How to Improve at Chess: Tip #13 - Look at Chess as a Language
Below is a conversation I had with my friend, Vernon while we were playing a game. He had played something I didn't expect and soon gave away a piece... (I must thank him for allowing me to reproduce our chat here.)
chessiq: i thought you were playing KIA when white and KID or something when Black?
vernon: well i heard that you have to know how to play hundreds of openings and against hundreds so i am practicing
chessiq: my advice to you would be to know something really well before you go to the next thing... it is like speaking languages, it would do you no good to know how to say hi in all the languages of the world if you cannot carry on a conversation in any one
chessiq: you cannot make friends, you cannot enjoy life, etc
chessiq: if you are really good in one language, you will make friends of that language. you will learn and read in that language, and then you can learn a new language by translating what you know from your first language...
chessiq: but that's how i think
vernon: well i understand i just thought i would get a little out of each then study in depth aftre i grasp a little of each to see which one will work best for me
chessiq: that makes sense. i am not trying to discourage you or anything. i was just sharing my thoughts. i completely understand where you are coming from
chessiq: i completely understand what you mean. i didn't mean to discourage you or anything...
So there is a tip: Master one or a few Openings first then explore the rest. You will be able to transfer your knowledge from one Opening to the next. You will avoid being a "Jack of all trades, Master of none."
(I am wondering about kids that learn multiple languages at simultaneously... they don't wait til they master one to move on to the next... Hmmmnnn!)
