Thomas wrote on 08/26/09 at 02:08:36:


She learned most of her openings in the third grade, based on some very brief notes that I gave her, and she has played the very same lines ever since.  She recently won two games against Master-level opposition from a position that appears in those old notes.  I met with her about 90 minutes per week from the second grade through the 7th, (when she moved away) and about 80% of our time was spent on tactics.  She's become a much better tactician than I am.  When she was in the third grade, her mother told me that she would get up in the morning, and before anything else, solve tactics.  

She is notorious for not learning new systems, something I and many others have chided her for.  She will have to do so to make progress from where she is, but then, she's already a Chess Master.

So she is a walking example that the most important thing you need to make Master is not openings study, but good tactics.  She's Abby Marshall, just recently the first female ever to win the Denker Invitational for the 50 state High School champions.  

That girl has a passion for chess.  When she was in, oh, the fourth or fifth grade, I told her dad to buy her a copy of Fishbein's book on King and Pawn endings.  When it came in, we were working on other things for a couple of weeks, but eventually I said, "Well, next week we'll start working through Fishbein."  And she said, "Oh, I've already finished it."  I can't take a whole lot of credit for her.  She has what it takes.

Since the 7th Grade, when she became the 7th Grade U.S. Champion (of either sex) and also moved away from here, she's been taking telephone lessons from John Watson.  She would've had to do something like that anyway, since I didn't have much left to teach her at that point.  This year she was also 11th Grade U.S. Champion of either sex.

But I have had some other strong students, and the basic things are, play a lot of chess, solve a lot of tactics exercises, and review great games in the 19th Century style, if not actually played then.  But take a look at Abby's tournament history on USCF and see how many rated games she's played.  That's what you have to do!

Thomas wrote on 08/25/09 at 22:35:01:


I think your making Master is a realistic goal (I am one, my star student, a high school junior, just became one, and I am fairly sure that any reasonably intelligent person who gives enough to the game can become one; at the same time, it does demand that you give much to chess).  But what openings you play will have little or nothing to do with this.  You must first of all play chess!  Openings theory is like icing; it's very nice, but not fundamental.

But you must play at some sort of chess club, and also in as many USCF tournaments as you can find the time for!  Experience is the best teacher in chess, as in everything else.  You must play, play, play against the best opposition you can find.  Chess is a social game, so find other players and hang around with them, but above all, play against them.  Chess ability isn't something that just grows, like tomatoes in a garden.  You learn it from other people.

Do me a favor, honestly, and forget openings study.  Just learn basic openings principles; play as much as you can (preferably against people just a little, not a lot, stronger than yourself); solve bizillions of tactics exercises; get to know the theoretical endings (the ones with definite outcomes); and review the general instructional books and the games of the great players, starting with the 19th century geniuses like Morphy, Anderssen, Zukertort, Max Lange and the like.  Imitate them, playing 1...e5 and not the Pirc, but don't study much theory at first.  There's a fantastic game collection for players of your class, The Golden Treasury of Chess.  Eventually, the very first theory anyone should learn is that of the Two Knights Defense, but save those investigations for the future and first of all, play chess.

I doubt there is no chess club in your area.  But in truth, if that is the case and you really do want to make Master, you'll have to move!  That may sound crazy, but I think it's true.

I am 22 years old and would really like to reach USCF master.  I started playing chess pretty late at 18 so I hope this is not a totally unrealistic goal.  I do not know exactly what my current strength is since I do not play USCF tournaments, but I would estimate that it is somewhere in the Class A range.  Anyway, I think it is finally time that I choose some openings and stick with them.   I was wondering if you thought my choices were very good given my goals:

I respond d6 to everything.  If d4 d6 c4 then I play e5.

If 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 then I play Nf6 and go into a King's Indian avoiding the Samisch and Four Pawns' attack.  

And obviously I will play the Pirc against e4 since I do not think I philidor after 3. ...e5 4. Nf3 is a good opening for a person who aspires to master.  Is this true?  Is Pirc good for developing as a player?

I have not settled on anything so if someone has advice, I would be very appreciative.  I am in no way looking to avoid theory.  I just want an opening that is good and will give me exposure to all sorts of positions.  Really as my topic title suggests, I just want to make sure I am not going down a wrong path by trying to specialize.  I want to know if this is a sound approach given my aspirations.  Even if you are not a master, but know what  a master in your local chess club does, I would appreciate it if you told me.  I have not played in chess clubs so I am unfamiliar with how my future competition plays (I only play the computer in long games and humans in blitz online -- and yes I know this is not ideal, but given where I live is my only option at the moment).   Thanks!.