Phase 3 - Building a Task List
Welcome back!
When last we met, we discussed constructing two lists with the end purpose to reduce those lists to Listof flaws which we now need to go off and fix.
All-righty, then. You currently have one single list - and its contents attest quite loudly as to why you are not the demon of a chess player that you would like to be. The items on this list are - and have always been - barriers to your progress.
But cheer up - because the list of the issues before you offer up a choice. You can play ten thousand games of chess per year - for many years - and get past these problems. Trouble is - unless you are a budding grand master - you've got a life!
Or, you can take a short cut and conclude that - if you haven't the time to fix your chess - you'll have to make some time to fix your self. Hence, the purpose of this article. We'll talk later about just how EASY this is - but for now - we've got a task list to develop.
Your task list will clearly spell out the required tasking you'll need to commit to, in order to erase your flaws and to approach the chess board with confidence. Don't let this frighten you too much, though. I promise that the process is simplicity itself.
Let us begin by understanding the value of the work you've completed so far. The list that you constructed has only those items on it which either are a problem, standing between you and a great chess game - OR - that you FEEL are a problem, standing between you and a great chess game. Every attribute that compliments your ability to play chess like a master has been extracted from the list. Only the flaws - in need of repair - have been retained.
Of course - some of the items now on this list are imaginary - and some are quite real.
Either way - the problem is the same. If you perceive it as a problem, it is as great a barrier as the real thing - maybe more - since it is in your mind and cannot be as easily confronted as a real world problem can.
To illustrate that statement, let us consider a fear of heights. This is not the same as the fear of falling - even though the two concepts are closely.
Anyone who works in the heights knows that the fear of falling is quite real. What do they do? They take precautions. They undergo special training. They wear safety harnesses. They wear parachutes if necessary - but because the fear is real it can be addressed using real tools from the actual world.
HOWEVER - the fear of heights is all in the mind. True - the plane might fall - or your harness might break, but that hasn't happened yet, and in general it NEVER happens (planes and harnesses are designed to be safe) - so the fear is an irrational one.
A harness will not put such a person at ease. Nor will a parachute calm their fears. That's because neither of these addresses the root of the problem - which is of course - that the plane is in the heights! To address this problem, you've got to put the plane down - or to get the patient to change his mind about how he feels about heights! In other words, you've got to change the patient - NOT change the conditions.
That's precisely where we are with your problems, you see. If you are timid, or confused, or lack confidence during chess play - there certainly is no reason to be. Nobody is going to shoot you at dawn if you lose. Fortunately, you can change the way you respond to the chessboard simply by changing YOU.
That this is doable is not even open for debate. It has BEEN doable for many decades now. The job before you now - is to decide what areas MUST be fixed immediately - and what areas can wait till later. What areas will give you the most bang for your buck?
By properly organizing your list - the answer will be clear. So, set the list into four separate categories. Let these be named:
Critical
High
Medium
Low
Once you have indicated severity for each item on your entire list, this step will be finished. Sort the list according to severity and store it safely away. It is now time to take stock of where we are.
You have all of the requirements to make the repairs on yourself. You know what's broken about yourself- and you know the nature of the problem. You know what's of critical priority - and what is of low priority. Now, you can now research some tools that have a targeted ability to fix each problem and you can begin preparations to make the repairs.
So - grab the utmost serious deficiency from the top of your list and meet me in part 4 - the final installation of this article. That's where we will discuss how to deal with this problem.
Mason is a professional Engineer who administrates the onsite chess training gymnasium at http://www.chessmemoryaids.com. The site provides training tools, exercises and advice for chess players who wish to improve their chess expertise by training their mind - as opposed to by studying chess books alone. The site is also a one-stop-shop from which other chess and self-help resources can be reached.
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