As the year winds down, I am already thinking about next year’s tournament schedule. Which event to try and get out to? But, before I get too far down that track, there is a more basic question looming. How to prepare?
This past year, I found I had very little time to study and hone my game. Since my goal is drive improvement in my game, that seems like a pretty important issue to address. So, I am thinking of building a two tier study plan. This plan should be built around a core of study activities that assume minimal time investment. Let’s say three hours per week. Then, I should have a standing list of secondary activities for weeks when I can fit in more.
A few years ago, I asked Larry Christiansen (yes, the GM) what were his recommendations for a 10 hour per week study plan. Here is what he recommended to me.
- Join the Internet Chess Club and spend an hour there every other day either playing 10 minute or 15 minute games. Even better would be to observe one of the top level games (ICC frequently offers coverage of major international events) and gain insight on not only how top players actually play, but how the strong kibitzers explain and suggest moves and plans. (4-6 hours per week)
- Review high level annotated quality games by Grandmasters with a real chess set for half hour per game. Alekhine, Botvinnik, Keres, Fischer, Tal, Kasparov, Shirov all wrote good books on their own careers and are worth studying. (2 hours per week)
- For ideas in certain openings, such as what to do versus certain lines in the Sicilian, go to Chesslab.com or Chessbase online and do a search for instance of what Shirov, Kasparov, Anand etc. plays as White against 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 (or 2...d6) and then play through those games quickly to get a feel for it. Keep a paper notebook next to you to jot down ideas and take very brief notes—the act of writing it down helps you remember. (2 hours per week)
- Explore the various excellent sites such as Chesscafe.com, TWIC, and Fianchetto.com for news, opening and endgame articles etc. Find some endgame studies and review them for their entertainment value. Constantly work on basic tactics to stay sharp. Do 5-10 tactical puzzles per day—f around 15 minutes per day to stay sharp.
- One training technique that should help you analyze during a game is to develop some blindfold skill. You might just try playing as far as possible until the fog sets in. You should be able to slowly increase the number of moves you can follow a game blindfold until you are fairly comfortable. This will improve your OTB analytical ability.
So, what should my plan include? What have you found works for you?
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