Training vs. Playing

So all of us would like to get better at chess.  Here is the question:  How often do you train?  If you are spending more time playing blitz chess, than training in tactics, strategy, openings, or endgames; it is my assertion that your game will have huge fluctuations in quality.

When I first started playing I was reading books, studying GM games, learning openings...ect.  Now I just play to much, and have plateaued in my ability and in some ways regressed.

So I'm going to start training more than I play.  Thought this would be helpful advice to others

I think that is a good idea..............I always tell myself I should spend more time training but..........I just love playing !! Seems everytime I log on I want to play instead of study............what's more important, getting better or having fun ?

Interesting.... I have the opposite problem. I haev been away from chess for years and even when I played back then I was still a "beginner". I have gotten back to the point now where I want to learn chess instead of just stumble through it. For the past couple of months now it seems like all I do is read a couple of different chess forums, flip thru some, books, play a little Chessmaster, play with some engines and Chessbase, etc. but mostly everything except play chess. I know I know I gotta get started!!

For myself...I think a good ratio would be 1 game for every hour of study.  That game could be a blitz or a standard. 

Michael,

That sounds like good advice... now I have to go play 100 games!!

Ha! 

Hey Michael, just curious, do you use that ratio yourself or is that what you reccomend for beginners ?

I think in my case playing 10 min games has helped as long as I study also.

If I had spent more time studying but not putting in the time playing games it wouldn't have helped as much.

I mostly play online games I try to avoid bullet, I play more 15m games and I spend lots of hours in tactics trainer when Im in the mood to play, Im always watching videos and reading forums altough it ain't training at all, I really need to go back to endgames books but they are so boring :( At least Im proud to be able to mate with as N+B vs K :)

I'm saying what made me good when i was a beginner was that sort of ratio.  I've noticed as of late just huge discrepancies in my play.  For instance I will play a strong player strong and a weak player I will play down to (instead of dominate).  I see this as a result of my lack of training.  So I'm going back to the practice makes perfect mentality to improve my play.

Funny story about N+B vs K:  I was training some students (beginners)...and I totally was unable to do it on my big training board.  Very embarrassing!  You know if one move is missed it can start the whole thing over again....Yeah.  Bad day for the teacher!

Training can help you appreciate the game. Also we all want to improve, even in the things we just do for fun, and training can help you improve. There are lots of good sites out there and many free tools. I would particularly like to recommend the free Chess Position Trainer which is has a download link on this site. Check out Resources/Download Free Chess Stuff.

Here's the link for Chess Position Trainer: http://www.chesspositiontrainer.com/

This is how I was trained after learning the name of the Chess pieces,their point value, and how they move on the Chess board.

Week 1. Goal of lesson to show you what the King can and can not do. This was done by me haveing only my king to work with while the person I played had all their Chess Pieces. Needlessly to say this was a very short Chess game.

Week 2. I am allowed 2 pawns to work with still I lose, but Week 2 is not as hard as Week 1.

Week 3. I am allowed 2 more pawns, I still lose but I am learning that my pawns can protect my king.

Week 4. I am allowed use of all my pawns, I do not win but I notice the person I am playing is taken more time to think before they move.

Week 5. I have use of all my pawns and now I have use of a bishop. In week 5, I learn "  sometimes you just have to work with what you got."

Week 6. I am about to give up I am not wining. I learn that its not about wining its about focusing the mind on a task and following through.

Week 7. I have use of all my pawns, 2 bishops and 2 knights. I am now playing as if I was puting together a puzzle, seeing what fits what doesn't and the person I am playing is takeing longer and longer to move?

Week 8. I win. But by not wrting down the notation I do not understand how I won.

Week 9. I lose. I start wrting down Chess notation.

Week 10. I start reading books on chess.

Week 11. I begin to bulid on what I have read and what i have learned when playing. And as they say "the rest is history."

The year is 2008 I play useing all my Chess pieces and I am playing on Chess.com, "Life is good."

I think you need to perform in three areas to be a good player.

One, study the games of masters.  Exposing yourself to their ideas is critical to your developement as a player.

Two, study your games, particularly your losses.  This may be hard to do, but it results in you not making the same mistakes over and over.  The more you study your losses, the less losses you will have to study.

Three, PLAY.  And if you are serious about becoming a good player, take David Bronstein's advice--do not play at less than 15 minutes per game.  Speed chess is like cotton candy--sweet and full of energy, but has no nutritional value.  And never forget--you play this game because it is FUN.  Never forget this part.