How far did you get in chess without studying? • page 2/2 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

The question is a bit vague because it is a bit arbitrary what exactly constitutes studying. For example, I myself have not followed courses or read chess books so far, but I have watched many hundreds of YouTube videos (including recordings of lectures given at chess clubs for instance by Finegold, Yermolinsky, Bok and many others), and I have played more than twenty thousand online games (probably >30'000 across all sites, admittedly, most of those are 30 second games or shorter). Many of the games that I played I have analysed with the engine and opening explorer. So while this does not fit the "classical definition" of studying, it is very much work that aims to achieve a similar result.

Courses and books offer the advantage that they present information to you in a structured way, and that they force you to commit to actively studying chess. Nonetheless, if you dedicate a lot of time to an "unstructured learning approach" (as I have in the past), you may still get to very competitive levels.

If you play for fun, there might be no need to worry about your level and then there is no reason to study.

If you play to improve, it seems rational to study actively and to go for courses, books, lectures, etc., since I would guess that those allow you to improve in the most efficient manner.

The question is a bit vague because it is a bit arbitrary what exactly constitutes studying. For example, I myself have not followed courses or read chess books so far, but I have watched many hundreds of YouTube videos (including recordings of lectures given at chess clubs for instance by Finegold, Yermolinsky, Bok and many others), and I have played more than twenty thousand online games (probably >30'000 across all sites, admittedly, most of those are 30 second games or shorter). Many of the games that I played I have analysed with the engine and opening explorer. So while this does not fit the "classical definition" of studying, it is very much work that aims to achieve a similar result. Courses and books offer the advantage that they present information to you in a structured way, and that they force you to commit to actively studying chess. Nonetheless, if you dedicate a lot of time to an "unstructured learning approach" (as I have in the past), you may still get to very competitive levels. If you play for fun, there might be no need to worry about your level and then there is no reason to study. If you play to improve, it seems rational to study actively and to go for courses, books, lectures, etc., since I would guess that those allow you to improve in the most efficient manner.

Tuck_Fheory

#12

I am a good example of a player who has never puzzled or studied engine lines/book moves.
I am trash.

I am a good example of a player who has never puzzled or studied engine lines/book moves. I am trash.

#13

b1_

#14

Studying the basics of strategy and endgames and tactics should give you the biggest rating's gain for the least effort. You'd be shocked how easy some of the concepts are, and how little "basics" material there is to get through that should get you a sizable increase in ratings.

Once a player is up on that intermediate skill plateau with the basics under their belt, which they can play with and adapt to their own style, then we can talk about the huge effort required to scale that mountain the grandmasters sit on.

Playing 20,000 games to reach 1800 rating while refusing to read a book on chess is just masochistic.

Studying the basics of strategy and endgames and tactics should give you the biggest rating's gain for the least effort. You'd be shocked how easy some of the concepts are, and how little "basics" material there is to get through that should get you a sizable increase in ratings. Once a player is up on that intermediate skill plateau with the basics under their belt, which they can play with and adapt to their own style, then we can talk about the huge effort required to scale that mountain the grandmasters sit on. Playing 20,000 games to reach 1800 rating while refusing to read a book on chess is just masochistic.

QueenEatingDrama

#15

i got this far

https://lichess.org/GaHgKeYFLIxb

i got this far https://lichess.org/GaHgKeYFLIxb

Standard_Variant_6

#16

1100 elo without studying

QueenEatingDrama

#17

breh

Tuck_Fheory