OK, here's the deal: after reading every one's comments and going through some of the analysis, it has become QUITE apparent that I need to make tactics my main (only?) focus at this point in my training, since everything else flows from a strong tactical foundation . I'm now considering the Circles more seriously, but am still undecided.
So, I had been focused a lot on strategy, mainly because that was the core of my chess book library, and had relatively little training with tactics.
As I played my games, all these strategic thoughts had been floating around in my head (e.g. controlling the center, obtaining space, imbalances, finding outposts for my knights, keeping rooks on open files, etc.) but I had no idea how to implement them. I had strategic plans but not the tactical know-how to bring those plans to fruition while traversing the minefield that is the chessboard.
I've decided, in addition to going back through Wolff's Idiot's Guide to Chess as a refresher, to purchase the following books: Ray Cheng's Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy, Murray Chandler's How to Beat Your Dad at Chess, Jeremy Silman's Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner to Master, and Paul Littlewood's Chess Tactics. I might also get some type of strictly tactic puzzle book like Polgar and Truong's Chess Tactics for Champions, or a John Nunn book.
I think it's going to be important this time around for me to, instead of just studying books, play as many games as I can. I'll probably stick to FICS for now, and OTB games. I need to get out there and, like I've heard another blogger say, "push wood"! I don't think I'll ever show significant improvement without playing real games and being able to apply whatever I'm reading about.
Another thing I've learned is that I am extremely impatient, the worst attribute a chess player can have. I either see a "good move" and make it immediately, or I get a specific plan ingrained in my head and follow it regardless of the truths of the position. I need to work on the old "sit on your hands" method...I forgot who said "When you find a good move, look for a better one."
Again, thanks for all your comments guys (and girl). Your insights have helped shape my plan of improvement. A Ray Cheng left an analysis of my game against my brother in law, and if it was the author Ray Cheng, I am deeply appreciative of the time taken to help a beginner.
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10 comments:
"I'm now considering the Circles more seriously, but am still undecided."
I would recommend against doing that, at least until you've played in a number of USCF rated events and have taken some well earned lumps under tournament conditions.
de la Maza was a 1300 when he started his quest.
My take on doing "the seven circles" (and it's just my opinion) is that unless you have a naturally 'manic-obsessive' personality, undertaking the quest of the seven circles can make you a 'slave to the task.' Also, keep in mind that de la Maza was not fully employed during his quest.
My impression from a number of bloggers who have undertaken the quest is that it can end up being a stultifying exercise in futility. None of the "knights," as far as I can ascertain, has been able to come anywhere close to duplicating the dramatic success (700 points gained in 2 years) that de la Maza had with his method.
Your book list sounds like you've got pretty serious intentions about the game. Build up your foundation in basic skills before you consider setting out on the quest.
es_trick, I think you're right in as much as I have too much on my plate to attempt something as time-consuming as the Circles. Yeah I definitely have serious aspirations as a chess player. I'm not talking about getting to something over 2000, of course, but something between 1400-1800 would be great. I'd just like to be a strong club player. Unfortunately there are no actual clubs near where I live. Anyway, thanks again for your continued comments, I really appreciate them!
If you want a "taste" of circles. Take for instance, the 50 problems in How to Beat your dad at Chess. and just do them over and over ( 7 times) with increasing repetition time each pass.
Guarantee to help bring your baseline in tactics up.
blunderprone, I definitely will! Even though I don't have the time to do the "serious" circles right now, I'm going to use the problem-repetition method with the tactics problems in the books I currently have and the ones I'll be purchasing (maybe 15 minutes a day). I'm going to use the method the Knights Errant promote of repetition until I can solve all tactic problems from one book within a few seconds each, then I'll move to the next book and do the same thing, until I've gone through all my book problems. Thanks for the comments and advice! :-)
Todd,
Let me urge you not to buy "Practical Chess Exercises" until you've had a year or two of tournament experience and reached (maybe) 1200. The book assumes a degree of familiarity with certain ideas and terminology.
RC
Where do you live, btw?
I live in the SE corner of VT, not to far from lots of activity in MA, Upstate NY, NH, and MT. Snow, where the CCA is holding 3 tournaments this year.
Ray Cheng, thanks for the advice, althought I must admit, I'm a bit headstrong at times and will probably get the book anyway. Probably mainly because I really overestimate my understand of chess and now see it as a challenge to find a book aimed a little over my level still useful, but even if it won't be as helpful now as it would be when I'm rated 1200, I have the utmost confidence in your book that it will be helpful nonetheless. :-)
es_trick, I live in the northern most part of California, a few hours north of San Francisco. :-)
Hmm, CA. Huge state, in area and population. About 22% of USCF membership lives in your state --18,000 out of 80,000.
But I guess most are in the urban centers. A few hours north of SF. It's hard to grasp how big your state is, since most of us think of SF as being in 'Northern CA.'
Seems that most of the towns around here with at least 10,000 people have a chess club, small though they be.
-Eric
I did some research online and found a posting that every Thursday night for about 4 hours some chess players go to a pizza place about 30 minutes south of my town, also another one that gets together once a week about 30 minutes north.
There was a phone number but no email or website...maybe I'll call, haven't decided. Everyone with a chess club should have a blog.
30 minutes isn't that far, at least it wasn't before gas got so expensive.
Besides the small club in my town, I sometimes attend a club 45 minutes to the south of me for their monthly game/30 tournaments and have also attended another club 35 minutes to the east of me for a one game a week game/90 tournament.
There's only one guy at my club who's better than me that shows up regularly, although there have been three experts and one master who have occasionally come. Most of the people that come regularly are, in effect, getting lessons from me and the other regular who's better than me. That's the value of going farther afield -for better competition.
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