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.

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.