Simple Chess: A Study Companion

 "Undoubtedly the best way to improve your chess is by studying master and grandmaster games. For this reason I have used a selection of such games as a medium through which to put across the fundamental principles of simple chess. These games are mostly not of the type to capture the limelight of chess literature because they are too simple and unsensational, but for this very reason they are suitable for showing off clearly the basic ideas I want to convey."

Michael Stean

OK. Here’s the plan.

1. Play through a game from Simple Chess each day;
2. For each game make a note of three things that stand out.

That’s it.

Each chapter will take a week and since there are only seven of them ...

Introduction

Outposts

Weak pawns

Open files

Half-open files: the minority attack

Black and white squares

Space

... we'll be done long before Christmas.

It should take no more than 15 minutes each day. That's not time for a full analysis of every game but it’s not supposed to be. We can spend hours looking at every game if we want to, and that’s dandy, but the reality is if we follow that course we probably won't finish.

No. A quarter of an hour it is. If you want to do more than 15 minutes on any given day that’s fine but you don’t have to. The commitment is a quarter of an hour.

Each day I’ll publish the game and my thoughts. Since none of the chapters of Simple Chess have 7 games, the spare days will be some thoughts from me, an exercise or two and a chance to catch up if you’ve missed a day.

Before I finish today a couple of last quick tips:-

1. Get the 15 minutes done;
2. There are no rules, however you want to do it is fine;
3. In particular, don't sweat the writing down the 'learn three things from every game' bit. That's just a trick to help us concentrate on the game and stay focused.