4 hours a week to get better - what should I do?

I am a 34 year-old beginner.  I have three kids and about four hours a week to spend on chess.  

My goal is to get better than my arch-nemesis (brother-in-law and good friend), who spends about four times as much time as I do, playing blitz on chess.com. 

This will be tough but I want to go for it.  It's doable.  My arch-nemesis is rated 1135 at blitz after 2,000 some games. The score is 29-17 in his favor.

I'm really weak but have improved since I joined in January.  My blitz rating has gone from the 500s to the 900s in about 400 games.  But I seem stuck in the 900s, briefly ventured into the 1000s.

I'm better at correspondence and standard (1800 and 1200...and I'm at 1360 on the tactics trainer.)

So what should I do? 

Convince me that your advice, or training is the best and I will do what you say for 25 weeks.  

If it works, I will publish a blog praising you and your method and detailing exactly how and why it worked for a newbie like me.  I may also have flowers sent to your doorstep.

If you need more info about me or my playing before giving me detailed instructions on how to spend my four hours per week - I will be happy to oblige.  

Here are my observations about my own playing, so far:

- Playing a lot of blitz doesn't seem to make me better at blitz.

- I hardly ever win on time. I've experimented with playing the clock but that experiment resulted in my rating going from 1014 to 914 very quickly. I seem to do best when I almost ignore the clock and simply look for the best moves I can find.   

- My endgame is really bad.

- I get muddled, frustrated and depressed when I lose three or more blitz games in a row.

- IM Yaacovn suggests learning to play slow chess well is the best way to get good at fast chess, and this strikes me as true.  Is it?

Thanks for any useful, or entertaining responses.    

I never thought of that. Thank you.

Do you have money for an online coach? 4 hours per week of online coaching would make you strong.

tactics

Follow the opening principles:

Control the center

Develop towards the center

Castle

King Safety

Hi Boogalicious.  I have money.  Can I justify spending any of it to get better at chess?  Hmm...How much do I need for an hour of online coaching, and whom would you reccommend? 

If your nemesis is only 1135, rather than worrying about playing well you just need to be slightly less awful than he is (I'm not being a jerk btw). Simply making less blunders than he does will allow you to "own" him without even breaking a sweat. You just need to work on your board vision and recognising threats. I don't have time to go into more details at this stage but good luck.

Indeed, not much point learning something new when you guys blunder left and right pieces. Make a move scan whole board see what that move does and what does not anymore, see his pieces what they can do for example his knight can he hurt you etc.

I am no good at teaching but will share my story and point of view. It may or not be correct for you. To play good at slow chess, fastest way is to have a lot of blitz games so you know patterns, which openings are ok, your tactics will be better and endgame knowledge. Beginner playing slow chess is little pointles. He can't think much and does not know what to think and will finish game in 15-20 minutes anyway. Key to improve is to have a lot of experience and to learn from it and fix mistakes. Fastest way is blitz. But first watch how masters play blitz with comentary. So to know right and correct ideas overall. Search Chess-Network/John Fins/Chess Explained/ Kings Crusher at youtube. Thats how i went from your level to 1700 blitz. Well with little study of endgames. Becouse before that you guys will make a lot of mistakes but mistakes at endgame is what will cost you the game overall. I havent played any long games above 5 minutes. Maybe 10 for 2 years. Just this last summer i took chess serious and started to study and play long times controls.

I would recommend watching a few YouTube videos on openings. This way you will not only know the first few moves but will learn the general ideas and principles behind those moves. This will help you make plans based on the position and also learn a few tactical tricks.

Don't blitz this is my amature advice. I am told do not spend more than 30 mins a day on blitz and focus on games that let me thinking about my moves each move. Like what can my opponent do what can I do. If I do this what can he do. Did I give him a check mate oppurtunity, did I leave myself hanging, did I make a move that was aggrisive enough.

Do not blitz but a few games each week. If you want to blitz against your brother in-law then save your blitz games just for him!!! If your a 2000 or higher then blitz away at this point your should have chess down pretty good that you will not set up bad moves into a reflex play.

Good example is me. I use to play solid at 1300 at one point then I started blitzing alot. Now I am having trouble playing a solid 900. I am just now learning this lesson myself.

I'm not sure I'm best placed to advise, but from my own play, I've written down that which I've found the most effective for myself over the last year.

I'd definitely recommend watching, and learning from, top-level players (both on, and off the board), most especially through good (by which I mean instructive) live commentary, or a well presented post-analysis of a grandmaster's game. In terms of following major tournaments, I've found that actively engaging with those games (and limiting engine use, to solely check lines commentators don't pick up on) has helped my own understanding; it's also a good way to learn common tactical shots, and mating patterns (as most commentators like to show, and emphasise, them). To which, as a final point, I'd say something for following the top board games here, live on chess.com; though they are usually at the lower time controls, it is a good exercise in spotting interesting tactics and combinations  - and a helpful warm-up before embarking on your own blitz games.

I'd also include time spent watching explanatory videos online -- oftimes they are more readily accessible then books, and require less famaliarity with annotation; in that I'd also highly recommend the youtube channel, ccscsl, since they have a wide range of freely accesible material. Most especially look at some of the common endgame positions, and play them out if possible otb; this will also help cut down on time spent on your calculations in actual games.

I'd point, too, towards looking at chess problems whenever possible. They are particularly good when you are short on time, or space, since they can be something you can easily dip in and out of -- and can be worked on offline. In this I think I'd more recommend picking up a good book, (or, at the least, finding a newspaper with a chess column), as there is much less temptation for guesswork, and trial by error, and as such you should improve on your visualisation of the board.  (eg. Try to solve the daily puzzle on the main page without the give-away title, or moving the pieces).

Personally speaking I've found that shorter sessions of higher quality blitz are best; to avoid fatigue - and also the slumps that follow large swings in rating. And to which I'd add, that you should always, if possible, spend time reviewing a game once it's over (despite the trend on here for offering instant rematches). An honest assesment of the game can help avoid over/under confidence in the next; moreover don't pressure yourself to immediately recoup rating after a loss -- especially if tiredness, and missed tactics was the cause.

(oops, I won my first online game, so it looks like I'm 1500 hehe)

I have to say, I looked at some of your most recent losses and I'm impressed with how 900 rated players play blitz. I have to admit I was thinking to myself something close to: "oh, just don't blunder all your pieces and you'll be fine" but that's not what I saw. I mean, it wasn't flawless  but there wasn't a pattern of your opponent attacks something, you ignore it, so your opponent wins it. You were also developing and castleing and all that.

But tactics always need work. Chess.com tactics trainer is not bad, but I will recommend this book which organizes the puzzles by theme:

http://www.amazon.com/1001-Winning-Chess-Sacrifices-Combinations/dp/0879801115

Also some chess.com tactics (even some high rated ones) seem to simply be capturing a free piece... this is not a tactic! Organizing by theme I think will help you remember the patterns.

Other than that I suggest reviewing your games and for each game (win or loss) writing down your biggest mistake. After you have a list going work on your most common mistakes.

Also I suggest using an opening system for every game like the colle or stonewall attack. If you don't want to do this, then look up your opening after every game you play. In a few games you were needlessly falling behind in development or your opponent got an attack before you were castled.

Part of being a good blitz player is knowing your openings and being comfortable with the middlegames you get. Playing a system is a good way to do that. Again, otherwise it's important you look up your opening after every game. Not to memorize necessarily, but to see when you left book and review the next few moves. When your opponent leaves book first check to see if you continued to speedily finish your development before attacking (unless you actually were able to win something immediately).

I suggest you analyse the following game. It's a five minute blitz game. How would you play if you had more time?

Afterwards check your analysis with a computer and then post your analysis in the analysis forum. I think you'll find it very instructive.

work on your tactics by getting books such as Fred Reinfeld tactical books. another good book is 1001 deadly checkmates by John Nunn. Sharpen your tactics etc. also, work on your endgame focusing on just simple pawn endings, learning opposition, triangulation, and some basic rook endings.

 This is similar to my approach. Like the OP, I have a young family, full-time work, and other commitments, so finding time for chess is tough. What little time I have I divide between tactics training (fast and easy problems for pattern recognition, slow problems for more emphasis on visualisation and calculation), playing 3 days per move games here, some chess mentor lessons, slowly working through books (currently Winning Chess Strategy and Amateur's Mind), and analysing my games to see where I went wrong and generate ideas for the future (I add completed games to Scid vs PC, with the database in Dropbox so I can review games either during breaks at work or at home).

I am not far enough into this plan to say how well it will work in my case, but it seems like a reasonable approach, and is an enjoyable way to spend my very limited personal time.

To follow on from that, the answer to "where I went wrong" most often appears to be missed tactics - both opportunities and threats. So I am starting to spend more time on tactics than some other elements.

I am also interested in learning and applying a systematic thought process (something like Blue Devil Knight's Chessplanner). 3 days per move games are perfect for this.

900s simply mean you make more mistakes than you opponents.  Most understand basic tactics and will be looking for double attacks and pins. Be on the lookout for opening traps.  I recommend you stick with a few solid openings and don't play nutty stuff. 

They are just good enough that you have to be careful about material.  Don't hang pieces and if you are dropping pawns you will need some compensation.

You need to know the basic ending mating patterns, but I likley won't get a lot of endings where the finer points will score or save.

Blitz is ok, but always exchange down and kill counterplay if you are up material.  It deosn't need to be elegant. It just needs to win.

Play the longest blitz allowed.  5 minutes still leaves a lot to clock management.  You'll time out far less on 10 0. 

I would get the chess.com premium membership if i were you and (1) watch one chess video a week, (2) play in one bullet tournament a week, (3) play in one blitz tournament a week, (4) play in one standard tournament a week, (5) solved one tactical puzzle a week, and (6) complete one chess mentor lesson a week.

"don't pressure yourself to immediately recoup rating after a loss -- especially if tiredness, and missed tactics was the cause." - CoffehCat

That is an excellent remark. I am guilty. It's silly to worry more about my rating, than about learning, and hurts my rating in the end.  When I get into a downward spiral playing blitz, I start to feel like...I just gotta get a win, then I'll quit. Not good.

Obscurist: That's going to be a painful analysis, but I will do it, because I asked for it. Thanks for the response. Why did you choose that game of mine in particular? Just curious.

WillResignForBeer: Ha! A truth speaker. Let's play sometime, but first, can I buy you a beer? So what's the best way to become less awful and improve my board vision?

Best,

Tuccihops

I found that game to contain several positions that are very instructive. It's a long game where the evaluation changes a lot; sometimes you're winning, sometimes you're losing, so there are some key positions worth looking at. There are also improvements to be made in your opening play. 

Your own analysis and annotations will give you and others an idea of some of your thoughts; why you played what you did (I know you played 60 moves in 5 minutes so you didn't have much time to think) and if, on review, you think another move was preferable. It might be a pain but the level of instruction you can get from this one game will be well worth the effort.