Well we all want to get better, don't we!!! Beginners can usually be taught to attain an 800 (Elo rating*) in less than twenty days. Chess players can then be frustratingly stuck around 900-1000 points for years or they can be taught the proper tools they need to progress to higher ranges in less than 6 months. An earnest student will derive terrific satisfaction by following this type of customised instruction. They will benefit greatly by witnessing measurable milestones. Successfully sequenced foundational study is the best way up the chess mountain. For example Bobby Fischer was rated 2780 in the year 1972. Kasparov's all-time highest rating was 2851. Kaspy was #1 in the world ratings almost continuously from 1986 until his retirement in 2005. Experts are 2000-2200. Masters are rated 2200-2400. Grandmasters & International Grandmasters are rated above 2400 and players at these levels receive titles and recognition by how well they fare under match conditions against other Grandmasters. In order to achieve and maintain an official Grandmaster rating, you have to play in sanctioned events and demonstrate how well you play against other Grandmasters. These results are tallied up as percentages and you then have to score a certain percentage (the exact percentage depends on the average rating of the opponents you play). If you make that percentage, you are said to "make a norm"- You will hear of national 'norms' or turning in 'norms' or scoring one 'GM norm'. Thats the general jist of how chess ratings work. Annapolis chessclub has players from beginners to expert, which means players are rated 500-2000. Often students of the game are misled by well intentioned chess coaches that by memorising openings, learning some middle game theory or studying endgames they will automatically get better. But I ask, where is the proof? Just listening to these students it is clear many may even believe they are ascending the chess mountain, simply due to the effort, but where are they? Have they been actually been at 700 for five months and not really improved? Are they stuck at 1000 for over a year, yet chalking up wins against weaker players? Listening to hours of theory or just playing games mindlessly is not enough to assess their personal progress up the chess mountain. The correct method is the most accurate one, Elo ratings. Ok, here's the answer------------> To get better, you must do just 4 things: PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! and........PRACTICE ! Only kidding.......(well not really). 1)Play, 2)Study, 3)Involvement, 4)Practice Plan (1) PLAY CHESS Win lose or draw, play lots and lots of chess. This is just fine with me because playing is a terrifically fun mind exercise which makes you smarter!! Playing means winning & losing games. Just remember that you are never really losing when you are learning or having such healthy fun. Learn something from each win or loss, just never be a poor sport. Losing can be a MOST IMPORTANT & MOST PRECIOUS lesson, when understood. It's just part of the learning process. But if you lose 10 times and then learn absolutely nothing, you really are a loser! But when you learn & remember & improve by digesting a lesson, you have not lost at all, you have just gotten stronger. (2) STUDY CHESS GET INVOLVED IN CHESS Ok, now, you've followed the first two steps & everything is great, right? Or is it? Because if all you do is play chess on the computer & read books by yourself then you are soon bound to lose interest at some point. So get involved, find chess players, challenge your friends, go find a chess club, get a rating & improve it. Definitely play in over-the-board tournaments. Get involved somehow and you will see that chess is more than a just a game - it is a nice community of persons without any discriminations. A great way to create quality time with friends and make new friends. Ok, now about the whole ~PRACTICE~ thing. Of course PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE is very obvious. This is where a sensible game plan IS ESSENTIAL to create the BEST WAY to practice. The goal of which is to get MAXIMUM benefit from practice. You can spend years just pushing the pieces & never really 'get good'. You can read & read & read and read and read and read and read read read read READ READ chess books, until your eyes glaze over but still not notice any important advances in your 'over the board' play. There are very obvious reasons for this. Foremost, if what you read about is not needed IN YOUR OWN GAMES then you are wasting your time!!! more on this later....... ...Back to practice You can find the best practice by playing against better players and asking them questions about your game in progress. Great players enjoy sharing with new players! Even still, they do not even have to be that great, do never forget you can still practice with just about anyone. HERE IS A GOLDEN KEY: It is really valuable & important to talk about the game right after, to discuss the battle when still fresh in the minds of both players AND persons watching. You can learn more by losing than when you win a game! Surely a loss gives you the lesson which you needed most........... Read that again & digest it and really really get it....'A loss gives you the lesson which you needed most' ~ Can you dig it ~ ! The best way to get better at chess is to play a lot against many different players. This way you are exposed to loads of different styles. Just play & play and trap & read notes about your games. TRAPPING lessons by writing them down for frequent review. Start a misteaks file. Begin a logbook of your loss lessons, RIGHT NOW. I don't mean of every move, but of the lessons you learn, you can lose a game but don't lose the lesson it taught you. After you get stung enough times by a bee, you learn to be careful! Some of my old 'bee-stings' are found by clicking the "My notes" button at the bottom menu. Some of which have happened many times! They are the CHESS PRINCIPLES which I have gathered from my very own games. You should do what I do, WHICH IS: Write & READ your OWN notes! Not only read, but also thoroughly re-read, digest & practice to really understand & implement. Start putting a * little star next to the repeat violators. This way it is clear what the most recurring slip-ups are.. YOU WILL SEE an increase in your Elo chess ratings very soon. Don't ever get discouraged, just keep playing and taking notes . . . . . . . . . . . . MAKE A MOVE! www.LUBIENSKI.com
Andrew Lubienski, 9 Sliverwood Circle #3, Annapolis MD 21403 EMAIL: Lubienski@hotmail.com ~ Cellphone:(305)942-3290 ~ Landline:(443)822-9234 | ||||||