Rapid Chess Improvement
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Mar 31, 2008
0
#22
Let me agree with kponds: those Errant Knight blogs are a lot of fun to read!
Jan 22, 2017
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#23
The plan can definitely help you get stronger. My son used a simplified version of the de la Maza method to get from 1000 to 1900 in about a year. He drilled with Susan Polgar's _Chess Tactics for Champions_ and then CT-Art 4.0, though more like 4 circles rather than 7 circles. We emphasized visualization, pattern recognition, and calculation in his training though we didn't do all the stuff de la Maza recommends nor spend as many hours a day on the exercises as he recommends.
"... not all advice is appropriate for everyone, or in every situation. ..." - FM Amatzia Avni (2007)
Jan 23, 2017
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#26
The outlined plan is hard work. Of course, the amount and rate of improvement will vary from player to player.
Jan 23, 2017
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#27
Check out chess preditor at http://www.chesstactics.org/
Great collection of tactics puzzles with loads of commentary to help you. This is a really great site and it is free.
Oops, I posted the wrong clipboard link.
Sorry, that wasn't meant as a jab at the de la Maza method or anything. It's a shame that he wasn't enjoying chess.
I don't think I'm qualified to speak about training theory (I've been playing for 2 months) but I think the circles method is pretty cool. It's a dead simple way to get guaranteed tactical acumen, and thus rating points. Yes, you need positional intuition in order to be a well rounded player, but doing the circles doesn't preclude you from also studying positional chess. So, I don't see what the harm is.
And the blogs are really cool. I check you guys's blogs almost every day. I thought about starting one of my own, although I doubt I'll be doing the circles just yet.