Best way to improve game

Hi all,

As a beginner, I have chosen to improve my game through playing in tournaments, play against higher-rated players, and generally just a lot of chess.

I'm wondering if this is actually the way to improve.  I don't enjoy the book study as much, but I've been told that going ove GM games in detail, reading the annotations and finding out why they move where they did will indeed improve my game.

Also, do you think blitz helps improve your overall game?  I enjoy it, but I haven't seen it help me much in tournaments.

I am open to thoughts and suggestions.  

Cindy 

Playing in tournaments is definitely very helpful to one's chess ability, especially if the time controls are slower, since that allows players to think moves out rather than playing off instincts.  Naturally, playing against higher-rated players is also highly recommended, since you can learn much from them (especially if you lose; in fact, I'd say that losing is part of the formula for winning).

You asked if that was the way to improve, and the truth is that it should be PART of your improvement plan.  Generally, book study is not as efficient as playing OTB games, with a few exceptions.  If you don't like studying books, I recommend that you at least try the following: Get a good tactics book (Bain's Chess Tactics for Students is highly praised by many and is ideal for beginners and intermediates alike although several other tactic books also fit the bill). Spend 5-10 minutes every night doing the tactical puzzles. When you finish the book, go through it again and again until you can solve them in seconds. Then move on to the next tactics book. Tactics are all-important in amateur play; often times, the winner is the one who is more tactically-informed.

Going over GM games in detail is also highly recommended by many people and it does have its merits. However, if you can't spend the time to sit down and go through a whole game wholeheartedly, it's probably better not to bother with it at all.

Blitz. It's fun and quick, but it's not the greatest thing at improving overall game. In general, it improves opening play and tactical recognition, but since it completely ignores thinking and longterm positional factors, it can also be harmful to one's chess if played too much. Play blitz in moderation (I like to think of it like red wine: good for you, but don't drink too much!).

I hope I helped.

If you don't enjoy book study that much,  beg/plead/annoy/harass each stronger player you played and ask them to critique your game. Better yet, get a "significantly" stronger player to go over your losses and tell you what you keep doing wrong.  A good coach will get a good "read" on you after reviewing your recent games and will be able to write you the best prescription your chess needs!

The way I look at it, getting better is either cleaning up your game (mistakes, had habits etc.) or adding new stuff to your chess noggin.    A combination of both is ideal but just eradicating bad "chess habits/behaviors"  is 400+ points worth of rating jump at the early levels.

Going over annotated games really helps ... but then again, you have to absorb things at the surface to begin with ... do not get sucked into a vortex of side-variations unless you cover the main game first.

Blitz helps if done right.  3 things that "augment" one's blitz experience is:

i) Practicing/discovering new openings

ii) Going over missed tactics at the end of the game (using an engine)

iii) If you plan on playing OTB tournaments in the US, playing with a 5-second delay is a must ... so blitzing with a 3-5 or a 5-5 time control helps you train to use those precious 5 seconds in time-crunch situations.

What's your real USCF rating? (BTW, I'm also going to the Irvine CA tournament :)). If you're about 1200 (like your chess.com rating), I wouldn't recommend studying from books. When I was 1200, I improved by playing in a lot of tournaments and having chess friends who were higher-rated and eager to teach me. Of course, hiring a chess coach would help too.

Thank you guys for the advice.  I do like the idea of going over a tactics book twice.  And I also like the idea of having a much higher-rated player go over my games and point out the mistakes or bad habit, even though it will be embarrassing to some degree.  (I need to get over that, yes).

My USCF rating is below 1200, in fact I played in that section, but I think I'm a bit under-rated since I was sick during the tourney, had a buy and a no-show opponent resulting in a forfeit.  My score was 2.5 and I played 5 games, but it's still a provisional rating.

At the US Open I will actually be one of the lowest rated players in the tournament!  How's that for ouch.  But I have some strange desire that drives me to compete, so I will still go and get trounced.  It's an open tourney, so they do swiss pairing and my first game is against someone rated 1900 or something WAAAY above me.  Maybe by the end of it I'll be playing someone close to my skil level. I think it's 9 games in 9 days.

Well, thanks for taking the time to reply to this thread, I appreciate all the good advice!

Cindy

The best help one can give oneself is playing a lot of games and going over them and finding where you went wrong. and trying to improve this way because I have found that no one plays the moves that the book talks about.

So true Bills.  I have been playing a lot of games, and starting to recognize certain patterns and combos that I didn't used to see.  I seem to learn most from the games I lose, although it's certainly more fun to win!  :)  Thanks for the input.  Cin