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JANUARY 7, 2017

Free Course

10 ways to improve in chess

Grand Master Igor Smirnov, Chess Coach, Author and Publisher.

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There are thousands of the chess tutorials including chess books, DVDs, courses, video lessons, etc. As I often s
practically impossible to follow them all to make an improvement in your game. Remember, Less is more
going to keep it short and simple for you.

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Today, Ill give you 10 best tips to follow in order to make your training simple and yet achieve better results. Lets
1. Set a GOAL

The Secrets of Strong Players

You will never be able to hit a target that you cannot see. Yes, setting a target/goal is the first thing you have to do
target of attaining a norm, increasing X ELO points within Y time, beating titled players, or even becoming the W
Champion!

The Greatest Chess Moves of 2014

Be aware: set and work for one goal at a time. Overloading yourself will not be productive.

GM Smirnov Answers Students Questions

How to Become a Titled Player (part-2)

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Set your goals high, and dont stop till you get there. Bo Jackson

2. Play against the stronger opponents

Please, dont get this in a wrong way that Im scaring you. You cannot make an improvement unless you increa
benchmarks and fight for it.

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Of course, you could keep winning against the weaker opponents but, honestly, will that help to improve your pro
be fun everyone likes to keep winning without being afraid to lose or to face a stronger opponents.
Everything you want is on the other side of fear. Jack Caneld

3. Prepare an opening repertoire

The exact definition of an opening repertoire is the set of openings a player is specialized in. This might be a bi
because there are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of opening variations today thanks to ECO code for makin
us to identify them.
Suggestion: You may like to read about Best chess openings and how to pick one for you

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You may go through the games of top GMs who play your opening line, check the short games in your opening to
avoid the mistakes in the early stage of the game.
You can learn more about the opening stage, opening repertoire from our opening courses.
4. Analyze your own games

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It is very important to know yourself. For this, you have to study yourself you should analyse your own games t
strengths and weaknesses. In fact, Id insist that you analyze your lost games first. It can be hard for you to do so
no medicine that cures the disease is sweet.

Only if you analyze your lost games, you will be able to find your mistakes so you will correct them and avoid rep
Although, you can keep analyzing your won games (to know your strengths) as secondary while, analyzing the los
PRIMARY.
Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh stimulus. Robert South

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5. Have a training plan

Planning is one of the most important skills in chess. Having a neat and effective training plan (or training schedu
your training, and you will make a steady progress.

If your question is What to study?, How to train?, and How to get the best out of your training?, you can find
all those question in my FREE mini-course Chess Training Plan for Rapid Improvement.
6. Blindfold chess

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Imagination (the inner vision) plays a vital role in the game of chess. In simple words, imagination makes it possi
experience a whole world inside the mind. But how can this skill help you? Well, calculation and visualisation pla
role in chess, too, right?

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You can achieve this through the blindfold exercises solve puzzles without a board, go through drills, and even
without a chessboard. It might be hard in the beginning but, remember, practise makes a man perfect!

A strong memory, concentration, imagination, and a strong will is required to become a great chess
Bobby Fischer

7. Flip the board

This is quite similar to the previous tip. Flipping the board (reverse) helps you to think as your opponent. This wa
virtually play against yourself and this improves your calculation/visualisation skills as well.

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You may even solve chess puzzles by flipping the board. For instance, you can try to solve the puzzle from the Bla
Whites turn. Additionally, an advanced training of this method would be having an imaginary flip trying to thin
opposite side without literally flipping the board. You usually do this as the Anti-blunder check when playing a
8. E for Explore!

Every chess player has his/her own playing style. A player might like to play attacking chess (like Tal/Fischer) and
the style of playing positional chess (like Kramnik/Karpov). Id advise you not to limit yourself to one particular st
way of approaching a game.

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Try playing different openings, different style of playing the game just explore. This is something the World Cha
Magnus Carlsen recommends, too! If you stick to one particular opening or style, you will not learn much.
The essence of chess is thinking about what chess is. David Bronstein

9. Cut yourself some slack

Too much of something is not too good. Dont dump yourself with loads and loads of training materials. Rememb
about the quantity; its about the QUALITY.

Relax, practise yoga or meditation, warm yourself up by solving simple chess puzzles, have your favourite drink/f
playing a tournament/game. Take regular breaks, get enough sleep (8-9 hours) you may even do physical traini

Your body has to be in top condition. Your chess deteriorates as your body does. You cant separate
from mind. Bobby Fischer

10. Never Give Up

If you gave up, it means you never wanted it. When you feel like quitting, think about WHY you have started (your
1).

Always fight till the end and no matter whether it is playing for a win or fighting for a draw!
Winners are not those who never failed but those who never quitted. Edward Louis

P.S. Are you already following any of the above-mentioned training methods? Feel free to write your thoughts in th
in the comments below. Also, please share this with your friends if you liked it.

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5 Comments

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Rafael Chedid
6 hours ago

Another great article by Igor.

I'm thinking whether there is a friendly, printable version of these articles, so we can print them and store in a k
"book" :-)
1

Reply

Luisnux
7 hours ago

I love the 10th tip. Recently I had such a bad streak that I felt like quitting for good. I was so down, I even thoug
selling all of my chess equipment. Then, I remembered reading that you felt the same at some point in the pas
that you explained that in your book "A promoted pawn". So, I bought it, and the information there helped me co
and realize what I need to do from here on. It's a long road. But, thanks to your advise there's hope again. You'r
awesome coach!
1

Reply

Jonathan
10 hours ago

Blindfold chess is something I've been experimenting with recently. Oddly, it seems easier in the opening than
endgame. The rst ten moves of the Queen's Gambit, for instance, I just know where everything is. Make it a R
pawn versus Rook endgame, though, and I get lost. The board is so empty the pieces just vanish.

I've heard that grandmasters can read chess books without even needing a board. They can just visualize ever
position. I want to be able to do that someday. That's my goal.
1

Reply

Fay Kelley
an hour ago

Really good to have these reminders! Thank you. It is very much a discipline if one wants to improve. If having
belt in karate was easy, or having a gold medal in gure skating was easy -- everyone would have one.
your supportive and informative articles.

Reply

Bobby Wagner
an hour ago

Great article. I'm a 1950 player and have employed many of these tips to improve from a 1200 player ve years
Well done Igor!

Reply

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7 comments 14 days ago

Igor Smirnov I guess Ivanchuk wanted to focus his

pieces towards the king-side, and was unwilling to put

his rook on

ayush thanks for this amazing deal

sir i want to talk to you about new course

upcoming plan of

Everything you need to know about our chess course

Defending Champion

Which opening would you like to study in the

RCA course?

3 comments 17 days ago

26 comments a month ago

ayush dear igor this is great news for the whole rca

ayush dear igor i would like to suggest

students thankyou so much for your hard work i salute

you!!

black it is just fantastic .it would be great

this course

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same time, it's not our only goal. In RCA we use chess
as a tool for developing one's mental power and
champion psychology.

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