Summary of Training Achievements

The following lists my major training (and tournament) achievements and "aha-moments":


  1. Creation of my own 4-phased PAT!
  2. Wu-Wei
  3. Better appreciation of tempos ("Tempos win Games" - quote of my coach)
  4. Better appreciation of control in the centre
  5. SAP - slow arrival principle (principle of my coach)
  6. Weaknesses include pieces (not only squares)
  7. Put your pieces where your most advanced pawn(s) point(s) to - especially in closed positions
  8. Usage of the stepping-stone technique to calculate more accurate and more moves ahead
  9. NEVER EVER work on the day where a tournament starts (take the whole day off - not only half a day)
  10. When calculating variations start with (i) check variations first, then (ii) striking pieces and then (iii) threats. Do so especially when being in a defensive mode!
  11. My PAT should be practised during training but used during a game only rarely when my intuition fails - preferably on my opponent´s time.
  12.  E=mc2
  13. Remember Merciless and Gumption before and during the game (to get and stay into the right mood/fighting spirit)
  14. Beware of GM Szabó´s advice (after you´re finished calculating, calculate one move further!) 
  15. Use a real chess board more often - especially for opening and endgame training.
  16. During opening and endgame training - ask yourself "why this move".
  17. Stop wandering around watching other games while your own game is still on!
  18. From now one I will not (never ever) play two tournaments with less than 3 weeks of rest, recriation and evaluation in between. No matter what!
  19. I will not try to advance my chess and progress with my academic studies at the same time (especially not when I also work as part-time lecturer next to my full-time job): From now on, it will be "either (chess) or (academic studies)" - and for the coming academic period (until end of March) I already made my decision: it will be chess only!

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