Hello Sir :)
In my opinion, you ought to save your money on go on youtube.
Go onto chessnetwork's channel and you should find plenty on useful videos. He is very good at explaining concepts to beginner-level players. I'm hope this helps. All the best.
-The KK
thanks KK. I'll give it try.
The youtube-channel STLChessClub has a lot of free lectures.
The channel of Igor Smirnov is also full of helpfull tips.
I suggest you buy chess books that you can use in your life time. Buy Chess Tactics for Champion by Polgar, Endgame Course by Silman and Winning Chess Strategy by Seirawan, these are only the 3 books you need at the moment, and you can reach above 1200, provided you study these books.
Things like buying books and DVD's may seem appealing, but quality stuff can be found on the internet as well, not to mention I personally never get around to reading any chess book I have. Try to find a real-life tournament near you. Those can really boost willpower and skill. And just keep playing! Oh and watching videos on youtube is great too, as the above comments suggested.
--AuraLancer
You should go to a chess club not only will that help you with your chess but you will also enjoy socializing while playing.
Things like buying books and DVD's may seem appealing, but quality stuff can be found on the internet as well, not to mention I personally never get around to reading any chess book I have. Try to find a real-life tournament near you. Those can really boost willpower and skill. And just keep playing! Oh and watching videos on youtube is great too, as the above comments suggested.
--AuraLancer
I know this is off topic, but you don't have to sign your posts all the time. We can see your name already to identify you, plus your avatar and country...
On topic: There really isn't a way to make significant progress if you are not willing to put in the time and effort, sorry.
Things like buying books and DVD's may seem appealing, but quality stuff can be found on the internet as well, not to mention I personally never get around to reading any chess book I have. Try to find a real-life tournament near you. Those can really boost willpower and skill. And just keep playing! Oh and watching videos on youtube is great too, as the above comments suggested.
--AuraLancer
I know this is off topic, but you don't have to sign your posts all the time. We can see your name already to identify you, plus your avatar and country...
On topic: There really isn't a way to make significant progress if you are not willing to put in the time and effort, sorry.
hah. Now that I think about it, you're right. I'll cease the habit.
1.Find a friend or a chess buddy who is near your strenght or a little bit stronger than you.But not too strong or you will find yourself easily discouraged.
2.Play Standard Time control or Long games and enjoy it.Not blitz or bullet.They stunt chess growth
3.Study chess.There are lots of material in the internet.Analyze your games with an engine right after a game.
There is a lot of excellent free stuff on YouTube, as has been said.
I find it so much easier and faster to watch good videos than to read books, where I have to set up positions on a board in order to understand things.
For example, I have Nimzowitsch's book "My System" and there is a series of videos on it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLrNC9Rskww
Another thing is (if you are able to) upgrade your chess.com account to a premium membership. That will give you access to a large number of videos on this site and unlimited use of Tactics Trainer, which is very important.
Finally, play a lot of turn-based games (called "Online Chess" here).
Good luck!
I posted some advice in another thread for someone with a similar question:
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/where-to-start5
I posted some advice in another thread for someone with a similar question:
The emu has good advice. It's big and blue and a little creepy, but that flightless bird really knows how to prioritize a chess training schedual.
My advise would be not to purchase books or DVDs at first. Go back and look at your past games. Look at the moves over and over again and see why your moves were week and why your opponent capitalized on them.
Get Dan Heisman's book _Back to Basics: Tactics_, and/or the software "Chess Tactics for Beginners", or the Tactics Trainer on this site with the ratings max set to 1300. Just do problems for 10-30 minutes a day until you're sick of them or 6 months go by without a noticeable ratings increase.
There's diminishing returns to this approach (it doesn't seem to take the average player much past 1600 if that), but there's no way you won't get past 1200.
You should concentrate on tactics and basic endgame skills. Polgar's book on tactics is really good. If you have time try playing standard and long time games. It will help.
Fast food improvement... tactics tactics tactics. Guaranteed improvement.
i'm a senior approaching 60 & don't have the patience or time or dedication to study as one should. AND nowadays the amount of training aids is overwhelming. How does one chose? How does one start?
It really doesn't have to be overwhelming 1-2 hours a week is sufficent if you don't have much time to study. I recommend getting a tactics book with plenty of problems when you study chess tactics and combinations mentally play through the examples from the diagrams then play through them again this time very slowly on a chess board without the book this is an effective way of reinforcing what you learn and making it stick.
Don't try and take your tactics and combination medicine in very large doses or bite off more than you can chew Tal and Henkin say in their book 1000 checkmate combinations if you try and swallow them all like a hungry pelican it's only going to set your teeth on edge.
Suggested Books:
The Complete Chess Workout 2
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Chess-Workout-Another-Puzzles/dp/1857449851/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365623361&sr=1-1&keywords=the+complete+chess+workout+2
Learn Chess Tactics by John Nunn:
http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Chess-Tactics-John-Nunn/dp/1901983986/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365623409&sr=1-1&keywords=learn+chess+tactics
1001 Deadly Checkmates:
http://www.amazon.com/1001-Deadly-Checkmates-John-Nunn/dp/1906454256/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365623448&sr=1-1&keywords=1001+deadly+checkmates
Practice makes the player but again the rule of not biting more than you can chew applies here as well playing too many games can burn you out!
Guys I need advice. I've always been too busy to learn 'real' chess. So I hover around 1200. My training has been limited to playing lots of correspondence games until I get tired of losing & i retire for a year or two until the bug to play again awakens.
i'm a senior approaching 60 & don't have the patience or time or dedication to study as one should. AND nowadays the amount of training aids is overwhelming. How does one chose? How does one start?
Unless you have a better suggestion, I'd like to invest in 2 training DVDs. Ones of quality that'll help me in tactics, strategy. And the same for end-gaming.
There are so many its confusing. Anyone willing to venture a recommendation that I can absorb?