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What Every Chess School Got Right (And What You Can Steal From Each One)

Here is a sixth method: Capablanca.
He studied endgames on his own for a year, while he was supposed to study chemical engineering at Columbia University.
After that he became a professional chess player and was almost unbeatable.

"Botvinnik’s sessions required each student to present four games (including at least one loss)"

  • Amateurs should study lost games only.
    Capablanca recommended to see losses as lessons and stated you learn more from a loss than from a win.

"knowing is NOT doing!”

  • That is why it is essential to play and to analyze lost games.

"middlegame training over opening novelties"

  • Also Capablanca said: forget about openings!

"Most adult improvers are training alone."

  • Carlsen at one point fired the coach his parents paid for him.
    Carlsen said he made much progress by playing games against himself.
Here is a sixth method: Capablanca. He studied endgames on his own for a year, while he was supposed to study chemical engineering at Columbia University. After that he became a professional chess player and was almost unbeatable. "Botvinnik’s sessions required each student to present four games (including at least one loss)" * Amateurs should study lost games only. Capablanca recommended to see losses as lessons and stated you learn more from a loss than from a win. "knowing is NOT doing!” * That is why it is essential to play and to analyze lost games. "middlegame training over opening novelties" * Also Capablanca said: forget about openings! "Most adult improvers are training alone." * Carlsen at one point fired the coach his parents paid for him. Carlsen said he made much progress by playing games against himself.

I currently use both the Russian and the Indian, which go together really well, since you can think that way in words/calculating after evaluating

I currently use both the Russian and the Indian, which go together really well, since you can think that way in words/calculating after evaluating

Interestingly, while this is obviously focus on chess on the surface level, I strongly believe these would be very valid training approaches for a long range of games once the exact terms are redefined to their proper analogy. When rereading this, but instead of chess applying the schools to near-equivalent concepts in for example poker or geoguessr, I found it to still be very reasonable advice. As long as the combination of factors like memorization, automatic pattern recognition etc are present - general training concept appear to carry over well. Games with a significant physical coordination/power component would appear to require different regiments though.

Maybe exploring this angle in a future blog post could be interesting?

Interestingly, while this is obviously focus on chess on the surface level, I strongly believe these would be very valid training approaches for a long range of games once the exact terms are redefined to their proper analogy. When rereading this, but instead of chess applying the schools to near-equivalent concepts in for example poker or geoguessr, I found it to still be very reasonable advice. As long as the combination of factors like memorization, automatic pattern recognition etc are present - general training concept appear to carry over well. Games with a significant physical coordination/power component would appear to require different regiments though. Maybe exploring this angle in a future blog post could be interesting?

Thank you for the much-needed discussion. In my coaching experience, though, I find mostly that Soviet and Uzbek style of training is more suited for advanced or ambitious players. Youngsters react better to verbalizing and pattern recognition. I wonder if anybody tried a different approach?

Thank you for the much-needed discussion. In my coaching experience, though, I find mostly that Soviet and Uzbek style of training is more suited for advanced or ambitious players. Youngsters react better to verbalizing and pattern recognition. I wonder if anybody tried a different approach?

Interesting but imprecise. Nona Gaprindashvili in 1978 was the first woman ever to be awarded the FIDE title of Grandmaster. So, I didn't read further.

Interesting but imprecise. Nona Gaprindashvili in 1978 was the first woman ever to be awarded the FIDE title of Grandmaster. So, I didn't read further.