Chess Report: June '24

Chess is a skill to practice, not a test to study for.

Welcome back to Chess in Small Doses. Today I’m talking about how things are going with my chess. For sometime I’ve been moving either sideways or down. This month marks a return to focused chess work. It is time to resume my chess journey.

Of course I never really stopped so much as I lost my way. There have been some good movements and more than a few bad ones. I learn a lot from losses though. One of the things I learned is I have holes in my thought process and need to improve on my calculation. Another thing I learned is I get surprised by my opponents alternative moves or resources. My struggles prompted me to write the Simple(r) Chess series to help sort out what I was missing. Oddly enough turns out it was simple, I just had to look back to find it.

Back in time

This was me from 2020 to 2023….

I was keeping a floor around 1900 Lichess classical. I was doing Steps homework each week, playing in a slow chess game, and meeting with a coach regularly. What’s changed since then? Well, everything.

After 2023 I stopped doing regular work as I had come to the end of Step 5. Step 6 is work you do on your own. My coach and I stopped meeting as well. The life of a fully employed parent and husband also intervened. I stopped playing regularly in Lichess4545 and I got games in where I could. The results are predictable as they are frustrating to write. Essentially I took a break. To quote a GM I heard once “Chess does not like breaks.” Very true. From 2023 on, things got difficult in my chess.

Fast Forward

This is up to the end of May. I bottomed out at about 1750 Lichess, some 150-200 points below my peak. I read a lot of books during this time. Simple Chess, Silman’s Endgame Manual, Chess Tactics for Champions, How to Reassess Your Chess, and did a crap ton of Polgar Mates. However, all of my work was catch as catch can, happenstance and not purposeful (or at least it seems that way to me now).

I need a structure I can work with, but also one that is flexible enough to allow me to change when life throws me a curve. I needed to create a better plan for myself, a simpler one. I have to thank GM Noel Studer for his course and for giving me permission to do “less but better.” I also have to thank the authors of Make it Stick for reminding me that good learning is diversified, but will feel like I’m never getting enough of anything.

Refocus, Rework

Looking over my training plan I saw I didn’t really have one. I had joined the Chess Dojo but it didn’t work for me. They have a great program, and one I can recommend… provided you have the time to commit. They make it clear that this level of work is required to progress. I found the community to be amazing and engaged, but I had a very hard time fitting the work into my ever changing schedule.

So instead I tried to take little bits of everything I had learned about chess and especially about my chess to make a program that works for me and with me.

This program I’ve been practicing over the last month or so. You’ll see this month’s results below and each month going forward I’ll tell you how I’m doing. The program is based on the idea that consistency is better than intensity. It’s also based on the idea that quality is better than quantity. Lastly, it’s based on the idea that repetition and intentional practice lead to growth.

Tactics & Calculation

• Daily tactics warm up with Puzzle Storm on Lichess and Anki Flashcards

• 20 minutes of Lichess tactics

• Total session no more than 30 minutes

Strategy, Endgame, and Openings

• Study one book at a time.

• Current book: The Power of Pawns

• Study for 20-30 minutes after tactics if time allows

• Study openings only in prep for and analysis of games I play

Playing & Analyzing Games

• 1-2 Classical games each week

• Returned to Lichess4545

• Analyze games on my own and with my coach

• Take learning positions and make Anki flashcards

Weekly reset

• One day per week, I try to take off from Chess

Of course this is a work in progress. The hardest thing has been to let go of my chess obsession and instead try to narrow my focus on the things that will improve my skill at chess.

Trying to close holes

I’ve had this training structure for over 1 month now. It works for me, at least so far. My biggest issue has been calculation, so I’m working with every puzzle to be accurate. I’ll talk next time about the thought process I’ve learned doing this consistent work. The big idea behind this structure is just that chess is a skill to be learned, not a test to be studied for. I forgot this after 2023, and lost my way.

So how’s it been working? Better. Here’s the last month’s games.

I broke 1900 Lichess in Rapid and 1800 in Classical and then came back down in the last game. That however is progress. My Lichess puzzle rating (for whatever that’s worth) has gone up over 150 points. I feel now after a month I’ve really settled in on a practical thought process for games and for puzzles. This still is very much a work in progress, so stay tuned.

One other thing. My coach has asked that I only play longer time controls to focus on the one thing I most need to improve on. That would be taking time to consider multiple moves in a position. I love the fun of blitz and the ease of getting a rapid game, but I have agreed to focus instead on getting longer games.

June Stats

• Classical Rating: +28 points

• Classical games played: 5

• Average Accuracy: 86%

You can find all my analyzed classical games in a study here.

• Rapid Rating: +36 points

• Games played: 5 games

• Average Accuracy: 90%

Going forward I will be setting the goal to play 2 classical games each week. I’ve also signed up for an OTB tournament in August. Next chess report will be in a month to see how things are going. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading. Next time we’ll talk about what I’ve learned about finding a move in a position. Until then let me leave you with a puzzle from my last game. There’s only one move that works and keeps white equal. Leave a comment if you find it. If you do, hats off to you! I missed it. White to play and defend.