Thanks for watching. More ways to gain rating points via my award winning video on The Ways to Make Better Moves ruclips.net/video/JnA-5qPDq7s/видео.html!
10. Avoid barriers (keeping an open mind) - 1:25 9. Take chess lessons - 3:50 8. Play speed games - 5:24 7. Learn your standard opening sequences - 7:56 6. Learn how to play endgames by "analyzing carefully" instead of "hand-waving" - 9:22 5. Go over annotated games - 13:25 4. Repetitive study of easy tactics - 18:10 3. Review games with ... after your slow games - 20:09 2. Play slow games - 21:16 1. Analyze with strong players - 23:23
Thanks. Without looking at the video again, would #6 better be "learn how to play endgames by analyzing carefully" and not "hand-waving" rather than "learn endgames" which implies things like memorizing the Lucena position, which is not what I suggested.
@@danheismanchess I've updated it. Just recently bought your tactics book, looking forward to reading it after I finish "A guide to chess improvement". Of all the chess material I've read, yours has been the clearest and easiest to understand. I believe if I follow your advice, I should be able to advance to the next 1200 level.
Very useful information. I’m 1400 and what increases my understanding is when readings chess book, I highlighted the most important ideas or lessons within each chapter. I repetitiously master those ideas until I can explain it to myself. That allows me to develop questions to ask when playing. With Opening Traning I use the MCO and go through all the line until I know them by memory. Then I study the opening in the opening book to understand the reason or ideas behind the move. Then I use the computer to make random moves that not cover in the book and figure out why the computer responded to this move. Most of the time it and position mistakes. I have been beaten A players and below. It seen there are knowable in the opening and then strength slowly deteriorate in the middle game,
@@danheismanchess Book list for one, for I have a lot of books but most are over my head. There is the fact that there is so much info out there you helped to narrow it down.
You can check out my Recommended Books on my website www.danheisman.com/recommended-books.html and the Recommended Book List page (linked near the top the page I just gave)
You recommended doing a lot of easy tactics, but what about training calculation and getting better at keeping all the variations straight in your head when visualizing lines during sharp complex positions or difficult tactics? I find that to be just as important as recognizing motifs. Any advice?
Just because one thing is helpful doesn't mean another thing is not. What you don't want to do is study things that are not appropriate to help you get to the next level, like a 2nd grader studying calculus (except there they would know it's not helpful & in for adult chess players, they unfortunately understand almost any chess material, even if it's so high level that it can be counterproductive). So, depending upon your level, of course you should practice visualization, both in slow games and doing puzzles of all levels. Once you get to about 1500 FIDE then you want to augment doing basic tactics with also doing intermediate tactics in a book like Coakley's Winning Chess Exercises for Kids (the best intermediate book, IMHO, and of course not just for kids). Hope this helps.
After seeing that the Trebuchet position is drawn no matter which side has the move, it's interesting to note that if you shift the entire position down one rank, now Black's winning no matter whose move it is, because the "dance around" ideas no longer work.
If I understand you correctly, it's not the "mutual zugzwang" Trebuchet position which is drawn (it's not) but the position that has the potential to get to the Trebuchet position that I start with (in the diagram). Apologies if I misunderstand... But yes, understanding when the "dance around" idea ensures the draw vs when the dance around is not effective (say, due to what I call the "Tic-Tac-Toe" rule in my King and 1 Pawn vs King videos) is important
Regarding barriers, I can relate to getting anxiety playing online, in person, etc...if playing vs computers helps avoid that stress then is that really a bad option for learning? understanding computers are not optimal and dont play like an organic human...but seems to me they're still good for thought process and minimizing one move blunders. And then regarding chess lessons, i take them and they're great highly recommended. but are there signs you should pause lessons and then continue them when you're closer to breaking through to the next level?
This is a better skype/phone conversation via danheisman.com than a short youtube answer. If your goal is to eventually mostly play computers (due to stress or whatever) then playing computers is OK. If your goal is to play humans than playing humans "correlates better" to your improvement needs than playing computers. But playing computers is much better than not playing at all. One main problem with the breakthrough logic, though it can apply in many cases, is that it leaves you open to getting into bad habits. But if that is not a concern then sure, pausing lessons for any reasonable reason is quite, well, reasonable :)
One thing I've found that's good for beating anxiety is to participate in rapid arena tournaments on lichess. Each tournament goes on for an hour, once you get rolling its a lot of fun. You stop worrying about each individual game because you know you'll get a series of games in and that it will all be over in an hour. If you find yourself quickly losing, then just resign and get another game started. If you get a winning streak going, it really boosts your confidence.
Thanks for watching. More ways to gain rating points via my award winning video on The Ways to Make Better Moves ruclips.net/video/JnA-5qPDq7s/видео.html!
10. Avoid barriers (keeping an open mind) - 1:25
9. Take chess lessons - 3:50
8. Play speed games - 5:24
7. Learn your standard opening sequences - 7:56
6. Learn how to play endgames by "analyzing carefully" instead of "hand-waving" - 9:22
5. Go over annotated games - 13:25
4. Repetitive study of easy tactics - 18:10
3. Review games with ... after your slow games - 20:09
2. Play slow games - 21:16
1. Analyze with strong players - 23:23
Thanks. Without looking at the video again, would #6 better be "learn how to play endgames by analyzing carefully" and not "hand-waving" rather than "learn endgames" which implies things like memorizing the Lucena position, which is not what I suggested.
@@danheismanchess I've updated it. Just recently bought your tactics book, looking forward to reading it after I finish "A guide to chess improvement". Of all the chess material I've read, yours has been the clearest and easiest to understand. I believe if I follow your advice, I should be able to advance to the next 1200 level.
The best video I've seen yet on chess improvement! Thanks! 👏🏻
Thanks! Pass the word. Your comment is worth a tweet at my Chess Tip of the Day twitter.com/danheisman :)
Thank you for all this great content!
You are most welcome :)
Very useful information. I’m 1400 and what increases my understanding is when readings chess book, I highlighted the most important ideas or lessons within each chapter. I repetitiously master those ideas until I can explain it to myself. That allows me to develop questions to ask when playing. With Opening Traning I use the MCO and go through all the line until I know them by memory. Then I study the opening in the opening book to understand the reason or ideas behind the move. Then I use the computer to make random moves that not cover in the book and figure out why the computer responded to this move. Most of the time it and position mistakes. I have been beaten A players and below. It seen there are knowable in the opening and then strength slowly deteriorate in the middle game,
Great. If something is working for you, that's valuable. Glad to be of service :)
Just what I needed to hear. Thanks.
Which parts were the ones you most needed to hear? Thanks, much appreciated. Pass the word (trying to get to 1,000+ subscribers) :)
@@danheismanchess Book list for one, for I have a lot of books but most are over my head. There is the fact that there is so much info out there you helped to narrow it down.
You can check out my Recommended Books on my website www.danheisman.com/recommended-books.html and the Recommended Book List page (linked near the top the page I just gave)
You recommended doing a lot of easy tactics, but what about training calculation and getting better at keeping all the variations straight in your head when visualizing lines during sharp complex positions or difficult tactics? I find that to be just as important as recognizing motifs. Any advice?
Just because one thing is helpful doesn't mean another thing is not. What you don't want to do is study things that are not appropriate to help you get to the next level, like a 2nd grader studying calculus (except there they would know it's not helpful & in for adult chess players, they unfortunately understand almost any chess material, even if it's so high level that it can be counterproductive). So, depending upon your level, of course you should practice visualization, both in slow games and doing puzzles of all levels. Once you get to about 1500 FIDE then you want to augment doing basic tactics with also doing intermediate tactics in a book like Coakley's Winning Chess Exercises for Kids (the best intermediate book, IMHO, and of course not just for kids). Hope this helps.
Wonderful video. Thanks for doing this.
Thanks, much appreciated. Pass the word (trying to get to 1,000+ subscribers) :)
After seeing that the Trebuchet position is drawn no matter which side has the move, it's interesting to note that if you shift the entire position down one rank, now Black's winning no matter whose move it is, because the "dance around" ideas no longer work.
If I understand you correctly, it's not the "mutual zugzwang" Trebuchet position which is drawn (it's not) but the position that has the potential to get to the Trebuchet position that I start with (in the diagram). Apologies if I misunderstand... But yes, understanding when the "dance around" idea ensures the draw vs when the dance around is not effective (say, due to what I call the "Tic-Tac-Toe" rule in my King and 1 Pawn vs King videos) is important
@@danheismanchess Yes, sorry, I meant the starting position that you diagrammed, not the Trebuchet position itself.
Regarding barriers, I can relate to getting anxiety playing online, in person, etc...if playing vs computers helps avoid that stress then is that really a bad option for learning? understanding computers are not optimal and dont play like an organic human...but seems to me they're still good for thought process and minimizing one move blunders. And then regarding chess lessons, i take them and they're great highly recommended. but are there signs you should pause lessons and then continue them when you're closer to breaking through to the next level?
This is a better skype/phone conversation via danheisman.com than a short youtube answer. If your goal is to eventually mostly play computers (due to stress or whatever) then playing computers is OK. If your goal is to play humans than playing humans "correlates better" to your improvement needs than playing computers. But playing computers is much better than not playing at all. One main problem with the breakthrough logic, though it can apply in many cases, is that it leaves you open to getting into bad habits. But if that is not a concern then sure, pausing lessons for any reasonable reason is quite, well, reasonable :)
Very practical advice, thank you very much. And thanks for these great videos!
One thing I've found that's good for beating anxiety is to participate in rapid arena tournaments on lichess. Each tournament goes on for an hour, once you get rolling its a lot of fun. You stop worrying about each individual game because you know you'll get a series of games in and that it will all be over in an hour. If you find yourself quickly losing, then just resign and get another game started. If you get a winning streak going, it really boosts your confidence.
Great video, thanks!!
Thanks, much appreciated. Pass the word (trying to get to 1,000+ subscribers) :)
You inspire me!
Thanks! Glad to help :)