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This is the last in the series of articles written on this subject by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess.
I had now acquired the services of a noted chess trainer who seemed to understand both my deficits in chess understanding and some of the personality difficulties that were holding me back in my pursuit of chess improvement. After some examination of recent games I’d played in over-the-board tournaments, it was time to clearly identify areas needing change.
The first and most significant factor to be corrected was the overall passivity of my chess. An overhaul of my opening repertoire was needed. Recommended were the Classical Sicilian Defense and King’s Indian as Black, as well as switching to 1. e4 as my first move when playing White. Of course, it became clear that I would need a number of ideas and lines against all of Black’s possible replies. I was provided with some (not a lot) of theory to look over and begin to learn, but I should stress here that an opening repertoire was not the priority. Much more was (and is still) needed.
The second primary weakness was a glaring lack of knowledge of chess fundamentals. My endgame play was very weak, my tactical skills were mediocre, and my positional understanding was rudimentary. A variety of lessons were planned and conducted on these aspects of chess, and I was given “homework” ranging from annotating positions and continuations to working with positional exercises in one of my trainer’s books. I needed to better understand basic endgame theory and to unlearn the mistaken notion that I could figure it out over the board when the time came. This was a silly belief, of course, but one that I had developed out of my laziness. In a similar vein, I would often select a move that “looked good” without calculating subsequent variations – I would just “see what my opponent came up with” and go from there.
The third identified difficulty was a negative attitude towards myself as a person, my capabilities in chess, and my positions in every game. My trainer pointed out that many times I had already lost the game from the beginning, because my early moves allowed the opponents to do pretty much whatever they wanted. Psychologically, I feared conflict, and I gave far too much power to my opponents and their ratings. During games, I could readily see strong moves and plans that my opponent could play, but I saw only the defects in my own position. For this I was encouraged to play games online, 5-10 minutes per game, as a way to practice openings and get an idea of how they feel to play. Moreover, the mantra “make a threat with every move you can” was added to my chess mentality, and we even analyzed these blitz games for signs of old thinking and improvement.
There are many other aspects of this plan that I could share, but these three areas of struggle and the resulting change plans have been quite successful. I find myself thinking more in terms of making threats and putting pressure on my opponents. I am gradually learning some of the opening variations and the ideas behind them – although there is much, much more to learn before I can play any of them competently. I have noticed less anxiety when playing higher rated players online, and I even seek out stronger players as a challenge. I have won a number of games by executing some of my improved endgame knowledge, and I can recommend studying the endings as a way to pick up wins – even in equal or losing positions. Instead of “giving up” on a game when I blunder or end up in a bad position, I am succeeding in fighting and even winning a few. There are relapses into old ways sometimes, but now at least I know what to correct and how to go about it.
Greg Delaney is Life Member of USCF who returned to chess in 2005 after a three decade hiatus from the game he loves. He is an educator, club player, and student of IM Yelena Dembo. For fun, he blogs about chess and his work to improve as a player.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of Wholesale Chess. We welcome open discussion on all aspects of chess on the Wholesale Chess Blog. If you would like to be a guest author on our blog, please contact us at marketing@wholesalechess.com.
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National Master Kayden Troff wrote this chess book review for Wholesale Chess.
Chess Book: How To Reassess Your Chess
How to Reassess Your Chess is one of the most important chess books that you could own for the improving chess player! If you don’t have this in your chess book library then you are really missing out! It takes the beginning chess player’s narrow vision to a whole new world of how to win. Most beginners only think about material advantage on the chess board, or tactically cool ways to defeat their opponent.
How to Reassess Your Chess describes in a very simple way that there are seven different ways to win a chess game and material advantage is only one of them. This means that if you are behind in material it is not time to raise your hands in surrender; it is time to buckle down and fight with the other 6 ways to win! And if you don’t know them Read more �
Written by guest author Greg Delaney for Wholesale Chess.
One thing I have come to learn about chess is that every game, first and foremost, provides each player a series of problems to solve. In the broadest sense, every single position during a game is a problem solving opportunity. The winner of the game is the player who more successfully deals with the difficulties created during the contest. Challenges during a chess game range from general (“how can I get my queenside pieces out?”) to very specific (“How can I prevent my opponent from placing his knight at d5?”). There may be great urgency (“she threatens mate in one – what should I do?”) or a lull in the action (“no threats in his last move – how can I better my position?”). I think that chess is like life in this regard. Each day brings a new set of challenges and problems to overcome, with some being minor, some major, and some needing immediate attention.
It makes sense, I think, to look at how we solve problems in “real life” as a way Read more �
Wholesale Chess Book & Chess Software Sale
From now through July 11 we’re celebrating our chess books and chess software sale! We’ve marked down dozens of titles today, with more titles to be discounted throughout the week as the sale progressses. Watch for saving of 10%, 20%, 30%, and even 40% off your favorite chess books, chess dvds and chess software.
Of course – it wouldn’t be Read more �
Ever wondered what sort of historical chess events occured in 1969? This information was compiled by Bill Wall.
In 1969, the top U.S. players were Bobby Fischer (2745), Sam Reshevsky (2604), Larry Evans (2587), Pal Benko (2583), and Robert Byrne (2530). There were 12,580 members of the United States Chess Federation (USCF).
In November, 1969, Chess Review merged with Chess Life, to become Chess Life and Review.
In 1969 the chess Oscar went to Boris Spassky, who also won it in 1968.
In April, 1969, the first U.S. High Read more �
The following post about chess masters was compiled by Bill Wall
Most chess masters become masters by learning the game of chess at an early age. Seldom does a player become a master after learning the game later in life. There are a few exceptions. However, most strong masters began at a very early age.
Former world champion Jose Capablanca began to play chess at the age of four. He wrote that he learned chess by watching his father play when he had just passed his fourth birthday. He even beat his father in his first game at age four.
Former world champion Anatoly Karpov was taught the moves of chess when he was Read more �
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All About Thursday Chess Deals
Every Thursday you’ll find two great chess deals at www.WholesaleChess.com available only for orders placed online on that Thursday from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm PST. The Thursday Chess Deals change from week to week but the savings are always significant! Thursday Chess Deals are limited to stock on hand and no rain checks or back orders will be allowed. Customers may choose to purchase one or both of the Thursday Chess Deals but will be limited to a maximum of one of each item per Thursday. Orders containing a Thursday Chess Deal are not eligible for any other promotions requiring a promo code or PriceMatches. Thursday Chess Deals are only available for the item listed. No substitutions of product, color, size, etc., will be allowed.
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