TRAIN LIKE YOU MEAN IT! Apply the 5 elements of efficient training in chess... They cannot be missing from your system!!!

Often much of the time spent trying to perfect a skill is dissipated in ambiguous practices that have no long-term educational value. Particularly if one is self-taught, a beginner, and does not have the support of a reliable mentor to guide their interest in developing this or that skill.

Even more so in the game of chess, for instance, because one cannot overlook the vast array of technical and conceptual nuances involved. Despite the simplicity of its configuration and the rules that govern it, playing chess is a demanding activity that requires sharp mental acuity and creative thinking. It is a vast intellectual field—a complex system in which multiple intuitive, operational, and philosophical dimensions converge.

Thus, when approaching the study of its intricacies, it’s possible—as the popular saying goes—that “one misses the forest for the trees”. In other words, the abundance of principles and rules in chess can distract the player from the simple goal of making a good move. And truthfully, this can happen to anyone, regardless of their level of experience, because such confusion is not exclusive to novice players. Even experienced chess players are susceptible to theoretical saturation, which can hinder clear decision-making during a game.

Nevertheless, the degree of preparation and clarity of thought one brings to the subject will certainly reduce the tendency to make mistakes and increase the sensitivity to understand the lessons that arise from them. As we will see, this clarity begins with the ability to demystify the conceptual density that often surrounds chess theory.

"To avoid mistakes is the beginning, as it is the end, of chess mastery."

- Eugene Znosko-Borovsky

In fact, one of the fundamental principles for approaching chess—both as a recreational discipline and as a competitive activity—lies in the development of the aforementioned clarity of cognitive perception, also known as objectivity, along with other psychological qualities that are essential and aligned with the natural demands of the game. These qualities contribute to a subtle understanding of its technical and conceptual nuances.

Resilience, for example, understood as the mental disposition to interpret unforeseen situations and make practical decisions under pressure, constitutes another structural axis of chess performance. Thus, cultivating a mode of thinking that is clear, flexible, deliberate, and perseverant not only improves the quality of one’s moves, but also enables the player to extract meaning and learning from their experience on the board—from perspectives that only individual experience can illustrate with the greatest possible clarity.

So all these implications may lead us to ask, then… what factors are truly beneficial when designing a general training framework that is dynamic, independent, and self-directed—one that addresses both the player’s particular strengths and the progressive dissolution of their cognitive, technical, or emotional weaknesses in practical life scenarios?

Far from adopting rigid formulas or universal prescriptions, the effectiveness of a personal study program requires the conscious integration of certain methodological principles that foster active understanding and sustained improvement across every one of its technical-conceptual aspects.

In this regard, it becomes crucial to identify those essential elements whose presence ensures not only an enriching deliberate practice, but also a solid, autonomous, and efficient learning process. The goal is to optimize the mechanisms that support the assimilation of productive didactic frameworks and to achieve the highest possible performance during the hours dedicated to chess.

The Chess Thought Process: Decoded

Let’s be honest: chess may have very simple rules, but it can become extraordinarily complex if not approached with a disciplined and well-trained mind—one capable of perceiving its most subtle nuances. This discipline, which forms what we call the chess thought process, is a delicate synthesis of cognitive skills and specific strategic methods used to make decisions through the language—or dialectic—of the game.

Such understanding isn’t absorbed passively or learned “by osmosis”. It’s cultivated through the rational thought intrinsic to chess itself, strengthened by deliberate, consistent practice and a healthy dose of skeptical questioning toward every element of the game.

In short, this mental process relies on several core tools: comprehension, common sense, logic, evaluative ability, intuition, decision-making, and focus, among others.

But among them all, logic tends to be the most "powerful".

Intuition and memory, of course, are helpful—especially in fast games or familiar situations—but when things get complicated, it’s logic, combined with a methodical approach, that solves most problems far more effectively than relying solely on inspiration or creativity. In fact, depending exclusively on inspiration or creativity can be a double-edged sword if there’s no solid foundation behind it. That’s why it’s always wise and productive to ground your decisions in pure logic, free from the influence of fleeting considerations like theoretical trends or mood swings.

But why is logic so useful? Because it provides a clear, reliable structure for decision-making in any situation, allowing us to approach complex positions with order and method.

As Mark Dvoretsky wrote in Opening Developments (2003):

“It’s clear that logic doesn’t function as a bland guesswork in an empty space—it’s built upon specific knowledge of the opening being played, on the typical methods of thinking, and on the evaluative habits one refines through practice. Connecting all of this to a given position is what enables the formulation of a correct solution. The more ideas one knows, the broader the scope of one’s logic—and the deeper and more precise the reasoning becomes.”

Nevertheless, in most cases, it’s equally vital to recognize when relying solely on strict logical thinking can actually become a disadvantage—especially if it consumes unnecessary time or leads to what’s commonly known as analysis paralysis. A rigid application of logic may overlook clever, unconventional, or even brilliant ideas that could prove useful in unorthodox situations, simply because it fails to adapt quickly enough in moments that demand a more dynamic or innovative approach.

When this happens, for example, some players become predictable—overlooking creative solutions that might have offered better attacking chances or even psychological advantages against their opponent.

In contrast, it is under such circumstances that creative thinking emerges as the countercurrent of comparative thought necessary to imbue the other technical processes of the game with rational meaning, providing flexibility and fresh, surprising perspectives—especially in intricate, uncertain, or unstable positions. This relationship with creativity is sustained by dynamic play, or dynamism, where bold sacrifices and speculative moves can shatter the opponent’s plans despite the seemingly stable or deceptively “harmless” evaluations of any position.

Creativity is an unparalleled quality, especially in situations involving time pressure, since rapid intuitive decisions can often be far more helpful and advantageous than methodical calculations in such cases. This, in turn, can provide a considerable advantage—both technical and psychological—over the opponent, as long as it does not come at the expense of the logical quality of our move selection.

In general terms, chess thinking is a delicate balance between LOGIC and CREATIVITY, supported by a healthy proportion of other individual abilities such as those mentioned at the beginning.

In specific terms of board position, for instance, logic provides structure and consistency in complex strategic situations, while creativity becomes essential in dynamic ones, allowing the player to transcend preconceived notions and mental paradigms in order to find original and unexpected solutions. Mastering both is the key to adapting, surprising, and excelling over the board. Therefore, it is worth considering which structures and didactic approaches to the study of these fundamental concepts can be incorporated into the player’s individual efforts—specifically applied to the practical life of the chessplayer—whether for the beginner, intermediate, or advanced student seeking to develop and refine a truly beneficial practice in terms of healthy or competitive performance.

The 5 Elements Of Efficient Training

Every independent training system designed to effectively strengthen the learning of the game, which experience has provided me as an example of the master keys that lead to optimal performance and understanding of an art as intellectually demanding as the game of chess can be, must—by the very nature of such a mentally demanding activity—include didactic elements like those that will be discussed below. This is because, as will be demonstrated in multiple situations, they correspond to the highly logical and introspective character of chess itself and its ludic-scientific essence, which present themselves as challenges in its study and practice that must be properly understood and implemented, with the purpose that both the enjoyment and the learning of this game result in the highest possible quality.

In short, what has been outlined so far may help us answer a question such as: “What are the factors that truly contribute to the healthy development of logical and creative thinking in this discipline—so that training remains both enlightening and consciousness-building, supported by the kind of feedback that keeps our impressions and evaluations informed and fresh, in harmony with the game’s spontaneous dynamism?”  We now turn to address this question.

 

1. FUNDAMENTALS

Have you ever seen how watches are built? In all that impeccable engineering process, the smallest components are reciprocally integrated into the mechanism that governs the measurement of seconds, minutes and hours. Undoubtedly, its functionality is based on the precision and order with which the basic principles of dynamic and kinematic physics are applied.

In the same way, to work systematically with chess, a good command of the basic theory of the game is necessary, in order to classify the areas in which practical improvement is required and to organize the themes that derive from those areas.

It is worth emphasizing that with "basic theory" we are not referring to the movement of the pieces or the knowledge of one or another opening variation, but to the fundamentals of the essential logic of the game: How is a position analyzed, what nuances should be prioritized to assess it, which is the most precise order of moves to consider in the calculation of variations according to its notable positional objectives, and in what cases should these analytical assessments be renewed in order to adapt them to the strategic changes of the chess battle?

In truth, all the learning that is developed according to the most diverse tactical and strategic concepts of chess, arises from having assimilated these basic questions from its abstract content and giving them a practical meaning. It is not about "reinventing the wheel", of course; the idea of knowing and understanding the fundamental logic of the game is that from there the incorporation of various standard ‘attack and defense’ themes in individual preparation is much more beneficial in the long term than a short-term memorization of variations or theoretical positions. Thus, in order to develop a natural understanding of chess it is necessary to assimilate these elementary thinking processes and put them into practice by experimenting with the variety of interactive resources the game offers.

"No fantasy, however rich, no technique, however masterful, no insight into the opponent's psychology, however deep, can make a game of chess a work of art, if these qualities do not lead to the main goal, the search of the truth."

- Vasily Smyslov

2. FOCUS

One of the most influential nuances on carrying out any physical and intellectual activity is the greater or lesser ability to concentrate attention for long periods of time. Something that depends on nutritional, social, hygiene, reading habits, etc., but that after all, constitute our clarity of focus to develop and apply a certain knowledge.

In chess training, beyond the healthy habits that support our attention span, the focus can be approximated to the definitions of flexibility, objectivity and pragmatism, but specifically it is about the individual affinity to complement the correct learning techniques to the instructional resources available.

In other words, it is necessary to recognize which learning style favors our independent development. For example, focusing on researching chess literature if you are someone who primarily likes to read, studying multimedia courses that deepen strategic concepts if you are a audio-visual learner, or developing an analytical discussion after a play session with a friend who shares your enthusiasm for chess, if your style is more kinaesthetic, and even encompassing various of the aforementioned didactic approaches if it fits with our cognitive requirements. The essential thing here is to be aware of what works best for you and to work in balance with your natural learning approach for didactical efficiency.

The following distribution of methods and resources for educational development in chess is offered as a basic reference of which focus approach can be more or less useful for the reader.

 

3. METHOD

“You should keep in mind no names, nor numbers, nor isolated incidents, not even results, but only methods. The method is plastic. It is applicable in every situation. The result, the isolated incident, is rigid, because bound to wholly individual conditions. The method produces numerous results; a few of these will remain in our memory, and as long as they remain few, they are useful to illustrate and to keep alive the rules which produce a thousand results.”

In my opinion, little more can be added to this reasoning by Emanuel Lasker to understand the importance of having a stable method, not only in chess, but in any field of knowledge that requires a variety of learning approaches. The fundamental purpose of implementing a method is, as can be inferred from the previous bibliographical reference, to reduce to a minimum all inert accumulation of purely circumstantial information and significantly increase the intuitive perception of the studied facts.

As with the focus element, to achieve a correct performance in every conceptual and technical nuance of the game, self-knowledge is necessary in order to consider the methodical approaches to which one has the best affinity and cultivate from those processes the basic theory inherent to it.

A reasonable structure to implement in your method is as follows:

• Define a training goal (Opening, mid- or end-game study).
• Implement learning resources (Bibliography, multimedia courses, digital apps).
• Play a set of games applying the key ideas from your study sessions.
• Work out your analysis technique paying attention to the correction of mistakes and optimization of the thinking system (Masters' and own game analysis, problem solving).
• Keep a training diary to synthesize your results in feedback loops, by setting intervals of rest and training to renovate your learning program and assimilate the knowledge studied, through a sporadic review of the key ideas recorded in it.

(Conceptual nuances in italics, systemic nuances in bold.)

To study a general system of how to approach chess methodically by play and analysis sessions, you could consider the training blueprint that I use to organize my own learning routine. Now, if you really want to ensure optimal results in your own method, you can't skip the next element, that is...

4. CONSISTENCY

To be honest, nothing that can be considered a significant achievement has been done without motivation and discipline. Consistency, in this case, is an objective nuance of criterion that can help us to emphasize the concentration applied in our methodical approaches and dismiss unrealistic expectations of immediate results, while working on discipline and motivation in parallel with our present performance.

“You work for a long period of time and the results don't really show, but at some point everything just comes together and you start to play better, or get more confidence.”

- Fabiano Caruana

Consistency is also related to our time management, since organizing a training program is somewhat dependent on one’s personal schedule and calendar of activities, which adds a certain level of commitment... but if one really likes chess, surely one could also play the chronological tetris and implement a few hours to dedicate to chess between weeks. The important thing here is perseverance and equilibrium. As Wilhem Steinitz said, better than studying 10 hours once a week is devoting one hour to chess daily.

Personally, what works best for me, at the time of writing this post, is a 27-hour program distributed over 2 weeks, as illustrated below:

I should mention that as it is a specific example, I cannot recommend anyone to use this same routine, since some persons may require more or less hours of activity to develop a constant learning in chess and the training subject requirements could vary according to each one’s individual experience. In my case, it is not just about saying something like “well, I will stick with this schedule and see what happens…” Often, due to other occupations, I do not train at the same time each day, so sometimes I develop my sessions in the morning, afternoon or night as my availability allows me to, but always with the idea of applying the training activities distributed on their corresponding days. Another thing is that after completing a training program like the one in the illustration above, if I consider that I feel somewhat intellectually and emotionally overloaded by chess, I can pause everything related to the game, for example, for a week, which allows my thoughts to become organized and stabilized, and even to rethink if I need to add or remove something to my program in the following weeks, and then resume the chess activities with the appropriate mental agility. But in any case, I trust that this reference on how to plan a consistent program to study and play chess moderately can be of instructive use... if you already have the rudiments, the focus and the method, consider how to integrate those elements into your training regime consistently (at what time controls to play, what games to analyze, what patterns to add to the repertoire, what resources to use, etc.).

5. FUN

There is an interesting anecdote of Viswanathan Anand that comes to my mind… During his youth he wanted to be a tennis player, but he was disappointed when all his coach proposed as an activity was drills and no practical game.

It may be that his mentor had focused too much on the rudiments of the technique that he underestimated the importance of active learning developed in the pure practice and natural performance of his student. That bored Anand so much that he decided instead to dedicate himself to chess, where he could play whenever he wanted. But in the end, it does not seem like he made a wrong decision either, as he became world champion in the game he loved. An example that many times one's own convictions are more valuable than the influence of teachers or "experts" with little or no pedagogical education nor the motivation to see others grow in their natural aptitude, about which little can be done apart from trying to improve oneself, avoiding comparing oneself to others in order to carry out a conscious and gratifying work.

The moral is that if a learning approach is not exciting, one must find the right way for oneself to develop their creative passion according to the key pragmatism that fuels the flame of interest in learning. Of course, to dominate the fundamentals of a certain knowledge requires a lot of practice, but not more than it is not entertaining and healthy. It is vital to exercise creativity as well by deliberate practice.

“No one ever learned the art of chess purely by reading books. Just as one must get into the water to learn to swim. In order to learn chess, one must play chess."

- Grigory Levenfish

Being chess an intellectually demanding activity, the fun that comes from playing and studying it is directly proportional to the creative labor that goes into its practical subtleties. So if at any point we find it boring to cover the training sessions, this is possibly due to two things. First, the enthusiasm for the game has dissipated because we find ourselves constantly and uncritically doing the same things... for which it is essential to diversify the exercises we solve, the time controls we use and the positional themes we develop from analyzing the master games we cover. And second, it is possible that we could simply be a bit exhausted after a long journey of work and study, which diverts our focus from concentrating on training. It can be assumed that, if this is the case, it is important to recognize when it is necessary to rest from the game and not overload yourself by wanting to put in more hours than are healthy to maintain proper focus and mental stability.

In conclusion, being able to integrate efficient learning elements into the effort to perfect a skill such as chess is something that demands objectivity and self-knowledge, in order to consciously assimilate the fundamental ideas that contribute to individual growth in this noble discipline. With this in mind, you can now train like you mean it!

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"Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece."

- Ralph Charell