The “7-Skills” Chess Training model is a structured study plan with a strong focus on the skills that will have the biggest impact on your results. Acquiring these skills will also give you the confidence and knowledge you need to consistently find good moves in your games.
The well-known saying goes: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” In chess, this idiom relates to the fact that while you may enjoy watching chess videos or even to memorize a few opening variations…
…The real question is: Do you have the skills to find good moves in positions you’ve never seen before?
If you want to improve your chess you must train the right skills and a random approach to your studies will not give you consistent results. It is better to work towards your goals by working on the skills that will get you there.
To this end, the 7-Skills Training Model will show you where to focus your attention so that you can maximize the effect of your efforts.
The 7 Fundamental Chess Skills
On this website I will present effective ways to train these skills.
Tactics
You don’t want to miss tactical opportunities in your games. That is why you should train your mind to recognize tactical patterns quickly.
Calculation
To avoid mistakes and save time on the clock you must improve the speed and accuracy of your calculations.
Visualization
It’s hard to foresee the outcome of a move because you’re not allowed to move the pieces around while thinking. But, you can train to visualize it in your mind!
Openings
It’s unpleasant to be on the back foot from the start of the game. Learn to play the opening well and work on developing your personal opening repertoire.
Evaluation
If you don’t know how to evaluate a position then you will also struggle to find, or assess, candidate moves that serve an appropriate strategy.
Endgames
It is important to study endgame theory because all your hard work in the middlegame can be undone if you misplay the endgame.
Strategy
There aren’t always conclusive tactics in a position. That is why you must learn how to improve your position with the right strategy.
Free Courses
I offer 3 free, high quality, chess courses on this website:
- Free Chess Course for Beginners
- Free Chess Course for Intermediate Players
- 10-Day Chess Challenge (Course on Thinking Methods)
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