Exeter Chess Club: A course of study

The handouts are of different degrees of complexity. I don't think it does any harm to be exposed to ideas more advanced than you are quite ready for, as I imagine that if you don't really get it then it won't stick and/or you won't pay attention to it during a game. However, if you do want a rough guide to an order for tackling the handouts, here it is. [All the stray forward slashes are for text-only browsers.]

Beginners can start with my posters or the Top 10 tips for Juniors but are probably better off with other sites like David Hayes' or Diuf's. There is a list of other links around.

  For players up to USCF class A (Major players, up to 150 or so BCF, up to 1800+ ELO) see below. Anyone better than that may be at the wrong web site!

  I have in my own mind some simple guidelines for chess study. For a programme of study you should have a proper balance between each phase of the game (opening, middle, ending). And for each phase of the game you should work to improve not just your knowledge but also your capacity to judge and to analyse. Schematically this looks like:

Balance in chess study

/\
opening endgame

The three pillars of chess skill
/\
judgement experience




There are other maps of study: Kotov has his own trinity: assessment,
calculation, planning, which might be two elements from my second
and one from my first diagram.
And Lasker famously suggested:
"Chess rules and exercises - 5 hours
Elementary endings - 5 hours
Some openings - 10 hours
Combination - 20 hours
Positional play - 40 hours
Practical play with analysis - 120 hours

  "Having spent 200 hours on the above, the young player, even if he possesses no special talent for chess, is likely to be among those two or three thousand chessplayers [who play on a par with a master]. There are, however, a quarter of a million chessplayers who annually spend no fewer than 200 hours on chess without making any progress. Without going into any further calculations, I can assert with a high degree of certainty that nowadays we achieve only a fraction of what we are capable of achieving."

  -- Em. Lasker, Manual of Chess


 Edmar Mednis suggested for a player on their way to a master
title:

 
 50% of study time on openings

 25% of study time on middle-games

 25% of study time on endings,

 
 adding that "openings" study should include you to examining typical
middle- and end-games.

 

Whether any of us are most "right" is a poor question; what is
important is that these schemes work for each of us as
aides-memoires when drawing up a balanced coaching programme.


 
Also, there
needs to be a dialogue between your games, your study of your own
games and your 'homework':


 - where do I stand?

 - what should I work on?

 - what is there available?

 

The last bit is the easiest.

Guide to grade levels
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
LEVEL BCF grades ELO USCF class Category
Minor 80-100 1240-1400 D 4
Intermediate 100-120 1400-1560 C 3
Major 120-150 1560-1800 B 2
County 150-180 1800-2040 A 1
 




The USCF supports other titles, with USCF (not ELO) grades as follows:-

Expert: 2000-2199, Master: 2200-2399, and Senior Master: 2400 and up.

Guide to study (1) - where do you stand?



I liked Vladimir Zak's description of the different stages of
development of chess players:
  1. Attack something - and if it doesn't move, take it
  2. Both opponents base their play on elementary traps
  3. Tactical operations without regard for position
  4. Harmonious cooperation of the pieces and combinations
  5. Ability to find the right strategic plan


I'd guess that {D} players are fighting clear of stage 3, although
stage 4 isn't always apparent in the play of {A} players!  So, while I
liked this, I thought it could do with some expansion. 
 
 

 Here is my attempt at a set of thumbnail sketches of
chessplayers.  Do you recognise any of them? 

 

  [It is of course perfectly possible for a player to play the
opening like a Major {B} player, the middlegame like an Intermediate {C}, and
the ending only as well as a Minor {D} player.  I know computer programmes
just like that!]
/ / / / / / / /
Level {D} Minor {C} Intermediate {B} Major
opening {D} know basic principles but sometimes incomplete and often too-simple development {C} Play solidly and can trot out moves of their systems but not good at seeing or setting problems {B} Opening theory sound and can adapt to changed circumstances./
middlegame tactics {D} Basic tactics but easier to see their own. {C} More complex tactics but usually in familiar settings. {B} Can see and set traps; moves have a 'point'./
middlegame strategy {D} Can see a King and go for it; in planning don't use all the pieces and games often appear episodic {C} Can play soundly but can be inflexible; often have a marked preference for certain styles of play. {B} Understand most of the clockwork attacks; when solid are also flexible - keep their pieces active./
endgame {D} May be hesitant to use King and often don't know theory {C} May defend rather than attack. Theory often not much better! {B} Again good at problem-setting in endgame, and seeking or limiting counterplay./

Knowledge and understanding appropriate to each level



i.e. look at the next level up from you to see what you might be missing!
/ / /
/ / // / / / / /
Level: {D} Minor {C} Intermediate {B} Major
opening {D} 'rules' (guidelines): development and the centre, the Italian game, a system against 1.d4, {C} ideas behind the openings, playing White against odd Black lines, {B} opening 'theory', hypermodern openings,
middlegame tactics {D} combination, sacrifice, mating patterns, basic tactics (pin, fork, skewer/X-ray, back rank, queening combinations, no retreat, removing guard, deflection/ decoy/overloading, discovered attack/ discovered check, double attack/ double check,) {C} square vacation, line-opening, intermezzo, calculation of variations, {B} combinational vision, liquidation, combinational horizon,/
middlegame strategy {D} time space material (activity /quality), attacking the King (open lines, counterplay, breaking through) bishops: bad bishop, knight outpost, open files/ranks e.g. seventh, centralised Q, {C} weak pawns (backward, isolated, doubled), majority attack, holes, weakening the defensive line, fixing weaknesses, slow King's-side attack with closed centre, {B} planning, two bishops, restraint, colour complexes, pawn formations,e.g. minority attack, exchanging, centralisation, overprotection, manoeuvre, co-ordination, initiative,/
endgame {D} active K in the endgame, majorities theory of K+P, Q+P, {C} theory of R+P, {B} theory of B+N, two weaknesses, endgame openings/
 



I think that for each of these elements there are different levels of
understanding e.g. bad Bishop

 



I suspect we're all OK at (1) but aren't all at (4) yet. (3) is a fair
goal.

Guide to study (3) - what pages are here?
N.B. These are illustrative rather than comprehensive. For a complete list of handouts check out the class letters allocated on the separate indices for general ideas, openings, tactics, strategy and endgames.
/ / / / / / / /
Level Openings Middle-game Endgame
Minor (Class D) Basic Opening Principles, Italian game, Playing Black against 1.e4, Why not play 1.d4?, Stonewall Dutch. Basic Ideas (Tactical & Strategic), Mates, Basic Tactical Ideas, Attacking the King, Knights, Bishops, Rooks, King and Queen. General, King and Pawn, Rook endings
Intermediate (Class C) Choosing Openings, White against odd 1.e4 lines, Petroff, French Defence Ideas/Variations, Colle, Anti-Indian systems, Playing Black against 1.d4. Pawn mobility, Pawn formations, Slow attack, Bishops, Two weaknesses,
Major (Class B) Hypermodern, Sicilian, Scheming and Planning, Double Bishops, Endgame Openings,
County (Class A) Sicilian with ...e5, Benko, Beating Anti-Indians, Material inequality, Manoeuvring, Balance, 




 

 N.B.
 

There are many more games in the canon than are included in the handouts.
Minor/Intermediate players might look particularly at attacking techniques and I
hope players of different standards will be interested in the section
on analysis and errors. 






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This document (programme.html) was last modified on 6th Sept 96
by
[cool blue cat]
Dr. Dave
analysis
tactics - middlegame - strategy