The biggest myth in chess improvement is that it’s complicated. I’ve worked with players at all levels, and time and time again, the simple plans—done right—lead to the most incredible results.
If you break it down, only three things really matter to improve your chess. In the new version of my Next Level Training course, I will call those the three Do’s. Here they are:
- Do what matters
- Do it well
- Do it consistently
Let’s dive into each one a little deeper.
Do What Matters
You could learn a thousand things in chess. Even I, as a Grandmaster, have so many things to learn. Engines are more than 1,000 points stronger than me. If you jump right in and just do something, you will likely spend dozens of hours without seeing progress. That’s because you’re not distinguishing what really matters.
In practical terms, something matters if:
- It causes you to lose games or miss winning opportunities.
- It happens frequently in your games.
- You can learn it and apply it to make a difference.
Here’s the thing: a lot of things we get excited about don’t make it through this test.
Take huge opening courses, for example:
- Openings rarely decide games.
- Most opening lines will never happen in your games.
- Even if they do, trying to remember everything is impossible.
Now, compare that to something like Knight + Bishop checkmate:
- It does decide games.
- But it happens so infrequently (I’ve never had it in a game!).
- If it ever does come up, you’ll likely forget it after seven years, playing a random Blitz game.
So, what survives the test of really mattering? Two things:
- Tactics
- Playing games with good focus
Tactics
- Tactics are the cause of most lost games.
- Tactics appear in almost every game and position.
- Avoiding big tactical mistakes is achievable with simple, focused training.
Focus
- Many blunders happen because of a lack of focus.
- Yes, we all blunder (too) often.
- But improving focus is absolutely possible.
The Conclusion:
Spend most of your time playing with proper focus, then analyzing your games and solving tactical exercises. These are the things that really matter in chess improvement. If your training plan includes these two things, you’re already on the right track. And trust me—if you only focused on these two, you’d see improvement.
Do It Well
I specifically mentioned playing with good focus because doing the right thing in the wrong way is just wasting your time.
Once you start training with real focus, you’ll be amazed at how little time it takes to start seeing improvements. The hard part is that most of us struggle to focus properly, especially with the fast-paced, distraction-filled world we live in.
Make it a priority to train with good focus. One hour of focused training beats five hours of random, mindless training every single time.
But don’t just take it from me. Here’s what Fletcher, one of my students in Next Level Training, had to say:
“Using the techniques in this course, I cut my study time at least in half and have started making progress again. The course doesn’t just teach you what to study, it also teaches you how to study, which, it turns out, made all the difference in the world for me.”
Eliminate Distractions
Cut out distractions, don’t multitask when studying chess, and create your chess zone. Commit to giving 110% when studying chess.
Example:
When solving tactics, many players use a guess-the-move technique. The first move that looks good is executed with the hope that it works out. This may work in puzzles, but try that in a game, and—oops—your Queen is hanging. 0-1.
Instead, treat each tactical puzzle like it’s a real game. Solve each position with the same intensity. To control your process, write down your solution before executing a move. This forces you to think through the line fully before making a decision.
You might solve fewer puzzles—10-15 instead of 50—but here’s the payoff: you’ll go from blundering pieces every other game to avoiding 90% of those mindless mistakes. Now, that’s a good trade-off, right?
Do It Consistently
Even when you’re doing what matters and doing it well, plateaus will happen. Chess improvement, and improvement in anything meaningful, is never a straight line.
Many players don’t have what it takes to break through a plateau because they get off track when their rating stagnates. They stop doing things well, they stop doing what matters, or worse—they stop training altogether.
The only way to break through a plateau is to stick to the process:
- Do what matters
- Do it well
- Do it consistently
I’ve yet to meet someone who consistently does what matters, does it well, and doesn’t improve. If you think you’re the exception, send me your Chess.com or Lichess profile and tell me how you study. I’ll bet I can pinpoint whether you’re missing one of these elements.
Staying Consistent
How do you stay consistent when plateaus hit? It’s all about mindset.
Right now, you might be thinking:
“Plateaus suck! I want to avoid them, and if I hit one, I want to get out of it as quickly as possible. I want results, and I want them fast!”
That mindset will set you up for frustration. Instead, from now on, think:
“This plateau is just part of the process, and it’s where I can make a real difference. Most people would give up, but I’m going to enjoy the process and stick with it. I know I’ll come out of this with a real breakthrough.”
That’s the mindset I try to adopt whenever I face a plateau. It helps me stay positive, focused, and eventually break through it.
I’ve hit many plateaus in my life, and certainly the most painful one was with my Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). For a little over 7 years, I suffered from headaches, concentration issues, nausea, and tension in the neck/shoulder area.
Whenever I made improvements, I got exaggerated expectations. “Now I’ll soon be healthy,” I thought. Then, I hit another plateau. Frustrated by the lack of progress, I started to feel helpless and stopped doing the things that helped my health. No more meditation, hypnosis, stretching, sport…
I finally made the biggest breakthrough when I stayed consistent for over 2 years with most of my good habits. Good or bad week, I went to the gym, stretched, meditated, and saw therapists. I further committed and changed my surroundings. And then, suddenly, nearly from one day to another, my health issues disappeared.
Overnight success? It might seem that way, but in reality, that sudden breakthrough was the result of 2 years of consistent habits, even with bad weeks and months in between.
This has taught me the importance of doing things consistently on a totally different – subconscious – level.
Wrapping It Up: The Three Do’s
To sum it up:
- Do What Matters: Focus on the areas that will actually improve your game.
- Do It Well: Commit to quality practice, not just quantity.
- Do It Consistently: Embrace the plateau as part of the process and stay on the course.
These three simple habits are all you need to make progress. They’ve worked for countless players, and they’ll work for you too—if you stay focused and committed.
I’m excited to see you embrace these three Do’s in your journey. If you apply them consistently, you’ll start seeing results—and soon, you’ll wonder why you ever thought chess improvement was complicated.
Let’s make Chess improvement simple again,
GM Noël
PS: by sending me your chesscom/lichess profile, you agree that I might share this profile with explanations of why you don’t improve via this newsletter, social media, or any other channel. This will be done to help you – and others – deeply understand the 3 Do’s and how they always lead to improvement.
PPS: 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.
Whenever you’re ready, here is how I can help you:
- Want to know How to train chess well? Check out Next Level Training – The Chess Training Blueprint for Adult Improvers. This course taught 800+ students the How of Chess Training. Create your high-quality chess plan and learn how to study each part of Chess, from tactics to openings & endgames. Click here to learn more.
- Rated below 1200 Chess.com? Need to refresh your fundamentals? Check out my course, Beginner Chess Mastery. You’ll learn all the fundamentals, from strategy to how to get the most out of your pieces, tactics, and endgames. You even get a full opening repertoire for free. Click here to learn more.
