Chess Music
Below is a Spotify playlist I have curated over the years that helps improve my focus and concentration when playing chess.
Author: chessbuzz
chessbuzz has written 57 articles
First Steps as a Chess Beginner
So you just finished watching the Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, and you are super excited to start playing chess, but where do you start? This chess for beginners roadmap hopes to get you started in the right direction. Learn how the pieces move. Start playing on line by joining a chess website Chess.com Lichess.com Play…
My Chess Comeback
Below is my new chess improvement plan after having decided to dust off my chess board after watching the Queen’s Gambit. Focus on tactics, the middlegame, and the endgame No direct opening study, any opening study comes from analyzing my games. Study time is broken down between theory (studying) and practice (solving). Feedback loop consists…
Chess Rating Conversion Tool
Check out our new tool to help you convert your USCF chess rating to its FIDE equivalent.
Best Chess Blogs and Websites
Below are my favorite chess sites, as well as the top rank websites based on Alexa rank. The Week in Chess The Chess Mind Chess Daily News Chessdom Dan Heisman’s Blog on Chess.com The Chess Improver Chessvibes Dana Blog’s Chess TempoSchlucker Jim West on Chess Top Chess Sites based on Alexa rank as of…
How to Get Better at Chess
Chess Tips on How to Get Better at Chess 1. Learn the basic checkmates Learning the basic mates and focusing on basic tactics is the most productive use of your chess study time. Most games between beginners and intermediates are decided by blunders or overlooked tactics. 2. Learn the basic endgames After tactics the next…
Best New Chess Books
Below is a list of the best new chess books that have been published within the last year that would make a welcome addition to any chess player’s library. Positional Decision Making in Chess Released in February 2016 Boris Gelfand’s Positional Decision Making in Chess shows examples from his games and those of his hero …
Chess Improvement Newsletter #1
Welcome to the first issue of the Chess Improvement Newsletter. This newsletter is a way for me to document my chess improvement journey. The puzzles will consist of: Tactics puzzles Positional Puzzles Endgame Studies Endgame Practical Puzzles Join our mailing list to be notified when the next issue comes out & please leave feedback in…
Chess Training Plan for Intermediate Players
The following chess training plan is geared for adult intermediate players with a current rating between 1500-1800. The goal is to gain 100-200 rating points in one year following this plan. This training plan is made to be: Practical for those with limited study time Focused on deliberate practice (active learning) Relies on spaced repetition…
Steal Like a Grandmaster
I have been reading the book Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon, and I have found that many of his suggestions apply to chess. Chess is as much a creative endeavor as it is a mathematical one. So a book about making you more creative, has…