Improving at chess comes not just from playing a lot but from studying the right things consistently. Many amateurs spend most of their time memorising openings, but the skills that really win rating points are tactical vision, endgame technique and learning from your own mistakes.
How to split your time
- 40% tactics: solve puzzles every day. Most amateur games are won by tactics.
- 20% playing: longer games (rapid or classical) where possible; fast games build habits but don't teach deep thinking.
- 20% analysis: review your games, first alone, then with an engine.
- 10% endgames: basic technique turns winning positions into points.
- 10% openings: keep your repertoire simple and learn the key ideas and typical plans.
Sample weekly plan (30–45 minutes a day)
- Monday: 20 min puzzles + 20 min on one endgame topic.
- Tuesday: 20 min puzzles + one rapid game.
- Wednesday: analyse your recent games.
- Thursday: 20 min puzzles + review one line from your repertoire.
- Friday: theme training (for example forks or back-rank mates).
- Weekend: a tournament or several long games, followed by analysis.
How to analyse your games
Before switching on the engine, go through the game yourself: note the critical moments, the moves you considered but didn't play and the places you think you went wrong. Then compare with the engine. The goal is not to find every small error but to spot recurring mistake types: loose pieces, time trouble, a passive king in the endgame.
Tips by level
- Beginner (under 1200): rules, basic mates, one-move tactics and opening principles.
- Intermediate (1200–1800): multi-move tactics, basic endgames (opposition, Lucena, Philidor) and a simple opening repertoire.
- Advanced (over 1800): deep calculation, positional plans, a deeper repertoire and opponent-specific preparation.
Tournament experience
Real tournament games teach you to apply what you study under pressure. Playing tournaments regularly improves both your rating and your discipline at the board. Find events in your country and city in the mytourneys calendar, and before important games analyse your opponent's games with Stockfish 19 using the Opponent Prep tool.
💡 Measure your progress: log your puzzle rating, tournament results and your most frequent mistake type. Seeing what works keeps you motivated.