--- title: "Study plan in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/study-plan.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/study-plan" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A study plan is a written, realistic schedule that divides your chess training time among tactics, endgames, openings, game review and playing." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-training.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deliberate-practice.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactics-training.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review-habit.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame-study.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/coach.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/training-psychology.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # Study plan in chess > **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. A study plan is a written, realistic schedule that divides your chess training time among tactics, endgames, openings, game review and playing. A study plan is a written, realistic schedule that divides your chess training time among tactics, endgames, openings, game review and playing, aimed at the specific weaknesses your own games reveal. Most improving players do not lack effort, they lack direction. They watch a video one day, memorize [opening](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opening.md) lines the next and solve puzzles when they feel like it. A study plan replaces that drift with a repeating structure. Start from evidence. Review your last dozen games and list what actually cost you points: missed [tactics](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactic.md), shaky [endgames](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame.md), [time trouble](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/time-scramble.md) or unfamiliar openings. Then assign weekly time to each area in proportion to the damage it does. Tactics and [game review](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review.md) usually deserve the largest shares for club players, with smaller regular blocks for endgames and openings. Keep the plan small enough to survive a busy week. Four sessions of forty-five focused minutes will beat one ambitious weekend that never happens. Put the sessions on a calendar and decide beforehand what each will contain. A common mistake is never revising the plan. Every month, look at your recent games again and shift the time toward whatever now causes losses. Another is filling the plan with passive reading. Include active work such as solving without moving pieces, playing out positions against an [engine](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-engine.md) and annotating your own games. Also called: training schedule. Compare it with [Coach](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/coach.md). A chess coach is a more experienced player or teacher who helps a student improve by diagnosing weaknesses, structuring study, reviewing games and keeping the student accountable to a steady training routine. Also worth reading is [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 [Repertoire building](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/repertoire-building.md). Repertoire building is the process of choosing a small set of openings that suit your style and then learning their ideas, typical plans and key lines well enough to play them confidently. Habits like "Study plan" 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 - [Chess training](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-training.md) - [Deliberate practice](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deliberate-practice.md) - [Tactics training](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactics-training.md) - [Game review habit](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review-habit.md) - [Endgame study](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame-study.md) - [Coach](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/coach.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 - [Chess training](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/chess-training.md) - [Deliberate practice in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/deliberate-practice.md) - [Tactics training in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/tactics-training.md) - [Game review habit in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/game-review-habit.md) - [Endgame study in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/endgame-study.md) - [Coach in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/coach.md) - [Chess terms: Training and psychology](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/training-psychology.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)