NL Loki's Chess Improvement and Motivation Thread
12-05-2016
, 11:21 AM
Day 57
(12/1/2016)
It's the first day of december and I finally finished Vol. 3 of the Marin book. Luckily I paid around $400+ for the caro and semi slav book to be fully inputted into PGN.
I've learnt some important lessons while studying opening lines, I will talk about this on a later post and apply said concept to my remaining 2 Marin English books. I will also write/share in detail my repertoire on this thread, I'm not really worried about people knowing it because those books are well known anyway.
Day 58
N/A
Day 59
Still in the middle of my WSOP circuit grind, unfortunately couldn't play the state blitz because I had to play day 2 of a WSOP event
Day 60
Finally got backed to 2100 on 1 0.
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1836659077
Also received a good chunk of the Caro book which is good, now that I will have two book soon covered and can use my memory skills to really get the critical lines done.
Day 61
Have less than 40 days now (39 to be exact), so things aren't looking good. With some concentration and hardwork (abeit with a work schedule), I can still fit in maybe around 300 hours of preparation. I will detail a plan to how to allocate those work times.
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1839715970
A 3 0 blitz game that I should in no way be losing, after getting such a good position. Unfortunately this means my tactics need alot of refreshing and I will probably dedicate a good portion of hours to that.
(12/1/2016)
It's the first day of december and I finally finished Vol. 3 of the Marin book. Luckily I paid around $400+ for the caro and semi slav book to be fully inputted into PGN.
I've learnt some important lessons while studying opening lines, I will talk about this on a later post and apply said concept to my remaining 2 Marin English books. I will also write/share in detail my repertoire on this thread, I'm not really worried about people knowing it because those books are well known anyway.
Day 58
N/A
Day 59
Still in the middle of my WSOP circuit grind, unfortunately couldn't play the state blitz because I had to play day 2 of a WSOP event
Day 60
Finally got backed to 2100 on 1 0.
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1836659077
Also received a good chunk of the Caro book which is good, now that I will have two book soon covered and can use my memory skills to really get the critical lines done.
Day 61
Have less than 40 days now (39 to be exact), so things aren't looking good. With some concentration and hardwork (abeit with a work schedule), I can still fit in maybe around 300 hours of preparation. I will detail a plan to how to allocate those work times.
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1839715970
A 3 0 blitz game that I should in no way be losing, after getting such a good position. Unfortunately this means my tactics need alot of refreshing and I will probably dedicate a good portion of hours to that.
12-08-2016
, 01:41 PM
I have around 300 hours, but probably less, to efficiently use.
I think there's generally three main area of focus: opening, tactics and endgame.
I just think the opening is a must, it naturally leads into middlegame with an associated plan. Playing black especially is important to know the critical variations because it's alot less forgiving than being white (who alot of the times, is punished by an equal game when playing a suboptimal moves).
A few things I learnt from doing the Volume 3 is that inputting side variations into your PGN is an insane hassle and it is best to be selective to decide what to put if at all. Unless it is highly forcing lines such as the sharpest variations of the sicilian dragon/nadjorf, you can get away with no knowing the 10th move alternative to some rarely played lines. Especially with English, the lines aren't forcing anyway. Furthermore, it's best to focus on responses the opponent is likely to play. Expecting them to play some weird critical line that involves a sacrifice or weird moves with non standard ideas (Na6, Qd7, g5 in some of the lines I studied in 1. c4 c5) is probably NOT worth the time to going over, especially you are likely to never meet them in your life, at least not against sub 2400s. Most players, including strong GMs will tend to play natural moves or the moves that makes most sense to a plan (they are rarely gonna do something like ...e6 then suddenly change plan with ...g6, weakening their dark squares).
In terms, of my white repertoire, I'm going through Volume 2 of the Marin English book which I think is the most relevant. Volume 3 is abit less useful (I've spent like 30 days on that!
) because it deals with 1. c4 c5 which is pretty rare to begin with. In volume 2, I will quickly go through Anti Slav lines (chapter 2-11), Anti QG and QGD line (12-25) and theres one chapter addressing each the other bigs (Grunfield, KID, Dutch, Owen). Volume 1 (1. c4 e5) I'll do after because some of the lines involve either the Botvinnik system or lines that are unlikely to be played. I did however, once lost a theoretical 1. c4 e5 game against a strong player that I was prepared for (cuz tactics lol, which brings me to my next section)Once I've done everything, I will go back to summarising the Volume 3 (1. c4 c5) lines.
My black repertoire is alot more memorisation but with my trusted associates overseas inputting the PGN for me, I should do fine and hopefully be done memorising before new years. I would expect a number of people would wonder into the Botvinnik variation or the Meran variation. The same goes with the classical lines of the Caro Khan. I'M USING A NOTEBOOK TO NOTE DOWN THE LINES I END UP LEARNING IN MY OPENING STUDYING TO KEEP TRACK WHAT I'VE GOT DONE.
Now this brings me to tactics. Which is just a matter of putting in hours on chesstempo (way better than chess.com tactics trainer) to keep myself sharp and endgame studies on CT-ART as well as the problems in the book, Forcing Chess is keep myself aware of the creative options that might suddenly arise. I aspect to spend maybe 1-2 per day for this, which include time while travelling to work etc.).
Endgame is a whole different beast and is something I expect to spend maybe every night looking through Muellers Videos. I will do this along with studying ICS strategy sections as a whole because the whole topic is quite strategic and intuitive in nature. The technical side is addressed by the Dovretsky's books but those are prob not that useful for me atm.
I think there's generally three main area of focus: opening, tactics and endgame.
I just think the opening is a must, it naturally leads into middlegame with an associated plan. Playing black especially is important to know the critical variations because it's alot less forgiving than being white (who alot of the times, is punished by an equal game when playing a suboptimal moves).
A few things I learnt from doing the Volume 3 is that inputting side variations into your PGN is an insane hassle and it is best to be selective to decide what to put if at all. Unless it is highly forcing lines such as the sharpest variations of the sicilian dragon/nadjorf, you can get away with no knowing the 10th move alternative to some rarely played lines. Especially with English, the lines aren't forcing anyway. Furthermore, it's best to focus on responses the opponent is likely to play. Expecting them to play some weird critical line that involves a sacrifice or weird moves with non standard ideas (Na6, Qd7, g5 in some of the lines I studied in 1. c4 c5) is probably NOT worth the time to going over, especially you are likely to never meet them in your life, at least not against sub 2400s. Most players, including strong GMs will tend to play natural moves or the moves that makes most sense to a plan (they are rarely gonna do something like ...e6 then suddenly change plan with ...g6, weakening their dark squares).
In terms, of my white repertoire, I'm going through Volume 2 of the Marin English book which I think is the most relevant. Volume 3 is abit less useful (I've spent like 30 days on that!
) because it deals with 1. c4 c5 which is pretty rare to begin with. In volume 2, I will quickly go through Anti Slav lines (chapter 2-11), Anti QG and QGD line (12-25) and theres one chapter addressing each the other bigs (Grunfield, KID, Dutch, Owen). Volume 1 (1. c4 e5) I'll do after because some of the lines involve either the Botvinnik system or lines that are unlikely to be played. I did however, once lost a theoretical 1. c4 e5 game against a strong player that I was prepared for (cuz tactics lol, which brings me to my next section)Once I've done everything, I will go back to summarising the Volume 3 (1. c4 c5) lines.My black repertoire is alot more memorisation but with my trusted associates overseas inputting the PGN for me, I should do fine and hopefully be done memorising before new years. I would expect a number of people would wonder into the Botvinnik variation or the Meran variation. The same goes with the classical lines of the Caro Khan. I'M USING A NOTEBOOK TO NOTE DOWN THE LINES I END UP LEARNING IN MY OPENING STUDYING TO KEEP TRACK WHAT I'VE GOT DONE.
Now this brings me to tactics. Which is just a matter of putting in hours on chesstempo (way better than chess.com tactics trainer) to keep myself sharp and endgame studies on CT-ART as well as the problems in the book, Forcing Chess is keep myself aware of the creative options that might suddenly arise. I aspect to spend maybe 1-2 per day for this, which include time while travelling to work etc.).
Endgame is a whole different beast and is something I expect to spend maybe every night looking through Muellers Videos. I will do this along with studying ICS strategy sections as a whole because the whole topic is quite strategic and intuitive in nature. The technical side is addressed by the Dovretsky's books but those are prob not that useful for me atm.
12-10-2016
, 11:50 AM
Day 66
So the good news is that my poker playing is probably over for the rest of the year, as I finished my WSOP series with no cash. So this means I get to spent all my time on chess now
The bad news is now I pretty much have no money for coaching and need to find a way to go to New Zealand to play the Zonals.
Been a while since getting back to battling 2200s...
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1846830121
Pretty instructive I think, you don't usually see c4 push in a french like line, but I evaluated that light square weakness is more pressing than central pressure on d4. The whole game was pretty "Russian-like" in that I prophylactically reduced counterplay until my opponent runs out of moves and have to make concession
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1847325194
https://www.chess.com/news/aronian-s...ndon-lead-4295
I tend to read quite a few chess articles and even in super GM level, they often forget their preparation and just play into losing lines (see Nakamura v So)
I also keep getting Botvinnik lines in my Semi Slav, its about time I started prepping for these...
Hard to play such highly theoretically and sharp lines in 3 0
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1846822267
Need to start prepping for weird responses like this inferior 5. e3
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1847306640
So the good news is that my poker playing is probably over for the rest of the year, as I finished my WSOP series with no cash. So this means I get to spent all my time on chess now
The bad news is now I pretty much have no money for coaching and need to find a way to go to New Zealand to play the Zonals.Been a while since getting back to battling 2200s...
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1846830121
Pretty instructive I think, you don't usually see c4 push in a french like line, but I evaluated that light square weakness is more pressing than central pressure on d4. The whole game was pretty "Russian-like" in that I prophylactically reduced counterplay until my opponent runs out of moves and have to make concession
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1847325194
https://www.chess.com/news/aronian-s...ndon-lead-4295
I tend to read quite a few chess articles and even in super GM level, they often forget their preparation and just play into losing lines (see Nakamura v So)
I also keep getting Botvinnik lines in my Semi Slav, its about time I started prepping for these...
Hard to play such highly theoretically and sharp lines in 3 0
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1846822267
Need to start prepping for weird responses like this inferior 5. e3
https://www.chess.com/livechess/game?id=1847306640
12-14-2016
, 10:36 AM
Day 70
Didn't get the study load I wanted to get in, which was disappointing.
A few other coaches were absent so I had to fill in for their classes, so at least I got extra pay
Did do an hour of CT Art tho... mainly on combinations, but I was doing much better than my friend, who while, is a strong 2100, were struggling with visualising some of the variations on the board.
Didn't get the study load I wanted to get in, which was disappointing.
A few other coaches were absent so I had to fill in for their classes, so at least I got extra pay
Did do an hour of CT Art tho... mainly on combinations, but I was doing much better than my friend, who while, is a strong 2100, were struggling with visualising some of the variations on the board.