I've learned a lot in the past few weeks. I'm ready to move onto my next phase of study. In a couple months, if I keep up a disciplined approach to the game, I hope to be able to play in my first tournament without embarrassing myself.
Instead of playing a lot of games, I will be focusing on away from the board study. I find that I end up making the same mistakes frequently. While part of that is due to lapses in concentration, it also has a lot to do with the tendency to put myself in the same situations. I don't think I can make a lot of progress without changing my habits.
I'm putting together a book list, which I will post in the next few days. First up are tactics. I will read these at a comfortable, relaxed pace, because after a couple new tactical ideas further study offers diminishing returns.
I've also got ideas about using flash cards or some kind of computer based tactics training. I haven't decided which route to go, but both have their advantages. I may end up using both. In either case, the idea will be to drill certain patterns into my head so that I recognize them a lot easier. The goal is to see them instead of looking for them.
I will not stop playing completely, but I will attempt to analyze every game I play. The process will be somewhat time consuming, as I am structuring it to be thorough. I will be using a number of tools and resources that I've found, and combining my personal thoughts with computer analysis, historical results, the collected wisdom of strong players, and perhaps even personal recommendations from higher rated players or coaches.
I will post more about this as soon as I am satisfied that I have a strong system in place.
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