Your New Year's Chess Resolution

 

A new year ushers in the opportunity for many types of resolutions.

This is a great time to get your students to participate in the tradition of setting a new year's chess resolution. Here is a message I sent out to my students at the beginning of the year.

Happy New Year!

ChessKids, have you ever made a new year's resolution? Some of the most popular resolutions in the new year are to lose weight, or eat healthier, or exercise. 

A "resolution" is defined as "a firm decision to do or not to do something." 

What about making a new year's chess resolution? This is a great time to resolve to do something related to chess.

Here are some suggestions that you may want to consider doing this year -- starting now!

• Play every game as if your opponent has a higher rating than you. Be honest -- how many of you adjust your level of play according to the rating of your opponent? Do you play more wildly or quickly if you think your opponent is rated much lower? This is when mistakes happen and blunders occur. 

Instead, resolve to play every player with the attention and care you give to higher-rated opponents.

• Play a new opening. Are you stuck in a rut with 1. e4 e5? Start exploring some new options and resolve to try a new opening in your next tournament. 

You can get a glimpse of some new openings right here on ChessKid.com.

• Slow down.  It is common for many beginners to play too quickly. Sometimes it is just a matter of nerves getting the best of you. Sometimes your opponent is moving fast, so you feel compelled to match your opponent's speed move for move. Sometimes, you see your opponent made a mistake, and you can't wait to pounce. 

If you find that you are moving too quickly, resolve to slow down. Resolve to pause, take a deep breath, and see the board completely from both sides before making your move.

• Do not give up. Chess can really test you as an individual and presents many situations where giving up, or even accepting a draw, is the easier course. The player who does not give up can turn a disadvantage into an advantage. I have seen games where a lower-rated player accepted a draw offer from a higher-rated opponent despite having a better position. That lower-rated player just deprived himself of the opportunity to play through an endgame and perhaps the joy of defeating a higher-rated player. 

Resolve to not give up -- to fight until the very end. For more on when it is appropriate to accept a draw, read this from NM Andy Lee.

• Do more chess puzzles. Do you have a weekly goal to solve a certain number of chess puzzles correctly? If not, set a goal and resolve to achieve that goal each week. You will see yourself improving your tactical play and winning more games as your tactics improve.

These are just a few suggestions. 

I want to hear what your new year's chess resolutions are during our first class in January. 

I will tell you mine if you tell me yours!