Author: Lawrence S. Tamarkin
Date: 22:59:37 09/06/99
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On September 07, 1999 at 01:03:03, Will Keller wrote: >I own CM5500 and am a new member of ICC. Please recommend some ways for me to >improve my chess playing. I prefer to use the computer over reading books. I'm >looking for ways to improve my playing. Please address any one or all of the >following or give me any other advice that may be valuable to me. Thanks! > The computer is only part of the equation for improving your game. In fact if you rely on the computer to train against, without human competition you will never get a comprehensive & true idea of what you need to do to make real progress in your game. Here is my opinion of how should approach this; 1: Play chess in rated tournaments against human competition. 2: Enter these game into a chess playing program - Fritz 5 is one of the best for this. Then anotate your own games (It is even better if you have looked at it with other human beings 1st too), after you have entered them in. Compare your play against the opening book(s), & over-all playing/analysis of the computer compared to human competition. Make note of all the critical phases of these games. Publish these games in your local state magazine against these opponent's, and solicit feedback from other chess player's on these games. (I have done this many times, the most recent of which is the fall issue of NY's 'Empire Chess'. This certainly does seem to help my understanding of chess competition, and hopefully improves my game. Don't know for sure, but I believe in this approach, 1st recommended by Botvinnik. >(1) I've heard it said that one way to improve is to play more games, is this >true? How high should I go up in my rating challenges above my own? Enter Open tournaments against the highest rated competition available. Don't worry or think (if you can blank this out, you'll have great chess potential:)), about your opponent's rating/class. If you get beat bad, don't rip up the scoresheet (see above about database entering). Analyse the game with your opponent as much as possible (Most strong player's will happily do at least some cursurary anlysis with you - (Unless they lost!). Remember & compare their comentary to your research using the playing program (or database program & analysis modules). You will definately gain from this. > >(2) How about any other computer chess programs besides Chessmaster? Are there >some others that you recommend? Chess Base 7 & Fritz/HIARCS/Junior, ect. are my two main recomendations. Other very good stuff is Rebel10, Chess Assistant training products & Chess Mentor. Maybe Book-Up too. Main thing is too use them in a structured, coordinated way. Chess Base is highest because of the availability of Steve Lopez's T-Notes columns (and NY 1924), at the Chess Base sites. > >(3) How about replaying some of the classical games? Is this beneficial? I >would like to get some computer programs that are annotated. Are there any? DO GET some very good chess books & read them right through - My System, Alekhine's Best Games, Chess Praxis, Reassess your Chess, How To Beat Bobby Fischer, How Karpov Wins, Capablanca's, My Chess Career & Chess Fundamental's, Think Like A Grandmaster, Secrets Of Grandmaster Play, Grandmaster Preperation, The Test Of Time, Secrets Of Practical Chess, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy, by John Watson, and many other's, but this will certainly get you started! Main thing is to choose some of them and then read only ONE at a time, Completely through, with-out stoping to 'browse' the other's. That way you will stay focused! Get Chess Life too. Despite the often negative comentary on chess newsgroups, it is a fine chess magazine with excellent regular columns by GM's Rohde & Fedorowicz, as well as columns by Larry Evans, Bruce Pandofini, Alex Dunn, Jeremy Silman, NY Times Columnist, Robert Byrne, and even special features by Alex Shirov. Incidentally the value of reading paper chess books over a nice wood chess set is still very important! From time to time you have to do this (and only turn on the computer later), to study chess properly & comprehensively. If you can form a 'study group' with other chess friends, this can be very benificial to your game (and theirs), as well. >(4) How about computer chess tutoring programs? Which ones do you recommend? CT-Art 3.0, by the Chess Assistant company is an excellent tactics training program. Chess Mentor is a little uneven, but has some beautifly worded challenges. Some of the best modules are once again by Jeremy Silman. He is working on a module about Alekhine that should be very interesting. I like the 'Rate Your Play feature in the Chess Master programs. Waitzkins voice annotated games is a promising feature too. TASC makes a program called Tasc Chess CD which has the playing program Chessica (basically the windows version of Fritz3), and the very outstanding 5 volumn Tasc Chess Tutor, based on a training program by Cor van Wijgerden used in the Netherlands, all on this one CD - Definately one of the best values for the money. And now for my ad! If you live in NY, join the Marshall Chess Club. The longest (& Best), chess club in its very own building on 23 W. 10th st in Manhattan, since 1931! Play the best player's in the country, and improve your game here! If you don't live in NY or have no interest in joining our club, visit us on the Web at, www.nystar.com/marshall Larry Tamarkin
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