My Chess Improvement Study Plan

I started this chess improvement experiment on February 14, 2025. It has only been a month and a half, but I’ve already seen good results (my monthly update will be posted tomorrow). However, I have not been studying as methodically as I would like.

Don’t get me wrong, I have been exposed to chess, but my approach to studying has been chaotic and scattered. A random video here, a few pages of a book there, the odd lesson on Chess.com, and so on.

There has not been a concrete plan that addresses all phases of the game systematically and progressively, with a daily hour dedicated to it.

From April 1, 2025, I plan to change that by defining a study plan that is organized, systematic, and will help me make the most of my limited study time.

Betting the Farm on ChessMood

After searching for a while, I believe I found the solution to my desire to study chess systematically: ChessMood. (Get 20% off when you sign up with my link.)

Why ChessMood?

• It is a site that offers a series of chess courses organized by ELO and designed to gradually increase your skill level. It serves as an all-in-one resource.
• The quality of the courses is world-class. Not only are they created by Grandmasters, but they are also explained very well. They keep the lessons fun and practical while providing the theory behind the ideas. It is not just a “do this, do that” approach like many Chessable courses.
• I got to try their (currently free) Opening Fundamentals course, and it was fantastic. GM Avetik Grigoryan did an incredible job with that course, and I was immediately sold.

I genuinely do not see a downside to ChessMood aside from its price. It is a premium resource of the highest quality, so as long as you can afford it, it appears to be a phenomenal tool. As remarkable as it is, I believe few people know about this site.

Consider signing up even if you don’t plan to pay for a subscription since they offer some free, genuinely useful resources.

There are countless free resources, of course, and I already have access to some paid resources as well. The problem I face is that there is too much information, not too little, and it is quite scattered. It can be overwhelming. There is a lot of value in curation.

I also find that a lot of chess material is poorly explained. At least, that is not the approach I would take as someone who teaches in other fields (mainly technology and the Italian language).

I will review ChessMood more as I use it increasingly as the key tool for my chess improvement.

My Study Plan

Without further ado, here is my daily (except one day a week) study plan:

• 30 min of focused ChessMood courses study (in the order suggested by the site).
• 1 page of Tactics Time puzzles.
• 3 Chess.com puzzles.
• Play 2 rapid games. Win or lose, then analyze the mistakes.
• Keep 6 correspondence games going.

That’s it. Stay tuned (and subscribe here and on my social media channels) for tomorrow’s and future updates.