Tips for Adults Over 1700

Introduction

Can adults that are already at the advanced level (1700+) still expect to improve at chess? I analyzed survey data from over 400 players and asked participants what questions the data could help them answer. One of the most popular topics was the effect of age on chess improvement. As we get older it becomes a bit more difficult each year to improve at chess. Having an even larger factor on chess improvement though is our current rating. As our ratings increase, it becomes more difficult to see the same numeric gains as we had in the past. The ChessGoals advanced study plan aims to help guide players in the 1700-1999 range. For access to more detailed study plans you can join the subscriber list on ChessGoals. I have been following a version of the expert plan myself and recently gained 100 points in a short period, surpassing my all-time high rating by more than 20 points.

Example Annual Rating Gain

Follow the Leaders

ChessGoals follower Dennis M. asked about how specifically advanced adults can improve their chess skills. I reached out to many of the top improving adults rated over 1700 to ask for their feedback. Here are some of the highlights from each of their interviews.

Antoine (Age 32, 1797 --> 1893 Chess.com Rapid)

Antoine spent two hours per day on chess and said he played approximately 10 blitz games per day. One of his secrets is to keep chess fun by playing at a local club and staying in touch with those players online. In 2018 he played approximately 30 over-the-board games to compliment his online play. He also used chess.com puzzles and a tactics book to work on deep calculation without giving himself a time limit.

Peter (Age 39, Attained USCF Expert)

Peter was spending between 4-7 hours per day on chess and all of his online games were played with an increment. His favorite time controls were 15+10 and 3+2, which allowed him to get deeper into endgame positions. A recommended approach Peter used was studying Yusupov's Chess Training Series. This series has proven beneficial to quite a few players in our data and the series is worth checking out.

SmithyQ (1899 --> 2054 as an Adult)

SmithyQ takes his training seriously and has a blog to keep him accountable. His goal was to do at least 30 minutes of chess each day and he would find himself spending up to two hours a day. SmithyQ focuses on playing daily games, 3+0 and 1+0 time controls. Quite a bit of his studying is done using books.

Final Tips

Chess is a game and it should stay enjoyable. There is no one-size-fits-all plan that will work for every player. Here are the main tips for adults at the 1700-1999 level looking to improve:

1. Try to spend at least 5 hours a week studying
2. Spend about 2/3rds of your chess time on playing games with a nice mix of slow, blitz, and rapid. Sprinkle in a bit of daily chess or bullet if you'd like.
3. Analyze all slow and rapid games, taking notes of your mistakes. Try to find common mistakes across a large set of games.
4. Have a plan for working on tactics, strategy, openings and endgames. Pick a resource for each and stick with it!

Further Reading

For more information on recommendations for advanced players, please check out my Advanced Study Plan or leave your comments below.