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.

In order to improve at chess every player must work hard and invest some daily time and effort. There are many things you can work on, from openings to endgame, tactics and the middlegame. However, there are  few basic skills one must develop and constantly train. The consistency of training is perhaps one of the single most important things a chess player can do in order to be successful. Similarly to exercising in a gym, working on your game is a process. The improvement will be gradual, but definite if you keep applying yourself. Here are the 5 most useful chess skills you can learn in just 5 days!

Chess is a very complex game. Perfecting chess involves working on multiple areas of the game at the same time. Most club players focus just on a few elements from the training chart and thus experience a slow progress [or sometimes no progress at all]. One of the most common questions we receive is something like “what should I work on to get better at chess”? Of course, it is impossible to generalize for every single player, but the training chart gives a pretty good idea of what most chess players should focus on. Let’s get started, and I promise after reading this in-depth analysis you will have a much better understanding of what needs to be done.

Becoming a stronger player is every chess player’s dream. Since the day we step into the chess world we commit ourselves to an eternal quest for self-improvement. We all want the same. Of course, it doesn’t take long to realize that chess is an extremely complex game; it is not only the amount of knowledge you must acquire but you must also apply that knowledge move by move, taking one decision at a time. Another thing about chess is that you must shape your competitive character, have strong nerves and basically develop a strong personality in order to keep up the battle against your opponent for several hours. Many players lack this aspect and therefore never reach their goal, even though their chess ability was pure class.

It’s hard to imagine that it’s possible to become a master without a coach. But before I share a few tips and ideas how to work on chess by yourself, I should definitely say that if you have an option to hire a coach, you should do this. Working together with a good coach will benefit you the most. A good coach can help you to improve certain aspects of your play which you can hardly spot by yourself. However, in this article, I want to tell you how to train most effectively on your own.

Very often we are asked about training tips and methods to improve one’s own play by doing individual training. As we have written in the past, working alone is quite difficult for beginners. There is no guidance and therefore no feedback on whether you’re doing it right or wrong. In other words, it is easy to get lost and not see any sign of improvement. For this reason, we have always advocated the figure of a trainer.

Creating a suitable working plan in order to improve our chess is never easy. It is very important to find the right material, but it is perhaps even more important to know what to work on. This can only be done by analyzing your own games and trying to find your weaknesses. You have to draw your own conclusions and decide what part of the game you have to work on.

Chess players are constantly on the look for new “recipes” in their quest of getting better at chess. Some players think that they should give a lot of importance to the opening, others to tactics and so on. Truth is, working on only one aspect of the game won’t help you get better overall; you have to study all of them equally. Suppose you only solve tactics; it will be very difficult to find a correct plan in a static position.

No matter what your level is in chess, there is one thing every chess player wants: to become better and better. Every chess personality is different and everybody has a different approach. In order to improve you have to find a self-balance and try every possible method until you discover what works best for you. Remember that not only do chess players differ on the playing style, but also the circumstances around everyone are different. You must be realistic about your goal, but most of all about your capacities. In other words, make a plan according to your available time, your style of play and go ahead with it without changing it.

For many years chess has been perceived as a “nerdy game”, but lately it has gained a lot of popularity.

The chess scene is full of strong youngsters who are not afraid to fight the more experienced top Grandmasters. More and more parents become interested in the game and want their kids to learn chess, whether it is in order to start competing or just for fun.