Hey, I want to know if I'm on the right track the way I'm studying chess • page 1/4 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

Hey, its summer vacation still and I decided to take a chess training spree. I've created this account specifically for this and have been studying in the most optimal, yet gruesome, way I know how too. I study a good 40-60 hours a week alongside work.

I've written a study on every single game for three weeks and all I play is classical chess. There are over 20 incredibly detailed studies as of this point. I take a minimum of 15 seconds per move, unless I already went down all of the lines while my opponent was thinking. Now I'm going back through the studies, reading my notes and adding a "What I learned" category which is a summary of the key idea's I learned in the game. I always send a copy of the study to the person I played asking for help. Commonly I go on the chess forms and ask if they have any advice on specific games only after I completed my analysis and ask questions and verify with every comment. I haven't been focusing much on the tactics trainer, only doing about a hundred training puzzles during that time.

And yes, I wrote all of the studies so other people could read them because I was sending them to other people. Is there anything else anyone can recommend me to optimize this, other than sleep? It's one in the morning when I posted this.

https://lichess.org/study/2uJ7HllV

Hey, its summer vacation still and I decided to take a chess training spree. I've created this account specifically for this and have been studying in the most optimal, yet gruesome, way I know how too. I study a good 40-60 hours a week alongside work. I've written a study on every single game for three weeks and all I play is classical chess. There are over 20 incredibly detailed studies as of this point. I take a minimum of 15 seconds per move, unless I already went down all of the lines while my opponent was thinking. Now I'm going back through the studies, reading my notes and adding a "What I learned" category which is a summary of the key idea's I learned in the game. I always send a copy of the study to the person I played asking for help. Commonly I go on the chess forms and ask if they have any advice on specific games only after I completed my analysis and ask questions and verify with every comment. I haven't been focusing much on the tactics trainer, only doing about a hundred training puzzles during that time. And yes, I wrote all of the studies so other people could read them because I was sending them to other people. Is there anything else anyone can recommend me to optimize this, other than sleep? It's one in the morning when I posted this. https://lichess.org/study/2uJ7HllV

tpr edited

#2

"unless I already went down all of the lines while my opponent was thinking"
Do not go through lines while your opponent is thinking, go through general strategic ideas instead.
You do not know what move your opponent is going to play, so it is pointless to calculate.
Calculating on your opponent's turn forces you to see one move deeper away from the board position.
This leads to blunders.
Also calculating non stop leads to fatigue. Alteration calculation during your turn and then general thoughts during opponent's turn gives you a break.

"a study on every single game"
Only analyse lost games. It is more efficient.

"I haven't been focusing much on the tactics trainer"
Maybe you should. Tactics are very important.

"I study a good 40-60 hours a week alongside work"
Looks like too much.

"unless I already went down all of the lines while my opponent was thinking" Do not go through lines while your opponent is thinking, go through general strategic ideas instead. You do not know what move your opponent is going to play, so it is pointless to calculate. Calculating on your opponent's turn forces you to see one move deeper away from the board position. This leads to blunders. Also calculating non stop leads to fatigue. Alteration calculation during your turn and then general thoughts during opponent's turn gives you a break. "a study on every single game" Only analyse lost games. It is more efficient. "I haven't been focusing much on the tactics trainer" Maybe you should. Tactics are very important. "I study a good 40-60 hours a week alongside work" Looks like too much.

DthNcnt

#3

@tpr, quick question from a weak player. Why analyze just the games you lost? I understand it means you outplayed your opponent, but analyzing a won game may show you a hidden detail you missed the first time through, or am I thinking incorrectly? Or do you analyze every game as a lower rated player and only lost once you reach higher levels? Sorry for the confusion.

tpr

#4

There is a natural tendency to analyse your won games and drool over your own magnificent play. Mistakes in won games do not stick: all is well that ends well, so the mistake was not consequential.
Analysing a loss is more rewarding. You made mistakes and these cost you the game. So analyse thoroughly. The chess mechanism, but also the circumstances: time used, wrong thoughts, … You will then better remember the mistake and hopefully not repeat it.

There is a natural tendency to analyse your won games and drool over your own magnificent play. Mistakes in won games do not stick: all is well that ends well, so the mistake was not consequential. Analysing a loss is more rewarding. You made mistakes and these cost you the game. So analyse thoroughly. The chess mechanism, but also the circumstances: time used, wrong thoughts, … You will then better remember the mistake and hopefully not repeat it.

ChessGodExtreme

#5

Quit studying and only do tactics.

CM Pawnstructures

#6

Both won and lost games should be analyzed regardless. How did you handle the critical moments, how was your time management? What kind of mistakes did i do. Did i loose any tempos in the opening and why? Creating this kind of checklists gives more structure to the hard work you put in. There is nothing wrong with hard work but efficient work is more important, quality beats volume. Regards Richard

bunyip

#7

I was a reasonably successful junior player...I'm now well past that age,so i offer this...while your opponent is deciding his move,use that interval to ask yourself "if he moves there,what is he aiming for,and what can i do to head him off?"
You can run through a fair few possibilities...and the longer he takes,the more you can get through.
Another way is to ask yourself "if i were him,what would i do next?" Then think about how to take advantage or defend.There is a good chance of anticipating him this way if you are about equal players.
@tpr said"You do not know what move your opponent is going to play, so it is pointless to calculate."
Excellent advice.

I was a reasonably successful junior player...I'm now well past that age,so i offer this...while your opponent is deciding his move,use that interval to ask yourself "if he moves there,what is he aiming for,and what can i do to head him off?" You can run through a fair few possibilities...and the longer he takes,the more you can get through. Another way is to ask yourself "if i were him,what would i do next?" Then think about how to take advantage or defend.There is a good chance of anticipating him this way if you are about equal players. @tpr said"You do not know what move your opponent is going to play, so it is pointless to calculate." Excellent advice.

CM Sarg0n

edited

#8

Tactics trainer is overrated as well. Playing chess is no accumulation of stop-and-go tactical problems.

10 Play Game
20 Analyze
30 GOTO 10

Tactics trainer is overrated as well. Playing chess is no accumulation of stop-and-go tactical problems. 10 Play Game 20 Analyze 30 GOTO 10

bunyip

#9

A famous soldier once said "The best battle plan in the world collapses as soon as the first shot is fired"

hungarydog

#10

@TheSunBurnsMyEyes, While respectful of your approach, I must echo @tpr and @ChessGodExtreme
and recommend a huge focus on tactics training as the foremost way to learn and grow. You are seeking the most important scenarios to study and evaluate, and that's precisely what tactics are -- the most critical, most interesting, make-it-or-break it situations with an optimal move. Treat them as moments in a classical game where you will deeply absorb and consider the physics at play. Lichess does a superb job in the entire experience, in particular the integrated analysis board, to answer all of you "what if" questions. Take full advantage of the amazing opportunity!

(as copied from an earlier forum post I wrote...) "I heard GM Nigel Short recommended two hours of tactics training per day, instead of live play. That's been my investment and priority over the past year, ever since I heard him say that. I still need to start playing blitz again to my growth reflected in rating. Based on my serious lichess tactics study (on other accounts too), I also boosted my chess.com tactics rating from 1200 to 2200 over that time. I very highly recommend a total emphasis on tactics, it brings out FAR more dimensions of the game than you've seen in blitz!"

I can't stress enough how much my understanding and interpretation of the game has evolved in that year; it's incomparable. I have definitely done over 10,000 of them total and I generally evolved from 1600 to 2200 in lichess tactics in that time. I admit I still "have to" retrofit that into an updated live rating for the process to be complete, but I don't find that part as compelling as the tactical exercises themselves, where again, every one has a specific realization to be enjoyed. I am happy to discuss more if you are interested.

@TheSunBurnsMyEyes, While respectful of your approach, I must echo @tpr and @ChessGodExtreme and recommend a huge focus on tactics training as the foremost way to learn and grow. You are seeking the most important scenarios to study and evaluate, and that's precisely what tactics are -- the most critical, most interesting, make-it-or-break it situations with an optimal move. Treat them as moments in a classical game where you will deeply absorb and consider the physics at play. Lichess does a superb job in the entire experience, in particular the integrated analysis board, to answer all of you "what if" questions. Take full advantage of the amazing opportunity! (as copied from an earlier forum post I wrote...) "I heard GM Nigel Short recommended two hours of tactics training per day, instead of live play. That's been my investment and priority over the past year, ever since I heard him say that. I still need to start playing blitz again to my growth reflected in rating. Based on my serious lichess tactics study (on other accounts too), I also boosted my chess.com tactics rating from 1200 to 2200 over that time. I very highly recommend a total emphasis on tactics, it brings out FAR more dimensions of the game than you've seen in blitz!" I can't stress enough how much my understanding and interpretation of the game has evolved in that year; it's incomparable. I have definitely done over 10,000 of them total and I generally evolved from 1600 to 2200 in lichess tactics in that time. I admit I still "have to" retrofit that into an updated live rating for the process to be complete, but I don't find that part as compelling as the tactical exercises themselves, where again, every one has a specific realization to be enjoyed. I am happy to discuss more if you are interested.