Author: Peter Kappler
Date: 12:18:06 01/23/99
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On January 23, 1999 at 13:37:04, Matthew Rittorno wrote: >I'm a 16 year old tournament player, uscf rating 949 I believe.... I play a lot >of chess on the internet, but these 10 minute-15 minute games don't seem to be >getting me very far....and I have quite a few books on chess. Next week I'm >invited to go to the Indiana State Championships in Terre Haute, IN and I would >like to know what some of the best things are that I could study before I head >on down there.....it's the 12th grade and under age group. Thanks Matthew, I'm afraid a week isn't much time, but I do have two suggestions: 1) Find out what time control will be used at this tournament. Play some practice games at that time control. 2) Find a basic endgame book. Players with ratings much higher than yours often don't know simple rules of endgame play. Good positions to study include King+Pawn vs. King, and King+Rook+Pawn vs King+Rook. These are among the most common positions that occur in normal endgame play. In K+P vs K, it's crucial that you understand "opposition" - any good endgame book will explain this. And learn how to checkmate with just a King+Rook versus King, if you don't already know. 3) Don't waste a lot of time studying openings, especially if you are just memorizing move sequences. Learning opening *ideas* is important, but memorizing variations without also understanding the strategical concepts is pointless. For the longer term, I strongly recommend "How to Reassess Your Chess", by Jeremy Silman. If you read and understand that book it will raise your rating by several hundred points. (But not in one week, I'm afraid...) Good Luck, Peter
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