IM Jeremy Silman's 5 keys

The five keys below were openly "stolen" from a blog by IM Jeremy Silman on chess.com. I liked them so much, I had to share.

Many chess players play for fun but if you want to get a higher rating or a chess title, you will have to put in some hard work. The 5 keys below will get you started.

1. Play opponents better than you. 

Sometimes it hurts when you get beat up but that's how you learn. Once in a while I get lucky online and a strong titled player plays several games against me. I get crushed but I keep on playing.

2. Learn basic endgames

GM Jonathan Hawkins published a great book called "From Amateur to IM" and in it he shows how studying the endgame helped him get to IM. You must know the basics.

3. Create a simple opening plan.

It can be very simple. For example, after 1.d4 I often play Bg5, this works after d5, f5, d6, Nf6, g6, etc.
Against the Sicilian you can play Bb5 or 2.c3.

4. Study tactics

If you're a regular reader of this blog you will know that I firmly believe in this point. You must practice tactics because they will win you games or save you from losses. Chess.com's  new Tactics Rush is a fun way to test your tactics level. You get 5 minutes to solve as many puzzles as you can; three mistakes and you're out.

5. Pick up tons of patterns.
Examples coming later.

Let's take a look at a basic endgame from the 2018 World Chess Championship. Black has a dangerous passed c pawn but White neatly solves the problem.

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1. ...gxf5 2. Nxc4 Kxc4 3. exf5 and it's a draw. You can also sacrifice your knight if you know that:

White will park his King on h1 because Black's dark bishop doesn't control that square; and promoting the h pawn is impossible without creating a stalemate. 

See how easy it is when you know the basics? Good luck with your chess in 2019.

Draw! The White King will hide out on h1 where he can't be touched. Advancing the h pawn will only produce a stalemate.