Monthly Chess Progress Report • page 1/1 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

IM jackwemedge

For the more detailed version of this post, previous weekly reports, book reviews, and essays, refer to flements.wordpress.com

On March 3, 2020, I restarted to practice chess seriously. That makes 27 days, almost four weeks, not counting today. My weekly goal was practicing chess for 25 hours (which I could never fulfill, but it usually pushed me to my limits), and that didn’t include online blitz games, blogging, rest time, etc. Before getting into the analysis of the first month, I will recap the last week.

Weekly Chess Progress Report #4

According to my daily logs, the following chart describes my performance during the week (orange color being planned hours (goals), the blue color being hours of actual practice during the week).

https://imgur.com/Jl43e0C

Openings: 300 mins. Calculation: 90 mins. Analysis: 0 mins. Other: 360 mins. Total: 750 minutes ~ 12.5 hours.

https://imgur.com/kccvYHx

Blitzing on Lichess

By far, this is the worst week. I spent most of my time on lichess, playing blitz games, and sometimes wasting my time on ultrabullet tournaments. What I can be satisfied with is my rating gain (about 150 points, passing 2640). My blitz strength has always been weak, but now, I am at ease with beating GMs (and certainly with losing as well).

https://imgur.com/n9a4jEC

But the problem is, I am oriented in gaining rating on lichess, instead of practicing chess. Bullet or ultrabullet games are certainly waste of time. And blitzing the whole day, while sacrificing the deliberate practice time for it, is unhealthy in the long run. So, I should either limit the time spent on lichess, or never play a game until I really long for it.

I returned back to being lazy with the training of my calculation. That’s the second sin. I know that this laziness is temporary, that’s why I don’t criticize myself much.

Blogging

I wrote only one post during the last week, which wasn’t a fantastic writing, but I consider it being my best essay by far. I could finally put my thoughts and feelings on a topic that had been bothering me for a good while.

Monthly Chess Progress Report

I don’t know where to begin. Very disappointing was my attempts to discipline myself. I created various schedules, plans, and tried to follow a specific routine. There were some signs of improvement here and there, but overall, I couldn’t manage to achieve what was very crucial.

I have already noted how discipline is vital for determination. The more you want something, the more disciplined you should get; there are no shortcuts. But how to get disciplined? From my personal experience, I know that meditation helps, but rarely I could make myself stop and do nothing.

Starting slowly to build habits was a failure, just like starting to tyrannically integrate them. I didn’t prepare for my university exams which are going to take place very soon (while typing this, I am still unprepared), and not doing what is necessary to get done is making me depressed.

Chess Practice

According to my daily logs, the following chart describes my performance during the month (orange color being planned hours (goals), the blue color being hours of actual practice during the month).

https://imgur.com/T2HgzxI

Openings: 1240 mins ~ 20.5 hrs. Calculation: 510 mins ~ 8.5 hrs. Analysis: 600 mins ~ 10 hrs. Other: 1740 mins ~ 29 hrs. Total: 4090 minutes ~ 68 hours.

https://imgur.com/FEaz3Cf

I have completed the book by Jacob Aagaard – Excelling at Chess (EverymanChess 2002), and written down my takeaways from the book that I found interesting. I am proud of my summarizing the book. As I can easily answer the question “What did you learn from this book?”, simply by revisiting my notes. And it doesn’t matter how many years after this question will (or will not) be asked. The new knowledge I have gained is now cemented in my brain.

Also, one good rule that I struggled with, and was proud when I succeeded following, was this: “Start no more new books. Focus only on one thing at a time.” Again, Henry Miller’s commandments rock.

Openings & Calculation

The amazing chart above clearly illustrates how I was unable to put enough effort into the areas that I was the weakest at. I progress very slowly while trying to build my Sicilian repertoire with Black pieces. I also know that a difficult task is waiting for me in the future (I want to add 1.d4 with White pieces to my opening repertoire as well, and revise my Nimzo-Indian against 1.d4). But I don’t want to be in a hurry. It is better to do quality work than to be fast. As a Chinese proverb says: “Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” Though I cringe while bringing some motivational quotes.

About other areas, I don’t want to repeat myself much. Calculation needs to be trained more seriously by my side, and of course, I need to take a look at other important aspects of the game as well (which I do, by the way, even if I don’t specify it in my daily logs).

Blogging

I have written eight blog posts until this moment (this one not included), three weekly reports, one book review, and four other essays about chess and my outlook about chess improvement. Writing is difficult, and typing down reports seem like a burden at times. But I know that if reports are evil, then they are necessary evil. Taking a look back, I am sure that I will regret each missing report in my chess progress history.

Though I would like to blog more (not only write reports, book reviews, essays, but also analysis of openings, endgames, specific positions, etc. It’s a chess blog in the end). And soon, I am sure that I will begin streaming on lichess. It could be now as well, but the Smiths would question “How soon is now?”

What Next?

For the second month I can have some specific goals to track my progress more precisely. The list below might be incomplete, but it also mentions only what is very necessary.

#1 Build the Sicilian Repertoire with Black Pieces
Which means not only studying the lines by heart, but also analyzing games, studying pawn structures, middlegames, endgames arising from each line, and practicing the new opening online.

#2 Pass the University Courses
I have already decided to not do any Master’s degree abroad. It was a tough decision, but now I feel like it is correct one. My mind is not bothered by the tasks related to the application procedure. But it doesn’t mean that I can simply not study my university courses. I don’t want to prolong my academic year, and get stuck at the university for one more semester. Everything sounds logical.

#3 Meditate
I am sure that if meditation becomes my habit, then all the good things will happen. All the issues related to self-discipline will cease to exist, and I will be more productive. But it is the best-case scenario. I can’t guarantee anything. I am not a refrigerator producing company.

#4 Limit(ing) Lichess
The funny thing is, my worst post (according to my precise evaluation) is called Limiting Chess. The premise there I couldn’t accomplish, and it turns out, now I need to limit my online blitzing for some time. I know that my lichess rating is a great approximation whether I really improve or not, nevertheless, one doesn’t need to play hundreds of blitz games to be sure of his progress.

#5 Study Fischer
I am currently reading Elie Agur’s amazing book Bobby Fischer: his approach to chess. Some qualities of Fischer (such as aggressiveness) will be essential for me to develop, in order to improve my game. Though I will have to refer to more books for that (such as, Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Part 4), and I also find shame in not studying the World Champions in detail till now (which I am planning to do during this year).

For the more detailed version of this post, previous weekly reports, book reviews, and essays, refer to flements.wordpress.com On March 3, 2020, I restarted to practice chess seriously. That makes 27 days, almost four weeks, not counting today. My weekly goal was practicing chess for 25 hours (which I could never fulfill, but it usually pushed me to my limits), and that didn’t include online blitz games, blogging, rest time, etc. Before getting into the analysis of the first month, I will recap the last week. **Weekly Chess Progress Report #4** According to my daily logs, the following chart describes my performance during the week (orange color being planned hours (goals), the blue color being hours of actual practice during the week). https://imgur.com/Jl43e0C Openings: 300 mins. Calculation: 90 mins. Analysis: 0 mins. Other: 360 mins. Total: 750 minutes ~ 12.5 hours. https://imgur.com/kccvYHx *Blitzing on Lichess* By far, this is the worst week. I spent most of my time on lichess, playing blitz games, and sometimes wasting my time on ultrabullet tournaments. What I can be satisfied with is my rating gain (about 150 points, passing 2640). My blitz strength has always been weak, but now, I am at ease with beating GMs (and certainly with losing as well). https://imgur.com/n9a4jEC But the problem is, I am oriented in gaining rating on lichess, instead of practicing chess. Bullet or ultrabullet games are certainly waste of time. And blitzing the whole day, while sacrificing the deliberate practice time for it, is unhealthy in the long run. So, I should either limit the time spent on lichess, or never play a game until I really long for it. I returned back to being lazy with the training of my calculation. That’s the second sin. I know that this laziness is temporary, that’s why I don’t criticize myself much. *Blogging* I wrote only one post during the last week, which wasn’t a fantastic writing, but I consider it being my best essay by far. I could finally put my thoughts and feelings on a topic that had been bothering me for a good while. **Monthly Chess Progress Report** I don’t know where to begin. Very disappointing was my attempts to discipline myself. I created various schedules, plans, and tried to follow a specific routine. There were some signs of improvement here and there, but overall, I couldn’t manage to achieve what was very crucial. I have already noted how discipline is vital for determination. The more you want something, the more disciplined you should get; there are no shortcuts. But how to get disciplined? From my personal experience, I know that meditation helps, but rarely I could make myself stop and do nothing. Starting slowly to build habits was a failure, just like starting to tyrannically integrate them. I didn’t prepare for my university exams which are going to take place very soon (while typing this, I am still unprepared), and not doing what is necessary to get done is making me depressed. *Chess Practice* According to my daily logs, the following chart describes my performance during the month (orange color being planned hours (goals), the blue color being hours of actual practice during the month). https://imgur.com/T2HgzxI Openings: 1240 mins ~ 20.5 hrs. Calculation: 510 mins ~ 8.5 hrs. Analysis: 600 mins ~ 10 hrs. Other: 1740 mins ~ 29 hrs. Total: 4090 minutes ~ 68 hours. https://imgur.com/FEaz3Cf I have completed the book by Jacob Aagaard – Excelling at Chess (EverymanChess 2002), and written down my takeaways from the book that I found interesting. I am proud of my summarizing the book. As I can easily answer the question “What did you learn from this book?”, simply by revisiting my notes. And it doesn’t matter how many years after this question will (or will not) be asked. The new knowledge I have gained is now cemented in my brain. Also, one good rule that I struggled with, and was proud when I succeeded following, was this: “Start no more new books. Focus only on one thing at a time.” Again, Henry Miller’s commandments rock. *Openings & Calculation* The amazing chart above clearly illustrates how I was unable to put enough effort into the areas that I was the weakest at. I progress very slowly while trying to build my Sicilian repertoire with Black pieces. I also know that a difficult task is waiting for me in the future (I want to add 1.d4 with White pieces to my opening repertoire as well, and revise my Nimzo-Indian against 1.d4). But I don’t want to be in a hurry. It is better to do quality work than to be fast. As a Chinese proverb says: “Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” Though I cringe while bringing some motivational quotes. About other areas, I don’t want to repeat myself much. Calculation needs to be trained more seriously by my side, and of course, I need to take a look at other important aspects of the game as well (which I do, by the way, even if I don’t specify it in my daily logs). *Blogging* I have written eight blog posts until this moment (this one not included), three weekly reports, one book review, and four other essays about chess and my outlook about chess improvement. Writing is difficult, and typing down reports seem like a burden at times. But I know that if reports are evil, then they are necessary evil. Taking a look back, I am sure that I will regret each missing report in my chess progress history. Though I would like to blog more (not only write reports, book reviews, essays, but also analysis of openings, endgames, specific positions, etc. It’s a chess blog in the end). And soon, I am sure that I will begin streaming on lichess. It could be now as well, but the Smiths would question “How soon is now?” What Next? For the second month I can have some specific goals to track my progress more precisely. The list below might be incomplete, but it also mentions only what is very necessary. #1 Build the Sicilian Repertoire with Black Pieces Which means not only studying the lines by heart, but also analyzing games, studying pawn structures, middlegames, endgames arising from each line, and practicing the new opening online. #2 Pass the University Courses I have already decided to not do any Master’s degree abroad. It was a tough decision, but now I feel like it is correct one. My mind is not bothered by the tasks related to the application procedure. But it doesn’t mean that I can simply not study my university courses. I don’t want to prolong my academic year, and get stuck at the university for one more semester. Everything sounds logical. #3 Meditate I am sure that if meditation becomes my habit, then all the good things will happen. All the issues related to self-discipline will cease to exist, and I will be more productive. But it is the best-case scenario. I can’t guarantee anything. I am not a refrigerator producing company. #4 Limit(ing) Lichess The funny thing is, my worst post (according to my precise evaluation) is called Limiting Chess. The premise there I couldn’t accomplish, and it turns out, now I need to limit my online blitzing for some time. I know that my lichess rating is a great approximation whether I really improve or not, nevertheless, one doesn’t need to play hundreds of blitz games to be sure of his progress. #5 Study Fischer I am currently reading Elie Agur’s amazing book Bobby Fischer: his approach to chess. Some qualities of Fischer (such as aggressiveness) will be essential for me to develop, in order to improve my game. Though I will have to refer to more books for that (such as, Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Part 4), and I also find shame in not studying the World Champions in detail till now (which I am planning to do during this year).

llNexll

This is the first time I see someone publishing such reports, but actually I find it to be a great idea.
I do think that this exercice will help you adding structure to your training and reaching your goals.

I encourage you to keep doing that.

I can't wait to read the next one :).

This is the first time I see someone publishing such reports, but actually I find it to be a great idea. I do think that this exercice will help you adding structure to your training and reaching your goals. I encourage you to keep doing that. I can't wait to read the next one :).

IM jackwemedge

@llNexll Thank you for your support. You will have to wait for one month till the next one ;)

COOLIO79

Really cool that you are doing this. I think it is great to set difficult goals because it pushes you to your limits. You also said you wanted to work on a d4 repertoire and I would recommend the colle system as it is a solid and aggressive d4 opening (since you also mentioned wanting to become more aggressive).

IM jackwemedge

@COOLIO79 Thank you for your recommendation. I have also been advised to play the London System which is very similar to Colle (with the difference of queenside bishop). I guess I would like to learn the main lines of 1.d4 first and then add both systems to my repertoire. Though I suspect starting to study the "systems" first would be more effective.