, so focusing here will give you a good return on investment. I'd highly recommend John Bartholomew's youtube channel - he covers some essential endgames on his channel. Search "John Bartholomew rook endgames youtube" on google and a playlist normally appears in the results.
King and Pawn endgames are also must knows - especially opposition, and the various zugzwang themes like trebuchet, etc.
Once you've covered those, then branch out to the other endgames. "100 endgames you must know" is a decent resource. You can get this book in book form, or digitized into a playable set of exercises on chessable.
@1
"I probably play chess for around 4 hours a day. I am 1100 elo but I find I am not improving."
++ You are doing something wrong.
Play 15|10
Use all your time
Blunder check before each move
Analyse your lost games
Study grandmaster games
Study endgames
Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell