Training Techniques

“I am planning to play in the Open section of the Las Vegas International next month, what should I do?” Replace Vegas International and there is a question that as a professional trainer I get asked a lot. How to prepare for a tournament? Generally, those who ask me this are not dedicating plenty of time to chess. They practice and study in their spare time but when the tournament is approaching they look for a magical potion that will turn them into competitive mode quickly.

Of course, there is no magic formula and only hard work pays off in the end. Sadly, I must add. Ideally, the best for an active chess player is to make training a part of your everyday life; it’s easier to memorize and practice one opening at a time than having to prepare 2 or 3 in 15 days before being tested over the board.

Studying chess can prove a difficult task sometimes and, as much as you like to study by yourself, you might realize at some point that you need some guidance. It could be that you reach a moment when you can no longer see any improvement, regardless of the time you invest in studying or that you need help and advice creating a suitable repertoire or that you simply need a stronger and more experienced player to explain some important chess concepts. In any case, the help of a coach can be enormous.

An outside person with a good chess understanding can help you identify the weaknesses in your play and tell you what you need to study, can provide you material or indicate model games.

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.

In my 15 years’ experience as a chess coach, I have always been learning about the best methods to improve the level of my students in the shortest possible time. Of course, I have been learning on the road; my own experience serves me well to understand things that are important to teach to an improving player. As an active chess player who combines tournaments and lessons, my main method has always been sharing every bit of knowledge I gain from my own games.

Of course, I also employ the works of the most well-known trainers in the world and they have taught me a lot and continue to do so.

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.

Chess is a complex game.

It requires a lot of knowledge, but also a good psychological preparation and finding the right approach to your games during a tournament.

It is also important to know how to deal with losses and wins – something that usually comes with experience.

Here are a few pieces of advice of things you should do after winning a game.

If you are an active player you have probably already been paired against a much stronger opponent at least once in the tournaments you’ve played. It is clear that this will never be an easy encounter, but it is important that you know how to approach the game and how to set your mind for it. There are many players who feel discouraged when they see themselves in such a situation and they think that they will stand no chance against such a strong player.

Over 99% of chess players play way under their maximum performance rating. Wouldn’t it be great if you could simply flip a switch and your chess performance goes up? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that, otherwise, everyone would’ve been a Grandmaster already. Don’t get upset though, because there are some things that I cover that act exactly as that magic switch. You won’t become a grandmaster or even a master overnight, but if you implement even some of the advice given here you will notice you start making progress [especially if you are stuck and not improving].

Probably one of the most important steps in improving your chess is the self-criticism. It is essential that you are fair with yourself and admit that every game you play might contain errors that have to be eliminated from your play, regardless of the result of the game. One way (and very efficient, too) to find those mistakes you still make is to analyze your own games and draw the necessary conclusions. When our students ask us what they should do in order to get better at chess, this is one of the first things we suggest them to do. Every strong player keeps track of their games, so why shouldn’t you start doing it as well?

Mistakes can happen at all levels, from beginners to strong Grandmasters. Even recently we have witnessed a few unexplainable moments from top Grandmasters in the prestigious Sinquefield Cup that’s taking place in Saint Louis.

Knowing that mistakes can happen even at the highest level might come as a relief for the rest of us, but it is nevertheless something we’d like to avoid as much as possible. Blunders are usually unexplainable; it feels as if our brain suddenly stops cooperating. However, there are a few things you could try to do in order to minimize such moments.

Here are a few tips.