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Mastery IN Chess

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syafiqazizi

I want to ask you guys..Is it possible to be strong at chess like a player with an elo rating 1700above. My current level maybe like 1350-1450(Beginner). How do I get strong in chess in a short amount of time(5months). 

2200ismygoal

I think it is realistic t go from 1400 to 1700 in 5 months, if you seriously want to do it, put down all your opening books and positional books and do nothing but study tactics for the next 5 months.

transpo

Tactics exercises are only one of the ways that to increase your rating.

The other is to build an opening tree.  Actually nowadays it is the computer that builds the opening tree for you.  Once you become proficient in 6 openings (3 as White and 3 as Black) you will have built the "Brick Wall".  It is called the "Brick Wall", because that is what it feels like to anyone rated 1900 or below.

Before computers it was necessary to build the opening tree by hand.  It took 8 to 10 years to become proficient at 6 openings.  Nowadays with computers building the opening tree for you it only takes 2 to 3 years to become proficient at 6 openings.

There is a system on the internet called Bookup that will systematically help you become proficient.

transpo

The third thing you need to study is endgames, especially Rook and pawn endgames.  You will have to know things like the Lucena position and Phillidor's position by heart.  Also, you should know the basic checkmates (K+Q v K, K+R v K, K+2B v K, K+B+N v K). 

You will learn concepts like the opposition, the distant opposition, triangulation, and zugswang.  These are just a few of the concepts that together are called endgame technique.  Today alot of these endgames are frozen in silicon, it is called the Nalimov endgame tablebases.