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chic_luc ♡ 41 ( +1 | -1 )
How to improving A little ago I got tought better openings and be showed better books from a Friend . I improved 200 Points . What is the next Step to turn from a 1800 Player into a 2000 Player?
No, I do not want Line or profane , I would like to know general Understanding / Work I will have to do .
Other Word is , what seperates a 1800 Player from a 2000 Player ?
Luc
baseline ♡ 31 ( +1 | -1 )
Develop an opening repertoire that allows you to play for a permanent structural advantage.

polish up your endgame technique

solve a lot of more demanding combinations

learn to sacrifice material

time to start learning some more sophisticated positional concepts, like color complexes etc.



superblunder ♡ 54 ( +1 | -1 )
agree with baseline I myself am working towards 2000 elo level. Baseline's advice is right on. Mastering endgames, studying advanced combinations, learning sacrificial concepts and what constitutes adequate compensation, developing an opening repertoire which aims for an advantage you understand how to utilize. And I think most importantly, at our level it is important to study advanced positional strategy... something like "Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy" by John Watson or other material dealing with the more subtle ideas of chess strategy.
anaxagoras ♡ 39 ( +1 | -1 )
Very ironic. I hover in the 1800s and some of my most bitter losses come from blown endgames and missed sacrificial opportunities. Case in point, how an 1800+ player loses to a 1900+ player: gameknot.com/chess.pl?bd=1219265

25. Ng4+! fxg4 26. hxg4 intending 27. Rh3+ would win.

59. Nd6+? Kf8 60. g3? Ra6+!! loses.
More: Chess
alice02 ♡ 30 ( +1 | -1 )
baseline I have never heard of colour complexes before - is this a joke? Like you have chess pieces with complexes because they disagree with the way they are being pushed around:). If it is not a joke and it is possible to give a simple explanation can you please explain
Thanks
baseline ♡ 36 ( +1 | -1 )
alice02 lol

a simple example: as white you have pawns on e3 ,f2,g3,and h2 all dark squares. If you now trade your light-squared bishop and castle king side the light squares around your king are weak, meaning black can use the light squares to attack you. In addition to the light squares being weak your pawns on f2 and h2 have been weakened.
anaxagoras ♡ 30 ( +1 | -1 )
Exactly. Try this out sometime: if your opponent has an isolated pawn on d5, it is often a good try to trade your light-squared bishop for one of his knights (his own light-squared bishop won't help him). Color complexes are the battleground for Bishop vs. Knight, and who can make their minor pieces more effective.
reggiesharpe ♡ 191 ( +1 | -1 )
Suggested Readings Hi, just wanted to reenforce what others are saying; and what I suppose you've already been doing... by your question. Here are a few books I found helpful.
(1) Reubin Fine's Basic Chess Endings. (Knowing what wins, draws or losses is more than half the battle).
(2) Practical Opening Tips, Edmar Mednis
(3) The Art of Attack, Vukuvic? (sorry don't have all the sources in front of me).
(3a) The Art of Defense (Why not?)
(4) My System, Chess Praxis and Die Blockade, Nimzovich.
(5) Study the games (and try to analize them yourself) of masters. My Best Games of Chess (My all-time favorite champ), books I and II.
(5a) I suppose this has more to do with style, but if you're methodical try Capablanca; if you do like tactics, study Kasparov, Tal and Fischer along side this. You can annotate these games yourself and find out what secrets they use or at least what they were thinking).
(6) How To Reassess Your Chess Jeremy Silman (a wonderful assistance to Nimzovich). A great wealth of positional understanding!!!!!
(7) The search for chess perfection; C. J. Purdy.
(8) Idea's behind the chess openings, R. Fine

I don't want to bore you anymore with this, the important point is that these are quality books that really help in taking you to expert level. I should know; I have brought many used books to find out what I can actually learn in chess. Tactics is everything in chess so if you do find a good tactical book don't put it down until you become an expert. (That was my main mistake).

Overall, the key is: Theory and practise go hand and hand. Learn and practice what is preached (constantly). Practice, practice, practice! If you don't practice (especially in clubs and tournaments) you will not progress. Overtime you will improve if you are serious and consistant.

Find an analysis partner who has the same passion for chess as you do to go over different openings and puzzles you might find in a magazine or newspaper.
alice02 ♡ 4 ( +1 | -1 )
Thanks Thanks for the explanation re colour complexes
baseline ♡ 2 ( +1 | -1 )
alice02 your welcome!
baseline ♡ 115 ( +1 | -1 )
reggiesharpe Those are some good books you mentioned, but to raise your level of play from 1800 to 2000 you will need to change the way you think.

You have to have discipline and you have to be piratical. Endgame Technique is the most piratical solution to improving your game at this level. I'm not talking about basic endgame's, I'm talking about learning to play well from the beginning of the endgame through its conclusion.

solving more complex demanding combinations require that you learn to solve them backward, You recognize a weakness in your opponents position you envision the fantasy position that allows you to exploit it. You think backwards from that position to see how to bring it about. More often than not you can't bring it off but you keep the possibility filed away and you are ready when the iron is hot!

Sacrifice? It's natural to want to avoid material loss, the first step is to be will to consider sacrifice as a means of achieving your goals.

Positional chess? You need to learn how to improve your position when nothing much seems to be happening and there are no forcing lines.
superblunder ♡ 30 ( +1 | -1 )
Great advice baseline. Where did you learn this technique of analyzing combinations? I noticed most books give a position, ask you to try to solve it and then give the answer in variations...but few ever try to explain HOW to solve it, what methods of analyzing are the best in the bizarre logic of combinations. I like your approach and I will try it out.
baseline ♡ 54 ( +1 | -1 )
superblunder I learned it from studying endgame's. You might ask how? Well, Capablanca said that to play endgame's well requires schematic thinking, ie. rather than analyzing variations you start by envisioning a won position ,were your pieces and pawns must be to win along what you must do to reduce your opponent's counter-play. You then maneuver to reach that position.

The best explanation of this applied to middlegame positions is in "chess Recipes from the Grandmaster's Kitchen" by GM Valeri Beim ISBN 1-901-983-55-2
chic_luc ♡ 2 ( +1 | -1 )
Thank you all for Informations
Luc