Weekly Progress Report #1

The target this week was ten hours, to include half an hour of tactics problems a day.  I exceeded the target by a decent margin, doing eleven and a half hours (after excluding chess-related time of no real training value), but fell half an hour short on the tactics over the course of the week.  Here’s what I did:

Monday 11th: 30 minutes ICC TrainingBot (tactics problems), 20 minutes blitz with GM derfel, 1 hour lesson with GM Damian Lemos

Tuesday 12th: 30 minutes TrainingBot, 20 minutes  chess.com video: The Four Knights Opening: Intro! by Roman Dzindzichashvili, 40 minutes playing weak opposition at St. Cuthbert’s Society chess club – not included in count

Wednesday 13th: 20 minutes TrainingBot, 90 minutes at Durham City chess club (60 studying rook endgames, 30 playing blitz against a strong opponent), 45 minutes studying with chessdi: blitz game & analysis, plus a rook ending

Thursday 14th: 35 minutes PlayChess tactics training + 10 minutes reviewing mistakes, 45 minutes analysing a complex GM game position with chessdi

Friday 15th: 20 minutes PlayChess tactics training, 20 minutes blitz with GM derfel, 25 minutes chess.com video: Shankland Teaches the Najdorf: 6.Be2

Saturday 16th: 30 minutes PlayChess tactics training, 2.5 hours at the university chess society (only counting 40 minutes as training, which was spent playing a tough game), 30 minutes independent analysis of the GM game position mentioned above, 60 minutes analysing a problem with chessdi and playing a guess-the-move GM game (Lputian – Kasparov)

Sunday 17th: 15 minutes TrainingBot, 30 minutes playing a 15 0 game plus brief analysis

I have had two unexpected bonuses on the training front this week: derfel(GM) on ICC has been playing blitz games with me, and chessdi on ICC has been acting as a coach and been very generous with his time.  Thanks to both of them.  The target this week will remain the same, as I have my dissertation to be getting on with.

12 thoughts on “Weekly Progress Report #1

  1. This act is really inspiring!
    Just as what Laslo Polgar said, “Geniuses are made, not born!”
    Good luck to you and may you succeed in you endeavor! 😀

  2. Now that was a impressive weak.

    I am curious as to how this will go on. In my own case, I started serious chess training 4 yrs back ( i started out as a 1200 player icc) and learning with icc handle Petrovich on icc since then — now close to 1900 elo uscf. But it has been a very slow curve for me and my thinking is it will be slower from now. But I am happy with any progress and I believe in my lessons. Good luck in yours.

  3. I guess getting free publicity on chessbase also means that (GM)s and other high rated players on ICC and playchess are willing to step in and help you a hand or a game in your now known around the world chess queste.

    Anyway, anyhow, good luck in your endavour to become GM. I only go for a more modest goal (atlaest for now) to get over that magic 2000 elo barrier (otb). If i succeed one day i will put my goals a stretch higher and aim for the 2300 rating.
    I know, compared with you my goals are very modest. But then again, i dont have Chessbase sponsoring and rooting me. 🙂

      1. Well, i only saw u there once… Im the new player, u saw there last time(did u?!? lol Might not have noticed me, then, id guess !!) ! Ras Bruno is my name !!
        Throughout the summer i went a really tight schedule to be “fit” for the (then coming) season. Now i relaxed a bit on it, but still doing quite a lot of tactics and specially endgame study !
        As to a comment somewhere in your blog, id agree with the blitz games not being too beneficial for one’s game, though id agree they do improve your tactical vision quite a bit ( in the long term, regarding how quick you see them), and to try and improve your opening lines, no doubt about that !! But as to calculation skills, in no way really helps it in any substantial way ! I’d even say it kinda gives us bad habits, if one’s not carefull !
        But at the level you are at the moment, opening preparation is/will become more and more an issue, that shall enable you with the ability to get out of the opening with a tight/solid position !!
        Another advice i found really helpfull was regarding chosing a proper solid repertoire, and leave gambits and speculative openings behind !! Then again, everyone finds different things suitable ; each case is a case, innit?
        Keep up the good work !!
        RASpect
        Ras B

  4. A good start, mainly in keeping to goals and also being chattily informative in the blog.

    What sort of time-limits do you play as blitz ?

    On a separate topic, since you mention Durham. Is the Colpitts pub still there and does it still serve an excellent pint of Sam Smiths ? I have a few great times there ! ( & in other pubs around the town ). Durham is a wonderful city with a superb cathedral…one of the best !

    1. I’ve been playing 5-minute and some 3-minute blitz, but this week I’ve been trying to play more 15-minute games online.

      I think the Colpitts pub is there, but it’s in the viaduct (an area I don’t often go to), so I’m not quite sure. There’s another pub in the town centre (Swan & Three) which serves Sam Smiths.

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