I don't know why this post didn't get any love. This is excellent Tal Spin!!
Step-by-Step Improvement
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Thanks, SeniorPatzer!
Actually looks like a great plan. Especially the board vision. People can play chess for decades and never be taught to do this. Add to that list, this:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/study-plan-directory
And you're done for years.
Great post, TalSpin
I'd imagine this being really helpful to a lot of people.
Beginners/class players are always asking questions here like "How do I improve?" or "How can I get better?" Here is a training strategy that I guarantee will bring you improvement and more enjoyment from the game we all love:
1. Tactics - the single most important aspect of the game for players rated below 1800. Simple one move tactics are often overlooked by novices, even as high ranked as 1600-1700. Beyond one move ideas are combinations. Study and solve tactical exercises to improve your combinative vision.
2. Board Vision - Ignored by many players, mostly those at beginner to intermediate level. Drill the geometry of the board, eg, knowing which squares and diagonals are what color without looking at a board. It will help you be able to see the board more clearly in your head which will, in turn, help with your ability to calculate and analyze.
3. Analysis - Analyze your own games and the games of masters, both old and modern. Do so WITHOUT the aid of an engine. Play guess-the-move when first going through a game by your choice of master. Try to anticipate moves for both sides and in the notes try to explain the reasoning for each move; this will help your positional play exponentially. When it comes to your own games, place special emphasis on your losses. Don't blame the loss on one bad move, find the flawed logic, the wrong plan you used, and figure out what you should have done instead.
4. Endgames - This is the most important phase of the game to study - for any player. Studying the endgame is truly studying chess. The roots of overall strategy flow from the endgame; the strategic seeds you plant in the opening and then the middlegame come to fruition in the endgame and unless you know how to convert an advantage, you'll often draw or lose in a winning position.
5. Opening Prep - It will take some time for you to really find those openings that fit with your style and personality. I still experiment frequently, though not in OTB tournaments anymore; by then I have the repertoire I'm going to use worked out. Have two systems as white and a primary defense as black to all of white's main options.
Fore example: as white, in serious play, I normally play e4 or d4 and on occasion I'll play the English. As black I play Sicilian Kan vs e4, Semi-Slav vs d4 or sometimes the Budapest for a surprise. Against c4 or irregular openings, I adopt a Semi-Slav style system that is built around what my opponent plays. I also occasionally use the Pterodactyl/Sniper (1... g6 2... Bg7 3... c5)
6. Middlegame - Get a copy of Bronstein's book on the '53 Zurich tournament, or any well-recommended book on the middlegame/strategy. Also, see #3, because analysis will improve your overall understanding of the game and how to assess positions correctly in order to make plans in the middlegame.
Any experienced players are welcome to add their thoughts. Good luck all.