7 Tips From a 2400-Rated Player

My "16 Tips from a 2300-Rated Player" thread seemed to be helpful for many players, so I decided to make a new one from the 2400 perspective. Some of these tips might be similar to the ideas from the previous thread, but with slight improvements along the way.

I've also tried to keep things less wordy - we all lead busy lives, and sometimes you just want the "meat and potatoes" without all the fuss.

So anyway, I hope some of this will be helpful on your chess journey! Onwards to the tips ...

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1) Laugh at Your Mistakes - They’re Part of the Process

It's okay to make mistakes when you play. The trick is not to beat yourself up over them. I make boneheaded moves all the time. When I was younger, I used to get quite angry about this. Nowadays, I allow myself to laugh about it. Remember: it's a game. You're meant to enjoy it. Even when you lose, try to find joy in the good moves you made along the way - and allow yourself to find the humor in the terrible ones, too.

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2) Analyze Everything - Your Free, Unlimited Superpower

Always analyze the games you play. Always. Even if you think you already know what you should've done, analyze it anyway. And you don't need “Game Review” to do this. The analysis board is completely free, and you can use it infinitely. If you need the link, here it is: https://www.chess.com/analysis. You can also access it by clicking on the little magnifying glass icon after playing a game.

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3) One New Idea per Game - Small Gains, Big Impact

When you analyze, try to learn one useful idea from each game you play. That's all it takes: one new thought or insight per game. Maybe it's a useful pawn move in a specific structure you hadn’t considered before. Maybe it's a tactical pattern. Maybe it's something as simple as reminding yourself to think a bit more before recapturing. Whatever that “one thing” is, try to find it. All those small discoveries will add up, over time, to a mountain of chess knowledge and intuition.

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4) Study to Improve, Play to Practice

Playing is not actual improvement, believe it or not! Playing is how you practice the skills you already have. Learning and studying is where real improvement comes from. Find a way of learning that you enjoy - whether it's watching streamers explain their ideas, spotting an idea in a book, or shuffling pieces around to see what the engine evaluation is. Find whatever it is that allows you to explore new ideas in a happy state of mind. These side quests of exploration can lead to breakthroughs - sometimes ones that you didn’t even know you needed.

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5) Yes, Chess Is Hard for Everyone - Even Strong Players

Ignore those who declare that chess is easy. Chess isn't easy - it's a monstrously challenging game. Don’t ever feel bad about struggling, about not knowing what to do, or about feeling like you're the only one who "doesn’t get it." That feeling is normal. And you're far from alone. Even at my level, I often find myself having no clue what to play. That's part of the fun - and it's also what analyzing afterward is for: finding the tricky answers that escaped us in the moment.

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6) Stop Chasing Points - Chase Quality Instead

Don't chase rating points - that only leads to emotional play. And emotional play is the fastest route to tilting. Instead, try to play each game to the best of your current ability. If you lose - so what? Now you have something to analyze and learn from. Now there's a new “one thing” of yours, waiting to be found.

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7) Analyze Before You Play Again - Keep Your Brain Logical, Not Emotional

And while we're on that matter: analyze each game after you play, before you hop into the next one. This is perhaps my favorite tip of all. There are two reasons for this. First, the game will still be fresh in your mind, so your interest level will still be high. This is the best time to search for ideas and answers - while you're still motivated to seek them out. Secondly, this “pause” between games helps keep your brain in a logical state, instead of an emotional one. It's like flipping an "off" switch for that emotional thermostat of yours, allowing you to "cool off" before re-engaging again. Making this a habit will help your mind stay steady and learning-oriented. Don't be one of those players who impulsively clicks “New Game” over and over. Those are the players who binge and tilt. The way to move forward is to keep yourself cool, calm, and collected. It's not just helpful - it’s a skill. Perhaps the most useful one of all. And now you know how to hone it!

Any advice for trying to make things you learn stick? I feel like I've learned the same things over and over again and still miss them in game.

I find that verbalizing tends to help me remember chess ideas better. Activates more parts of your brain. Sometimes, this can mean giving a "name" to something - preferably a name that you've created yourself.

So, there's a certain part of the King-Knight-Bishop mate that I noticed gave me trouble. Eventually, I found the solution - moving my bishop 3 times to burn a tempo. So I called that idea the "Bishop Burn" - and now I remember the phrase whenever I encounter that particular pattern (which is rare, but still memorable to me).

My point is, if there's an idea you've learned and you're not noticing it, maybe you haven't made it memorable enough. Giving it a name might help with that.

It'd be great for something you've learned to pop up in a game, and you can finally say, "Ah-hah! There's that Broken Swing" - or whatever you come up with.

Ah, yes I forgot that we had played. You're a fighter! Those were some good games.