Knowing Me Knowing Yusupov 7: GTFWD

Working your way through Yusupov is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.

Fortunately that’s of no importance for would-be adult improver chessers. The only thing that matters is GTFWD.

Get. The. Work. Done.

This week my good intentions for Boost Your Chess: Fundamentals went out the window before I'd even begun.

For various reasons I suspect that doing the Yusupov Challenge as I had completed Build Up Your Chess: Fundamentals - picking and choosing which chapter I’d ready when; sometimes doing the easier test positions first - regardless of the reason, is not necessarily optimal. So what I was planning for BYC/F was doing everything in order.

Well not the first day. As a treat for finishing BUYC/F I decided I got to pick the first chapter. So I went for 20: Mate in Two.  After that, though, it would be strictly as the material appears in the book.

So next I completed chapter 1: The Windmill and next up was going to be 2: Pawn Weaknesses.

Except it wasn’t. I’d had pretty tough day at work so I knew I wouldn’t be up to one of the Strategic lessons. I went instead for 6: Fortresses, which was a little more straight forward.

The next I plumped for 12: Mate with Bishop and Knight. Principally because I had looked at this in some depth several years ago 

so it would be reviewing material and - hopefully - less demanding.

And you know what? It doesn’t matter. At all.

In terms of what and how you should study chess  as an adult improver, the only thing that matters is that what you’re doing is active learning and that you get the work done.

• Should I study openings, the middlegame or the endgame?

It doesn’t matter. Get the work done.

• Should I read My 60 Memorable Games  or Reassess Your Chess?

It makes no difference. GTWD.

• Should I read the chapters in order or can I construct my own bespoke or even completely haphazard schedule?

Really, who the hell cares? Just GTFWD.

All that other stuff? All that … but which is the best way to … ?  Asking those questions is just your lazy brain giving yourself an excuse to avoid actually doing the work.