How to improve from 1000 to 1600 in one year ?

Chess_Coach

What do you all think what should be done to progress in chess fast - here we talk about lets say junior player age 10.

What program would you set for that child ?
How many hours per week ?
What software or online source ?

Past_Pawn_99

Most important thing i would say is making sure their having fun and just playing a lot. Trying to set a training program with such and such hours a week makes it seem like a chore, which could be counter productive in the long run.

Lucena

Assuming you're the person doing the tuition, first and foremost, there's no system to guarantee progress in anything. It comes down to the student's motivation and at that age, how fun it is. However, assuming that the rules are well known by the student...

Tactics: Forks, skewers, pins etc, beginners love taking pieces! Chesstempo.com might be a good online source.
Mates/Endgames: What Jeremy Silman calls 'Overkill Mates' in his book on the endgame, "Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master"; two queens v lone king, queen v lone king, two rooks v lone king, rook v lone king. Who doesn't love trapping the king, and dreaming of doing it in a real game?!
Lots of games played, writing the moves down, and analysis afterwards. This is where the real progress takes place, as you'll see instantly where the student has weaknesses (and strengths). You'll then have to tailor the tuition according to these weaknesses. I don't believe a cookie-cutter approach works for students.

In my experience, things take a long time to stick at that age. I had a student around that age with whom I worked on openings, basic stuff such as getting him to play (with White) e4, Nf3, B wherever and castle. Kept repeating this until I was blue in the face, the idea being that at the under 1200/1300 level, getting the king stuck in the centre is a main reason for losing, after tactical reasons. I'd get him to play some games afterwards, either against me or other opponents of his age, and what would happen? Everything and anything except getting the king castled: random pawn pushes, four or five queen moves, stuff that made no sense. After the game, I'd ask why and the student couldn't say why. Possibly because at 10 years old they're not very articulate, but also because in the heat of battle, things that haven't been mastered (as opposed to just learned) tend to go out the window.

Most of all, the work has to be enjoyable, as at that age there are lots of other activies vying for their attention. Hope this helps.

Rathminor

Have fun and make friends with the other young players your age. A dour 10 year old who doesn't enjoy the game won't be playing as a 12 or 13 year old.
After that, I recommend the Alex Baburin Grand Prix series and join a junior club.

Getting better is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't put crazy expectation on the child. If it's fun and the junior player is playing a lot, the ratings improvement will follow.

You often see the a big contingent of juniors playing swap chess with big smiles at the end of a long weekender when after a hard weekend of chess, they can also have a bit of fun.

For online, chess.com is great and easy to access.

Chess_Coach

I think you have great point here. Working as coach in 3 States I saw the difference in chess training. First what I found was that Parents here in Ireland when talking to kids are saying that they wants them to have fun while in Croatia they wants kids to work hard and progress .
Now is that the reason why Croatia is having same number of registered Fide players as England and lots of GM s .
Croatia is same in population as Ireland.
I think in general any success in sport and chess is based on discipline.
I think that Chess master and Chesstempo.com is very good for juniors. Tactic should be the 80% of junior training and wild aggressive gambit openings . It is not good I think to have positional play for young kids.
This indeed is what I do . I do believe that chess should be fun for kids but they should know that progress is based only on hard work. I have 2 kids myself 6 and 4 boy and girl. They want to play chess and the 6 years old is playing chess . He is going to my club here in Kilkenny . I am sure that Chess is helping kids in education and that is why I would like them to play .

I think the key is in tactic . Any young player or anyone just starting chess should only do 2 things tactic and playing ! The biggest mistake of any coach is to teach kids to play openings preferred by coach !

sinbad68

One of excellent learning tools on line is the " chess mentor " under the tab of " Learn" on " chess.com" .It is a virtual chess coach and suited to player of virtually any level. It usually brings you to an actual position in a game played by a well known chess master, it could be the opening, middle game or end game and asks you what move you would make ( you need to figure out a combination of moves usually)and when you make a move ( hopefully after you have spent a few minutes thinking ) if it is not the best move it refutes it by showing you with written explanation why not the best and if correct also tells you why this was the best move. It also teaches and tests you on variety of chess theoretical positions.The number of lessons and positions is quite large. Obviously you need to be a premium member, diamond ( unlimited access ) to use facility. You could enroll for one month only, which costs 13 euro and during the month use chess mentor unlimited, also you will have access to a large video library which teaches whatever topic , opening etc you want to train in and if you play on line can have all your games analyzed by chess.com.

Yes, this would be the best usage of 13 euro for chess training and I strongly recommend it.

Chess_Coach

This is well known good platform indeed.
Without Real coach and virtual only one cant progress a lot .
Why ? The Chess Coach is much more then someone who will show positions and openings.
The Coach must understand the player and his personality and build repertoire and program of training.
It is essential to go trough the progress with them .
One of mine ways is just to look into games my players lost. Find the pattern in 5 games and react .
Coach should just try to fix things are not great in every stage. The 12 weeks course one on one coaching change things a lot .

Chess_Coach

Lucena wrote: »

Assuming you're the person doing the tuition, first and foremost, there's no system to guarantee progress in anything. It comes down to the student's motivation and at that age, how fun it is. However, assuming that the rules are well known by the student...

Tactics: Forks, skewers, pins etc, beginners love taking pieces! Chesstempo.com might be a good online source.
Mates/Endgames: What Jeremy Silman calls 'Overkill Mates' in his book on the endgame, "Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master"; two queens v lone king, queen v lone king, two rooks v lone king, rook v lone king. Who doesn't love trapping the king, and dreaming of doing it in a real game?!
Lots of games played, writing the moves down, and analysis afterwards. This is where the real progress takes place, as you'll see instantly where the student has weaknesses (and strengths). You'll then have to tailor the tuition according to these weaknesses. I don't believe a cookie-cutter approach works for students.

In my experience, things take a long time to stick at that age. I had a student around that age with whom I worked on openings, basic stuff such as getting him to play (with White) e4, Nf3, B wherever and castle. Kept repeating this until I was blue in the face, the idea being that at the under 1200/1300 level, getting the king stuck in the centre is a main reason for losing, after tactical reasons. I'd get him to play some games afterwards, either against me or other opponents of his age, and what would happen? Everything and anything except getting the king castled: random pawn pushes, four or five queen moves, stuff that made no sense. After the game, I'd ask why and the student couldn't say why. Possibly because at 10 years old they're not very articulate, but also because in the heat of battle, things that haven't been mastered (as opposed to just learned) tend to go out the window.

Most of all, the work has to be enjoyable, as at that age there are lots of other activies vying for their attention. Hope this helps.

Thanks

How many of your students went over 1800 , 2000 , 2300 rating points ?
Talking about basic things in opening. As a Fide trainer I have learnt a lot and made lots of mistakes.
It is much better to teach them principals rather then actual moves .
One of those most used is 10 steps in opening . So it goes P N B Rook move ( castling) Q and then repeat P N B R and then step 10 R or Q. But is that really working in reality ? I have seen game played by Nakamura as white played e4 e5 Qh5 . Many coaches would say that this is bad but hey he played and won !

historian

"The Coach must understand the player and his personality and build repertoire and program of training."

"Talking about basic things in opening....It is much better to teach them principals rather then actual moves."

I agree. So why do so many coaches of young players still focus on 1.e4 e5 openings?

Chess_Coach

I dont really .

I like e4 as white for juniors and then gambits as Danish and Smith Morra etc.
As a black I woud never advise e5 to e4 but you are correct many players are

e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 Bc4 Bc5 but even then if that happen I ask them to play b4 !

Lucena

Chess_Coach wrote: »

Thanks

How many of your students went over 1800 , 2000 , 2300 rating points ?
Talking about basic things in opening. As a Fide trainer I have learnt a lot and made lots of mistakes.
It is much better to teach them principals rather then actual moves .
One of those most used is 10 steps in opening . So it goes P N B Rook move ( castling) Q and then repeat P N B R and then step 10 R or Q. But is that really working in reality ? I have seen game played by Nakamura as white played e4 e5 Qh5 . Many coaches would say that this is bad but hey he played and won !

None so far. I'm not actually a chess trainer, but I did help my nephew learn the game and basic play. And he's only around 1050 at the moment, so get back to me in five years!

Chess_Coach

In the past 20 years 3500 kids learnt how to play chess with me in 3 States.