ChessNut's Class B Level Classroom Please contact Brian Thompson for corrections and updates. A Note to the Student | A Note to the Coach

Training Goals - Class B

The Class B Level Classroom is for the player who plays regularly in chess tournaments and is typically one of the stronger members of their chess club. This player is also skilled at chess Tactics, handles most chess Endgames well, has a solid foundation and regular training in chess Strategy, and has begun the study of chess Opening Theory. The Class B level player consistently scores well at local chess tournaments, but has trouble against tournament players who regularly compete in larger or National level chess tournaments.

1. Continue studying chess games that were played by Masters and explained by great teachers. ('Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur', Euwe; 'The Immortal Games of Capablanca', Reinfeld) - Why: If you've faithfully played through well annotated Master level games in previous ChessNuts Classroom levels, you know the value of this exercise.
   
   
2. Continue studying chess endings. ('Silman's Complete Endgame Course', Silman) - Why: You are progressing to a level where more of your tournament games will be decided in the ending. Study endings because your opponents will know this material.



3. Continue studying a chess opening repertoire. ('Chess Openings for White, Explained', Alburt) - Why: Systematic opening play will lead to predictable, related postions. This preparation in the opening will ensure that you are more comfortable and educated about the positions in your own games.



4. Continue studying chess strategy. ('How to Reassess Your Chess', Silman; 'Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur', Euwe) - Why: Select the moves that fit the needs of the position, not the moves that fit your mood or desires.



5. Continue studying chess tactics. ('1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations', Reinfeld) - Why: Chess sacrifices and combinations are the mark of the player who understands what is and what is not important in a chess position.

Recommended Tools

1. Use the ChessLab database to create a PGN game collection : Learn how to gain access to over two million chess games in the ChessLab interactive database, and save what you want in a PGN file that you can read with ChessPad.



2. Create a CPT repertoire from a PGN file : Learn how to use Chess Postion Trainer to import PGN game collections into new sub-repertoire files. Take control of your opening study!



3. Visit the ChessLab web database site.



4. Visit the Chess.com web site and sign up for a free basic membership. You'll be able to play your friends on-line at any time, making it easier to get in your practice games.

Projects

Study:

1. Continue to study your opening repetoire with Chess Position Trainer's Training Mode at least three times per week, for at least 30 minutes per session. Add one more sub-repetoire for White to your current repetoire, and include it in your Training Mode sessions. Hint: You can gather Master level games on any opening from the ChessLab site, and import the PGN file into a new CPT sub-repertoire. Study the Tools above to learn how.



2. Continue to run the Tactics Training in Chessimo at least three times per week, for at least 30 minutes each session. Repeat these sessions until you complete Tactics Module 04, all units.



3. Continue to run the Endgames Training in Chessimo at least three times per week, for at least 30 minutes each session. Repeat these sessions until you complete Endgames Module 02, units 26-51. If you have any trouble understanding the concepts in these Chessimo drills, immediately refer to the appropriate section in 'Pandolfini's Endgame Course' or 'Silman's Complete Endgame Course' for an explanation of the key concepts. Once you've read the section that covers your current Chessimo Endgame drills, return to the drills and look for the application of the Pandolfini/Silman lessons!



4. Continue to run the Strategy Training in Chessimo at least three times per week, for at least 30 minutes each session. Repeat these sessions until you complete Strategy Module 02, all units. How many themes do you recognize from 'Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur' by Euwe within the Chessimo Strategy Training?



5. Play through at least 10 Master level chess games per week like those in 'Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur' by Euwe or 'The Immortal Games of Capablanca' by Reinfeld. Make sure that the games you choose have lots of notes explaining why some moves were good, and why some were mistakes. Continue playing through Master games until you have studied 100 games. Ask your chess coach or mentor to explain any of the notes that you didn't understand.



6. If you don't read every book from this section, at the very least read 'Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur' by Euwe and 'Chess Openings for White, Explained' by Alburt. Also read the appropriate section from 'Silman's Complete Endgame Course', by Silman. This selection again maintains a balance of study material for this Classroom level. Strategy ('Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur'), Opening Theory ('Chess Openings for White, Explained'), and Endgames ('Silman's Complete Endgame Course') in order to help your own games flow from beginning to end.



7. If you skipped ahead to this Classroom, go back through the prior Classroom levels and check out the books, tools, and projects that you missed. Some of this material MAY be review, but in order to build a solid foundation it is important to set the building blocks of chess skills in the correct sequence. You will use the material in this and all previous Classrooms in order to progress more quickly in the next levels.

Practice:

1. You've reached the ChessNuts Class B Level Classroom, have joined a chess club, are a tournament chess player, and are mentoring a student player. The USCF rating range for Class B is 1600-1799 and is an accurate measure of your chess knowledge. If you have done all the exercises in the previous ChessNuts Levels, your USCF rating should fall into the Class B range once you have played 20-25 rated games. You are now qualified to mentor players in ChessNuts levels Beginner through Class D. Continue to mentor your original chess student, and begin to mentor one more.



2. While you are completing your Study Projects, continue to play games with your friends and record the moves on a Chess Score Sheet. Keep playing at your chess club at least once per week, and record those games also. Each week you should be able to record 10-20 games. If you can't meet them in person, then arrange to play your practice games on-line at Chess.com with a free basic memebership.

Review:

1. Select 2 of your own games every week to review with your chess coach or mentor.



2. Select 4 of your other games every week to review with the ChessPad / Crafty tool from the Club Classroom level.



3. Review at least 2 games every week with each of your chess students.

Once you have completed Study Projects 1-6 and have attained a USCF rating of 1800 or more, you will be ready to join the Class A Level. (Expected completion time: 30-40 weeks) If you experience difficulty in reaching the next level, review the material in this and the previous level, repeat the Study exercises, Practice, and Review with your chess coach or mentor. Once you fully understand the material and use it in your chess games, your rating will reach 1800 and you will be ready to move to the Class A level. There are no short-cuts.
 

Recommended Books

I own a copy of each of the following books, and recommend them for this specific training level because their content and presentation is consistent with this level's Training Goals.

                 

Hover your mouse over any of the pictured books to get a Power Preview from Amazon.com, or click on any book image to go to Amazon.com for descriptions and reviews.

 

This project is a work in progress. As I find more useful material, I'll pass it along. If you know of a CHESS book or tool that might interest other ChessNuts, please contact The ChessNut.