Reassessment

I have reviewed my games of the last year.

I am knocking on the door to expert. I have achieved what most people that reach class A have achieved. I have eliminated (most) gross errors from my game and am generating plans. I have become difficult to defeat. I play solidly, and wait for my opponent to make an error. This works for most players weaker than me. My tactics and endgames are stronger.

I often get slightly worse positions out of the opening. Sometimes, I lose a pawn and have to go in search of compensation, or have to give up the exchange to free my game, then I go looking for tactics to recover. I resists doggedly, and try to make complications for my opponents to wade through. Masters and strong experts usually find their way through. Weaker experts and class A players usually allow me to draw and sometimes win.

Breaking through to the next level will be helped by the book I have started to read: Soltis's What It Takes to Become a Chess Master. There is a lot of good material for me in the book, but no magic bullets. Primarily it is a guide to studying master games. I will write up a review, when I am done reading.

The new revised PLAN:

• Continually, Play 6-10 correspondence games 3 days/move 
• Continually, create new flash cards
• Daily, 15min tactics (blitz mode) 
• Daily, 15min endgame problems
• Daily, 30min read/study a chess book on treadmill
• Weekly, review games in my openings from "The Week in Chess" (treadmill activity 30min daily)
• Weekly, annotate one master game (post here)
• Weekly, local chess club -- participate even if I don't feel like it -- maintain good attitude
• Weekly, document a new Tabiya (post here)
• Monthly, Solitaire chess column in Chess Life

Extra task list for the plan:

• Finish flash card applet (create) and app (review)
• Finish PGN to Epub program
• Create Tabiya list (flash card for each)