Chess for Beginners

I would like to take an informal poll as to how you learn chess. Some of the options would be:

1. A good book. (feel free to write the book’s title if it has made a difference in your training.)

2. Going over annotated games.

3. Chess videos

4. Chess teacher

5. Anything else that works for you.

Hopefully this will help beginners get ideas on resources to use for training.

Here’s my first attempt at annotating and publishing one of my games. Please feel free to leave me your comments no matter how brutal.

After a few days using the Generic Training Schedule, I have a few minor modifications to adapt it to better fit the needs of the club level chess player. The original ChessOK article was geared towards 2000+ level players who have different needs than beginners. One major difference between experts and amateurs is the importance of opening preparation at the expert class, and this focus can be seen throughout the original GTS plan. Another feature of this new version of the schedule is that the play time is spaced in such a way as to allow you to try out new ideas and openings that were covered on previous days.

In this new adaptation I have halved the opening study time and focused on endgame and tactical study time which will better address the needs of amateurs.

The end result would look something like this:

Day 1

Study Openings 1U

Solve Tactics 1U

Study Endings 1U

Study Strategy 1U

Day 2

Study Endings 1U

Solve Tactics 1U

Play 1U

Study Strategy 1U

Day 3

Study Strategy 1U

Solve Tactics 1U

Solve Endings 1U

Study Openings 1U

Day 4

Solve Tactics 1U

Study Endings 1U

Study Strategy 1U

Play 1U

In my quest for chess improvement, I have stumbled upon Markgravitygood’s excellent chess improvement blog. I recommend that you checkout his post on the generic training schedule, which is based on an article by chess trainer GM Irina Mikhailova on chessOk.

Mark’s post is exactly what I was looking for when I wrote my post on ‘My Chess Education’. I was so impressed by this training schedule, that I am going adopt it as part of my chess study routine.

Since I only have at most 2 hours per day to dedicate to chess, here is my adaptation of the schedule. If I cannot complete the daily curriculum,any topic not covered will be tackled on the next day:

Day 1

• Study openings (1hr)
• Solve tactics (30m)
• Solve strategy (30m)

Day 2

• Solve endings (1h)
• Play (30m ) either 1 G/15 or 2 G/6
• Solve tactics (30m)

Day 3

• Study strategy (30m)
• Solve strategy (30m)
• Play (30m) either 1 G/15 or 2 G/6
• Solve tactics (30m)

Day 4

• Study openings (1h)
• Solve endings (30m)
• Solve tactics (30m)

TEN OPENING RULES

1. Open with a center pawn.

2. Develop with threats.

3. Knights before Bishops.

4. Don’t move the same piece twice.

5. Make as few pawn moves as possible in the opening.

6. Don’t bring your Queen out too early.

7. Castle as soon as possible, preferably on the Kingside.

8. Always play to gain control, of the center.

9. Try to maintain at least one pawn in the center.

10. Don’t sacrifice without a clear and adequate reason. For a sacrificed pawn you must:

A. Gain three tempi, or
B. Deflect the enemy Queen, or
C. Prevent castling, or
D. Build up a strong attack.
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This Chess Course is broken down into 86 Lessons each lasting 60 minutes. Lessons should be taken a minimum of 2 times per week. The entire course lasts anywhere from 21-43 weeks.

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