Improving at chess can feel like running on a treadmill—you’re working hard, but getting nowhere. You study openings, grind tactics, and watch endless YouTube videos, yet your progress is painfully slow.
Two years ago, I released Next Level Training, a course designed to help players simplify their chess improvement and make real progress. Since then, over 800 students have used it to transform their training and grow as players.
Watching these students improve, listening to their questions, and learning from their challenges taught me one important lesson: the process can be made even simpler. That realization is why I’m working on a completely new version of Next Level Training—to refine everything I’ve learned over the past two years and help even more players achieve their goals.
While redesigning the course, I had a breakthrough idea. I realized that all chess improvement boils down to three key factors, and I created a simple formula to make sense of them.
I call it the Chess Improvement Equation:
What * How * Time = Improvement Score
This equation distills everything I’ve learned about what it takes to succeed in chess. It’s designed to help you identify exactly what’s holding you back and what to focus on to improve faster.
In this article, I’ll explain the equation, help you calculate your own Improvement Score, and set the stage for what’s next. Over the next few articles, we’ll dive deeper into each part of the equation and give you the tools to make 2025 your most successful chess year yet.
Understanding the Equation
Improvement in chess boils down to three factors:
- What: Are you working on the right areas with the right resources?
- How: Are you training with high focus and proper methods?
- Time: How many hours are you spending on deliberate chess study?
Multiply these three together to get your Improvement Score:
What (0-1) * How (0-1) * Time (hours/week) = Improvement Score
Here’s the catch: If even one of these factors is low, your score—and your results—will plummet. Two low factors? You’ll stagnate no matter how hard you try.
Imagine training for 10 hours a week but seeing less progress than someone training for 2 hours. That’s what happens when you neglect the What or How of your training.
The Scoring System
Each factor plays a critical role:
- What (0-1): Working on the right areas (like tactics or game analysis) and using resources suited to your level.
- How (0-1): The quality of your training—your ability to stay focused and follow effective study techniques.
- Time (hours/week): The number of hours you dedicate to structured chess study each week.
Why Most Players Struggle
Have you ever wondered why so many chess improvers get stuck despite their efforts? Let me introduce you to two common archetypes:
The Grinder
Grinders believe hard work is all it takes. They put in endless hours but waste time on the wrong areas or ineffective methods.
Example Grinder Score:
What (0.4) * How (0.2) * Time (20) = 1.6
20 hours of effort—but two well-focused hours would yield better results.
The Perfectionist
Perfectionists are obsessed with finding the perfect training plan. They spend weeks researching, tweaking routines, or buying new resources but barely do the actual work.
90% of the time they put into chess is wasted researching the latest and best resources, rather than spending time actually improving their game.
While Grinders bury themselves in hours of inefficient work, Perfectionists take the opposite approach—spending so much time searching for the perfect plan that they barely train at all.
Example Perfectionist Score:
What (0.9) * How (0.6) * Time (3) = 1.62
Inconsistency and lack of time make progress slow and unsustainable. Often, Perfectionists will jump between resources—which slowly decreases their What and How scores, the opposite of what they intended.
Which one sounds more like you?
Take Action: Calculate Your Chess Improvement Score
Your Improvement Score is the blueprint for your progress. Here’s how to calculate it:
- What:
- Score yourself from 0-0.5 based on your focus on the right areas (e.g., do you follow the 1/3 Rule?).
- Add 0-0.5 based on the quality and level-appropriateness of your resources.
- How:
- Score yourself from 0-0.5 for your ability to focus.
- Add 0-0.5 for using effective training methods.
- Time:
- Total the hours you spend each week on deliberate chess study.
Now, multiply these three numbers together.
If your score feels low, don’t worry. It’s just the beginning. Small changes—like improving your How score from 0.1 to 0.3—can triple your progress without adding a single extra hour of training.
What’s Next?
Your Chess Improvement Equation is just the start. In the next articles, I’ll break down each factor—What, How, and Time—and show you exactly how to improve them. I’ll also reveal the hidden habits that not only waste your time but actively sabotage your improvement.
No matter where your score is right now, your goal is to improve that score step by step. If you do that right, at the end of 2025 you’ll be amazed at how much you can actually improve your chess.
If you don’t take action now, you risk wasting another year spinning your wheels, frustrated as others surpass you with smarter training. Don’t let this be your story in 2025.
Share Your Score
Sharing your score is your first step toward clarity. It forces you to reflect on where you’re stuck—and helps me guide you toward the solutions you need most.
Send me an email with your Improvement Score. Tell me which factor you’re struggling with most. Your feedback will help me refine the next version of Next Level Training and ensure this series delivers exactly what you need to succeed.
Keep improving,
Noël
PS: This article was initially sent out to my Newsletter list. If you want to get chess improvement advice for free in your inbox, join 17,000+ chess improvers by signing up for Friday Grandmaster Insights here.
Whenever you’re ready, here is how I can help you:
- Want to know How to train chess well? Check out Next Level Training – The Chess Training Blueprint for Adult Improvers. This course taught 800+ students the How of Chess Training. Create your high-quality chess plan and learn how to study each part of Chess, from tactics to openings & endgames. Click here to learn more.
- Rated below 1200 Chess.com? Need to refresh your fundamentals? Check out my course, Beginner Chess Mastery. You’ll learn all the fundamentals, from strategy to how to get the most out of your pieces, tactics, and endgames. You even get a full opening repertoire for free. Click here to learn more.
