My 6 Month Improvement Plan: Version 2
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stassneyking wrote:
... You probably haven't even read it.
Just noting what some others have said.
you can do it 
Dec 21, 2017
0
#25
stassneyking wrote:
I think you might be better off doing tactics without the theme. In an actual game you don't know exactly what to look for so why should you with tactics? 20 of those, some play, and 30 minutes to an hour of study per day should be enough to make some real progress.
I get exactly what you're saying but I received contrasting advice in the last post so I'm not sure who to believe. I could maybe do themed tactics for a couple months or so to get them drilled in and then move on to mixed sets to apply that knowledge to game-like situations.
Dec 21, 2017
0
#26
stassneyking wrote:
Also, I think one book at a time is better. Really get into what you are reading and apply it to your games. Read My System by Nimzowitsch and Lasker's Manual if you want to improve your positional play.
I am reading one book at a time. Also, I have briefly glimpsed through My System before and it seems too advanced right now.
toucanchess wrote:
stassneyking wrote:
I think you might be better off doing tactics without the theme. In an actual game you don't know exactly what to look for so why should you with tactics? 20 of those, some play, and 30 minutes to an hour of study per day should be enough to make some real progress.
I get exactly what you're saying but I received contrasting advice in the last post so I'm not sure who to believe. I could maybe do themed tactics for a couple months or so to get them drilled in and then move on to mixed sets to apply that knowledge to game-like situations.
Do a combination of both. Solve tactics where the theme is already mentioned. Solve tactical problems without a theme. Harder tactical problems are for calculation training. Easier problems are for pattern recognition.
Dec 22, 2017
0
#28
Thing is, you'll always get different advice all the time. The key is to just start. You can try it one way, see if it suits you, and if it doesn't, try another way. There is no "formal" way to learn chess, you can focus on what you need, and do it the way you find works for you. Don't forget that you're doing this because, I assume, you enjoy chess. Make sure you don't drum away the enthusiasm by getting bogged down with the smallest details of a schedule or the exact number of pages you need to study.
It's about quality of training, highly focused sessions, rather than the time you spend doing it.
@kindaspongey Nimzowitsch could beat Nigel Short. The guy is kind of a clown if you ask me. My System is one of the best books around but I don't expect someone like you to understand that. You probably haven't even read it.