Review – March 2016
March felt like a slow chess month. I only played two rated OTB games and stagnated a bit on training. However, I feel comfortable with the simplified study plan I introduced last month and just need to tweak around the edges, especially in terms of time spent on each part of my daily training plan. Here is what the plan looks like at the moment:
TACTICS
- Around 20 problems, alternating between ChessTempo and Chessimo.
- 5 problems on chess.com’s Tactics Trainer.
OPENING
- Spaced repetition training on chessable.com
- Working with Chessbase, Chesstempo, a couple of books and the Tiger course to fill gaps in my repertoire.
ENDGAME
- 5 problems on ChessTempo Practice mode.
- 5 problems on Chessimo.
- Tiger Chess course video couple of times a week.
OTHER
- A lesson with my GM coach around once a month.
- Memorise relevant games: this month I added Colle-O’Hanlon 1930.
- Book study: I have worked through most of Tune Your Chess Tactics Antenna: Know When (and where!) to Look for Winning Combinations
.
.My Tactics Trainer rating took a hit over the last week or so. After starting the month at 1588 and spending most of the month at around 1630, I peaked at 1646 on 27 March before hitting a dry spell and ending the month on 1578. It doesn’t make a pretty picture…
On a positive note, I had my best OTB win ever, beating a player rated ECF 161 (Elo 1908).
Great OTB result ! By far the most important ! 🙂
Thanks!
Congrats on the big win. If there were only a rating to assess progress, chess improvement would be a somewhat depressing affair. Kevin and I have been doing a great deal with evaluating performance ratings recently. Do you have access to a calculator for performance ratings of your federation? It’s one of the ways in which I’ve been able to tell that I am improving, despite the fact that my rating has been swinging between 1600 and 1678. I’ve recently had my first performance ratings in the 1800’s, and then I’ve had two at 1900+. My rating is on the rebound from some absolutely garbage results, which is what makes the performance ratings particularly useful, since it will take a little while for me to peak again. My last 4 have been 1800+, so consistency is apparent.
Thanks David. Yes, the ECF has a performance calculator. I’m fairly sure I’m playing above my ECF 103 at the moment, but will wait and see what the ECF mid-year update says.