#1
>(1) Is it better to use a physical board/online board (like lichess board editor)/try to memorise moves in your head etc etc?
>(2) how do you best learn from a book if you only have limited free time in the day?
While using a physical board is best, it takes time to transcribe a move to the board, and in (2) you said you have limited time. Also, transcribing variations to a physical board takes even more time because either you have to use multiple boards or put the position back to the main variation.
Hence, I'd recommend finding a PGN for whatever book you are using. The most popular books have such PGNs available in multiple locations on the web. I have a number of these books in studies on Lichess. You can import the PGN to a study. You can then enter any variations, and it will then be easy to get back to mainline.
>(3) are there any other handy tips you would also recommend when learning by yourself?
I assume "by yourself" means without a teacher/coach/mentor. In learning any complex subject, best is to find a mentor. Such a relationship is very different from a teacher/coach. It is not easy finding such a person and building that relationship, but it is worth it. However, assuming you are not going to do that, then I'd suggest finding a group of people (say a team here on Lichess) that is friendly and helpful.
P.S.
My studies for books:
>(1) Is it better to use a physical board/online board (like lichess board editor)/try to memorise moves in your head etc etc?
>(2) how do you best learn from a book if you only have limited free time in the day?
While using a physical board is best, it takes time to transcribe a move to the board, and in (2) you said you have limited time. Also, transcribing variations to a physical board takes even more time because either you have to use multiple boards or put the position back to the main variation.
Hence, I'd recommend finding a PGN for whatever book you are using. The most popular books have such PGNs available in multiple locations on the web. I have a number of these books in studies on Lichess. You can import the PGN to a study. You can then enter any variations, and it will then be easy to get back to mainline.
>(3) are there any other handy tips you would also recommend when learning by yourself?
I assume "by yourself" means without a teacher/coach/mentor. In learning any complex subject, best is to find a mentor. Such a relationship is very different from a teacher/coach. It is not easy finding such a person and building that relationship, but it is worth it. However, assuming you are not going to do that, then I'd suggest finding a group of people (say a team here on Lichess) that is friendly and helpful.
P.S.
My studies for books:
By limited time, the op may have been wondering about how to cut some reading activity into worthy chunks.
It is not clear whether a given cake slice will be satisfactory. When not knowing how does one actually digest material from reading. in such a complex topic a chess (the psychology of learning chess is not a done deal). Also perhaps some books are more amenable to such limited time windows per day or week. by the way the content is chopped up (or grouped, same thing).
And such study system as the prior poster has created, maybe itself be adaptable by its strong table of content effort, and could actually help in choosing what to read or not.
It is not clear whether a given cake slice will be satisfactory. When not knowing how does one actually digest material from reading. in such a complex topic a chess (the psychology of learning chess is not a done deal). Also perhaps some books are more amenable to such limited time windows per day or week. by the way the content is chopped up (or grouped, same thing).
And such study system as the prior poster has created, maybe itself be adaptable by its strong table of content effort, and could actually help in choosing what to read or not.
jomega--- This is brilliant!! Do you take requests? Can you do Gelfer's book next? [It has great games and topics but the publisher made the diagrams tiny.] I've been trying something like jomega is suggesting: taking interesting games, inserting my comments, then opening books and putting in what annotaters say that I missed and finally turning on the computer and going thru 1 more time. I dont know if what comes out would help anyone else, but I feel that the effort of doing it has helped me. -Bill
books of games, and other books. Personally, I like book excerpts by topics. If there could be some wide net anthology per topic somewhere, or even a comparative review of takes on same notions (even if different terminology were used, with some reviewer license to group things together), that would be a great way to read by notions. Focusing on what is currently foreign to you, to avoid boredom or nice cover disappointment.
I am not sure that books can really do that. It seems to me that hyperlink technology (what would that be...?) is a good hat where such things may happen.
I would also promote the virtue of discussions about books to find out the friction points, or discourse articulation faster than by following the authors line of presentation. Often authors will spend more time on what was difficult to them, and less on what they already know and have digested long ago, but a discussion with multiple angles and levels of experience is likely to bring highlights and some kind of reading map, if you later intend to read thoroughly.
That may be my quirk in how I learn, given the little (but non-negligible) time I can put.
Learn by doing with a book on one hand, a board (physical and digital), on another, and the internet on the other. I find lichess has a good learning section. And, again, there are study gems (and sets of integrated studies) by members where you can build a dosed regimen of reading interspersed with activities, as other have pointed out, learning about how you learn is helpful, and we know more about that than 50 years ago. I am still on the learning side myself. I will always be actually.
I am not sure that books can really do that. It seems to me that hyperlink technology (what would that be...?) is a good hat where such things may happen.
I would also promote the virtue of discussions about books to find out the friction points, or discourse articulation faster than by following the authors line of presentation. Often authors will spend more time on what was difficult to them, and less on what they already know and have digested long ago, but a discussion with multiple angles and levels of experience is likely to bring highlights and some kind of reading map, if you later intend to read thoroughly.
That may be my quirk in how I learn, given the little (but non-negligible) time I can put.
Learn by doing with a book on one hand, a board (physical and digital), on another, and the internet on the other. I find lichess has a good learning section. And, again, there are study gems (and sets of integrated studies) by members where you can build a dosed regimen of reading interspersed with activities, as other have pointed out, learning about how you learn is helpful, and we know more about that than 50 years ago. I am still on the learning side myself. I will always be actually.
#1:
Don't try to "learn" chess and memorize as much as possible. Chess is a game, it is neither a language nor a craft.
Regarding your specific questions it depends. I solve puzzles (tactics and also endgames) on a physical board, because after staring at a position on the screen my eyes are tiring faster. Apart from that I am mainly using SCID (free database program).
And regarding books I would also make my own notes and check them later with a stronger player (for instance Stockfish).
Some general advice: lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/advice-for-1300-to-advance-my-game#7
Don't try to "learn" chess and memorize as much as possible. Chess is a game, it is neither a language nor a craft.
Regarding your specific questions it depends. I solve puzzles (tactics and also endgames) on a physical board, because after staring at a position on the screen my eyes are tiring faster. Apart from that I am mainly using SCID (free database program).
And regarding books I would also make my own notes and check them later with a stronger player (for instance Stockfish).
Some general advice: lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/advice-for-1300-to-advance-my-game#7
I guess if you're going on a boring holiday and you're all out of romantic fiction, a chess book might be the way to go. :)
#14 @swimmerBill
I don't take requests but I'm always interested in hearing about books people found useful.
Bill Wall has the PGN for Gelfer's book "Positional Chess Handbook: 495 Instructive Positions from Grandmaster Games".
Here are links to Mr. Wall's web page and a direct link to that PGN.
http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/
http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/collections/Gelfer%20-%20The%20positional%20chess%20handbook.pgn
I don't take requests but I'm always interested in hearing about books people found useful.
Bill Wall has the PGN for Gelfer's book "Positional Chess Handbook: 495 Instructive Positions from Grandmaster Games".
Here are links to Mr. Wall's web page and a direct link to that PGN.
http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/
http://billwall.phpwebhosting.com/collections/Gelfer%20-%20The%20positional%20chess%20handbook.pgn
Don't overdo. The benefit is rather small - don't expect too much from books.
#18 @jomega It seems that http (not s) links to files do not proceed anymore. So I found out in a recent thread. And there are many links in that page. here i am trying the workaround with chrome context menu (it worked in the other thread).
billwall.phpwebhosting.com/collections/Gelfer%20-%20The%20positional%20chess%20handbook.pgn
Edit: alas, here lichess does interpret this as a link prefixing https and so end up with safety page. To get the file, text select only (DO NOT CLICK), rigtht-click the selection, and in chrome at least, use the context menu item that starts with "Go To..." not the "open link ...."
billwall.phpwebhosting.com/collections/Gelfer%20-%20The%20positional%20chess%20handbook.pgn
Edit: alas, here lichess does interpret this as a link prefixing https and so end up with safety page. To get the file, text select only (DO NOT CLICK), rigtht-click the selection, and in chrome at least, use the context menu item that starts with "Go To..." not the "open link ...."
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