The low point
After my comeback to chess, my rating peaked at 2146. Then I went back to university and chess slid down my priority list. My decline started at the Penn Fall Swiss that October, and a rough winter break and a bad Liberty Bell Open dropped me below 2100.
That was the moment I had to be honest with myself. I wasn't going to reach National Master by doing more of the same, so I changed how I trained.
What I changed
- I finished the Woodpecker Method. For years I dodged tactics training. Woodpecker was the first thing that made it actually fun, and it stopped being the part of chess I avoided.
- I narrowed my repertoire. I dropped the Catalan for the Nimzo and the QGD Exchange, and moved to a simpler, system-based repertoire as Black. Owning fewer lines did more for me than buying more courses.
- I focused on one or two things at a time instead of trying to fix everything at once.
- I worked through some of Perfect Your Chess and played training games with lots of review.
- I played for wins, not perfect games, and got serious about time management.
The turnaround
Shaking off the rust
A local summer tournament started rusty and finished with strong wins, taking me from 2084 back into the 2100s.
My best event
A draw, then three straight wins (two of them near-perfect games against 2000+ players), then a final-round draw with GM Maxim Dlugy as Black.
Invitational wins
I beat a 2000-rated player and FM Gunnar Andersen, Colorado's current strongest player, at an invitational event.
National Master
I left for Penn at 2187 and played regular local quads. Funnily enough, I took an early draw as Black in a position that was −5 in my favor, and got stuck at 2199.28. Finally I won a first-round game against an 1890 at the Penn Fall Swiss, withdrew, and finished at 2204. In another twist of fate, the Penn Fall Swiss is where my rating decline had started. It all came full circle.
What I'd tell other improvers
- Find your community. My hometown chess community was the biggest factor in my comeback. Find people to play, review and talk chess with.
- Don't neglect your weak spots. I went too far in one direction and came up short in endgames and tactics. Once I trained endgames properly, my confidence grew a lot.
- Fewer openings, known well. Opening study is fun, but a smaller repertoire you understand beats a big one you half-remember.
- Review your games yourself first. Annotate without an engine, then check. Here's how I review games.
- Keep it fun. A rating goal shouldn't be an end in itself. You won't enjoy reaching it if you hate the process.
I'm grateful for every training partner, opponent, coach and friend who made it worth it. If you're on your own path to a goal like this, I hope something here helps. If you'd like help with yours, I also coach.