How to improve in chess?

Every day chess players from all over the world use some of these tools with the illusion of improving their level of play, but even so, the expected results are not seen, causing frustrating periods of stagnation, which can last several years and in some cases a lifetime. . This situation is mainly caused by the lack of comprehensive and continuous training. The human body is a functional unit, which must be worked on daily in all its components, since, as in any sport, the results of training are lost with each day of inactivity.

The magic formula to improve in chess:
Next, I summarize my training method in a concept that I call "Magic Formula", which has the ingredients that I consider essential in the daily work of the chess player who is interested in improving his performance. Strengthen the tactical engine + Increase general knowledge + Deliberate practice + Nurture the bonsai + Lead a healthy lifestyle = Increase in chess level
Strengthen the tactical engine
The tactical engine could be defined as the ability of an athlete to find tactical reasons for attack or defense in a given position (vision), select the possible actions to be carried out, and accurately calculate each of the rival's responses (variants), to finally choose the best move. Making an analogy with the operation of a computer, the tactical engine would be its processor, which is one of the most important components of the team since it is in charge of directing and executing all the tasks carried out by the team.
As in the world of computers, all chess players have a processor (tactical engine) that works efficiently depending on the model (age), memory capacity, care (maintenance, lifestyle), and adjustments made to it (learning and training).

Generalities about tactical work:
· The tactic involves combinative and positional maneuvers, we should not be confused by thinking that the word "tactic" only refers to the well-known combinations, where by means of moves with forced answers one of the two sides makes checkmate, obtains a material advantage or Significantly improve your position. The "slower" attack and defense maneuvers can also be part of the tactical actions.
· The tactical engine must be trained daily. This capacity is lost if it is not used and it is difficult to recover.
· It is important to dedicate many sessions to automating thought algorithms, which help us focus attention and order ideas when training tactics. This will allow us to significantly improve the quality of the engine, mainly in the aspect of tactical vision, in addition to helping us save time and energy, two determining aspects of competition.
· The tactic must always be worked with a time limit to simulate real competition situations. I recommend using all the modalities in your training, from very few seconds, which are useful for blitz modality, to 10-12 minute exercises to strengthen the engine in a deep calculation, necessary for classical chess. The important thing is to train the athlete to manage the time he has available.
· In the event that the athlete does not find the correct answer within the time limit, it is important that he or she performs the movement that he or she considers appropriate, in order to work on the concept of time management.

· At the end, the correct answers must be reproduced and in case of having made a mistake, its cause must be carefully evaluated (emotional, cognitive, ignorance, or due to other factors).
· Systematize the exercises by levels (Elo), reasons and tactical themes, and game situations (attack or defense). It is also essential to keep a record of growth curves, hit percentages, tactical Elo, and as many statistics as possible on the performance of this component. Currently, there are many specialized platforms that can help us with these tasks.
Increase general knowledge: get grounded
It is recommended that this process of acquiring new knowledge be carried out in an active, orderly, and conscious manner, making good use of the time spent. So that learning is acquired in a meaningful way and memories can be evoked efficiently at the times that are required. Chess is a sport in which many variables must be coordinated to achieve optimal performance. All these variables have fundamental aspects that must be known, this is the first step of a long learning process, which, with the passing of hours of repetition (training) of the same, the automation of the most important game actions is achieved. convenient at every competitive moment.

Chess is a sport that enjoys great popularity worldwide. It is practiced by millions of people, including fans and teachers, who in turn have multiple tools available to play, study, and train, among which are: millions of books of all kinds, more than in any other sport; thousands of specialized videos; online game platforms, where you can practice 24 hours a day against athletes from all over the world, in different modalities, with Elo calculation and excellent statistical packages; platforms specialized in the opening, middlegame and/or endgame training, also with very good statistical tools; analysis engines with a higher level than the human world champion; huge databases; artificial intelligence; to mention just some of the possibilities that we have in this century.

Recommendations when practicing:
· Do it in the most realistic game situation possible: with a time limit; if you are playing classic modality write down the game; do it in a comfortable environment; at a suitable time; emotionally setting (thinking that a final is being played or that you are facing a difficult opponent).
· Carry out thematic practices, which are in accordance with the objective of the session and its specific planning.
· To the extent possible, face rivals or levels similar to ours.
· Evaluate the largest number of aspects experienced during practice, with the intention of making the corresponding corrections.
· Have a notebook to record keywords about the openings to review, according to the errors made during the session.
Practice does not only refer to what is done during training sessions, it is also important to participate in competitions, which can be categorized in different ways depending on their objective. In general, these comply with the same and it is to test everything that is being worked on and try to improve the level every day.
water the bonsai
Knowledge of opening theory is one of the most important aspects of performance for competitive chess players.
As the athlete improves his level of play, he must specialize in the openings that he is going to make more frequently, this is known as the opening repertoire. Taking into account that the average duration of a chess game is 40 moves per player, the ideal is to memorize the first moves that are validated by the best players in the world and by the most powerful analysis engines, thus having a guarantee of excellent quality in these executions. In addition to saving time and energy for the remaining decisions. The best players have repertoires of more than 20 moves in the main variations of each of their openings and defenses. Which would correspond to playing "free" and comfortably much of the game.
The concept of "watering the bonsai" is a metaphor that refers to performing actions (watering) to increase the number of moves and variants (branches) of the repertoire (opening tree) and reviewing them until knowledge is automated.

Recommendations when “watering the bonsai”:
· Create an opening repertoire base on some platform or program where you can store and classify this information. It is important not to rely only on memory, everything that is studied and chosen as a repertoire must be immediately stored in the database, in such a way that it can be reviewed as many times as required and can be reviewed until it is automated.
· This repertoire base must have references to model games, position qualification symbols, novelties, own comments, and all other tools that facilitate the memorization process.
· Before adding any move or variation to the opening repertoire, you should have a good understanding of the position, its main structures, the most common attack and defense maneuvers, the relationships of minor pieces, and the most common endings that can be played. get.
· Review and/or add to the bonsai, at least 3 variants related to the mistakes made during the day. Do not go to sleep without doing this task.
Have a healthy lifestyle
Understanding that with the passing of the years, the body inevitably deteriorates progressively, it is essential to have good habits, both to slightly delay the wear and tear of the organism and have a good quality of life, as well as to enhance the necessary capacities and thus achieve greater sports performance. Among these good practices are the following:
Carry out physical exercise: include in this work the four basic capacities (Strength, resistance, flexibility, and speed), but mainly carry out cardiovascular work, which will help to better manage fatigue in the long days of training and competition, in addition to this, It has been proven that this type of activity potentiates the BDNF factor, a protein that improves the functioning of the hippocampus and the cerebral amygdala, areas of the brain responsible for memory, the main ability in chess. Likewise, it has been shown that physical activity improves the quality of sleep; reduces the risk of a large number of diseases; increases the production of dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and hormones related to emotional well-being; among many more emotional and cognitive benefits, related to chess performance.

On a personal note, based on two decades of research and coaching experience, I have come to the following conclusions on the subject so far:
· The difference between doing physical exercise and not doing it is approximately 100 Elo points.
· Before starting any physical training program, it is important to have a complete medical evaluation. It is the health professional who must give the necessary guidelines, we must not risk our health due to ignorance.
· It is important to have the permanent accompaniment of a professional in the area, hopefully,
a graduate in physical education or sports professional.
· When it comes to high-level athletes (masters), high-intensity physical work can give better results. Although to reach this level it is important to carry out a process of several months of adaptation. In addition to managing fatigue very well.

· Without physical exercise it is increasingly complex to significantly increase the level of chess after 30 years. It does not mean that it cannot be improved without physical work, but this improvement will be of a few Elo points. While with good physical preparation, a 40-year-old athlete can keep up with a group of 20-year-old athletes with a similar level to his. However, you will have to put in a lot of effort.

· Some of the alternative practices that I recommend for chess players are swimming, cycling, athletics (be careful with footwear), weights, calisthenics, tennis, and yoga.
Take an interest in mental health: This is perhaps the aspect that we neglect the most in our chess training, but it is one of the most important, it is very difficult to perform to the maximum in sports if you do not have a balance in this aspect. Here are some general recommendations:
· Have the permanent support of a psychology professional, mainly one specialized in sports psychology. Avoid self-medicating.
· Train in the concept of emotional intelligence, lead a life in harmony and try to see the glass as half full in any situation, be optimistic.
· Training in the concept of financial intelligence and applying it in your day-to-day, will avoid many headaches and distractions.
Maintain a good relationship with others, and be an empathic and respectful person.
· Lead an orderly lifestyle in general, most of the difficulties come when we lose control of basic aspects.
· Doing physical activity. The solution for most psychological problems is found in this good habit.
· Learn and apply the basic techniques of emotional control. For example, those related to breathing, are usually very useful.

· Study the biological principles in depth, to be aware of how the body works and not have false expectations regarding chess performance, this will avoid bad times and help you better manage emotions.
* Eat well: * In the eighteenth century, the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach said: "man is what he eats", a phrase that makes a lot of sense in this section. For our engine to work as efficiently as possible, it is necessary to provide it with the best fuel. In general, I offer the following recommendations on the subject:
Permanent advice from a nutrition specialist.
· Eat a balanced diet in nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats).
· Maintain good hydration. Avoid consuming sugary drinks.
Avoid consuming ultra-processed foods.
· Consume food a maximum of 3 times a day, so we maintain control of insulin.
Avoid the consumption of alcoholic beverages and other psychoactive substances.
· The last intake of the day should be no later than 7 PM, so we will have good hormonal control, among many other physiological reasons. For this reason, it is also very important to go to bed early, otherwise, we will feel hungry later, and consuming food late at night can considerably affect our metabolism.
· Before starting any "miraculous" diet, you should seek the advice of health professionals. There are many products and diets on the market that promise excellent results, but they have no scientific basis and the vast majority are harmful to health.
· Do not consume foods that are difficult to digest just before the games (do so at least two hours before the competition).
· The consumption of foods such as fish, fruits (preferably whole and not in juice), and vegetables are beneficial for the functioning of our brain and for chess performance.
*Rest: *All organisms are different, but in general I recommend the following aspects:
· Going to bed before 10 PM (even on weekends): for some, this is more complex because they have been staying up all their lives, but if they start by subtracting 15 minutes every two weeks from bedtime, the body could adapt. The organism is going to thank you, mainly in the last 4 games of the classic tournaments, and in the games that are played in the afternoon or at night.

Have good sleep hygiene: putting electronic devices away an hour before will help to have a better quality sleep; have a fixed time to sleep and wake up; avoid eating food just before bedtime (have a difference of at least two hours between mealtime and bedtime); avoid physical exercise before sleeping; have a space just for rest, with little noise and dark.
· In case of having a nap during the day, it is important that it be short (20 or 30 minutes), in order not to enter a state of deep sleep, especially if it is done before a competition, this situation can affect performance considerably. · Manage fatigue very well: All organisms are exhausted, the important thing is to know how and when it occurs, in order to rest enough and obtain an adequate recovery. This will allow for better super-compensation processes and greater performance in competition.
final recommendation
The application of the "magic formula" will help us to some extent to improve the level, but if you want to achieve more outstanding results in less time, it is important to use the fundamentals of sports training, be aware of the biological principles of chess performance and carry out correct planning of the stimuli (loads) of work. These are the ways you can improve your chess skills and what to do in tournaments instructions'.