How do YOU study chess?

I refuse to use a small chess board and set.  When I study I use my tournament set.  It is easy on the eyes and I gives me the exact perspective I will have in an actual game.

Tell me about golf! Hint: I own a golf car and it's in my garage.

The comment about not using eye-squinting small chess sets...

I've got more chess sets than I need (who doesn't?). The only problem with my tournament-sized or my marble-heavy duty set is that it is hard to use while "sitting on the throne"...or travelling.

Waitng in the doctor or dentist office? Ah...I love my smartphone. I can play against several chess engines on it or come here to chess.com and do whatever I need/want to do.

Squinting? Don't make me laugh. I have 67 year old eyeballs and have had cataract surgery. I can see the chessboards with crystal clarity...in the day or in the night.

Sweet!!!

Good point, Chess Strategist! There is absolutely no substitute for face to face play. In fact, textbook theory usually takes unexpected turns and twists when applied in the real world. How many times have we all taken some great tactical play from a chess book, applied it to a real game, only to have it blow up in our faces? I've had it happen more than I'd like to mention! Because of my job, I play a large number of games every day so I get my fill of human interaction. My wife plays strongly as well, so we have a mandatory two games before sitting down to dinner. I also play my computer as well. There is a difference between playing a person and playing a computer!

 One of the problems with playing against a computer is that you'll start developing a style that is geared towards defending against the computer's style. Humans and computers play differently and you can get into a little trouble here. Computers tend to use tactics rather than long term strategy. A computer bases its moves on a finite set of criteria that can lead to a very mechanical game. Humans tend to play outside of this mechanical box. This means there are two very different ways of approaching the same game. Use the wrong approach and you'll take a pounding.

Of course,programs, such as Fritz, have fine tuned this issue and created a way in which to make the software behave more like a human player (you can even make the program mutter and complain during the game). However, human versus human is still the best way to go. In short, there is no substitute for playing other people. You can also consider the pyschological aspects as well.

i study chess by watching video's on this site, 8 tins of stella, 20 cigs, and i'm set for the night.

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playing on this site is the only way i can find someone to play with. you're way sounds way more fun

I started with Chessmaster 2100 in 1989, so I'm not the old hand with the program. I am not the slightest bit surprised about problems with UbiSoft--they are profit motivated gamers, not chess professionals. Some users may find the "new" Chessmaster interface introduced in CMX (tenth edition) an improvement over that employed in 3000-9000. I don't. The old interface was more friendly toward chess players. Nevertheless, the guts--the program features--have remained essentially identical for more than a decade, but with the edition of a couple more training modules. If you buy Chessmaster on disk, then download the necessary updates, you will have a tolerable training program. If you want serious training, you are far better off with some--any--version of Fritz. If your rating is under 1400, the chances are very good that Chessmaster's training modules contain lessons that you need.

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I'm sorry to hear about your problems - I highly recommend Steam for any gaming purchases, and I bought CM through them.  I've installed on multiple machines via Steam with absolutely no problems at all.  I can't recommend it enough.  Yes, you will have to set up a Steam account and yes, the Steam client is another layer, but you don't have to use it to play your game.  The benefit is being able to download your purchases wherever and whenever you want, as many times as you want!

Thanks. Looks OK. But, I don't want to be a "subscriber". I think I'll pass, for now.

Regarding computer software and study, I started with Chessmaster Grandmaster Edition. If you know nothing about chess, which was me, then this is an excellent product. The reason is because of the Josh Waitzkin's tutorials. It was my introduction to opening principles and the other basics that a beginner needs to know.

I now use Fritz 12, a ChessBase product. This program can be tweaked in so many ways to fit your playing style and strength. I also use their database and a few of the Fritz trainer DVD's.

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Dude, any method of studying is great if you've got cheesecake, (not to mention the chocolate chips!)

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Oh man...now don't start the cheesecake thing...ya know...the chocolate chip cheesecake thing...um wait...I started it way back on post #1. Gotta find my son the chef!

Yeah, cheescake is better than a bologna sandwich on stale bread. You know, I grew up in NYC...best cheesecake ANYWHERE.

Yeah Fritz. I've got several other great chess engines, including Rybka. I have yet to see as complete and elegant a package as CM11. Selection of chessboards/pieces, hints available, rated or non rated play, features/functions/benefits...just can't be beaten.

Also, you can play against the greats, such as Bobby. The engine allows play up to 2,900+ (so they say). I know..I know...it is ranked 9th. I still like it "a whole bunch".

Damn, that cheesecake smells good. Maybe a glass of buttermilk along with it...

Forget what I said about 9th. I recall seeing that somewhere. (Actually, I think the rating was of chess players and Bobby Fischer was rated 9th, of all time.)

Now here is a rating of chess engines...and I knew they have Rybka as numero uno.

http://www.computerchess.org.uk/ccrl/4040/

CM11 is a mere 34. But, you see, the engine is good to 2824. Considering all the bells and whistles, I think it's well worth the $19.95.

Hold the cheesecake...I'll take a glass of J&B Scotch on the rocks and a Rocky Patel maduro cigar with my chess play.

I don't know if this answers the OP's question or not but besides doing puzzles and tactics trainers, I study my losses in Houdini and for all the moves I make mistakes on, I look at what is the best recommended move and analyze exactly what that move accomplishes (i.e. develops, contests, defends my pawn, etc) and leave that as a comment after the move that I actually did.  I also try to remember my thought process during that mistake in an attempt to rid myself of errors.  Then a different day I come back and see if I can make the right moves in that situation.  I think it can be very helpful to see what the engines recommend as the best move and knowing that, trying to analyze what makes it the most solid move.

 

Also a thing I like to do for practice is to find a game I won, find the first few moves where my advantage was pronounced, and let Houdini take over for the opposition.  I feel this helps a lot as well because I can't coast through the rest of the game like I would against most players who got themselves into that position.

Just a question:

I'm a relatively weak player in chess, and I have never learned from a book. I just got my first book "The Art of Attack in Chess" by Vladimir Vukovic. What other book(s) should I get to enhance my learning in chess?

I keep a journal of my training, goals, and progress. Along the way, my journal, because it is public, offers a few tidbits related to comments in this thread. In my 42 entries tagged "resources for improvement" there are comments regarding the strengths and weaknesses of Fritz and Chessmaster, discussions of books that help and specific features and positions in those books, comments regarding tactics training on this site, and much more. http://chessskill.blogspot.com/search/label/resources%20for%20improvement

Nice site. Well done!

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It's also a great place to visit to find many other cool chess sites.

Regarding your latest blog entry, French Advance with 5.f4. A good read for fans of the French Defense. Well done.

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My latest entry, posted in the past hour, discusses the research element in correspondence chess. It presents a game played from early 1997 to late 1998 in which I applied successfully ideas derived from one specific game in Chess Informant that I spent many hours studying.

I picked out my favorite players and just studied their games.  Before that I played various play styles to find what I prefer.  Then I picked a few GMs whose play style I could benefit from and just study their games and I read some of IM Jeremy Silman's books to help reinforce my playing ability.  The 3 main players I study are of course Fischer, Alekhine, and Botvinnik.  I study Fischer for his aggresiveness.  Alekhine for his slick defensive play and innovative attacks.  Botvinnik for his "system".  So far it's worked for me atleast for the recreational play I do.

Since I'm in the army I'm not around alot to be able to do tournaments.  So I just embarress officers who think they are awesome :D.  My dad encouraged me when I was young to study Fischer.  He always told me that I should learn from the very best. So thats how I put together my training, in short.

I also listen to music that inspires my creativity.  Tool gets my creativity flowing, I think it's how intricite the vocals and the instruments work together that allows me to "let go" and be in the moment.

I also use the chessmaster program since it has a huge database of GM games on it.  That allows me to go through and study/analyze their games.  Not just the games they won but the ones they lose too.

I also teach a little bit to the soldiers that I am deployed with.  I saw on a post on here where a teacher said that doing that has aided in his improvment.  It has for me.  Being able to play a game with someone then study the game with them even if they aren't up to the level you are.  Explaining the position and what the aim is for both sides and so on.  I find it to be very useful.