Chess challenge

Today I’d like to announce a challenge I’m setting for myself:

My objective is to hit a Chess rapid (10-minute) rating of 2000 by January 31, 2025 on Chess.com. An important constraint is that I will not be able to allocate more than 1 hour per day on weekdays to accomplishing this.

After a very bad spell recently, my rating has declined from its all time high of 1851 to a dismal 1577, so a lot of work will be needed to accomplish this goal.

By announcing this publicly, I’m creating an accountability mechanism for myself. I will be reporting on progress and insights once a week on Wednesdays. If you’re interested, you can follow my progress here.

Below the fold is the initial plan ChatGPT put together for me, which will nee refinement.

Carl Mydans’ “Chess Champion Bobby Fischer” (1962)

Key Elements of the Plan

• Timeframe: ~3.5 months (~16 weeks)
• Daily Commitment: 1 hour per weekday
• Areas of Focus: Tactical sharpness, strategic understanding, opening preparation, middle-game planning, endgame mastery, and game review.

Weekly Breakdown of Activities

1. Weekdays (Monday — Friday): 1 Hour Sessions

1.1. Tactics Training (15–20 minutes per day)

• Why: To sharpen calculation skills, pattern recognition, and fast decision-making, which are critical in 10-minute games.
• Tools: Chess.com’s “Puzzles” section, Puzzle Rush (survival mode), or websites like Lichess or Chesstempo for tactics.
• Goal: Aim to complete at least 10–20 puzzles each day, ensuring a balanced mix of difficulty levels.

1.2. Opening Study (10 minutes per day)

• Why: Having a reliable opening repertoire helps you avoid losing in the early stages of the game and gets you into familiar positions.
• How:
• Pick 1–2 openings for both White and Black and stick with them
• Study common traps, responses, and ideas for the first 10–12 moves.
• Use Chess.com’s “Explorer” feature to review your opening results and learn the most common lines.
• Example: For White, you could play 1.e4 or 1.d4. For Black, consider something solid like the Caro-Kann or Slav Defense.

1.3. Play 1 Rapid Game (20 minutes)

• Why: Playing is essential to apply the concepts you learn in tactics and openings.
• How:
• Play one 10-minute rapid game every day.
• Focus on applying your opening knowledge, maintaining concentration, and using your time wisely.

1.4. Game Review & Self-Analysis (10–15 minutes)

• Why: Reviewing games allows you to identify mistakes and areas for improvement.
• How:
• After each game, use Chess.com’s analysis tool to review key moments.
• Focus on identifying blunders, inaccuracies, and missed tactical opportunities.
• Pay special attention to the first 20 moves and critical middle-game moments.

2. Weekends (Optional but Recommended)

• Extra Study Time: Use the weekends for additional study if possible, with a focus on endgames, deeper game analysis, or watching instructive chess videos.
• Endgame Study (Focus on fundamentals like King and Pawn endings, Lucena position, basic Rook endings).
• Watch Chess Streamers or Coaches (to improve overall understanding and see strong players in action).

Weekly Progression

1. Weeks 1–4: Focus on stabilizing your current rating.

• Strengthen tactical sharpness.
• Create and learn basic opening repertoires that you’re comfortable with.
• Get into the habit of reviewing every game to learn from mistakes.

2. Weeks 5–8: Target rating improvement.

• Increase the complexity of your puzzles (move to intermediate/advanced problems).
• Deepen your opening knowledge, focusing on common responses to your repertoire.
• Focus on middle-game planning — look for opportunities to attack weaknesses, develop pieces actively, and understand pawn structures.

3. Weeks 9–12: Fine-tuning.

• Start incorporating more endgame study if you’re not doing so on weekends.
• Ensure you’re comfortable in longer middle-game plans, including sacrifices or exchanges for positional advantage.
• Identify specific weaknesses through game review and focus on them.

4. Weeks 13–16: Final push.

• At this stage, work on eliminating recurring mistakes.
• Play with increased focus on time management.
• Study GM games in your opening lines to understand typical middle-game ideas.
• Add variety to your play by trying different time controls occasionally (e.g., 15|10) to help with deeper calculation and reduce rapid decision-making errors.

Additional Tips

• Mindset: Focus on incremental improvement rather than just rating. Your rating may fluctuate, but consistent learning will ultimately lead to breakthroughs.
• Avoid Tilt: If you’re having a bad day, it’s better to stop playing and focus on tactics or game review rather than forcing more games.
• Active Rest: If you can, use weekends for light chess-related activities like watching videos or solving fun puzzles to keep things fresh without burning out.

If you stick to this plan and remain disciplined, you should be able to make consistent progress toward your goal of 2000 by the end of January. You’ve already achieved a high rating before, so it’s just a matter of refining your skills and regaining confidence!