Qualification requirements for the Chess Player

The 2 year training schedule's tasks are more complex than those of the 'base line' stage. It's main goal is to achieve an ELO rating of approximately 2400, which corresponds to IM level. A young chess player must incorporate 3-4 openings into his/her repertoire as White and an equal number as the player of Black. They must master the tactics (90 per cent correctly solving tests of a high complexity with the theme of the tests unknown). Also to understand a wide palette of strategic devices - how the relationships of the elements of a position evaluation vary depending on the pawn configuration or on the alignment of forces on the board; know more then 100 typical plans from classical games; master elementary knowledge on chess endings: evaluation, plan of play, standard tactical methods from approximately 600 endgame positions; master methods of play in endings and the so-called 'simple' positions. He/she must acquire good skills at using the PC and with the chess DBMS (Data Base Management Systems), and with new learning and playing programs.

Let us dwell on the planning and preparation of the training schedule.

When planning the individual work loads, it is important to take into account the style, tournament performance and perspective aims of each player. Cchess software can be used for the following:

• training and perfection of the calculating abilities of the chess player;
• solving combinations;
• solving studies (endgame-like positions with tactical content);
• solving test strategic examples;
• studying typical positions of the middlegame;
• studying typical schemes of attack against the adversary king;
• studying typical methods of play in opening;
• elaborating on the opening repertoire and developing a plan for the transition into the middlegame.

The training process includes playing in tournaments for testing the practical readiness and the opening repertoire of the players. Participation in the quick and rapid play tournaments with shortened time controls - 10, 15 or 25 minutes per game were found extremely useful for this.

Ongoing control and evaluation of results during the course are necessary. The two year training period must include intermediate control stages. It is well known from practice that intense intellectual studying gives a practical result after approximately 5 - 6 months. Therefore, I suggest breaking the two year training period into 4 parts. The working results of each stage must be cross-checked practically by participation in competitions. Further evaluation of the player's practical preparedness may be provided by solving test tasks on PC using the programs "CT-ART", "Strategy", "Encyclopedia of Middlegame I II and III", "Encyclopedia of Opening Blunders", "Studies 2.0", and "Endgame Chess Training". A desirable picture of how the test results may score is given in the table below.

Test results during the various stages of training

The following tendency has been detected: there is no sharp improvement of tournament results during the 1^st year of training; the 2^nd year produces dramatic improvement to these results and a consequential increase of ELO rating. The 1^st year is used for the accumulation of knowledge and perfection of the acquired skills, while the greatest growth in tournament results takes place in the 2^nd year of training.

The Current situation and success of the Chess Course

At the present time more than 20 students have undergone this training course. 8 pupils are on the 'base line' stage and 15 are on various stages of the 2 year training cycle. Three, Vladimir Yevelev, Arthur Gabrielian and Nikolai Kurenkov - have completed the course and have obtained the IM title. The success formula has been corroborated: 2200 ELO + 2 year training period with Convekta Ltd programs = IM.

Conclusions

This ends my story about implementing modern learning methods by exploiting computers in the T.V. Petrosian Club. However, a few questions arise from all of this, some speculations about the future in the light of modern tendencies.

An opinion has emerged in some published sources about the absence of alternatives to using a computer for learning chess. For me this is no problem. Implementation of computers in the learning process becomes most efficient when combined with traditional basic methods of training. Considerations of the cost of the chess software are quite insignificant when being compared with the cost of just a one hour consultation from a leading trainer.

New technologies develop sweepingly. While this article was prepared, Convekta Ltd has produced more new programs (Chess Tactics for intermediate players and Modern Chess Openings, Kings Indian Defense). Obviously, while attempting to perfect the already existing structure of the training course, the newest auxiliary learning devices must be taken into account. A complex approach to teaching chess is the best solution, as past practice in the T.V. Petrosian Club confirms.

The chess world faces big changes. Whether we want it or not, teaching chess will soon acquire a completely new form that we may only imagine. A lone figure of a teacher beside the chessboard passes away…

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