Got to finally play the strongest regular last night again. I lost, although I did put up a decent fight trying to hang on even after ending up in a losing endgame. I really missed a couple of easy things during the critical few moves of the games. On one of the moves I even burned tons of clock and never saw a likely repetition. Very strange but I guess this stuff happens to me every game. I also came up with a plan and then forgot to play the main move - I was trying to make a different move work (if it worked then I think it would be better) and then I think I completely forgot about the main move, :/.

As penance I finished the woodpecker method today. Very happy with my results although so far I don't really think it's helping my play - if anything I think it's impeded my play since I'm a bit burned out from doing this intensive studying all week!

The Woodpecker Method Final Results:

cycle 1: 40 hours, 87% (book)
cycle 2: 18 hours, 92% (book)
cycle 3: 10:30 hours, 92% (chessable)
cycle 4: 7 hours, 92% (chessable)
cycle 5: 4:51, 96% (chessable)
cycle 6: 3:17, 98% (chessable)

I am definitely glad I didn't wait for the 7th cycle to do it all in one day. I took Monday off for this but since I was working from home today and things were slow I went for it. Now I can possibly take Monday off completely.

I'm at a bit of a loss for what major thing to concentrate on now that I've been through The Woodpecker Method. I've been watching Yusupov's video series on prophylaxis. Very enjoyable and I try to "actively learn" during it but who knows how helpful it actually is.

Here is a list of the stuff I have "on deck" in one way or another. It is always daunting but I'd really like to get to all of it...

Opening:
- Review my repertoires X number of times per week or month via chessable
- Start learning the London System via The Agile London System on chessable
- Learn additional Hyper Accelerated Dragon lines on chessable (additional options vs. Maroczy Bind and 7.Bc4)
- Play blitz games or rapid games and go over the opening in each one, adding to my current files as applicable

Middlegame (positional/strategic):
- Finish Gelfand's Positional Decision Making (only have 1 chapter left).
- Finish all non-opening chapters of Yusupov book I put on hold (11 chapters)
- Finish 45 chess techniques book (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IIWM64A...ng=UTF8&btkr=1) perhaps put many into flashcards or try to get it put on chessable (or do it myself) for periodic review
- Start Hellsten's Mastering Chess Strategy

Endgame:
- Go through 100 endgames you must know on chessable again, taking all of the tests
- Start Dvoretsky's endgame manual on chessable
- Start Aamteur to IM
- Start Hellsten's "Mastering Endgame Strategy"
- Train endgame positions file vs. an engine from Pump Up Your Rating

Tactics:
- Review Woodpecker set every 6 weeks via chessable
- Do advanced Woodpecker problems via chessable
- Review "Improve your chess tactics: 700 practical lessons & exercises" and do the exam problems via chessable
- 1001 beginner tactics via chessable
- chesstempo (not logged in to work on doing easy tactics quickly)

Calculation:
- Chesstempo standard: hard problems that will take 5+ minutes
- Chess Puzzle Book via chessable
- Analysis homework (pick a game in one of my openings and write down my moves for one side)

Other:
- Figure out a better system for analyzing my own games
- Create a "flashcard" system where I put any important positions from my games or study materials into a flashcard database. Perhaps even putting them all on chessable to study routinely
- Watch Yusupov and Dvoretsky videos on chess24 that I haven't watched
- Start Zurich 1953
- Start Modern Chess Strategy

Just "fired" my chess coach. I finally just got too tired of trying to get him to be a different coach than he is. I think if he wasn't at University and coaching was a higher priority it would have worked out much better.

Frustrating, since at this point I feel he has seen and discussed so many of my games that it will be hard for any new coach to be as helpful - but I just don't want to do all the work in between lessons in terms of scheduling, asking Qs, homework, discussing what I can do for my weaknesses, etc. etc. I understand I need to do all the actual chess work but I want someone who can take a more active role in guiding/encouraging/discouraging me.

If I had to summarize the biggest issues, it's that I want help knowing:

a) what my weaknesses are
b) guidance on how to work on them
c) guidance on my general work plan between lessons/over time
d) opening advice (or other advice) tailored towards what would fit *me* well - not just opening(s) my coach knows better
e) general encouragement and positive reinforcement

Every time I tried to ask him about any of these things, he'd provide me with helpful advice, but I always had to spend a bunch of energy asking and often felt he never really understood what I wanted. E.g. He'd give me opening advice but it wouldn't really make much sense with my repertoire and/or didn't seem to follow what my play style is/should be. Tbh, I still have never gotten a satisfactory answer as to what he feels my strengths are in terms of play style. I think he said once I seem good at attacking...but it's too vague. I understand for weak players style may be somewhat irrelevant, but, after seeing so many of my games I really want somewhat "objective" insight into things like this that is very difficult to figure out for myself.

Up until recently I think I was more okay with just having a coach to make sure I didn't quit chess (e.g. like having a trainer in the gym just to make sure you show up). However, I don't think I need one for that any longer and even though the lessons were good, my life has too much going on to never know when the next one would be.

I've reached out to 4 coaches, 3 responded more or less immediately. From my last coach a big issue was not being able to promptly get back to me. And this was an issue even when I first contacted him - so getting quick responses is a great sign.

I seem to be looking at slightly more expensive coaches. I've realized I don't end up having a lesson each week and I'd really like a coach who can do more proactively for me. More $ doesn't necessarily guarantee this but I may end up being more impressed with them - we'll see.

In the meantime I'm sick and kind of wallowing through Thinking Inside The Box - which I bought on Forward Chess with a $10 off coupon. I thought it was only for Qualitiy Chess books but it might have been for any. In which case I guess I could have gotten something else but I've spent too much time with a pirated version of this book and feel I need to buy it at this point - and it's a good book to just read and not necessarily have to work hard on.

There is a new chess book out called "Applying Logic in Chess" The author recommends less time spent on tactics and more time spent playing tournament games and analyzing them (for the player wanting to improve). I found it interesting because this book is the first that I have seen where the author doesn't recommend you bang out tactic problems. One thing I have learned from reading this book is that I don't have the level of dedication or commitment to get better at this game.

Yeah that book looks very interesting and the author was recently on the US Chess' cover stories podcast (which is no perpetual chess podcast but still good) and was very interesting.

I'd love to read the book but it will have to wait while I spend more time on tactics .

New coach update:

I've had two trial lessons (may do a 3rd but it would be next week). I think I like the cheaper, younger, slightly weaker coach better - but I have a lot in common with the other one. He is also definitely somewhere on 2p2 as he plays poker for a living. But he seemed like a massive opening specialist and I'm not completely sure he will be as good at explaining ideas/moves - he seems like a very intuitive player and can find a bunch of interesting ideas in my games but I think I'm still too weak for that to be more useful than simply finding the most glaring mistakes and working on them.

kingstalker - does the book have a system on how to analyze your game and/or what takeaways to track and/or how to train to fix them?

He's been on Chess Life's podcast recently:

October Cover Stories with Chess Life, Featuring IM Erik Kislik

Edit: Well, I guess it does help to first read all replies. I did provide the link, though. So my post isn't 100% redundant after TY had already mentioned his being on the podcast.

I've never had a coach, and I don't really see how one could benefit me at a reasonable bang/buck. I (as well as - in my opinion - any other <2000 FIDE or so amateur) have so many weaknesses that working on any one of them will benefit me. And this work will have to be done by myself either way, coach or no coach.

In my experience, people who vehemently recommend (sometimes to the point of mandating) that you must have a coach to improve are either:
1.) Chess Coaches (who have a vested financial interest of convincing you to spend money on their profession)
2.) People who have paid for coaching and have "buyer's justification" (or whatever the opposite of buyer's remorse is called, where you refuse to admit that what you spent money on wasn't really worth it in the end).

I'm obviously aware of the fact that never having had a coach doesn't really put me in a position to make such a bold claim, but I've seen this behaviour (and have experienced it myself, too) play out in other areas.

If you don't see how one could benefit you then, yes, of course it's silly to get one.

However, there are quite a few reasons I'm pretty sure you can understand (but may think don't apply to you or aren't very valuable) for having a coach:

1) Accountability - similar to a fitness trainer, just showing up to work out or have a chess lesson with them will add pressure/motivation on the person to do their homework, play better in a game, or whatever.

2) They can help you come up with a study plan. Again, like a good fitness trainer will set you up with a good program. This can be easily done by the student but many get it wrong or "program hop" a ton and don't focus in.

3) Identifying weaknesses. There very well may be weaknesses/holes for someone that they simply are unable to see and an outside 3rd party needs to identify them

4) General encouragement/challenges - essentially there is someone who is hopefully helping encourage you when appropriate and be harsh on you when helpful. It is very easy as a player to do too much of either or do them poorly

5) Chess culture/exposure. A good coach likely has tons more experience than you and has stories/examples/ideas that can be explained in a way which you can grasp better than in a book or video or whatever.

6) At the very least you have someone to work on chess with and bounce ideas off of. I'd love to have a chess study partner or group but they basically don't exist in my area and I don't really know of any online ones that seem to actually be active or work. E.g. there are chess.com groups for tons of things but I can't tell if it really consists of like-minded players who I can do similar studying with and try to grow alongside.

Ultimately, for me personally I initially got a coach to have fun lessons and help keep myself interested in chess so I didn't spend 2 months studying, miss a few days, then quit.

Now, I'd like one who can help identify weaknesses and guide my training/studying properly. I am sure I'm jumping to studying things somewhat more randomly than I should and/or need that person to be looking over things fairly regularly and saying "yes, keep doing this" or "hey, sounds like you should take a break from this one thing and do this other thing."

I view it like having a piano teacher if I wanted to learn the piano. Either starting our or at a certain point I'm sure I'd just give up if I was trying to learn the piano - most people have a teacher even though they obviously shouldn't need one. There are many methods and resources for just teaching yourself how to play the piano.

Thanks for correcting my laziness!

Yes.

My chess has felt stagnant the last couple of months. Only played 3 rated games in November that were 30+5s delay. Lost over 30 rating points there. Then last month went 2-2 in 4 games, losing for only the second time on the year to a player under 2000 (the other time I was quite sick).

39 slow rated OTB games - 2051 performance rating
3 slow unrated OTB games - 2328 performance rating
3 rapid rated OTB games - 1682 performance rating
Did quite a few homework training things from pervious coach
Finished Yusupov book 8
Finished Thinking Inside The Box
Finished The Woodpecker Method
Finished Small Steps to Giant Improvement
Got a new coach - if nothing else I'm pumped about chess after our lessons which is a great sign.
Did lots of other stuff I'm sure.

Against < 2000 players my performance is something like 2150 and it's in the 1900s vs. > 2000 players. Looking to change that in the next few months!

Ok, working on some goals. Have a 2nd kid coming ~ May so goals will just be through April. Something like:

12 slow rated OTB games
Some other games?
Go through Excelling at chess calculation
Go through a bunch of GM Preparation calculation
Some other stuff? I dno, maybe throw out my tracking spreadsheet b/c it just lists infinite things I should be studying and is completely overwhelming.

Congrats on the kid! Hope we both do well in chess this year!

Thanks! No clue who you are. Well, maybe Loki? I dno. Either way let's gogogo in 2019!

Lost first game of the year to 2220 player. I saw all of the ideas that would have been good to play but then didn't play any of them and when I finally did it was so late I was in trouble and then I made one automatic move (the one move I was convinced was strong somehow) only to realize later I still could have salvaged things likely by thinking a bit. So, I've noticed the last few games my decision making is off and/or I'm just kind of confused no matter what the position is.

So, my coach recommended the following, which I'm going to implement for the next game:

I'll look at these "rules" when I sit down before every game I play:

1) Deliberately determine what kind of decision the move requires (following Aagaard's 4 types in TITB):
- automatic move (spend time looking for other ideas!)
- positional (3 questions)
- critical (take at least 10 mins)
- strategic (take at least 10 mins)

2) If I've taken less than 10 minutes on a move, before playing a move, look to the corner of the room and then double-check my decision and move I'm making

3) If I've taken 10 minutes or longer, physically get up and walk around the room, specifically remembering the candidate moves I've considered and their pros/cons. Then work on making a good decision (not necessarily more calculation/strategic thinking) before playing the move.

2019 goals through April

Wife is expecting in May so I imagine I will have very different goals for the rest of the year...

12 OTB games + 1hr review
16 "formal" training games vs. Magnus age 13 (30+10 time control) + 20m review
32 15+10 online training games + 10m review
100 studies
300 tactics

As long as I'm on track for these, I can study whatever else I want to. Which could be a lot since for Xmas and my birthday I got:

American Chess Magazine
Afek's studies book
Kramnik's past manager's book

And still have:
2 Gelfand Books
1 Yusupov book left
2 Hellsten Books
Several endgame books
Zurich 1953 book

More I'm sure I'm forgetting at the moment. lol. Yay chess!

Hm... while it is still your move? Is that not frowned upon in the US? :O

My coach asked the exact same thing. I get up all the time and walk around on my opponent's move and I get up to go to the bathroom a bajillion times/game.

This is at the local chess club and if I'm walking around the room in full view of everyone I'm not really sure what the issue could be. At large tournaments with prize money I could perhaps see it being an issue leaving the board on your own move. But I always assumed it was okay too and people just didn't do it often.

I'm pretty sure I've done this before but usually it is when I'm very nervous as I am winning or I think my opponent may have blundered - I immediately get up sometimes and walk a circuit around the room to calm myself down. No one has ever said anything but I haven't done this very often, maybe a couple of times.

Btw, I've never heard of any rule that you can't get up from the board and walk around. Just rules that you can't discuss your game or consult a computer, other board, book, etc.

Yeah, technically OK as far as I know, but if someone does it often, at the very least their opponent might wonder wtf they are doing and it could become a problem (more so at large tournaments)

Yeah, they might wonder right away wtf I'm doing but they can wonder whatever they want!

The more I've thought about this I'm pretty sure I have done this before anyway, even at a large tournament - e.g. gotten up and refilled my water. No one has ever mentioned it.

Keep in mind my plan is to not do this every move or whatever but on moves I take 10 minutes or more on. So maybe 2-3 decisions per game. And I'll be away from the board for ~30 seconds when I do it, in full view. I think my opponent won't even wonder too much, it will be obvious I'm simply "taking a break" from a long think.

Hey Yugo, nice blog and gl in 2019

As you have been grinding Woodpecker method on Chessable for some time, what do you think about it, how much did you improve with it ?

Thanks!

I like it quite a bit - it is an ideal book to train via chessable. I have one major caveat:

You really need to try to think through the problems and see all the important lines, not just the 1 chessable tests you on. I have to admit I'm a bit guilty of just memorizing the one tested line (or move). But to train pattern recognition you need to recognize all the important patterns every time.

As for how much have I improved. My rating graph would say I got worse . I have no idea how much it will end up helping me, my hope is quite a bit. I think in some ways I have studied too many different things too hard recently and when I'm actually at the board there is some fatigue. Do I look for tactics, do I calculate, do I consider position options, etc. But if you say there is a tactic I think I'm much more likely to find it.

I assumed it might help my blitz but after a very small sample I'm not sure that's the case. But, since I think my decision making at the board is going through a transformation right now it's hard to know what any specific training is truly doing.

If I did/do it again I'd start with a smaller set (I did all easy and intermediate problems). I feel like I put in so much time and the grind wasn't worth whatever I got out of doing so many problems rather than a couple hundred less.

Training results for January:



Note that the total time spent does not include:
-time going over chess news or browsing through games
-blitz games

It does include time for OTB games, review of games and lessons I have.

Green means i'm on track with my goals, which are (by end of April):
-1 study/day
-10 tactics/day
-32 online training games (15+10)
-12 OTB games
-16 "formal" Play Magnus games (age 13, 30+10 time control)*
-60 minutes/day on chess

*I have to admit I've been playing Magnus 11 and 12 and often not formally.

Right now the compositions I'm doing are from a "random" file my coach sent me - mainly studies by a very early composer named Kaminer. Some of them are definitely wrong.

I have the new Afek studies book coming some time in February but in the meantime anyone think it's worth it for me to do these studies instead: https://www.chessable.com/studies-fo.../course/19170?

I probably am just looking for an excuse to buy stuff...

Also, I am interested in possibly trying out the Trompowsky - I had a lesson with this guy and his book looks good too - https://www.chessable.com/break-the-.../course/19063/. Any thoughts on that?

Played three games on Sunday (60+30). Won the first, lost the next two. Feel like crap. Already felt a bit off/stressed about chess but I seem to be making bigger and more mistakes than 1 or 2 years ago. Perhaps the impending 2nd kid is affecting me in the back of my mind more than I realize and I'm feeling a lot of pressure when I'm playing.

My last few games I go into it reminding myself to make actual decisions, not just think for 5-10 minutes and then make a move based on "what I thought the longest about" or "well, not sure what to do, will play this" or talking myself into a move. But actually thinking through my candidate moves, comparing them to make sure I didn't forget about a previous promising line, then looking fresh to make sure I haven't missed easy opponent resources and then making the move. I can't even do this right.

There was a series of 3 moves in the 2nd game where I even noted on my scoresheet after each move that I wasn't doing this, and I kept doing it. And guess what, all three moves were crap.

The first game I was doing this to some degree at least. Although I did completely miss a tactic that loses a pawn, which, luckily, may just be bad for my opponent. But I have to see it and not be surprised about dropping material!

PS to YKW - your post about how I should be 2100 and was already 2200 strength a few years ago is at the top of this page and that, rather than inspiring confidence, just bums me out at this point lol. So you can see where my head is at :/.