By: Bhavya Singhal
Many students and even chess enthusiasts often ask me about the process of creating a chess study plan. Many have tried many different things, but the main issue is that they jump from one book, DVD, or opening to the next without studying it extensively. I usually answer the question of creating a chess study plan with “simplicity.”
Now this may seem a bit odd since many people wanting to get better pick up complicated study plans with a little bit of the opening, middle game, tactics, and then some past World Champion’s games. This however is the wrong approach since it does not really allow a player to focus in and really gain solid improvement at any of those skills. Instead, I believe that for most people under 1500 USCF should dedicate as much as 50% of their time just playing chess games, 25% analyzing them, and 25% studying. This way it allows for the player to get in an abundance of games which I believe is the best and the most enjoyable way for upcoming players to get better. For example, if you have 2 hours to dedicate to chess everyday 1 hour should be spent playing and then 30 minutes should be spent analyzing the games, and then another 30 minutes should be spent studying a specific chess skill.
Another important part of the program that should be followed is that the 30-minute study time should be spent on working on an area of weakness that was uncovered in the analysis period. Then around six to eight weeks should be spent studying that specific topic. For example, let’s say that I play around two slow games in the 1 hour, and I find that I am lacking in calculation and openings. This means that I start working on my calculation for 30 minutes every day for around six to eight weeks to really see good improvement. After the six to eight weeks, I can move on to openings or another area of study.
Of course, this can be slightly adjusted to meet the needs of the specific player. In general, however, this template should be followed. The reason is that as a coach I often see that when players bounce around from topic to topic on a weekly basis it often leads them to nowhere which then leaves them even more frustrated when they see that they are putting in the time but not achieving the desired results. This is the reason it is important to be consistent and structured with your training.