Training Plan

How to Improve Your Chess by Following a Training Plan 

Improving your chess skills requires dedication, persistence, and a structured approach. This comprehensive training plan will guide you through the necessary steps to enhance your chess abilities. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and getting better at chess will take hard work and patience.

1. Tactics, Tactics, Tactics

   • Solve at least 10 tactical puzzles daily from real game positions.

   • Practice a variety of puzzles with different forcing lines and tactical motifs.

   • Don't rush; take your time to think through all the moves and variations.

   • Study basic tactical motifs such as discovered checks, double attacks, pins, skewers, and more

2. Play Proper Games

   • Focus on games with longer time controls.

   • Choose a time control that allows you to spend 5-10 minutes on critical moves.

3. Focus on Simple Openings

   • Stick to standard, theory-light e4/d4 lines.

   • Learn the basic ideas behind each opening, following general opening principles.

   • Avoid theory-heavy and hypermodern openings as a beginner.

4. Keep a Mental Checklist

   • Consider forcing moves, threats, and tactics on every turn.

   • Evaluate piece activity, outpost squares, and potential pawn blockades.

5. Develop a Middlegame Plan

   • Evaluate the position after the opening phase.

   • Formulate a plan based on your pieces' strengths and the position's imbalances.

   • Strengthen your position until an opportunity for a concrete attack arises.

6. Study Basic Endgame Setups

   • Learn common endgame setups and themes.

   • Pick up an endgame book from the recommended list and study positions and mating patterns.

   • Study the basic themes of opposition, zugszwang, triangulation, and outflanking. These principles are not concise enough to be described in a few paragraphs

7. Analyse Your Games, Especially Losses

   • Review your games to identify mistakes and learn from them.

   • Understand the reasons behind your mistakes and develop strategies to avoid them in the future.

8. Study Higher-Level Games

   • Analyse games played by titled players.

   • Try to understand each player's plan and compare your analysis with the actual moves.

   • Use annotated game collections for guided study.

9. Follow the 20/40/40 Rule

   • Spend 20% of your time on openings, 40% on middlegames, and 40% on endgames.

10. Avoid Overreliance on Chess Engines

    • Analyse your games without an engine first, then check your analysis with an engine afterward.

11. Create and Stick to a Study Plan

    • Allocate your study time across playing games, game analysis, tactics, strategy, and endgames.

    •  In general, a beginner should spend at least seven hours a week (preferably more) studying chess in order to see tangible improvement over the course of a year. This time should be broken down studying the following:

1. (50%) Playing games: Stick to untimed games or games with slow time controls; anything 15|10 or longer.

2. (20%) Game Analysis/Study: Study your games and/or games from game collections. Identify the critical moves and review your key mistakes.

3. (15%) Tactics: Drill tactical puzzles, either online or from tactics books.

4. (10%) Strategy: Choose a good book on the middlegame/general strategy, and go through it at your own pace.

5. (5%) Endgames: Pay special attention to endgame drills!  So many games are lost unnecessarily in the endgame. 

12. Collaborate with Other Chess Players

    • Seek guidance from higher-rated players and offer help to lower-rated players.

    • Consider working with a coach or mentor.

13. Invest in Chess Books

    • Consult the recommended reading list for books on tactics, middlegames, and endgames.

    • Study one book from each category simultaneously for a well-rounded understanding of the game.