A short prospectus on the upcoming Zoom Class for Adult Improvers (saves me the effort of explaining to prospective students)
Rather than present what many chess content creators have done on Youtube, I would focus on these 5 topics which are relatively left neglected in a chess player's journey towards self improvement.
Having been a chess trainer for more than 20 years, my experience about chess improvement as a player hinges mainly on these 5 topics.
BOARD VISION
Many do not see the importance of developing good board vision ie the ability to visualise movements on the chessboard OFF the chessboard. Kids in general can't tell where the squares are based on the coordinates and often rely on the printed edges - so it is hardly surprising that they often misplace their Kings and Queens should the pieces be set up on the "wrong" side. That means the White pieces are placed on the 7th and 8th rows instead of the 1st and 2nd. Second, they have difficulty knowing the colour of the square. Without knowing that it is near impossible to try and move pieces in advance without knowing where they land and what squares are covered by the opponent. So this skilll has to be developed - not just by playing lots of games but by deliberate practice and training. In this segment I provide the exercises one can do to strengthen the knowledge of the squares and sight of each line and diagonal.
ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE FROM YOUTUBE
With so much content increasingly added to Youtube, some may feel that it is not necessary to rely on a human coach when they can seek answers by Googling chess topics on Youtube and watch to learn.
What many do not realise is that lots of content are ClickBaits which attract the innocent viewer into learning from their content. These creators then make money based on your subs and clicks. There are genuine content creators out on Youtube of course, which I have sieved through by watching hours myself and noting the gems from the trash. You will of course get my recommendations on whose content to watch for what topics as they have different strengths.
HOW TO STUDY CHESS BOOKS (CHESS COURSES)
There is no shortage of chess material churned out year after year, now gradually replaced by Chessable and other online courses. The question remains : How do I get the maximum benefit from these materials? Of course one needs to start with the right books or courses. Then comes the approach to consuming these content. It is the most painstaking area for a chess player but the most rewarding as it cuts down the amount of wasted time visiting each book or course only to find that the material is not at all beneficial.
PLAYING ONLINE FOR IMPROVEMENT
Most of us spend many hours whiling away at online games and variants for fun, go into tilt and spend more time achieving nothing. Sounds familar? The current online servers like LiChess and Chess.com are full of online lessons, puzzles solving modes and what not to aim the improving player but most get drawn by the useless like playing bullet chess et al or bughouse. Well, what works for Magnus and Hikaru doesn't necessarily work for you.
There are ways to derive benefit from logging in so long as you remain disciplined and focus on the right things to do. I will detail the right things.
CHOOSING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE THAT SUITS YOU
My observation at the games played at Asia Square reveal that there are groups of players who pick up their openings either based on Youtube recommendation (which are trick-based mostly) or they play just anything without matching their playing profile - hence they end up losing mainly because of the mismatch. A risk-averse player can hardly do well playing gambits, nor an aggressive player achieve full potential if the London System is all that is played.
I attempt to show how a small analysis of each person's persona and profile can go a long way in picking the right openings to be adopted for best results.
So for $100 for the 5 sessions, you are now armed with the essentials of what is required to drive your improvement as a chess player ON YOUR OWN. Isn't this money well spent??
Send me an email jfan2003@gmail.com if you are keen to join.
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