Chess Lessons Archives - chessbazaar Blog

Every time I start a chess lecture and the subject is related to improving or training, I place the following question to the audience:

– Why don’t you improve in chess?

Answers always refer to lacks… Lack of time, lack of books, lack of money, lack of teachers, lack of computers and software… Of course to own the very best notebook with Chessbase and updated Megabase, to own Dvoretsky books collection, to have several free hours a day and the best instructor around will be great, but…

– But what, teacher?

Well, you need something that is inside yourself… Something that you can’t buy…

I mean METHOD and FOCUS. Even if you have time, money, a good teacher, the best hardware and software, if you don’t have a METHOD and a good FOCUS, your improvement will be severely harmed! Believe me! This happened to me, more than 20 years ago…

A couple of weeks ago, I got a book called “Deep Work”, written by Carl Newport. “Rules for focused success in a distracted world” is the cover quotation. It is not a chess book, but it points, in a clever and clear way, the problems we faced to work or study without METHOD and FOCUS. Newport says that we live in a “distracted world”.

Can you count how many things can interrupt or delay our chess training session? Cell phone, electronic messages, tv news, social media in general, noises, family issues…

Related: Chess Books

I got some ideas from Newport and tried to adapt them to our environment, a chess training session environment. And, stated them in topics. So, let’s go…

Every time you are going to train, with a teacher or alone:

– Define clearly the starting and ending times for your session. I strongly believe that, for chess, less than two hours won’t be that effective.

– Define your goal and schedule for the session. For instance: I’ll study tactics and solve problems for the first 30 minutes, then I’ll spend an hour checking an annotated game, after that, I’ll read an ending book and so on… A major plan can help with that.

– Ask your friends and family to not interrupt your session.

– Stay away from social media!

– Turn off cell phones, radio sets, TV sets…

– Only use your computer as a tool for your chess training session. Sorry, no on-line blitz!

– Always use your chessboard! Even if your material is a computer one. Don’t train or study on your computer screen. Never!

Also Read: History, Openings, and Strategy of Chess by Steven Connolly

– This is not mandatory: Boosters… You can use some boosters if you feel this will improve your focus. Whatever… A cup of coffee, a glass of your preferred juice, a big meal (lol), a prayer, a Day-dream, a couple of minutes of quietude… Up to you! Enjoy your session!

I hope these words will help you with your next chess training session. I’ll be more than happy if you write to me in the comment section below pointing something related to this method. Please, feel free to share the article… friends, blogs, teachers…

A bit about myself: I am a Brazilian player and teacher. 58 years old and an Electronical Engineer. My current FIDE ELO is 2077 and my peak was 2154, as far as I remember, 20 years ago.

Me with my Chessbazaar New Columbian knight! October, 20th, 2019.

A chess player is always better prepared to deal with the world. From this game of chess, one learns some critical lessons that can be applied in life also and can lead to victories that are far sweeter than anything achieved on a practical chessboard.

Regular chess players are more intelligent and have more knowledge about everything in general. Playing chess is like playing the game of life. One’s decisions have consequences for the future. We know that each move we make, in life or in a game, determines a unique path for the future.

Both require a smart strategy and a confident sense of leadership to reach successful end goals. This strategy-based board game can teach you a lot about life:

1. How you start a game determines how you will finish it. Play wisely.

2. Learn to spot opportunities. There are often clearly defined lines of success that work well. Learn to see these when they repeat, and take advantage of them.

3. Try to simplify the things.

4. Sometimes you get stuck in a position known in chess as zugzwang: where whichever move you make is a bad one. This situation occurs sometimes in our life too.

5. When someone makes a move that you are not able to understand, don’t waste your time reading more into it than you need to. Sometimes people just make silly moves – they are not important.

6. Don’t get pinned down. Where something more cherished cannot be brought into play because it is stuck behind something trivial, make every effort to get it into the game – as soon as possible.

7. Be flexible. If the things do not go as you planned them – adjust and continue.

8. Never rest on your laurels or what you did last time for the problem. Keep thinking, looking for new opportunities and trying to generate new ideas.You cannot solve the same problem with old solutions.

9. Keep calm and move slowly.