Chess Note Books

I've read that one tool for improving your game is keeping a Chess Diary or note book. What has been your experience? Have you found it useful? What type of information do you track in it? How do you use it to improve your game?

Really only ought to contain the following:

1. What "slow game"mistakes have you made recently?

Tactical (store the position where you missed the shot) or Strategic (write down what the book/stronger player suggested you should have played and why?)

2. Any general tips or guidelines that you found useful and are willing to apply to your own games.

The key to managing a "chess diary" is to constantly review it over and over again (once a week?) so that your brain slowly cements these patterns and transfers them from short-term to long-term memory.

  If you can do this in a computer, try to make it randomly "quiz" you with these diary entries.  If you prefer something non-digital, flashcards would work just as wel.

I cobbled together a tiddlywiki based journal for this very purpose a while back.  You might give this a try if you are looking for something digital and simple.

http://www.chess.com/download/view/tiddlywiki-chess-training-journal

I've downloaded this to a thumb drive. I like the lay out but it looks like it's got entries in it. Is this more than a template? Of course most of my questions will probably be answered as I get into it. It may take some time to make it my own. I haven't looked much yet. What's the best way to get started? I'll spend some time this afternoon poking around and get a feel for it. I'm assuming you've used this. How has it helped you get better?

The entries are a tutorial and a template combined in one.  Delete all of the stuff inside and replace it with your own ... that's the general idea :)

The best way to get started is to play a slow game, get it critiqued by a stronger player and store those "I played this, but I should have played this" positions with the appropriate tag.  Rinse and repeat ... and keep using the quiz feature to review positions.

I'd also spend some time learning (google efor it) about managing your Tiddlywiki as that is the basis on which this custom chess diary is basd.