Last week I wrote about why trying to figure out strategy during a game is a lost cause. The logical reaction: learn more strategy. Stock up now, so you’re never caught not knowing.
If that worked, everyone consuming chess content would be a Grandmaster.
They’re not. So something else is going on.
Going For A Hike
Think about going on a serious hike. Two things decide how it goes.
Your body. And your gear.
Your body is skill. You can’t buy it. You build it slowly, through reps and hard work. And you can’t have too much of it, even on an easy stroll, it’s better to be well trained than untrained.
Your gear is knowledge. Compass, shoes, pickaxe, food. You can buy it everywhere. You can add more with the click of a button.
Here’s what almost everyone misses.
A pickaxe in untrained hands isn’t a tool. It’s three kilos of steel you’re carrying up a mountain.
You own it. You can’t use it.
Those are two completely different things, and confusing them is the most expensive mistake in chess improvement.
Possession Is Not Competent Use
I see this daily.
A student tells me he doesn’t know what to do in a position. It’s the most common thing I hear. So I ask him: what’s a decent developing move here?
He names one immediately. No hesitation.
He knew. He knew the whole time.
The knowledge was already in his backpack, fully paid for. He just didn’t have the skill of applying that knowledge.
That’s not a knowledge problem. Another course won’t fix it. The information wasn’t missing.
Skills Help All The Time
Now compare that to your skills.
- Basic calculation
- Thought process
- Decision making
- Time usage
You can never be too good at any of them.
Every move rewards a precise short calculation. Every move is a decision. Every time control rewards using your clock well. There’s no position where these stop applying, and no level where they stop paying.
Just like better physical preparation helps you on any hike, better skills help you in every game and every position.
Or have you ever heard someone complain they calculate too well for their level?
Me neither.
Next Week
Gear has weight.
I’ll get to what that costs you.
Keep improving,
GM Noël
PS: This article was initially sent out to my Newsletter list. If you want to get chess improvement advice for free in your inbox, join 17,000+ chess improvers by signing up for Friday Grandmaster Insights here.
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