X-Git-Url: https://git.ladys.computer/Wiki/blobdiff_plain/723e31b9d181d2082330d03866b821c5a7179e65..2315daf774a27d28430209e44209222188de0ed0:/Sources/Editor/Rinna/ChessStudyPlan.djot?ds=sidebyside diff --git a/Sources/Editor/Rinna/ChessStudyPlan.djot b/Sources/Editor/Rinna/ChessStudyPlan.djot index e9077e0..2cef882 100644 --- a/Sources/Editor/Rinna/ChessStudyPlan.djot +++ b/Sources/Editor/Rinna/ChessStudyPlan.djot @@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ could improve on and what went well. My rating and performance over time (on chess.com): -| Week | Blitz rating |Rapid rating | Blitz win/loss/draw | Rapid win/loss | +| Week | Blitz rating |Rapid rating | Blitz win/loss/draw | Rapid win/loss/draw | |------|--------------|-------------|---------------------|----------------| | 1 | N/A | 429 | 3-1 | 4-1 | | 2 | 686 | 508 | 6-6 | 0-0 | @@ -64,13 +64,16 @@ My rating and performance over time (on chess.com): | 8 | 587 | 739 | 5-6-1 | 9-3 | | 9 | 579 | 795 | 3-0-1 | 25-6 | | 10 | 604 | 935 | 5-8 | 9-5 | -| 11 | 585 | 974 | 0-0 | 0-0 | +| 11 | 585 | 974 | 2-2 | 11-6-3 | +| 12 | 585 | 1000 | 6-6 | 12-8-1 | +| end | 588 | 1023 | N/A | N/A | Notes: * Each row represents my ratings at the beginning of each week unless stated otherwise. Game results are for games played during that week. + End row is for the end of the study plan. * I had never played any blitz games prior to starting the study plan. * Prior to starting the study plan I had mostly been playing on lichess rather than chess.com, so improvements from week 1 to week 2 may just @@ -498,6 +501,121 @@ plan, or move on to the intermediate plan (I'm not at the suggested rating for that but still considering it), or come up with something custom. Tbd! +### Week 11 + +This was the penultimate week of the study plan! +Played a fair number of rapid games, with more losses than I've usually +had lately (although one of those was due to losing internet during the +game, so idk if I would have lost it otherwise), and three hard-fought +draws. +The blitz day went alright, 2-2 and zero net effect on my rating. + +I finished up my first [woodpecker](#week-7) cycle and am two days into +my second cycle now. +I'm pretty sure I'm going significantly faster on the early +mate in 1 problems, although it's hard to say just how much faster +since they were also relatively fast last time around, and I didn't +keep time records the first couple days of the first cycle. + +Since I've been in Argentina, for the playing through games from +Logical Chess Move By Move, I've been doing that on a physical board +with my fiancée, which is fun. +It might be a little benefit in terms of requiring me to explain stuff +sometimes to zir, who is less experienced with chess, though I'm not +sure. + +I reached a decision about what plan to follow after the final week: +the playing-lots-of-games version of the Intermediate plan from +[ChessGoals][ChessGoals]. +I was talking about the decision with Sofía and was describing it, and +explained how in addition to the base tasks for each day of each week, +it has guidance on what to do as "extra credit" if you want to spend +more time on chess. +Which, guidance on how to prioritize additional time beyond the base +tasks is exactly something I had considered a lack in the beginner +plan! +So, perfect for my preferences. +That plan leaves certain topics a bit more at the student's discretion, +by saying essentially "okay, you should pick a resource you want to use +to study strategy" and then just sometimes having a "go study your +strategy resource" task, so I'll have to pick things for those, which +I'll probably do over this next week and be ready to start the new plan +after that! + +The chess.com official correspondence tournament is going well. +I have one game unfinished, with the others all won (two more +unfortunately won due to a time-out by the opponent), and that last +game is just a matter of time until I win. +It will be a whiiiiile before the next round probably, but ah well. + +The openings book has just gotten to the Indian Defenses! +Excited to learn more about the Nimzo and Queen's Indian. +My own opening prep review has kinda fallen by the wayside, so I should +probably get back in the habit of doing that. +I'm working my way through the basic review in _100 Endgames You Must +Know_ still. + +In extracurricular study news, I've been reading and enjoying +Seirawan's other book _Play Winning Chess_. +It starts out very basic (with an introduction explaining how the +pieces move), but quickly moves into less simple topics. +Its chapter structure is: + +1. The Evolution of Chess (introduces the game and discusses its + historical development, both in terms of rules and in terms of play + styles and theory). +2. A chapter each on four key principles: force (what most would call + material, although Seirawan also uses it to discuss _local_ + imbalances of force), time, space, and pawn structure. In addition + to explaining the principles, these chapters seem to go into more + detailed coverage of how to incorporate them into your play. For + example, the chapter on force includes sections on tactics and on + traps, the role of the king in the endgame, and the impact of + material advantages in the endgame. +3. A chapter of annotated games, intended to illustrate the principles + and how they interact. +4. A final chapter titled the Four Principles and You, which I don't + really know what it covers yet (since it isn't explained in the + introduction). + +There are also little quizzes to test yourself in the midst of each +chapter, and a series of tests at the end of each chapter. +Some of them so far have been pretty tough for an introductory book! +Anyway, I'm midway through the chapter on force (currently at the +section on traps), so I'm excited to read more. :) + +### Week 12: the End + +I've completed the study plan, and I'm very pleased with how it's gone. +I'll be starting a new one tomorrow. +I've also planned out a (5-week, to be reassessed and repeated after +that) study plan for my Spanish learning, to emphasize how pleased I've +been with this approach. + +I've gotten a lot better at chess, if not at blitz time controls, over +these twelve weeks. +Rating-wise, I've gone from 429 (or 508 after the first week) to 1023 +in Chess.com Rapid rating. +Blitz has fallen from 686 after that good first week (before which I +had not played any blitz) to 588, so it feels safe to say I haven't +really improved at fast time controls; +I still struggle to play quickly and not get into time pressure, and +sometimes make horrific blunders due to trying to play quickly. +I hadn't been tracking the progress of my daily rating, but I'm +certainly also doing well at that. +My daily rating was something like 326 at the start, and is now 1053. +I've only lost a single daily game out of 30 I've played in that time. + +The books the study plan recommended have been very helpful, as has it +just forcing me to play regularly. +It is also true that the "extra-curricular" studies I've gotten up to +have certainly contributed to my improvement, though they probably +wouldn't have helped nearly as much without the opportunities to +integrate them through actual play. +As well, I suspect the study plan helped to ensure I maintained focus +on improving at chess. + +Tomorrow I'll start with one of their intermediate plans. :) [^daily explanation]: "Daily" is just what chess.com calls games with such a time control.