How I would study chess if I could start over

Summary

Stephan argues that adult chess improvers benefit more from a structured, practical study method than from collecting disconnected theoretical knowledge. His central recommendation is to cover the finite parts of chess, then spend most ongoing study time analyzing complete games under tournament-like conditions.

Finite areas

These can be learned to a useful level and revisited as needed:

• Opening repertoire: Choose what to play, learn enough to reach playable positions without losing in the opening, and expand your repertoire as opponents introduce unfamiliar moves. Tournament preparation should focus on likely opponents and relevant variations rather than indiscriminate memorization.
• Theoretical endgames: Learn core positions and techniques, including opposition, triangulation, the rule of the square, Lucena and Philidor positions, basic mating methods, and common rook endgames.

Ongoing areas

Improvement in these areas continues throughout a chess career:

• Calculation
• Positional and strategic understanding
• Complex endgames and endgame decision-making

Stephan emphasizes that calculation involves both pattern recognition and a trainable skill. Familiarity with positions grows through study and play, but calculating accurately under pressure requires regular practice.

Recommended study method

1. Choose and organize a repertoire

   • Decide which openings to play as White and Black, then stick with them long enough to gain experience.
   • Keep the repertoire in one organized study or database.
   • Add lines when opponents deviate or tournament preparation reveals a need.
   • Avoid spending excessive time memorizing theory that does not help you reach a playable position.

2. Cover essential theoretical endgames

   • Use a book, free videos, or other free resources to learn basic positions and techniques.
   • Treat this as a finite task: learn the fundamentals, then revisit specific endgames when your games reveal a gap.

3. Select model players whose openings match your repertoire

   • Find strong players who regularly played the openings you use.
   • Collect their games in those openings, preferably with annotated games available for later comparison.
   • Karpov is one example for someone who plays the Spanish as White and the Caro-Kann as Black.

4. Analyze complete games without moving the pieces

   • Work through the game from the starting position, ideally at a real board, without physically moving the pieces while calculating.
   • At each turn, try to find the move played by the player whose side you are following.
   • If your candidate move differs from the game, investigate why: identify the weaknesses in your choice and the purpose of the played move.
   • Spend serious time on difficult positions instead of immediately checking an engine.

5. Compare your analysis with annotations

   • After analyzing the full game, read the annotations and compare them with your own notes.
   • Annotations by the player who played the game can be particularly valuable because they reveal plans, calculations, missed possibilities, and practical considerations.
   • This comparison provides feedback much like working with a coach and helps develop calculation, strategy, endgame technique, and opening understanding together.

6. Revisit positions you misunderstood

   • Save positions where your analysis was wrong, you did not understand a move, or you struggled to find a plan.
   • Play them out again, ideally against another person.
   • If a study partner is unavailable, Stephan recommends using a human-like training tool rather than relying only on an engine, which may play either perfectly or implausibly at reduced strength.

A single serious game analysis may take four or five hours—or longer. The goal is to practice decision-making and calculation at length, not merely review the moves. Stephan’s broader point is that analyzing complete games integrates different parts of chess more naturally than studying each area in isolation. He says the recommended approach can be done for free, though paid tools are optional conveniences.

Speakers and sources featured

• Stephan: The video’s narrator and chess coach.
• Anatoly Karpov: Cited as a model player; his selected games are used as an example of an annotated-games resource.
• David Navara: Cited for his self-annotated games in Lessons on Uncompromising Play.
• Other books and authors mentioned: Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Shereshevsky; books by Mark Dvoretsky on calculation; Fire on Board by Alexei Shirov; and a book by Taimanov.
• Chess resources mentioned: Lichess, Chessgames.com, ChessBase, Chessbook, Wikipedia, and Noctie.