Intro
My chess journey so far has been less than great. I learned to play chess when I was very young, but I never had the opportunity to play with others very often. I would read books on chess when they were available but I didn't have a chess board so I would draw 8x8 chessboards on paper to try and follow along. Not being in the proper kind of environment to grow and learn it fell by the wayside.
My interest in chess was recently re-kindled a year or so prior to the Covid pandemic. Of course with the pandemic changing how everyone interacted, and many people including myself beginning to work from home, I found myself in need of a mind occupying hobby. Chess was an easy choice. Now with the resources and time I began to try studying and improve my skills. The issue is that when you choose to do this on your own, you often find that while there are a plethora of options for learning, ie books, youtube, etc, it is often very easy to become overwhelmed, and lost.
I spent a lot of my time playing games on chess.com and lichess.org, and in between I would watch videos and read books on openings and tactics and basic chess principles. Yet I lacked direction. I would find myself losing over and over again, feeling increasingly frustrated with myself and my progress. This pattern occurred over and over again, until I decided I would just stop. I hated feeling the way I did, not good enough, not smart enough and like I was wasting my time. During one of these bouts of self doubt and aggravation I came across an advertisement on reddit in which GM Jesse Kraai explained his ideas on how players of all levels could improve. More info can be found here on the ChessDojo website.
Listening to the program introduction gave me a feeling of new hope! It felt like GM Kraai was talking directly to me. I signed up almost immediately after watching the video. I found that the program was in it's beginning phases and that the staff at ChessDojo were still in the process of getting everything setup. However once I signed into the ChessDojo Discord I was greeted by multiple other members who had also recently begun their journey. I've been a member of this community for just a short time now, but I've already made some friends and met mentors and co-horts that all seem to be driven by the same sense of purpose and discovery that I have!
It is with this that I end my introduction. I don't know how this leg of my chess journey will end, but I do know that in the past week I have enjoyed chess far more than I did previously. I feel a sense of purpose and community with the other folks at ChessDojo. I plan on using this particular site to track my progress through the program and to share my experiences with other players.
I hope you find something useful here, and I wish you luck on your journeys as well!
Resources
In the resources tab I will attempt to share links to resources I am personally using to improve my chess through study.
- For playing chess without special software you can utilize chess.com or lichess.org. They both provide mutliple learning resources, and each has it's own unique community. I personally prefer lichess for it's cleaner less cartoony interface.
- For chess games research: I recommend using the chessgames.com or Chessbase.com online databases for searching and studying professional games. Of course chess.com and lichess.org also have opening and master games exploration features. I just like to personally use a seperate interface for studying.
- For chess video lessons, I would recommend find a content creator that suits your personal style and personality preferences. Some chess content creators are very dry and all business, while others offer personal insight and experience. At this time I really enjoy content from the following chess instructors:
- HangingPawns
- IM Levy Rozman, aka GothamChess
- GM Yasser Serawan
- Krisha Prem from chessopenings.com
How to Study Games
Included in each band are a list of classic games that have been chosen for their instructive value. These are some of the greatest games played by some of the greatest players throughout history. Each individual band has been given a specific player/era to study.In order to get the most out of going through these games, our main recommendation would be to analyze the game with a partner or group (using Discord voice chat + a shared Chess.com Classroom or Lichess study, for example). Having multiple perspectives will allow you to notice more details and understand the intricacies of the game.
GOALS
Learn at least three ideas from each game — this could include tactical/strategic patterns that you haven’t seen before, opening principles, endgame concepts, how to approach certain positions, etc.! Advanced players (above 1600) are encouraged to look for as many interesting ideas as possible.Try to understand what would have happened in case of alternative moves/defenses. Look at the position with your own eyes and ask questions. Was there a hanging piece that wasn’t captured? Did someone neglect to make an obvious sacrifice? As soon as you notice an interesting/obvious move that wasn’t played, that’s exactly the right moment to pause and analyze (without the engine) what could have happened. Depending on your level, you can take 3-10 minutes to analyze an alternative.At the end of each game, you should be able to describe the narrative of the game — who was better and why? Did the winning player convert their advantage with sacrifices/tactics, or slow positional technique? See if you can agree with your training partner/group about a general story of the game.
HOW TO
Spend at least 30 minutes going through each game.If you’re working alone, using a physical board is ideal, especially if you’re practicing for OTB tournaments. You are also far less likely to rush through the game and get more out of it. If working with a partner or group, a shared Chess.com Classroom/Lichess study is probably the most convenient, but you could also play through the game OTB while someone else handles the shared board. Make sure to evaluate key positions with your own eyes. If an obvious move/plan wasn’t played, take a few minutes to understand why.If a moment is particularly confusing – for instance Player A hung a piece and the opponent didn’t capture it, first (if studying OTB) make sure you have the right position, you may have missed/played a wrong move earlier. If you’re sure you have the right position and still can’t figure it out, you can either post a question in the Training Discord to see what others think, or you can consult with the engine to see if there’s something tactical that you’re missing. Do not: run through the whole game with the engine on. You will be distracted by random engine evals and not engage your own mind, which is what this is all about! The only time you should turn on the engine is after you’ve already spent some time trying to figure something out for yourself. If you want to check your analysis after you’ve spent 30+ minutes going through the game, that’s fine.
As a final note, there are so many different things you can learn from a classic game. The key is to put yourself in the shoes of the player and try to understand what it was like to play the game. You will learn things about calculation, strategy, attack, defense, openings, middlegames, endgames, converting advantages, pacing (is it time to strike, or build up), and so much more! It is tempting to just blast through the games and check them off, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice. These are the greatest players of all time, try to learn from their moves!
Goals
I am currently enrolled in the ChessDojo training program 800-1000. Each level of the program has steps that must be met prior to advancment to the next rank. Some are trivial but important and others listed below are must do's. I currently see completing these steps as my chess goal at this time. It is my belief that completing these steps will help me grow at the correct pace & will allow me to improve incrementally.
The milestones and status of each are as follows:
Welcome to the Dojo
- Intro (Complete)
- Join Discord Community (Complete)
- Onboarding Completion (Complete)
Games & Analysis
- Play & Analyse 25 classical games (6/25)
- Time Controls 800-1200: 45+15
- Complete analysis of model games by the Sensei
- Complete 10 post mortem analysis's with co-horts
- Share your analysis with co-horts
- Comment and assist co-horts with at least 1 analysis
- Review an annotated game with a 1400-1800 level student (Complete)
Tactics & Endgames
- Polgar mate in two's through 700
- Read Learn Chess the Right Way 3: Mastering Defensive Technique
- Complete Chess.com Puzzle Rush challenges
- Complete King and Pawn v King endgame analysis 3 times. (Complete)
Opening & Misc Tasks
- Complete watching Opening Principles Video by IM David Pruess (Complete)
- Memorise The Opera Game(Complete)
- Participate in Cohort discussion and analysis of a Cohorts game
- Teach a Non-Cohort Member the King and Pawn v King endgame 3 times against myself
Contact