I just don't
How do YOU study chess?
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When I learned chess there were no computers. In fact, in the early fifties...we didn't even have TV yet.
So...books...books...books...and a small, pocketable (magnetic or peg) chess set was the order of the day.
Now? Although I am a book reader extraordinaire...computer, computer, computer. This includes my smartphone. I can play chess anytime, anywhere with infinitely more choices, elegance, depth, skill levels, etc., than ever before.
Once I taught, too. I won't grade you, either. But you are welcome to your books and yuppie yummies. Not for me. These days I prefer light bulbs, as opposed to candle light...for much of the same reasons that I prefer the computer technology over books.
And, when I do read a book...if I have a choice (I do have some chess books that are more than 40 years old that I still treasure), I prefer to use my Sony eBook Reader (why students carry backpacks when a library of books can be contained in an ebook reader...is simply Neanderthalic!).
But...these are just my opinions. I am not stating universal "truths". You asked. Enjoy your books and cookies.
Mar 23, 2011
0
#4
I play games on my iPad, read chess books on the same. I work with software--ChessBase, several engines, Chess Informant Expert--on my notebook and desktop. I read printed books with a chessboard set up on the table. I don't believe in either/or. All of the above is the only answer that I'll submit for (non)grading.
I study endgames constantly, tactics most days, and openings as I see a need, often while playing on this site.
I make flashcards and use them to study tactics and to teach kids. I have the Kindle edition of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual on my iPad, and all 50 of the blue diagrams from chapter one on cards that I shuffle and select to solve in Cafes and with chess students at several levels. I aim to be able to solve every diagram on these cards in less than five seconds, then I will move on to the problems in Nunn's Chess Endings and do the same.
I started by playing a lot against the computer but stopped improving, so after a while buying chess books that didn't get used, I came up with a little training programme. Having learnt the rules a year or so ago there's a big gap in my chess ability from not building up gradually over childhood like a lot of players for whom chess is second nature (I'm in my late 20s) so I've gone back to basics to remedy that.
Josh Waitzkin said spending his first couple of years of training focusing on endgames was crucial to his learning, as once piece movement and coordination is really engrained you can add layers of complexity to your subconscious more easily (he was a NM at 13 so I won't argue). Now I do endgame study over the board, slowly, until it sinks in properly, then test endgame positions from books ad nauseam and 2 move mates from Polgar's big book. Also the odd chess maze (which are strangely enjoyable) to help with board vision and playing through classic games (again slowly until I can recall the game in the mind's eye, sticking to Morphy at first). I'm keen to get a good handle on simple things before gradually building up over the years, so endgame --> tactics --> strategy --> openings is roughly my priority. It's early days though so who knows if I'll stick to it... (oh yeah, and no more blitz!).
I noticed on other posts you've thought a lot about training, have you read Waitzkin's the Art of Learning?
PS Ziryab - your flashcards of Dvoretsky sound like a good idea
Ziryab wrote:
I play games on my iPad, read chess books on the same. I work with software--ChessBase, several engines, Chess Informant Expert--on my notebook and desktop. I read printed books with a chessboard set up on the table. I don't believe in either/or. All of the above is the only answer that I'll submit for (non)grading. I study endgames constantly, tactics most days, and openings as I see a need, often while playing on this site. I make flashcards and use them to study tactics and to teach kids. I have the Kindle edition of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual on my iPad, and all 50 of the blue diagrams from chapter one on cards that I shuffle and select to solve in Cafes and with chess students at several levels. I aim to be able to solve every diagram on these cards in less than five seconds, then I will move on to the problems in Nunn's Chess Endings and do the same.
Red does not stand for the F seen on graded assignments. ;)
I prefer my Kindle over paperback. Owning Kindle editions of the chess books that I actually read would be ideal, but only a few are in that format currently, like Elements of Positional Evaluation by Dan Heisman. I just downloaded a sample of this book while typing. It's pretty amazing. The Kindle finds Amazon wirelessly through Whispernet. It's also dangerous on the pocketbook, since purchasing and downloading takes about 5 seconds.
No need to spend 4 bucks a gallon on gas to drive to Barnes and Nobles, a store which is fighting for financial survival with the Nook. In facing stiff competition from Amazon and Wal-Mart, Borders bookstore filed for chapter 11 bankrupty in Feb. of 2011.
Yep. I'll stop buying chess books in paperback. I already have plenty to read.
A side note - Pdf files can be converted to Kindle. I have a pdf copy of this outstanding work by James Stripes titled Checklist of Checkmates with Exercises. It's going on my Kindle. 
Mar 23, 2011
0
#7
Tactics Trainer (as much as possible), games against Fritz, analysis of my OTB games with a coach, positional lessons with the same coach. I am starting to do computer-based endgame studies (now that I actually sometimes reach an endgame!). I much prefer computer-based study to book-based (and I am almost 40 so I remember a time before computers 
)
I would add the "time" factor...
In many ways, I am nostalgic for the old days. Sheesh...the slower pace...the infinite (seemingly) amount of time to leasurely read books (not only chess books but tomes like "Atlas Shrugged" or "Gone With The Wind")...
I have grandkids who are hyperactive with their Nintendo games...most of it action games...or jumping around playing faux tennis... Sit and read a book? Hah! Sit and play chess? Hah...hah...hah!
I'm a product of the old school. YET, I too find so many alternative and fascinating and time effective ways to whittle away what few years I have left (Bobby...born the same year as me, is already dust)...that I don't want to piss it away on the inefficiencies of outdated methods.
No...I'm not interested in the Wii stuff. But, I've probably owned about 30 computers since 1980...back when virtually no one yet had a computer...that I find all sorts of things to do with them, business and personal, including action games and chess.
Time...takes a relatively loooong amount of time to wade though many books. Inefficient in this era.
Yeah...I'm still an avid book reader. But very selective...just don't want to "plod away the hours".
Besides, as just one example, with a good chess engine I can play against a GM (make that a "virtual" GM, to be more precise). With books, I can read how a GM played various games...but I haven't figured out how to "get in the loop".
I'm actually a chess teacher (its a full time job for me now) and I have a pretty decent study program for myself. I play at least 10 to 15 games a day because it allows you to take textbook theory and apply it to the real world. I use Fritz 12, Chessbase 11 and Foxy videos. I read chess books and watch videos. While watching/reading I have a chessboard out to work on the positions. I put about six hours a day into chess. Truth be told, teaching chess brought about a huge increase in my skills. Having to explain your moves to someone really helps. Of course, I've done my best work while watching Bevis and Butthead.
Funny how I stumbled upon this topic. I was just discussing this with a couple of friends. I'm old school, also, so, I don't use all of the technology that is available. Hell, I don't use any, I just play! Some of these comments will certainly help when I feel the need to research. I thank you.
My friends on this site were telling me they were suprised at how my rating had risen so quickly-without normal study. One even offered a couple of books that he thought would really interest me. I explained to him, as I'm writing to all now, that I simply love to PLAY chess. Of course everyone wants to win, but check out this scenario. I recently played in a tourney where I was the 2nd lowest rated. There were multiple players above 1800. I quickly lost the first 15 games. I finished 10th out of 12, but, here's the kicker. Playing the higher rated players helped me learn, and after that, I went on a winning streak. Just seeing how they used their pieces helped me, even while losing. I am writing this because I see your rating (Musikamole), and we are both (seemingly) in the same boat. So, my suggestion would be to play in at least one tournament where you are one of the lowest rated players-don't worry about losses.
I have had players tell me I'm using a certain opening or defense, and, while I know what they're talking about now, at the time I had no idea. I have told some that my "learned" moves are from playing so many games here! I don't know any of the names! I just started playing again after 20 years off, so, in a way, my brain, as far as chess is concerned, atrophied!
I also must state that I am slightly averse to all scripted openings and defenses. If one learns so many, he or she could simply play while reading the newspaper, taking all thought out of the process, and, isn't that what chess is about? Rote memorization seems, in my view, to take the fun out of playing the game.
I'm really hoping I don't fail this course!
NickYoung5 wrote:
Tactics Trainer (as much as possible), games against Fritz, analysis of my OTB games with a coach, positional lessons with the same coach. I am starting to do computer-based endgame studies (now that I actually sometimes reach an endgame!). I much prefer computer-based study to book-based (and I am almost 40 so I remember a time before computers )
I spent part of my life in what was to become the heart of the computer revolution - Silicon Valley. It's in Santa Clara County, California - where Bill Gates and Steve Jobs started out as kids messing with this idea of personal computers.
I'm 51, so I remember quite clearly during my senior year in high school (1977), a teacher showing us how to punch holes in cards to feed into a machine. He was very excited about the whole thing and I thought it was stupid - causing a machine to do something like make a dot go from one end of the tv to the other.
When I came home from college in 1982, my father was very excited about his Apple computer and dual floppy drives. It was all the rage in San Jose, Silicon Valley and IBM. My dad explained to me that with two floppy drives, one could run the MS-DOS while the other could run the application. No more swapping floppies back and forth using the old 5 1/4 inch floppy disks.
I just purchased a 1 Terabyte external hard drive. That's 1000 Gigabytes or, 1 million high density 3.5 inch floppy disks. In the 80's, I remember backing up my data on those floppy disks.
What kind of computer will my youngest daughter have in 10 years when she is in college? What comes after a terabyte?
orust wrote:
I noticed on other posts you've thought a lot about training, have you read Waitzkin's the Art of Learning?
Chessmaster was my first chess program and, Josh Waitzkin had a big influence on my early understanding of chess. The Art of Learning is part of the chess program, as well as his talk about the importance of endgame study and opening principles, not opening theory. I still open chessmaster from time to time just to hear Josh cover the basics. With his energetic voice along with the highlighted chess pieces and squares - it's a powerful presentation.
TMIMITW wrote:
Funny how I stumbled upon this topic. I was just discussing this with a couple of friends. I'm old school, also, so, I don't use all of the technology that is available. Hell, I don't use any, I just play! Some of these comments will certainly help when I feel the need to research. I thank you.
I am writing this because I see your rating (Musikamole), and we are both (seemingly) in the same boat. So, my suggestion would be to play in at least one tournament where you are one of the lowest rated players-don't worry about losses.
I'm really hoping I don't fail this course!Fail this course? Well, I did say that no one is getting a grade, but the topic is about how YOU study chess.
You play chess, but don't study chess. Hmm...what grade should I give? ;)
Well, you obviously are learning by playing stronger opponents and, no one will argue against the merits of this approach, i.e., learning from your mistakes, going over your games (post mortem) and eliminating those mistakes.
I have only one suggestion. Find a site that offers tactics training. This one or the many other ones out there. It's made me a much stronger player and, it's just plain fun. I like solving puzzles and the game of chess is one very big puzzle that no one has solved.
Musikamole wrote:
TMIMITW wrote:
Funny how I stumbled upon this topic. I was just discussing this with a couple of friends. I'm old school, also, so, I don't use all of the technology that is available. Hell, I don't use any, I just play! Some of these comments will certainly help when I feel the need to research. I thank you.
I am writing this because I see your rating (Musikamole), and we are both (seemingly) in the same boat. So, my suggestion would be to play in at least one tournament where you are one of the lowest rated players-don't worry about losses.
I'm really hoping I don't fail this course!Fail this course? Well, I did say that no one is getting a grade, but the topic is about how YOU study chess.
You play chess, but don't study chess. Hmm...what grade should I give? ;)
Well, you obviously are learning by playing stronger opponents and, no one will argue against the merits of this approach, i.e., learning from your mistakes, going over your games (post mortem) and eliminating those mistakes.
I have only one suggestion. Find a site that offers tactics training. This one or the many other ones out there. It's made me a much stronger player and, it's just plain fun. I like solving puzzles and the game of chess is one very big puzzle that no one has solved.
As I wrote, I prefer to play. This site offers tactics training, and I welcome your comments. I only wanted to offer a different opinion-that being-PLAY! Especially against those rated higher than you.
My "I hope I don't fail this course" may have been taken out of context. I thought it might give you a laugh.
You may have interpreted this correctly-I think you did. Playing against stronger competition will only help in the long run. My "study" is what I see (have seen) on the board. I must also admit that I have too many other interests (including golf-and we all know how addictive that can be) that would allow me so much time studying chess. I hope you understand.
Cheers. I hope this thread helps :). I will be writing down some of the thoughtful comments that have been previous, because they may help in the future if I become stuck.
i just copy off the person next to me :)
When I first started playing, I didn't have the skill set to seriously study games. In the lectures I give my students, I present a game that I've studied and extensive analysis to the class. We look at topics such as how the opneing principles were applied or the use of basic tactics. I think you can learn a great deal studying games. Chessmaster's Grandmaster edition has the art of learning section within the Josh Waitzkin course. This is a good way to study games.
The other thing to consider is a well rounded approach to study. Everything I teach my students is similar to the topics and technique I used in my own studies. To be a well rounded player, you have to study the opening, middle and end games. You cannot be good at one and satisfactory at the others.
With openings, I pick an opening each month and study it with books and video. I also work with a chess coach to improve my game. Computers have made the study of chess amazing, but at heart I'm old school: Give me a plastic tournament set and few well worn chess books and I'm happy. Let me know if you need any PDF books. I have about 1700 chess books in PDF format and will email you stuff if you're interested. I have to say, your forum posts are always good topics!
After some cogitation, I have a few additional comments...
Chessmaster came up. I've always liked that program. Bought the original back in 1986, Chessmaster 2000. I used to beat these early programs...not anymore.
Anyway, I bought and downloaded Chessmaster 11, Grandmaster Edition a little over a year ago from Ubisoft (ubi.com). Not long ago, my computer crashed...had to re-format and reinstall all my programs. Except CM11. Ubisoft stonewalls me and won't allow me to re-download. I searched around the internet and many others have similar complaints about Ubisoft.
I also bought and downloaded for my wife. I refuse to buy the same program three times. And, in the stores, I only find Chess Master 10 (Best Buy carries it). CM11 is several years old...CM10 is even older. When (ever???) will there be a CM12?
Anyway, many of us know that there are better chess engines. I have, for example, Ryobi and several other engines. Yet...the GUI and the overall features of CM11 are excellent...I miss it. I can still play it on my wife's computer but that is an inconvenience.
What I am saying is that I would NEVER download from Ubisoft.com again. In one experience, the program didn't download right after I paid for it. They would not allow me to re-download, and I had to phone my credit card company to block payment.
I would buy CM11 in a store, if I could find it. Nowadays, I am generally content to get a download...NOT, though, with these dolts. Amen
Another comment...
I hear a lot about chess play but rarely much about the human interaction.
To me, chess is 50% analytical thinking and 50% human interaction (just using those percentages arbitrarily...maybe it's 60/40, 40/60, 70/30...I don't know or care...I hope you get the gist of what I'm saying).
Now, a quick look at my chess rating here shows 1200. That somewhat irritates me because 1200 is a "given"...as a starting point of reference...by Chess.com. In someways...fair enough. One can play and go up or down.
Me? I wish they would give me the option to say "Unrated". Why? Because I only play OTB. I will play against a computer...and do so, daily, tactic trainer and chess engine here and elsewhere.
Playing against a computer yields training, sharpening my analytical skills, etc. Yet...it is somewhat hollow without the human interaction. Sitting across the board with a human...and all the body language, facial expressions, personality traits.
Don't you find it interesting when you see your opponent twitching when you are winning? Don't you feel your heart racing when you are losing? Haven't you relished when you take your opponent's queen...they weren't expecting that and their eyeballs are popping, face aghast with horror? Have you ever played anyone whom you've checkmated and they scream at you that you cheated and they throw the chessboard, with all its pieces, up in the air (see my bio)?
Now...that is a major part of chess to me!!!
Besides...if I play someone, faceless, cyber chess style...I not only lose the human interest, but I have no way of knowing if they are getting an assist from another human or a chess engine.
Naw...not for me. If I was a kid again, I would. I'm not at all condemning it. It's not easy to find OTB games where I live. Still...I don't just play mechanical chess. I want to indulge all five of the senses in the battle.
But...these are just my views. What would I know? I'm just a lowly, lowly 1200 bagger. Arf!
TMIMITW wrote:
Musikamole wrote:
TMIMITW wrote:
Funny how I stumbled upon this topic. I was just discussing this with a couple of friends. I'm old school, also, so, I don't use all of the technology that is available. Hell, I don't use any, I just play! Some of these comments will certainly help when I feel the need to research. I thank you.
I am writing this because I see your rating (Musikamole), and we are both (seemingly) in the same boat. So, my suggestion would be to play in at least one tournament where you are one of the lowest rated players-don't worry about losses.
I'm really hoping I don't fail this course!Fail this course? Well, I did say that no one is getting a grade, but the topic is about how YOU study chess.
You play chess, but don't study chess. Hmm...what grade should I give? ;)
Well, you obviously are learning by playing stronger opponents and, no one will argue against the merits of this approach, i.e., learning from your mistakes, going over your games (post mortem) and eliminating those mistakes.
I have only one suggestion. Find a site that offers tactics training. This one or the many other ones out there. It's made me a much stronger player and, it's just plain fun. I like solving puzzles and the game of chess is one very big puzzle that no one has solved.
As I wrote, I prefer to play. This site offers tactics training, and I welcome your comments. I only wanted to offer a different opinion-that being-PLAY! Especially against those rated higher than you.
My "I hope I don't fail this course" may have been taken out of context.
1. I thought it might give you a laugh.
You may have interpreted this correctly-I think you did. Playing against stronger competition will only help in the long run. My "study" is what I see (have seen) on the board.
2. I must also admit that I have too many other interests (including golf-and we all know how addictive that can be) that would allow me so much time studying chess. I hope you understand.
Cheers. I hope this thread helps :). I will be writing down some of the thoughtful comments that have been previous, because they may help in the future if I become stuck.
1. It did. Thanks.
2. I've switched to a green highlighter because the word golf and the color red just don't match. I fully understand, as I was addicted to golf far worse than I am currently addicted to chess. It was really bad. I hit golf balls not only on the course, but everywhere, practicing flop shots in the house, hitting golf balls onto the bed. Yep. I had it real bad.
ChessStrategist wrote:
Another comment...
I hear a lot about chess play but rarely much about the human interaction...
...Don't you find it interesting when you see your opponent twitching when you are winning? Don't you feel your heart racing when you are losing? Haven't you relished when you take your opponent's queen...they weren't expecting that and their eyeballs are popping, face aghast with horror? Have you ever played anyone whom you've checkmated and they scream at you that you cheated and they throw the chessboard, with all its pieces, up in the air (see my bio)?Now...that is a major part of chess to me!!!
Nothing beats OTB...nothing.
Being a public school elementary band and orchestra teacher, I have the good fortune of getting in a OTB game, two, three, or more...on a daily basis. It's great fun to see the reactions of my students when I surprise them with a clever move, or better yet, when I completely miss something and they checkmate Mr. Heflin! It gives them quite a thrill.
Even though I am a teacher, your post will not be graded. There is no correct answer. I'll start.
The glow of a computer monitor makes my eyes burn over time, so I prefer chess books and a small chess board along with something to nibble on. A piece of chocolate chip cheescake and a cup of Duncin' Dohnut's coffee sounds perfect.
So, how do YOU study chess?