TIP #1:
Study chess tactics
• For the average player, two areas of chess study will produce improved
results faster than any other. One of these areas is chess tactics (shortterm move combinations which result in material gains or a win, such
as pins, forks, skewers, checkmates, etc.). Much of a player's tactical
prowess involves pattern recognition – in many tactical themes, the
same kind of chess position comes up again and again. Learn to
spot these tactical opportunities, not only when it's your turn to move
but also as far as your opponent's pieces are concerned (if you spot
an opportunity for your opponent before he does, you may be able
to head him off at the pass and correct the problem before he has a
chance to drop the bomb on you). A great player from the “classical
era” named Richard Teichmann once famously declared that “chess is
99% tactics”. While I'd argue that he might have overstated the case
just a bit, tactical prowess is undeniably very important in chess. You
don't have to become a Mikhail Tal, but you do need to be able to pick
up on the fact that a simple intermediate move on your part will set up a
material-winning tactic.
TIP #2:
Study the endgame
• Many, many (too many) players hate studying chess endgames, and
that's pretty unfortunate. The endgame is pretty interesting, full of
surprises and exceptions which every player needs to know about.
And if I had a buck for every time I've seen a player blow a hard-won
material advantage in the endgame and wind up losing a game he/
she should have won, I'd own a tropical paradise and be there now
with a tall frosty one (and a cold drink, too), and you and I would not be
having this discussion.
• STUDY YOUR ENDGAMES! There's no excuse for losing a game
you have easily won because you spent hours memorizing obscure
opening variations instead of learning basic endgame principles! (And
if there's one thing I've learned from my own recent Chess King training
sessions, it's that I, too, need to spend more time with the chess
endings.)
60
chessking.com