How can you become , - perhaps - , a master in chess?

Submitted by mauerblume on Tue, 05/05/2009 at 1:27am.

How can you become, - perhaps -, a master in chess?

 

Most of us will have asked this question once to ourselves or others. Here some advices I found in an old book (1980) of an IM from the Netherlands:

(point 6 is from myself)

1. Study chess history!

This is not a necessary tool, but can help to understand better the development in chess and the different chessstyles. Perhaps inspirate you to find your own chessstyle

***

2. Build up an opening repertoire

Chess is an ocean and it is senseful to limitate yourself playing only some openings. So you know better what you do in opening and will feel later better in well-known positions.

Warning: Your repertoire should be according to your chessstyle

***

3. Occupation with special middlegame and endgame themes

You know those themes as there are for example pawnstructures, good and bad bishops and rules in pawnendings etc.-

Today there are many possibilities to study them through different medias as books and videos

***

4. Training

Training is an important fact. You can do it with a chessfriend or a chesstrainer. Analysing special positions and play them out against each other. -Perhaps you can also do it with a chessprogram, but it can become on the long run a little bit boring.

( tactic training is in my view also an important fact)

***

5. Onlinechess (correspondence chess)

You all know it! Here you can test your repertoire and improve your techniques and skills

***

6. Time

The time you will invest (edit) in these tools will decide about your progress.-

Warning: It should be so, that fun do not get lost and other matters of your life begin to suffer

» posted in mauerblume's Blog
 

Comments:

by WillNZ - 5 months ago
Wellington New Zealand
Member Since: Nov 2007
Member Points: 71

One thing that sometimes hinders me is I used to feel really bad about losing to someone younger than myself. I played a 12-13 year old and got beaten. I'm 10 years older than him, and it can sometimes hurt the ego, lol. Especially when he's shouting at the board in a high-pitched voice, and calling every good move you make 'evil'...lol

I now try and remember that a strong opponent is always revealing your weaknesses , and if you didn't play them, you wouldn't be aware that you had them. Therefore it hurts, but it's part of growth, isn't it? You don't get strong by lifting lightweights at the gym, now do you? You get strong by gradually building a base to work from, and for most of us, climbing the ladder steadily. The cold, hard truth is the definitely the most harsh and unforgiving, but in the end, the best defence against ignorance will be your experience .

So in that sense, i've come to peace with losing, only because it highlights where my game is weak, and what I need to fix in order to get better.

To become a master at something it seems, is to put the fear of losing aside, and focus on the greater goal - becoming a great chess player.

by ravindrawankhede - 5 months ago
Mumbai India
Member Since: Mar 2008
Member Points: 24

thanx ........

by Garymossu - 5 months ago
Brooklyn United States
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 267

Thank you for those suggestions...

I am especially curious about The Way to Mastership...

(except i think comparing chess to checkers is a bit degrading)

i found a way to download its PDF, is there a safe way you recommend getting it?

Also what does it mean if it is called and "ebook"?

by mauerblume - 5 months ago
Duesseldorf Germany
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 5298

The one I took the advices from is in german (translated) :

The way of mastership

of IM Hans Bouwmeester

***

I would not recommand something in special, but for example Kasparow made a serie of 4 books with all former worldchampions

Here a link to that serie: (part 4, I think) The other three parts you can surely find also in internet


Bestsellers.ie - G Kasparov My Great Predecessor:p4 by Gary Kasparov

by Garymossu - 5 months ago
Brooklyn United States
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 267

Mauerblume, thank you very much for this very interesting post...

i am looking for old chessbooks to learn from...

you said you found that advice in one of them, could you tell which one?

And recommend others?

Thank you.

by Garymossu - 5 months ago
Brooklyn United States
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 267

Chessroshi, the first part of your answer , tells me that Chess is great for those who see NO higher purpose to life...which is not what i or other intelligent beings believe...

The second part of your answer shows a bit more seriousness, and goodness.

by mauerblume - 5 months ago
Duesseldorf Germany
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 5298

So what could be secret of studying chess history?-

Perhaps one point is to became aware of being a part of a development from about 400 years. It perhaps makes more modest ... Smile

And you become more aware of try and errors , and big jumps in development of chess.And do not forget the different personalities of the best players of all times. It is interessant to see also their relationship according to "normal" life.

But there are also still very constant things through all the times ... the "eternal" rules of chess strategy ...

by Garymossu - 5 months ago
Brooklyn United States
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 267

Also i find it very interesting that studying Chess history is listed as one of the things advancing chess skill, let alone the first!

ANY insights why?? - it is somewhat counter-intuitive...

by Chessroshi - 6 months ago
Indianapolis United States
Member Since: Aug 2007
Member Points: 738

As we are on earth for just a small blink of time, I aim to be as useless as possible and be as good at a board game as I can be. My chess book will help the hardworking industrious people relax and enjoy themselves, so I suppose I could be of some use still.

by mauerblume - 6 months ago
Duesseldorf Germany
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 5298

Yes, our time with our hobby chess should be senseful used! Smile

by Garymossu - 6 months ago
Brooklyn United States
Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 267

Regarding history, and chess literature, is there anywhere explained the reason why chess is such an interest? 

If it is just a game, how could one justify spending so much time on it???

Imagine if the GM's invested all there time into practical sciences, wouldn't we better benefit from there intelligence.

I myself am suffering from chess addicition (seriously) and need help placing chess in the right perspective...not to neglect my duties...i find the game truly fascinating...it is the only game i have any inclination whatsoever to spend time with (including sports)...and i am looking to either justify my addicition (a little) or completely condemn it and seek therapy!

by Blunderprone - 6 months ago
Greater Boston Area United States
Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 618

Let's hear it for Chess History being number 1 ! :)

by mauerblume - 6 months ago
Duesseldorf Germany
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 5298

Thanks, I have corrected it now!

by AlekhineHound - 6 months ago
United States
Member Since: Apr 2009
Member Points: 11

invest not investigate... other than that, somewhat inspiring to make it tangible. Well done

by Theempiremaker - 6 months ago
United States
Member Since: Nov 2008
Member Points: 624

it's good to have a goal.

by amrita1 - 6 months ago
Amravati India
Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 1231

Thanks Sir,for the tips,especially the last one regarding the time is practically very important,as we have to balance between our hobby & duties!

 

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