Goals

Okay, here are my goals for 2024. Last year I struggled to find time for chess, but that is okay and I am excited to see how this year pans out!

1. Deepen my understanding of 1.d4. I plan on opening with d4 in my games, but I may sprinkle some 1.e4 in as well to keep my understanding of 1.e4 positions sharp.
2. Read three books. Chess Structures – A Grandmaster Guide by Mauricio Flores Rios, Pawn Structure Chess by Andrew Soltis & Mastering Chess Strategy by Johan Hellsten.
3. Participate in an OTB Tournament. I am planning to play in the Newcastle Open this year. I would love to have some classical games to annotate too.
4. Daily tactics. Complete 1 Survival Puzzle Rush, Lichess Puzzle Streak  or at least a few puzzles every single day.
5. Study openings. I want to deepen my opening understanding. I enjoy studying openings and I feel like I have so much to learn still.
6. Analyse and annotate one game a week  – This can be any time control, but a thoughtful analysis of at least one game a week.
7. Eat healthier. I want to focus on healthy eating and exercise this year. It can only have a positive impact on my chess.
8. Write – I want to continue blogging and sharing about my chess journey.
9. Enjoy chess – I don’t want to burn myself out or find that chess is a chore. It is something fun to be enjoyed and I try to keep things in perspective. We will see how much time I have this year to devote to chess and if I can achieve these goals, but I will maintain a positive attitude in order to enjoy the game.

Hi all!

2022 was a great year with many highlights.

• I did some form of tactics nearly every day.
• I improved my online ratings.
• I connected with chess players online and at my local club.
• I finished three and a half chess books (Reassess Your Chess, Simple Chess, The Power Of Pawns & My 60 Memorable Games).
• I played three OTB blitz / rapid events (I even managed to win one of them).
• I analysed and annotated roughly 30 of my own games.
• I beat my dad at Duck Chess.
• I finally watched the Queen’s Gambit.
• I blogged, sent out newsletters and occasionally tweeted about chess.

Now the new year is upon us, which means new chess goals for the year.

What are my goals for 2023?

1. Complete tactics every day – It doesn’t need to be much, but I want to consistently work on tactics. My current “go to” is Survival Puzzle Rush. This is a great option when you have kids because you can do a few puzzles then put it down and pick it back up without worrying about running out of time.
2. Read three chess books – This was a good number for me last year. It works out to be a few chapters of a book each month which is quite doable. I often have a games collection that I work through as well. This year I am going to read through Logical Chess by Irving Chernev, Pawn Structure Chess by Andrew Soltis & Mastering Chess Strategy by Johan Hellsten.
3. Switch up my openings – I think it is time to move away from 1.e4 to get a better feel for 1.d4 positions that often lead to more closed positions. I plan on switching up my Black response to 1.d4 as well. Currently I have been playing the King’s Indian, but I am going to move to the Queen’s Gambit Declined and Semi Slav. I will keep at the Caro-Kann as my response to 1.e4 for a bit longer. I still feel like there is a bit to learn here for me. I am likely to see my online ratings drop a bit with this change, but it should be a good learning experience.
4. Analyse and annotate one game a week  – This can be any time control, but a thoughtful analysis of at least one game a week.
5. Eat healthier – This is more of a personal goal, but it plays into chess to some extent. Having a healthy mind and body can only have a positive impact on brain function and the ability to play chess well.
6. Write about chess – I want to continue blogging and writing newsletter posts. The way I write and how I structure the content I share is constantly changing and I am happy to let it move in new directions as time moves on.
7. Enjoy chess – I don’t want to burn myself out or find that chess is a chore. It is something fun to be enjoyed and I try to keep things in perspective. Do I want to grow and improve as a chess player? Yes! But not if the desire to improve is becoming a stress or burden.

That’s it for 2023.

I wanted my goals to be simple, obtainable and measurable.

Hopefully 2023 is a great year for chess improvement.

Let me know your chess goals over on Twitter 🙂