I'm going to bump this post and track it. I'd be really interested to hear what people have to say.
Sorry I can't answer your question, chessmagic5. I'm hoping by saying I'd like an answer too we could encourage some people to post??
How much chess training time is good?
Sort:
Shameless bump - interesting post, I have no rating therefore I cannot contribute, but I'd love to read comments from eligible players!
Well can any1 post cuz I have no FIDE rating
No FIDE rating here but I'd also like to see some responses to this so *bump*
I also don't have a FIDE rating. Most that do would probably be 2000+ anyway. Asking for national ratings will get you more responses.
Here's my answer. Currently I am just an ametuer, but I will be making Master by 35, which puts me on a five year plan.
1. My USCF rating is 1560. (haven't played in tourneys since 2004)
2. 5 days a week. My workout is split between book study, computer study (CT-art 3.0 & Strategy 2.0),and OTB practice (4 games at strict tournament time control and conditions of 2hr/40 1hr/game) against Fritz 6.
3. Each session for book study is around 30 minutes strict, but I usually go between 45 min to 1hr total time including time spent in leisurely reading. Each computer session varies timewise because it is more an exercise in expanding my analytical power than hitting a time mark. I do two to four puzzles a session. The practical OTB training is always the same time control.
4. I read to learn chess theory and technique. I do the computer training programs to work on the practical application of technique and theory. And lastly I play against Fritz and do postgame hand analysis and computer analysis to train myself on clock management and see how my skills are developing.
5. The books I am training with are these great titles.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/R3UHUKQDRLGGG2/ref=cm_pdp_lm_title_1
I have selected these titles from the 87 I own and the hundreds I've looked at because they each have solid teaching in different areas of chess. I believe this collection of books will give any student a well rounded chess education.
6. Chess software I would recommend would be Fritz (or comparable program with good analysis functions), Ct-art 3.0, and Strategy 2.0. I suggest Fritz because it is a strong opponent to spar against and a first rate analist. Having a GM caliber player look over my games was enough for me to buy it! Ct-art 3.0 and Strategy 2.0 are very nice in delivery and the visual approach and bite size chess portions help it all go down nice and easy.
Keep an eye out for my new Blog, From Monkey to Master, which will chart my journey towards USCF Master, using the exact tools and methods described above.
Good chess,
Mr Mike
Despite my low rating in USCF 876 i am confident that i will reach 1500 one day. My plan is simple... Use fritz 10 and CT-ART 3.0 through analysis and improve chess vision. I also believe that progress is achieved through chess club participation. In my opinion i believe spending time on theory and technique or winning strategy through books can be complicated. I only read MCO-13 and go through openings and basic fundamental theory (i.e. whats the purpose of caro-kann, kings pawn opening, Kalashnikov opening, dragon, queen gambit, decline, Catalan) But anyways long story short. Complete 20-33 problems a day from CT-ART 3.0 and gradually move up the difficulty categories slowly. IF you CANNOT accomplish a puzzle in 5 minutes then move back a level.
What else... Attend your local chess clubs, place a board in front of you while playing chess.com or ICC (in long matches). Play someone always stronger than you! ALWAYS! play 5-10 minute games for openings and evaluation and undergo long games 20-30 minutes to improve chess vision. I unno...
My key to success is: "play, play, play, play, analyze, play play, puzzle, puzzle, play play play puzzle analyze, play, analyze, wins/losses and play against stronger players"
- What is your latest FIDE rating?
- 1851 ( Australian Chess Federation)
- How often do you train in a week? a month?
- I play more than train. Read books before I go to bed.
- How many hours do you train each session?
- Before, usually 3 hours/session. Now, 1 hr/session.
- Describe your training routines.
- I play at the club tournament once a week.
- I play casual long games once a week. Usually 3 games a session.
- Read books every night for an hour or so.
- Plays chess online everyday. Email chess; a move per day. Live chess; 1 to 2 hrs a day
- Chess books you recommend? Why?
- Chess Opening Traps and Zaps by Pandolfini - for beginners to enjoy and appreciate traps present in the opening stages.
- Best Lesson of a Chess Coach by Weeramantry - for beginners introduction to chess strategies and planning.
- Chess softwares you recommend? Why?
- Fritz 11 (or atleast from 7) . Strong chess opponent and sparring partner. Very good assistant for analysis and learning.
- Chessbase 9 . Games database to compare your opening repertoire and discovering new pathways to novelty moves.
- 1653
- Maybe 2 hours a day...which translates to about 14 hours a week.
- I tend to go in half hour intervals, no more than an hour at a time.
- I do between 100-200 CTS problems daily, as well as go over master games and play lots of chess both here and playchess.com
- I have lots of book suggestions! I'll sort them by rating class.
Beginner: Rated 0-1000
-Silman's complete endgame course (I recommend this at all levels so you can put this anywhere)
-Chessmaster 10th edition: This is software but I'll stick it in this column because chessmater is infinitely better than any beginner book out there. 10th edition is better than the newest grandmaster edition because its cheaper and the only thing we're going to use it for is josh waitzkin's academy lectures and exercises.
Rated 1000-1200
-Chess Tactics Server. You should start your daily tactics training at this point and CTS is the best way to do it. The interface is a lot more efficient than other sites, including chess.com so you can do more problems more quickly.
-Al Woolum's Chess Tactics Workbook. Use this book on road trips and times you can't get online to do CTS problems. This book is cheap and thematic and the problems are good. There are even some board vision exercises in the back!
-Logical Chess Move by Move: By Irving Chernev. This is the best first book of games money can buy. Use this to build your first opening repertoire.
-A First Book of Morphy by Frisco del Rosario. Everyone should study Morphy! This is the best beginner-centered book based on his games...it might actually be the only beginner centered book of his games.
Rated 1200-1500
-Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman. This will fill in the positonal holes that your time with chessmaster left you with, and round out your basic positional knowledge. This book is more recent and MUCH easier to digest than My System. Doubles as a collection of Alekhine's best games as Pachman clearly had a hard-on for the guy!
-Modern Chess Openings. This book is optional as online databases and summaries do a much better job, but if you must have a paper opening enclyclopedia this is the one to get.
-I would also suggest getting all 4 of Karsten Muller's Endgame DVDs from chessbase and slowly going through them. I find DVDs to be better than books for learning dryer stuff like endgames. Use Silman's book to figure out what you should be learning and then watch the corresponding Muller lecture!
-The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev. Here's the other good book from Chernev. It's basically a more advanced and recent version of Logical Chess Move by Move. It's a classic.
-The Art of Logical Thinking in Chess by Neil McDonald. Another more advanced game book you should read after Chernev. It's full of modern games with excellent move by move annotations.
-At this point if you want a harder backup tactics book "Combination Challenge!" by Hayes and Hall is a good choice. It's very cheap and contains oodles of problems at a good intermediate level.
Rated 1500-1600
-The Amateur's Mind by Jeremy Silman. This is the best beginner book on the subject of planning. You need to read Pachman before you do this as this is not a positional primer.
-Improver's It's Your Move by Chris Ward. Sort of a positional drill book that I found really useful. If you can breeze through this you have learned your positional and planning lessons well. If not, then you need to go back and review the basics from Pachman and Silman.
-The Art of Planning in Chess by Neil McDonald. Yet another good games collection book by McDonald! Goes through each and every move with a fine tooth comb and is again more advanced than the other books.
-Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur by Max Euwe. A classic games collection about how to thrash crummy players.
Rated 1600-1800
-Art of Attack in Chess by Vladimir Vukovic. The ultimate attacking manual! Filled with information you probably already know but haven't got a name for yet!
-Pawn Structure Chess by Andrew Soltis. The best book on pawn play I've ever come across. Examines common structures and how to play with and against them. A must read!
-How to Defend in Chess by Colin Crouch. Examines the games of Lasker and Petrosian to show themes of defence. Much more readable than your average chapter/theme based work. Doubles as a chess history lesson with every game, a real labour of love from Crouch.
-50 Essential Chess Lessons by Steve Giddons. Another move by move game collection with more advanced themes. Extremely Instructive stuff.
-Chess Success: Planning After the Opening by Neil McDonald. Another good game book by McDonald with the same style only exploring more advanced themes.
-Winning Chess Brilliances by Yasser Seirawan. Not a lot of games in this collection but the annotations are really first rate.
-If you're looking for another backup tactics book I can recommend the "Chess Training Pocket Book" by Lev Alburt. It has the "300 most important chess positions" for you to study and solve. Apparently a lot of trainers give it great reviews and the problems are a little more advanced, good for calculation training. Another bonus is it's super tiny, perfect for throwing in a backpack or purse!
That should do you for awhile!
*BUMP*
Eric's post deserves more attention and probably should be included in some FAQ!
farbror wrote:
*BUMP*
Eric's post deserves more attention and probably should be included in some FAQ!
I strongly agree! 
I actually asked these questions to IM Andrew Martin and he replied through his column.
Look for Joemz (me) in his article here: http://www.chess.com/article/view/your-questions-answered-by-andrew-martin
Nov 19, 2008
0
#14
What is your latest FIDE rating?
~2050
How often do you train in a week? a month?
every day
How many hours do you train each session?
it depends : from a few minutes to many hours
Describe your training routines.
no established routine : it can be going through my vote chess games and thinking about the positions, use tactics trainer or chess mentor, read some theory in books, play through a game, analyze some game I've played, analyze with a friend at the club...
Chess books you recommend? Why?
have a look there :
Chess softwares you recommend? Why?
any reasonably strong engine (to help with analysis) with database management features (to go through games)
Please answer in the order of the following: