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What we do : Tactics: 0 mins Play: 1-2 hours Analyse: 0 mins Study openings: 10 min videos on fancy Gambits

As a 400 player, I appreciate how you believe this can get me to 2000.

I went from 1450 to 1350 in just 3 days… getting this on my recommended feels like a sign

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:27 🧠 Start with Short Tactics Training: - Begin with solving puzzles to focus on chess and learn different tactical patterns. This helps prevent blunders and strengthens your attacking skills. 03:31 🕹️ Play and Analyze Games: - Play games, then analyze them using chess software or engines. Learn from mistakes, understand opening theories, and identify weaknesses in your gameplay. 06:46 📚 Study Chess, Especially Openings: - Master essential openings for both white and black pieces. While openings won't make you a strong player alone, understanding them is crucial to progress effectively. 09:07 ⏱️ Time Management for Training: - Allocate 30 minutes daily for a well-rounded training session. Adjust components (tactics, games, study) based on the time you have, ensuring a balanced approach to improvement. Made with HARPA AI

Thanks for the video Igor! I’m 1800 currently and I always find that puzzles before going into a game keep you sharp, focused and play better!

Thank you for a great video! I feel like actually getting better at something is often very counterintuitive. We are tempted to just use intuition and repeat something we already did many times without growing new habits.

Something I've found helpful is analyzing my game without the engine, taking notes explaining my thinking, then going over it again with the engine. I save this for longer time control games which I suspect had good learning opportunities. For blitz or bullet games I just do a quick check with the engine to make sure I didn't miss anything major.

I really suck at chess but have gotten better recently from practicing. I’m digging the channel thanks for keeping things moving and easy to understand. The content has helped!

2:54 Qh5 is the way to win! Of course the bishop is pinned so it can't capture your queen but most importantly, you are threatening to win a game on h8 or h7. Black will takes your bishop on c4 to open the escape square for his king. But next you will play the quiet move, g6! prevent a black king from escaping and next move you will delivery the checkmate blow on h8 and black is defenseless.

I am new to chess (Knew the basics and could play casually before) and I am loving these videos. In-depth yet simple.

I really need this video. Thank you, GM Igor. Appreciate that.

Right now I'm at 1800 blitz but I've started to attend some Classical tournaments so I'm really looking forward to improving, thx for this vid

Follow GM Smirnov on Threads - www.threads.net/@gm_igor_smirnov For interesting content on chess and beyond! 👆

This video is very helpful, thanks for being the most educational chess youtuber!

I am a 2100 and i think that this training plan is very good even for advanced players.

For the tactical puzzle… Qh5, then if black bishop doesn’t move Qh8 is mate. If black bishop does move along the diagonal, pawn to g6 and then queen to h8 mate

Thanks very much! Excellent lesson!!

I love your videos!you truly bring good material to the board!!! You deserve more subscribers! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

This is what I was looking for, thanks a lot!

Yes I figured out the first puzzle, since I recently missed a "smothered mate" in a blitz game, I kept checking until it was a draw...and later analysis showed I had a smothered mate, too bad I missed it, however it helped figure out this puzzle. Cheers!

I love your because of the detail and the stuff you teach

Agree with everything! Studying positional understanding and openings 10-15 min per day is important. Also, keep in mind opening theory can help you understand positions more

Thank you so much I will follow this study plan and hopefully reach the 2000 rated level! ❤

Great advice. Thank you!

To get to 2000 with 30 minutes of studying a day sounds like a dream to me. I am FIDE rated at 2000 and 2200 on Lichess on rapid (NOT BLITZ). And I can tell you that just 30 minutes a day will not get you there. First I would add the word "quality" to this training program. I play OTB 60 30 training games at least once a week. I probably spend more time analyzing my games than actually playing them. My openings are my weakness, and endgames are definitely my strength, especially pawn endgames. I study DEM mainly for that, and that is very hard work. My middlegame is okay, I still need to work on how to play better with my minor pieces at that stage of the game. And as far as the opening, I am getting better and better, but if an opponent manages to beat me, it will be because of an opening mistake on my part. Chess is not so easy that one can study 30 minutes a day and get to 2000. At that level, you will be better than 99% of all chess players. Think about that. On a more realistic level two to four hours of study per day and quality play for four years will get you there as an adult player. Going to tournaments OTB at least 5 times a year, and working with a good coach. Other than polishing your openings and practicing some tactics, Blitz is VERY detrimental to your game. It is too superficial and shallow. And it can be a complete waste of your time. It is better to play ONE game per week, at 60 minutes with a 30-second increment, analyze that deeply, study the openings, and the tactical mistakes, and allocate time for deep study during the week, than playing 1000 blitz games per day. That is my honest opinion. Nakamura is a great player and everyone mentions him as an example to the "benefits" of blitz. But no one mentions that BEFORE he did that, he did a lot of studying and OTB play and was already a GM, he had already dedicated his life to chess. I have a friend who has played more than 15000 blitz games online and plays weekly blitz games at the chess club. He is rated about 1800 (Lichess) at Blitz and has been that way for at least 2 years! He is rated 1500 FIDE. What I find playing blitz is that MOST openings are either traps or garbage openings designed to WIN at blitz. This friend once beat me on OTB game using an opening trap he learned from Blitz. But I told him this: "Yes, you beat me, but how much time have you put into studying something that can only be used once? Instead of learning good theory and learning it deeply and precisely, which can be something useful for a lifetime, not just one game". At the end of the day, I am 2000 and he is 1500, that should say it all. BTW my score against him is plus 6 OTB, unrated casual games, and he only beat me twice. At blitz, I also have a plus score against him. (when I rarely do play blitz).

This is the second chess improvement video I watched today. Your video is excellent. You lay out a clear specific path forward. I really appreciate the work you put into this. You gave suggestions for what specifically to study and supported the ideas with sound and specific reasons and appropriate examples. Thank you very much for this. It really helps! I’ll be back after I spend my 30 minutes studying chess using your suggestions. This video was time well spent!

I am around 1600 and 1700 and i beat regularly 1700 and 1800 players of chess and i want to go until 2000 my dream or maybe more if possible!Thank you,for your great advice,i understand with the fact,i raise my level,so my opponent are more wise and better prepared too,so i need to be more wise too if i want to raise my level more fast!I think this what i need to do right now!You do a great work for us Igor,this is greatly appreciate!

i just discover this channel and that just perfectly what i need thx you

Great advice. Thanks a lot.

Great video, thanks!

Great advice. TY!

As always, terrific!

Hands down the Best!!! Video KZfaq instruction. Thank you

Thank you so much!!

► Chapters​ 00:00 How to train chess effectively & improve faster? 00:26 Chess Study Plan: 1) Tactics Training 02:51 Practice Puzzle: Can you find the win? 02:57 Chess Study Plan: 2) Play & Analyze 04:08 Analyzing your chess game with engine 06:36 Training Plan: 3) Study chess (openings) 08:18 Studying positional concepts in chess 09:00 Chess Training Plan for 30 minutes per day 10:00 Training Plan if you have more time available

This is the best Chanel to learn chess. I really like how you are teaching. It’s not many channels that are so good as you. Many thanks from sweden. ❤❤❤

My approach, which may seem counterintuitive, was to play less chess. I was playing 15-20 games a day, just going on to the next one and the next one. Now I play just 5 or 6 and spend time going over them looking for weaknesses.

im always enjoy to watch your videos

Great video! I think it is good to add that in 2:34 after black's Qa5 white has monstrous Qb5!!+ and after Q:b5 Nc7# comes

So far, this has helped me a lot. I have followed this guide, and I have not lost a game so far, which is quite amazing for me since I normally end up losing atleast 1 lol I’ve noticed that I’m getting better just from the puzzles and I changed the last part (opening practice) to learning overall through chess videos and lessons.

Good evening i found one minute to slove the puzzle Qh5 its amazing because the bishop was pin. and blacks gready to take the bishop on C3, G pawn push Qh8 is mate☺️❤🤗.

The endgame is an extremely important component which needs to be studied to at least understand the basics. That is where many games are ultimately won or lost.

thank you igor,you are my favourite chess youtuber when i started watching you i was 800 elo and now i am 1600

2:53 The winning move is I think Qh5, black may play Be6 or Bxc4 (the only sensible move to create a room for the king incase white plays Qh8+), but that can be solved with g6 by white and I think there is nothing black can do to stop the checkmate

Very good video, thank you :-)

You just earned a new subscriber 😊

I like your videos they give you insight I was in a game and I had the queen and one space away. I have my night down in the corner I had on my bishop. I’m ready to pounce on winning the game and I don’t know what piece I should use or sacrifice I got it right there. I got it. I got the game in my hands and I can’t and it is there a drill I could do

What if before looking for forced moves we look for patterns like enclosed king in this case? This with the aim of training our mind to recognize the patterns that motivate the search for tactical opportunities during our games

Thanks for this advice! I've been doing loads of puzzles (2660 rating now) and some analysing my own games, but only a little study. So this video helped me discover one weakness in my training! Quite helpful.

Very nice video I am subbed

I honestly think this is great, im current a 1500, and used to lose a lot of points until i actually started playing like 3 -5 games per day, nothing more, and lots of puzzles.

Do you think playing longer games is better for beginners? I feel like it would be so I have time to really think about my moves and learn to see lines into the future

Thank you coach

THANKS, I got from 1150 to 1450 in a single week, and this big thank is also for other of your videos!!!

The line I calculated for the puzzle 2:50. Qh5(black bishop on f7 is pinned to king and threatening mate on either Qh7# or Qh8#), Bxc4 or any other bishop move to free up an escape square for black's king, However, White can then play g6, removing the escape square. Whatever black does now, It will still be mate. It is worth noting that if black plays g6 to prevent this line, Qh7#/Qh8# ends the game on the spot. I believe this is the solution.

Thanks sir.😇🥰🙏

This sounds like a great study format. I have two questions. Do you have any recommendations on how to study openings? (good sources, etc.) When do you think it's best to start regular self-training on endgames as well?

❤❤❤thanks Gonna follow it for 21 days

great video

thanks!

30 minutes a day for chess 30 for guitar\piano\ukulele\whatever and 30 for drawing..in a couple of years you'll be some kind of leonardo da vinci

Hey I used one of your old courses from a long time ago briefly. It literally helped my game tremendously. I don't play much anymore but I can say that those few days of following along with your course improved my game a whole lot. Your advice is gold and I know that it works. Any serious player should consider some of Igor's work.

Please do a video on Advantages/Disadvantages of King vs Queen side Castling

As a lichess rapid 2100 player,I can confirm that this is so true.Endgame is something that you need to study once in a while(l mean study things apart from your games).However,opening is what you should work on every day.

Very true -- If were to suggest, just reverse those points... But its very very important to understand opening chess traps.. or you'll just end up wasting time, no matter how good you are.

I usually use the caro-kann fantasy variation and the Grunfeld defense for black and the ruy lopez for white

Thank you

My best chess trick is techno music. (thanks Brahs). Not being emotionally/mentally sharp and aggressive has always been my biggest issue that stops me from looking for value, keeping open minded (of what my opponent is up to) and seeing patterns. Some repetitive music keeps me on an even keel emotionally. Probably chewing gum would work too.

Can you explain IN DETAIL how to start engine and load and analyze please

Qh5, Bxc4 then the great move g6 wins for white on the position you gave for tactical exercise. ❤

I was thinking the extra stuff and technically possibly winning as well. Starting with rook to the end file rh8 doing check, then queen to qh5 giving a check it moves back the king and then move the pawn up blocking the escape g6 and then final checkmate. Tell me if that's OK too?

good video, I started making videos about chess puzzles to help people! thank you for the tips

Thanks ❤😊

I will add 10 minutes to that schedule, watching your videos once a day.))

Most games rated under 2000 are decided by tactics. So there is where most of my time is going. Then some time analyzing. Only thing you need to know for your opening are the basic rules, to complete your development and the idea behind the opening.

Qh8 (remember the pin so bishup can't take queen) they might take the light squared bishup and the g6, they can play whatever move they choose, queen delivers the mate

Nice video

Solved it while laughing really hard at "tease your little sister"! A teacher with wit is a rare find.

Haai. First thank you for what you are doing! As a low level player, I don't agree yet with your solution with the puzzle at 2:31. Black queen to C6 following with black Tower c8 taking the free c-row sounds better in my unexperience opinion. What do I miss?

I've been searching for something like this for ages, there's only a few chess streamers /youtubers that talk about a study plan

Thank u

2:52 1. Qh5 Bxc4 2. g6 Bxf4 (it's M1 anyways so might aswell take the pawn with you) 3. Qh7 or Qh8#

Only found this channel today. Great content. Danya and Gothem got some competition.

Thanks

Solution to puzzle: Th8+ Kxh8 Qh1+ Kg8 g6 and no matter what black response is, Qh7++ (black cannot take the pawn with the bishop cause it is pinned) Nice puzzle

I was 1000 ELO two years ago and then I got "steps" to go further: in a year I wanted to get to 1200 which I did. Then I said to myself "2023 I will get to 1300" which I did and feels nice. I now want to get to 1500 by the end of the year

I think the solve to the 2:55 puzzle is Qh5, and if Bxc4 g6 and there is no way to stop the Queen coming to h7 or h8, delivering a checkmate

Thanks for all your help I am rated 1200 so I'm sure my rating will skyrocket

2:55 puzzle I initially thought pawn to g6 then bishop takes c4 bishop then queen to h5 then it will be mate no matter what but I overlooked that after pawn to g6 you have bishop to f4 so if you go queen to h5 now the bishop can go to h6 and defend, so I figured out the correct way, you go queen h5 first then bishop c4 pawn g6 pawn d3 then queen to h8 checkmate

I have to work hard to make small improvements. So this might help me to get to 2000.

For the puzzle: like others, my first instinct was Qh5, but what about g6 first? If you play Qh5 first, black can capture the light squared bishop on c4 and you miss out on mate either way. If you play g6, black does one of two things. They either see what's coming and play Rfe8 or they don't and play bxc4. Either way, following with Qh5 ensures the king can't escape b/c the pawn on g6 will control that f7 square if the bishop moves.

- Start with tactical training: solving puzzles (0:27) - Focus on attacking moves and forcing moves in tactics (1:21) - Analyze your games with an engine to identify mistakes (3:44) - Prioritize studying openings to ensure a good start (6:42) - If short on time, pick one or two key activities (9:30) - If more time is available, allocate extra time to playing/analysis and studying (10:01)

I'm stuck at 1460-1480 ..hoping this will help me go higher... *New subscriber*

Mr. Sy ingin belajar lebih banyak soal permainan catur, supya bagus dlm permainan

My plan which got me up from 1400-1700 in a few weeks: watch one chess video 15 min, play 1-2 games, analyse and learn from your mistakes, research the opening if you havent seen it before. In total this takes around 2 hours.

2:53 Tell me that I am not wrong here, but the move is 1. g6 and its a win by force as whatever black does, we sacrifice our rook by playing 2. rh8 followed by 3. qh5 and 4. qh7#(checkmate)

Hi Igor! I really love the way you teach, but I am stuck in Bishop's Opening, where after exd4, I play Nf3, as suggested, but the opponent almost always play c5, solidifying their position. What should I do?

playing by urself helps alot

What are some good resources for studying openings?