What would you do differently?

If you had to start from nothing regarding chess, using your present knowledge. What would you do differently? Would you..

1. Have different books in your chess library?

2. Develop a different opening system

3. Use a different software program?

4. Begin a different course of study before entering a tournament?

I often wonder about this. The biggest thing I would have done differently. Is refrain from buying so many openings books. They are helpful up to a point, but I've found exploring my own varations on openings is a better way to gain an advantage over an opponent than blindly dictating moves from a book. Any other ideas?....😏

I wouldn't have stopped playing OTB chess!!!😲

The only thing I would do differently is start to play when I was a child instead of starting at 19.

I'd read less and train more.

1. discover the game at age 7 or so,instead of at age 20
2. play over games,study tactics and endings
3. join a club early on/play more OTB
4. buy less books
5. review own games more
6. play a game of chess instead of visiting a chess forum 😉

I could've been a contender! 😞

Originally posted by Ajuin
I could've been a contender! 😞

🙄

Originally posted by Goshen
🙄

On the waterfront

🙂

Originally posted by wormwood
I'd read less and train more.

Well said - good point.

I'd also worry about openings a lot less than I have done previously. Instead, I wish I had transferred the time to e.g. studying more master games. And I mean active study and not just playing over the moves.

I would not begin 😕

Originally posted by heinzkat
I would not begin 😕

liar! 🙂

I would try to find out the chess hangout with the best coffee.

Study more, I’m an extremely lazy book player - I’ve got hundreds of pounds worth of books on my shelves that have hardly been touched, and 3 or 4 that I use all the time, which make up my very narrow opening repeater.

I need to make a detailed study of endgames and I’ve got several books for this, but as yet I’ve probably done about 4 hours work on it in the last 3 months 🙄

Sometimes I wish could have a 3 month holiday from work to study Chess, but I’d probably just end up playing online blitz and going down the pub 😛

skipping the obvious -
1) focused on endgames sooner, especially B v N
2) Kept a steady schedule of calculation problems
3) more Solitaire less blitz
4) Played CC earlier on
5) not bought Schiller's unorthodox chess openings

Originally posted by nimzo5
skipping the obvious -
...
5) not bought Schiller's unorthodox chess openings

That's pretty obvious. Skip. 😉😛😵😏

Anyway,

1) Played more with people 400+ elo above me.
2) Read less theory books.
3) Learn to calculate long sequences earlier.

Originally posted by bill718
If you had to start from nothing regarding chess, using your present knowledge. What would you do differently? Would you..

1. Have different books in your chess library?

2. Develop a different opening system

3. Use a different software program?

4. Begin a different course of study before entering a tournament?

I often wonder about this. The bi ...[text shortened]... an advantage over an opponent than blindly dictating moves from a book. Any other ideas?....😏

Started younger. I was 21 when I began playing. Up until that I played 2 games of chess when I was 12.