How to prep for a summer of chess

Dear Chess Player,

Summer is a great season for chess. Playing in the park, in bars and cafes, or even traveling for tournaments, chess feels almost like a summer sport. So, the question is: how do you prepare to play at your best?

Here’s some advice for effective training, finding good resources, and planning your chess preparation for the summer.

Chess Training & Study

The first step is to set aside time for studying and practice every day. Whether it's 20 minutes or 2 hours, learning chess theory and training calculation skills is crucial for improvement.

Setting aside time for real chess training is tricky if your schedule is packed, but even short, focused sessions can make a big difference. Watching a YouTube video or analyzing one of yesterday’s games are steps in the right direction.

Ideally, your chess training should blend studying theory and focused practice. This means, on the one hand, learning openings and variations, exploring chess concepts, and getting familiar with specific endgames. On the other hand, it means puzzle training, active game analysis, and visualization exercises.

The important thing is to get in some kind of daily chess training and study, beyond simply playing games.

Finding the Right Resources

Improving at chess becomes much easier when you have the right resources. This could be an intensive 3-week chess course, a good chess book for your level, or even a new electronic chess board. The trick is to pick something that works for you.

A great tip is to start a new chess book and read a bit every day. For beginner chess books, you could try: 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners by Franco Masetti and Roberto Messa, or Back to Basics: Chess Openings by Carsten Hansen. Good intermediate options include How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman and 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know by Frank Erwich. If you're a strong club player or even pushing for a title, Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics or Modern Chess Openings by Nick De Firmian are excellent choices.

If you don’t have a good chess set, this is also a crucial purchase for chess training. There’s plenty of study that can be done online, but if you are aiming to win over-the-board, that’s how you should practice. Tournament regulation chess sets with vinyl or silicone boards and plastic pieces are very affordable and great for summer prep because you can take them anywhere. If you’re looking for something a bit more special and lasting, consider a high-quality wooden chess set.

You may even want to consider an electronic chessboard. These modern sets variously allow you to play against an engine, connect to online opponents and analysis platforms, and see moves light up on the board. This is a great way to get advanced, engine-informed chess practice.

Plan and Prep

Whatever your chess goals for the summer, set them out clearly and figure out a plan to help you achieve them.

If your goal is to get out to more in-person chess events, list some of the events in your area and register for the ones you're most interested in. In cities, there are usually plenty of summer drop-in events as well, so you can put those in your schedule.

You may have more demanding goals, such as playing one or more tournaments, reaching a certain rating, or even earning a title norm. For this, you may want to create a schedule and training regimen, leaving time for prepping for specific tournaments, time controls, and opponents. This will help you to get serious about your study and practice.

More About Summer Chess

One of the great things about chess is that you can play it at just about any time and any place. It also has something of a reputation for winter activity, a way to wile away long dark evenings. Truthfully, these days, chess has its heyday in the summer.

With the game’s renewed popularity, having chess sets in cafes, bars, and parks is becoming increasingly common. This is accompanied by loads of events and tournaments, hosted by chess clubs and venues. If you’re looking to play more chess this summer, the chances are you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.

Wishing you great games this week,
The US Chess Sales Team