Why You’re Stuck in Chess—and How to Break Through in 2025: Part 2
Understanding the “What” in Chess Improvement
In Part 1 of this series, we introduced the Chess Improvement Equation:
What * How * Time = Improvement Score
This simple formula is your blueprint for understanding why you’re stuck and how to fix it. Today, we’ll focus on the first variable: What.
What determines what you’re working on during your chess training and what resources you’re using to do it. If this isn’t optimized, your time and effort will be wasted, no matter how hard you work or how focused you are.
Why the “What” Matters
Training doesn’t equal improvement if you spend your time on things that don’t matter for your level. What you focus on must align with what decides games.
Once you’re working on the right areas, the next step is using high-quality resources suited to your level. These two elements—what areas and what resources—define your What score.
Improving Your “What” Step by Step
Improving your What score doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t need to. If your score is very low and your training is all over the place—random YouTube videos, neglected tactics, little gameplay—your first goal should be to aim for a good enough score.
Once you reach good enough and other parts of your Chess Improvement Equation (How and Time) are strong, you can push for excellent.
- Start with Balance If you’re not following the 1/3 Rule, make this your first priority. A balanced approach ensures you’re working on the areas that matter most for improvement:
- 33% Tactics
- 33% Playing + Analyzing
- 33% Openings, Strategy, Endgame
- Adjust Your Resources Gradually You don’t need to jump from a 0.4 score to a perfect 1.0 in one step. Here’s a progression to guide you:
- Free Resources: Use platforms like Lichess for tactics, playing, and game analysis. Free tools can still deliver significant improvements.
- Affordable Books: Introduce structured, low-cost options like the Step Method books (~$5 per book) to improve tactics and general understanding.
- High-Quality Memberships: Invest in platforms like ChessMood, which provide top-tier courses tailored to your level.
- Private Coaching: For advanced players or those seeking rapid progress, working 1:1 with a coach can be a powerful next step.
Examples of High, Good, and Red Flag Scores
Excellent (0.8–1.0)
Achieving an excellent score requires experience or expert guidance. Plans at this level are personalized to your needs, focusing on your strengths, weaknesses, and specific goals.
Here’s an example from one of my students:
- Tactics: Using Tactic Ninja from ChessMood, with occasional use of Puzzle Survival on Lichess and puzzles from the Step Method for OTB focus.
- Playing + Analyzing: Playing games of different time controls—aligned with weekly topics to focus on specific skills—and analyzing them well.
- Specific Focus: Working on winning won positions (WWP) with ChessMood’s course, supplemented by targeted lessons on openings and strategic concepts they struggle with.
Good Enough (0.5–0.7)
- Tactics: Using Lichess’s free tactics trainer.
- Playing + Analyzing: Playing games and doing light self-analysis.
- Specific Focus: Mostly following the 1/3 Rule but with slight imbalances, like spending too much time on openings.
A good enough score is all you need to see consistent progress. Start here if your training is scattered or unbalanced.
Red Flag (Below 0.5)
- Tactics: Sporadic training, with little structure or consistency.
- Playing + Analyzing: Rarely playing or analyzing games.
- Specific Focus: Spending most of your time on opening traps from random YouTube videos or using resources far above or below your level.
If this sounds like you, you’re wasting your time. Aim to rebalance your training and move toward good enough before attempting anything more advanced.
Take Action
If you’re stuck in chess, it’s because something in your training isn’t working. You’re either focusing on the wrong things, using the wrong resources, or both. The good news? You can fix it—starting today.
- Review Your Training Plan:
- Check if your time follows the 1/3 Rule. Adjust your focus on tactics, playing and analyzing, and other areas as needed.
- Upgrade Your Resources Gradually:
- Start with free tools like Lichess if your score is very low.
- Introduce affordable books like the Step Method for structure.
- Invest in high-quality memberships like ChessMood for advanced guidance.
- Track Your Progress Weekly:
- Reassess your What score regularly. Improving even one factor—like balancing your time or upgrading one resource—can boost your overall score dramatically.
Every week you continue with a bad plan or poor resources is a week of progress lost. Don’t let another month go by without improvement. Start now.
Final Thoughts
Improving your What score is about progress, not perfection. Aim for a good enough score first—this alone will set you apart from most players. When you’re ready, structured plans and expert guidance can help you push into the excellent range.
What’s Next?
In the next article, we’ll tackle the How—the quality of your training. Most players struggle here, but improving your focus and training methods is one of the fastest ways to boost your progress.
Share Your “What” Score
Send me an email and share your What score with me. Let me know which part you’re struggling with most—focusing on the right areas or choosing the right resources.
Your feedback will help me refine the next version of Next Level Training and ensure this series and future content 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.
