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How I Reached 1800 on Chess.com in less than a Year

When I first started my journey towards improving my chess skills, reaching 1600 Elo on Chess.com seemed like a significant milestone. Looking back, it was a crucial step, but the real challenge began after crossing the 1600 mark. Here’s how I went from 1600 to 1800 in just less than a year.

1. Strengthening the Fundamentals

Getting to 1600 was not too difficult; I focused on solving a lot of tactics and playing numerous games. During this phase, I didn't delve deeply into openings or theory, relying instead on my tactical sharpness to win games. However, I quickly realized that to progress further, I needed a stronger foundation in openings.

2. Expanding My Opening Repertoire

I started to lose games due to my lack of opening knowledge. To address this, I began learning simple and solid openings like the Scotch, Caro-Kann, and others. This helped me reach more favorable middlegame positions and reduced the number of games I lost straight out of the opening.

3. Learning from the Masters

While watching GothamChess was entertaining, I wanted more educational content. After searching for various channels, I discovered Chess Vibes. Nelson, the creator, did a speed run where he created a new ID and climbed from 600 to 2200. Watching his videos and trying to guess his next moves significantly improved my positional understanding and reduced my blunders.

4. Focused Endgame Study

Although I didn’t dive too deeply into endgames, I ensured I knew the necessary ones, like rook vs. king, some pawn endgames, and basic rook endgames. This foundational endgame knowledge proved crucial in converting advantages and saving difficult positions.

5. Valuable Resources

Books played a significant role in my improvement. IM Jeremy Silman’s "The Amateur's Mind" was particularly impactful, offering insights into the thought processes of stronger players and helping me identify and correct my own mistakes. Another book by Silman, which I unfortunately can't recall the name of, also contributed greatly to my understanding of the game.

6. Intensive Online Courses

One day, I found a website called Chessmood, created by many Grandmasters. They offered an 18-day free trial on all their courses. I completed several courses, including Tactic Ninja, checkmating patterns, and various middlegame courses. The courses were challenging, and consuming so much content in such a short time initially caused my rating to drop as my brain struggled to digest the information. However, I knew that my chess understanding had improved significantly because the content was the best I had ever found. After a month, my rating started to go up again.

7. Consistent Practice and Review

Consistency was key. I dedicated regular time to study, practice, and play. After each game, I reviewed it to understand my mistakes and learn from them. Engaging with stronger players and seeking their feedback also helped refine my skills.

Conclusion

Reaching 1800 on Chess.com in a year was a journey of dedication and strategic learning. By expanding my opening repertoire, learning from master games, focusing on essential endgames, leveraging valuable resources like Silman's books, and diving into intensive online courses, I steadily improved my game. Remember, the road to improvement is continuous, and each milestone is a step towards mastering the beautiful game of chess.

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