Sunday, June 11, 2023

How to Practice Chess everyday

HOW TO PRACTICE CHESS EVERY DAY

1. Play with others. 
Best is OTB (Over The Board) or otherwise Online on Lichess.
During OTB write down the Moves in a Scoresheet.
For Online select Timecontrol 5+3 or 5+5.

3. Learn Theory.
Topics from Chess class.
Read Articles from Chess Websites and Blogs.
Memorize Opening Moves.
Memorize the Endgame Positions and Techniques.
Read through the eBooks from the NCA Online Library (links is on the Links Page).

Saturday, June 10, 2023

How to use the Lichess Opening Database

 HOW TO USE THE LICHESS OPENING DATABASE

1. Open Lichess Portal (https://lichess.org/).

2. Hold the cursor over the Menu option "TOOLS" and Click on "Openings". You will land on the 'Chess openings page' (https://lichess.org/opening).

3. Click on the Moves displayed in the Top-Right corner of the Boxes to view the Opening you want to learn.

4. The Percentage displayed in the Top-Left corner of the Boxes is a measure of the popularity of the move. The Evaluation Bar is displayed at the side of the Board and is a measure of whether White/Black is better.

5. To view the List of all Openings, Click on "Name tree" (https://lichess.org/opening/tree).

6. To go to the Opening Explorer Page, Click on "Explorer" (https://lichess.org/analysis#explorer).
6a. You can play through the opening by clicking on the moves in the Window in Bottom Right.
6b. You can view the Name of the Opening, Name of Variation and the ECO Code at the Top of the Window in the Bottom Right.
6c. In the same window in bottom right, you can find the Popularity of a move (Percentage of games of a particular variation & Total number of games); and also the Evaluation (in Percentage for White Wins/Black Wins/Draw).
6d. You can also search and play through a different Database by Clicking on the Button at the Top of the Window in the Bottom Right.
Masters --> Database of GM Games in Lichess
Lichess database --> Database of other player games
Player --> Database of your own games in Lichess