Learn from the GREATS

From Steinitz to Smsylov...

The following quotes are the thoughts and advice of great players that influenced my development and understanding of the chess game. Let's learn from the rich heritage of the past and start where the basis of modern chess begins, continuing the course to present day...

Wilhelm Steinitz –

" Regularity of study and practice very much facilitates making rapid progress. It is much better to devote to chess one hour per day for six consecutive days than six hours one day in the week." 

Emanuel Lasker –

" Education in chess has to be an education in independent thinking and judging. You should keep in mind no names, nor numbers, nor isolated incidents, not even results, but only methods. The method is plastic. It is applicable in every situation."  

Jose Raul Capablanca –

" It would be a grave mistake to study the opening without keeping in mind the subsequent middlegame and ending. In the same way it would be wrong to study the middlegame without considering the endgame. This reasoning clearly proves that in order to improve your game you must study the endgame before anything else; for, whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middlegame and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame."

Alexander Alekhine –

" More than anything else, chess teaches you to be objective. In chess you can only make yourself a great master by becoming aware of your mistakes and deficiencies. One trait more than any other determines one's strength at chess: unshakeable concentration, which has to cut a player off completely from the outside world." 

Max Euwe –

" Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation. Whomever sees no other aim in the game than that of giving checkmate to one's opponent will never become a good chess player."

Mikhail Botvinnik –

" When my opponent's clock is going I discuss general considerations in an internal dialogue with myself. When my own clock is going I analyse concrete variations. Anyone wishing to become an outstanding chess player must also perfect his skills in chess analysis."

Vasily Smyslov –

" A considerable role in the forming of my style was played by an early attraction to study composition. My fascination for studies proved highly beneficial - it assisted my the development of my aesthetic understanding of chess, and improved my endgame play."

Stay tuned for more advice and ideas...

Hand-in-Hand

Master Tactics

"If the student forces himself to examine all the moves that smite, however absurd they look at first glance, he is on the way to becoming a master of tactics." 

- Cecil John Purdy

"Calculate Till Mate"

        – This unique chess course is a COMPLETE 3-in-1 training system that will sharpen your tactics, calculation and visualization skills. 

Three most important things explored:

1. WHAT and HOW exactly you should train.

2. Understand the interrelation between strategy and tactics during a game.

3. Answers to ALL your questions about tactics and calculation.

Plus 4 GREAT BONUSES (video, tasks etc).

Find out more...>> Calculate Till Mate

The amazing practical part consists of 25 main tasks with hundreds of training positions and games – that will definitely take your Tactical Skills to a whole New Level! 

(The images and links will bring you to RCA's Chess Course overview.)

     

A Famous Combination

Spassky's Test

Skills and Psychology in Chess

Chess Success 

"Your body has to be in top condition. Your Chess deteriorates as your body does. You can't separate body from mind."  -  Bobby Fischer

"Self-Taught Grandmaster" will allow aspiring players to organize an effective self-training process. 

(a) You can get the most effective training methods,

(b) what materials you should use, and

(c) a clear guide for your chess progress.

The complete "training program" will provide a special system of preparation and training plan on: (1) thinking system, (2) openings, (3) attack, (4) strategy,
(5) tactics, (6) endgame, (7) planning, (8) refining, (9) extra skills (10) preparation and special set of training tasks to get the appropriate SKILLS.

Link >> Self-taught Grandmaster

You’ll know WHAT to study and HOW you should train. Including the Psychological aspects about the human mind and the body.

And here's an excellent supplement to the chess course - a new book about psychology in chess...

"Champion Psychology - A book for future chess champions"

Launch Page >> Champion Psychology

(The images and links will bring you to RCA's Chess Course overview.)

How to Become a STRONG Chess Player

The Magical Number Seven

7 Most Important Steps

1. Understand the base principles of chess.

2. Develop correct thinking process.

3. Train chess skills - tactical vision, calculation, positional play, endgame skills.

4. Applying the newly learned skills in actual games. 

5. Self-understanding and enhancing personal skills.

6. Good openings and preparation.

7. Physical and psychological preparation.

7 Delightful Chess Books You Must Study

1. Blunders and Brilliancies

2. The Chess Terrorist's Handbook
3. Chess Blueprints: Planning in the Middlegame
4. Test Your Positional Play
5. 100 Endgames You Must Know
6. Chess Training Pocket Book
7. Winning With Chess Psychology

7 Fascinating Opening Tactics and Traps

1. Antuanes – Suta  Corr., 1988

Nimzo-Indian Defense [E30]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bg5 h6 5.Bh4 Qe7 6.e3 d6 7.Qa4+ Nc6 8.d5 exd5 9.cxd5 Qe4! (D)

White to move

     Surprisingly, Antuanes confronted with threats of 10...Bxc3+ and 10...Qxh4 decided not to prolong the fight and resigned. 0–1         

        
        White can actually save himself from immediate disaster by taking care of Black's biggest threat with 10.0-0-0! (Other moves like 10.Qb3 Na5; 10.Qd1 Nxd5; 10.Bb5 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxa4 followed by ...Nxd5 won't save him as well.) although Black keeps a slight advantage after 10...Bxc3 11.Qxe4 Nxe4 12.dxc6 Bf6 =+.

2. Mieses, J. - Chigorin, M.  Ostend, 1906

3. Abonyi, I. - Hromadka, K.  Prague, 1908

4. Fischer, R. - Reshevsky, S.  USA-ch New York, 1958

5. Sax, G. - Nunn, J. DM  Brussels, 1985
6. Hodgson, J. - Illescas Cordoba, M. Wijk aan Zee,1993

7. Vysochin, S. - Zakharevich, I.  RUS St. Petersburg, 2003

So much depends on opening theory?

Kasparov On The Openings

"By the time a player becomes a Grandmaster, almost all of his training time is dedicated to work on this first phase. The opening is the only phase that holds out the potential for true creativity and doing something entirely new." - G. Kasparov

“How much book do I need to know?"...

        "The bare minimum is: You need to know the traps that come up in your openings!” – GM Andrew Soltis 

It is important to study the openings and know what traps and disasters may arise from a particular variation, either to use it against an opponent or avoid falling for it. Opening traps are useful in blitz, online play, and usually with players who do not study opening theory.  

Naturally, even Grandmasters are not exempted against making gross blunders. Many strong GMs get caught in a trap, and we can all agree that what happens to strong players can turn up in anyone’s games. You just have to remember at one time or another, chess players from amateur to Grandmaster have fallen for a devious trap or employ a crafty hidden idea to unsuspecting opponent.

        (I won't spoil the surprise, but on my next blog i will show some of my personal  favorites about catastrophe in the opening.)

This is a must-have!! 
If you want to advance your opening play to the level of Masters/Grandmasters, you should learn the general principles of opening play and have a powerful opening repertoire. Also know the secrets of proper and efficient opening preparation at a very high level.
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Link >> GM Opening Laboratory 2

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Another KEY part of the chess course is the "Practical Part". 

        It will help you train the SKILLS, during the course’s study. Thus you’ll be able to implement it in your practical games. You will complete some special training to become a real expert in these openings, and be familiar with all of the specific variations,as well as their typical ideas and plans.

                      (The images and links will bring you to RCA's Chess Course overview.)