Chess Tips, Articles and Guides to Help You Win Chess Games

In this article, I would like to share my thoughts on the topic that is, for sure, extremely important for every chess player. That is how to calculate variations. Unfortunately, this highly interesting and crucial topic had never been covered in a great detail. The only decent source I know is the book of a Soviet Grandmaster Alexander Kotov “How to became a grandmaster”. However, it is quite evident that since it was written half a century ago, some ideas are not relevant anymore, the main reasons are that 1. time controls have been decreased 2. computers have changed chess world drastically.

One of the most important aspects of the life of every chess player with a bit of ambition is training. Constant self-improvement has always been the engine that keeps a player going. Training, like in any other sport, requires patience, discipline, and a strong will to work hard. If you have a coach or colleague to train with, the process can become more easy-going and fun. However, this should not be an excuse not to study; there have been more Grandmasters who trained themselves than who used the help. In this article, you’ll find 10 training methods that you can use in your training routine.

Most players complain that studying chess is hard and extremely time consuming. They say something among these lines: “I would study chess, but my life is too short for that, I have other responsibilities…” These players think that to study chess you need to give up everything else, and focus solely on the game.