--- title: "Chess training" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-training.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-training" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "Chess training is the organized, repeated practice of specific skills such as tactics, endgames, openings and calculation." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/study-plan.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deliberate-practice.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactics-training.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame-study.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review-habit.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/plateau.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/training-psychology.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Chess training > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. Chess training is the organized, repeated practice of specific skills such as tactics, endgames, openings and calculation. Chess training is the organized, repeated practice of specific skills such as tactics, endgames, openings and calculation, designed to raise playing strength steadily rather than relying on playing games alone. Playing games is necessary but it is not the same as training. Training means choosing a skill, practicing it on purpose, and checking the result. A balanced plan for a club player usually touches four areas: [tactics](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactic.md), [endgames](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame.md), [opening preparation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-preparation.md) and analysis of your own games. The biggest gain for most players comes from reviewing their own losses, because each one shows exactly which habit failed. Tactical practice sharpens [pattern recognition](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pattern-recognition.md), [endgame study](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame-study.md) teaches concrete technique that wins and saves points, and a small, well understood [repertoire](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening-repertoire.md) reduces early trouble. Typical mistakes are collecting material instead of using it, jumping between topics every few days, and spending nearly all the time on openings because they feel productive. Another is training only when motivated, which produces bursts followed by long gaps. A practical approach is a short, regular schedule you can actually keep: perhaps a little tactics most days, a longer session once a week for games or endgames, and a monthly look at what keeps going wrong. Write down the recurring errors and let them decide the next topic. Steady repetition beats an ambitious plan abandoned after a fortnight. Also called: training plan. It sits close to [Deliberate practice](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deliberate-practice.md). Deliberate practice is focused training aimed at a specific weakness, done slightly beyond your comfort level with clear goals and immediate feedback, as opposed to simply playing or reading about chess for enjoyment. A neighboring idea is [Plateau](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/plateau.md). A plateau is a long stretch in which a player's results and rating stop improving despite regular play, usually because training has become repetitive or has stopped addressing the actual causes of lost games. A neighboring idea is [Spaced repetition](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/spaced-repetition.md). Spaced repetition is a study method that revisits material at growing intervals, such as tactics, opening lines or endgame positions, so that knowledge moves into long-term memory instead of fading after one session. Habits like "Chess training" stick when someone checks them against your games. A [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) with George Li ends in a written plan and homework for the weeks after. ## Related terms - [Study plan](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/study-plan.md) - [Deliberate practice](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deliberate-practice.md) - [Tactics training](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactics-training.md) - [Endgame study](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame-study.md) - [Game review habit](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review-habit.md) - [Plateau](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/plateau.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Study plan in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/study-plan.md) - [Deliberate practice in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deliberate-practice.md) - [Tactics training in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactics-training.md) - [Endgame study in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame-study.md) - [Game review habit in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review-habit.md) - [Plateau in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/plateau.md) - [Chess terms: Training and psychology](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/training-psychology.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)