Hello and welcome back to The Chess Doctor Is In. I’m here to answer all of your chess related questions, whatever they may be. On to our question this week:
Dear Chess Doctor,
Greetings from quarantine. I have a difficult question that I would be grateful if you could answer.
Unfortunately, due to the current world situation over the board chess tournaments have been completely stopped. All of the red slashes on advertisements saying CANCELLED! bring me to a boil. Of course I know this is necessary for safety reasons, but like many people I would much rather be playing. Online chess just isn’t the same.
At the same time, everyone suddenly has a bunch of extra free time. This brings me to my question: the only playing venues are online and the typical online time controls are not conductive to real improvement. Playing a series of three minute games (as many of my buddies are choosing to do) is not going to help my overall understanding of chess.
So, my question is, how can I improve my classical game in this time of blitz, blitz, blitz? (I won’t even mention the other “b” word … bullet!!)
Glad to hear you’re thinking about it! There are a few methods for improvement. I’ll give you some choices and let you decide for yourself:
1. There are in fact online classical tournaments available. A good way to stay on your game is to play some classical games online, but set up the board and think about your moves on a real board. And not on the computer screen. (Take note, though, that not all tournaments allow this option. Some, including USCF, currently consider any extra board an analysis board.) I’ve always thought that computers are not conducive to good concentration. A quote from Kasparov: “I know when to turn the computer on and I know when to turn it off.” That’s definitely a great lesson for everyone, chess player or not.
2. I would seriously suggest continuing normal study habits, or maybe even avail yourself of all the extra time to study even more. The only way to stay sharp is to not slack off! I prefer to study books with a board at hand (I know, a foreign concept), but if you prefer online lessons or videos, do what works for you.
3. Along with normal studying I would suggest introducing a regular habit of solving positions. This can mean anything from composed problems to practical positions. This is another excellent way to stay sharp.
These are all good options, but most important is to just stay in the chess world in general. Good luck on your goal of general improvement, and hope my answer was helpful!
For everyone else, send in your questions via the button below, or email me anytime!
Great content, really appreciate it! I always wondered about the chess engine problem.
Thanks Kevin! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂