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Supercharge Your Chess Improvement in 2025 - Part 3

Chess
Want 2025 to be your breakthrough chess year?

Two weeks ago, we introduced the Chess Improvement Equation:

What * How * Time = Chess Improvement Score.

Last week, we focused on the "What." This week, we’re diving into the How—the most overlooked and misunderstood part of chess improvement.
Here’s the truth: most players don’t know how to train. You’ve probably heard “work hard” your whole life, but no one taught you how to work smart. That’s why so many players grind for hours without results. If you’re not seeing progress despite all the effort, it’s not because you’re not working hard enough. It’s because you’re not working the right way.

In case you haven't read them yet,

Part 1 On Lichess
Part 2 On Lichess

Why Your Brain is Struggling to Focus

Our modern world is working against your chess improvement. Here’s why:

Poor sleep, lack of movement, and constant distractions mean your brain runs at half-power. That’s why training feels harder than it should—and your chess results don’t match your effort. Even worse, if you remain at this 50% brain power for a long time, you might not realize how much better your brain can focus anymore. Once you accept this focus as your new “inevitable” reality, you leave so much potential on the table - forever.

What Good Focus Really Looks Like

When you’re fully focused, it feels like magic. You get into a flow state, and everything clicks.
That’s why I put so much time and energy into figuring out my ideal sleep routine, nutrition plan, and focus exercises as a professional player. Through this training and my Traumatic Brain Injury, I felt the insane difference between a well-trained, focused brain and a brain unable to focus properly. It is exponential. The ideal focus for a training or playing session feels the following way:

  • You forget time and enter a flow state
  • Your mind needs no reminder to focus on the next move - it just does it automatically
  • Thoughts of groceries, to-do lists, and appointments don't even pop up
  • Even the hardest position doesn't feel like a hard task - your brain just does its best to find a good move

Imagine training and playing with that level of focus consistently. That’s what I want to help you achieve as well.

How to Rate Your Focus

Having a low focus score isn’t something to be ashamed of—it’s a huge opportunity. So try to assess this as honestly as possible.
A 0.5 score would mean There is nothing I could ever do to have a better focus score during chess training.
Let’s start from this optimal 0.5 and then detract points with a few questions:

  1. Healthy Mind:
    • Do you sleep 7+ hours daily, exercise daily, and eat a balanced diet?
    • If you fail all of them, subtract 0.2. Failing one? Subtract 0.1.
  2. Doing One Thing at a Time:
    • When you study chess, do you fully commit? Do you only have one tab open, fully focus on chess, and your mind never drifts?
    • If your mind wanders, subtract 0.1.
  3. Eliminating Distractions:
    • Do you avoid all interruptions—no notifications, no phone, no emails?
    • If not, subtract another 0.1–0.2.

Most of us score low here, but again, that’s a huge opportunity. The lower your score, the more room you have to grow—and the bigger the payoff when you fix it. Thanks to the right study habits and a decent sleep, exercise, and nutrition routine, you can increase your focus exponentially. This will not only help your chess—it will enhance any activity you pursue. That’s why in Next Level Training, I start with a section on how to study anything, which will help you improve your focus, build the right habits, and stop wasting time.

Training Chess the Right Way

Most of Next Level Training focuses on the second part of the How: the process of training. Again, a perfect score would mean:
Even if a Grandmaster Coach sat next to me during training, my methods couldn’t be improved.
And here’s how to assess your methods, starting with a perfect 0.5 score, then detracting points:

  1. Tactics:
    • Do you calculate fully and write down your solution before checking the answer?
    • If not, subtract 0.1–0.2.
  2. Openings:
    • Do you learn openings with plans and ideas, or do you feel lost when your opponent deviates from theory?
    • Understanding plans = great. Blind memorization = subtract 0.1.
  3. Game Analysis:
    • Do you analyze all of your games, identify your mistakes, and understand why you made them and how to avoid them in the future?
    • No thorough game analysis? Subtract 0.1. Sporadic or nonexistent game analysis? Subtract 0.2.

A low score isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a sign of potential. Remember, going from 0.1 0.2 will 2x your chess improvement!

How You Compare: An Overview of Scores

The Pro (0.8–1.0)

This is how I managed to improve more than many other professionals, with only 2–3 hours of training per day. Exponential improvement with less time!

Better than almost anyone (0.5–0.7)

This is my initial goal for you with Next Level Training. If you’re busy but focused, this level will already transform your improvement. Then, you can slowly improve and go towards the Pro score.

Red Flag (0–0.4)

If this is your score, don’t worry. You’re in good company—more than 80% of chess improvers are stuck here. That’s why so many are frustrated despite putting in dozens of hours. It’s not that you’re broken; your habits just aren’t optimized. Nobody taught you how to focus or study chess the right way. This is your chance to fix it. When I started working with David, he spent ~30 hours a week on chess, but his How score was a red flag. Now, he spends a third of the time with a good enough score and gained 70 rating points in just 2 months.

How You React Is Your Choice

You might feel exposed or frustrated reading this. That’s okay. Feeling this way means you’re ready for change. Imagine finally breaking through your plateau. Imagine a training plan where every hour counts, and your results speak for themselves. Imagine walking into 2025 with a clear roadmap for success. That’s what happens when you focus on the How. It’s not about working harder—it’s about working smarter. A few simple changes can unlock the progress you’ve been chasing.

What Is Your How Score Really?

Let me know your updated how score in the comments. Be honest and assess your average chess training how score, not your perfect day score. Next week, I will focus on the third part of the equation: how to put consistent time into your chess improvement. See you then.

Keep improving,
Noël

PS: This article was originally published on my own website, nextlevelchess.blog. You can click here to read 150+ articles for free over there.

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