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Training Smarter: My Journey to Chess Improvement

"Blitz: 3+2, 9 games/day" * Useless
"Rapid: 10+5, 9 games/weekend" * Better 15+10
"Occasionally, OTB events on weekends" * Great

"Review openings and improve them" * Useless
"Analyze games with stronger players or engines" * Good
"Focus on 2 openings per week for improvement" * Useless

"Week 1: Opening – Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios" * Useless
"Week 3: Endgames – Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (Rook Endgames)" * Better start with that right away in week 1

"Daily meditation: 10–15 minutes" * Questionable
"Workout: 30 minutes/day, 6 days/week" * Great

"Weekdays: 3 hours/day Weekends: 10 hours/day" * Great

"Rewards after high XP: sweets, junk food, etc." * Bad. Sugar and junk food

"Blitz: 3+2, 9 games/day" * Useless "Rapid: 10+5, 9 games/weekend" * Better 15+10 "Occasionally, OTB events on weekends" * Great "Review openings and improve them" * Useless "Analyze games with stronger players or engines" * Good "Focus on 2 openings per week for improvement" * Useless "Week 1: Opening – Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios" * Useless "Week 3: Endgames – Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (Rook Endgames)" * Better start with that right away in week 1 "Daily meditation: 10–15 minutes" * Questionable "Workout: 30 minutes/day, 6 days/week" * Great "Weekdays: 3 hours/day Weekends: 10 hours/day" * Great "Rewards after high XP: sweets, junk food, etc." * Bad. Sugar and junk food

@tpr said in #2:

"Focus on 2 openings per week for improvement" * Useless
Why would that be useless? I read in one of Noel's blogs that his strong students play training games in a certain topic every week to improve that part. So I thought I'll also do it, okay, maybe you're right, as Opening is not what they're working on in the games

@tpr said in #2:

"Blitz: 3+2, 9 games/day" * Useless
Ahh, yess, I was thinking of changing that coz it will be a lot more than 33%, But other than that Most coaches ive heard recommend fixing a number before playing. If your talking about Blitz not good then even am a guy who would say that but I read some Blogs and GMs were recommending it.

@tpr said in #2:

Better 15+10
Okay but I need to wait a long time before I get a 2400 Opponent But Ill try, thanks

@tpr said in #2:

"Review openings and improve them" Useless
I'm talking about after Blitz games here why would that be useless can u tell me, please I don't want to repeat the same mistakes again

@tpr said in #2:

"Week 1: Opening – Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios" * Useless
That's my favorite book!! Why would that be useless??

@tpr said in #2:

"Week 3: Endgames – Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (Rook Endgames)" * Better start with that right away in week 1
Okay but your saying to cut down on the Structures? I think that is also a very important part of chess.

@tpr said in #2:

Bad. Sugar and junk food
Yes am a guy who never eats that but I am saying when I achieve very high XP which is like 120 (12h+) is when I get that as a reward and its gonna take a lot of effort obviously.

But Anyways can u please elaborate why your calling these things useless I can improve on it if I know the proper reason Thanks a lot for your feedback I know you as a very respected and experienced forum poster and nice to see you commenting on my blog thank you so much!!

PS: I agree to some points of yours like the 3+2 Blitz and Increased time control in other formats and I have edited it slightly.

@tpr said in #2: > "Focus on 2 openings per week for improvement" * Useless Why would that be useless? I read in one of Noel's blogs that his strong students play training games in a certain topic every week to improve that part. So I thought I'll also do it, okay, maybe you're right, as Opening is not what they're working on in the games @tpr said in #2: > "Blitz: 3+2, 9 games/day" * Useless Ahh, yess, I was thinking of changing that coz it will be a lot more than 33%, But other than that Most coaches ive heard recommend fixing a number before playing. If your talking about Blitz not good then even am a guy who would say that but I read some Blogs and GMs were recommending it. @tpr said in #2: > Better 15+10 Okay but I need to wait a long time before I get a 2400 Opponent But Ill try, thanks @tpr said in #2: >"Review openings and improve them" Useless I'm talking about after Blitz games here why would that be useless can u tell me, please I don't want to repeat the same mistakes again @tpr said in #2: > "Week 1: Opening – Chess Structures by Mauricio Flores Rios" * Useless That's my favorite book!! Why would that be useless?? @tpr said in #2: > "Week 3: Endgames – Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (Rook Endgames)" * Better start with that right away in week 1 Okay but your saying to cut down on the Structures? I think that is also a very important part of chess. @tpr said in #2: > Bad. Sugar and junk food Yes am a guy who never eats that but I am saying when I achieve very high XP which is like 120 (12h+) is when I get that as a reward and its gonna take a lot of effort obviously. But Anyways can u please elaborate why your calling these things useless I can improve on it if I know the proper reason Thanks a lot for your feedback I know you as a very respected and experienced forum poster and nice to see you commenting on my blog thank you so much!! PS: I agree to some points of yours like the 3+2 Blitz and Increased time control in other formats and I have edited it slightly.

"I read in one of Noel's blogs that his strong students play training games in a certain topic every week to improve that part."

  • Training games are good.
    "Opening is not what they're working on in the games" * Indeed, that is the point.

@tpr said in #2:
"Blitz not good" * Indeed. 'Blitz chess kills your ideas' - Fischer 'Yes, I have played a blitz game once. It was on a train, in 1929.' - Botvinnik 'I play way too much blitz chess. It rots the brain just as surely as alcohol.' - Short

"I read some Blogs and GMs were recommending it" * The only useful of blitz and even bullet is to become confident in time trouble. If you can play 60 moves in 1 minute, then you do not fear to finish a game on 30 seconds/move increment alone.

"I need to wait a long time before I get a 2400 Opponent" * I see. I am only at 2200 and I do not have to wait too long. It depends on the time of the day. Point is you want to emulate 90+30 as closely as possible, so 15+10 is better than 10+5.

"I'm talking about after Blitz games" * 'He who analyzes blitz is stupid' - Nezhmetdinov
"I don't want to repeat the same mistakes again" * Blitz is ephemeral. You will forget the mistake and repeat it again.

"Why would that be useless?" * 'In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the end game' - Capablanca. So there is a logical hierarchy in study: endgames first, then middle game, then opening.

"Okay but your saying to cut down on the Structures?" * Structures may be good, but they relate to endgames. So endgames first.

"I get that as a reward and its gonna take a lot of effort obviously."

  • The brain is an organ. See https://old.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/Nutrition%20and%20Exercise%20Doc.pdf
    'Above all else, before playing in competitions a player must have regard to his health, for if he is suffering from ill-health he cannot hope for success. In this connection the best of all tonics is 15 to 20 days in the fresh air, in the country.' - Botvinnik
    You mentioned workout, which is excellent, but healthy food is just as important. Do not reward yourself with unhealthy food.
"I read in one of Noel's blogs that his strong students play training games in a certain topic every week to improve that part." * Training games are good. "Opening is not what they're working on in the games" * Indeed, that is the point. @tpr said in #2: "Blitz not good" * Indeed. 'Blitz chess kills your ideas' - Fischer 'Yes, I have played a blitz game once. It was on a train, in 1929.' - Botvinnik 'I play way too much blitz chess. It rots the brain just as surely as alcohol.' - Short "I read some Blogs and GMs were recommending it" * The only useful of blitz and even bullet is to become confident in time trouble. If you can play 60 moves in 1 minute, then you do not fear to finish a game on 30 seconds/move increment alone. "I need to wait a long time before I get a 2400 Opponent" * I see. I am only at 2200 and I do not have to wait too long. It depends on the time of the day. Point is you want to emulate 90+30 as closely as possible, so 15+10 is better than 10+5. "I'm talking about after Blitz games" * 'He who analyzes blitz is stupid' - Nezhmetdinov "I don't want to repeat the same mistakes again" * Blitz is ephemeral. You will forget the mistake and repeat it again. "Why would that be useless?" * 'In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the end game' - Capablanca. So there is a logical hierarchy in study: endgames first, then middle game, then opening. "Okay but your saying to cut down on the Structures?" * Structures may be good, but they relate to endgames. So endgames first. "I get that as a reward and its gonna take a lot of effort obviously." * The brain is an organ. See https://old.fide.com/FIDE/handbook/Nutrition%20and%20Exercise%20Doc.pdf 'Above all else, before playing in competitions a player must have regard to his health, for if he is suffering from ill-health he cannot hope for success. In this connection the best of all tonics is 15 to 20 days in the fresh air, in the country.' - Botvinnik You mentioned workout, which is excellent, but healthy food is just as important. Do not reward yourself with unhealthy food.

Okay, what I understood from this message of yours is:

  1. Blitz is not good except for improving time trouble in 90+30 - Agreed, I will not include it in my plan just for casual games occasionally.

  2. 15+10 is better than 10+5 - Agreed, I have changed my plan, will focus on 15+10 or 15+15 games too, but not every day, as I have to wait too long for an opponent. I'll ask some strong friends (2400+) of mine who wanna play.

@tpr said in #4:

In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the end game' - Capablanca.

Love that Quote, but I am not someone who would agree strongly with this, as many other areas have helped me in chess than studying the endgames, and I am a very Dynamic player, so I don't look forward to playing many endgames.

4)You mentioned workout, which is excellent, but healthy food is just as important. Do not reward yourself with unhealthy food. Okay then should I change my reward to something like listening music or watching a documentary/movie online? Guess Ill do any one of those. Thank you.

Okay, what I understood from this message of yours is: 1) Blitz is not good except for improving time trouble in 90+30 - Agreed, I will not include it in my plan just for casual games occasionally. 2) 15+10 is better than 10+5 - Agreed, I have changed my plan, will focus on 15+10 or 15+15 games too, but not every day, as I have to wait too long for an opponent. I'll ask some strong friends (2400+) of mine who wanna play. @tpr said in #4: > In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the end game' - Capablanca. Love that Quote, but I am not someone who would agree strongly with this, as many other areas have helped me in chess than studying the endgames, and I am a very Dynamic player, so I don't look forward to playing many endgames. 4)You mentioned workout, which is excellent, but healthy food is just as important. Do not reward yourself with unhealthy food. Okay then should I change my reward to something like listening music or watching a documentary/movie online? Guess Ill do any one of those. Thank you.

"I don't look forward to playing many endgames"

  • As you get stronger and meet stronger opponents you will play more endgames, especially rook endings. Getting better at endgames is a long term goal. You do not get better at it in a week.
"I don't look forward to playing many endgames" * As you get stronger and meet stronger opponents you will play more endgames, especially rook endings. Getting better at endgames is a long term goal. You do not get better at it in a week.