Ideas, Openings & Improvement

You can spot a strong player before they make their first move. These 25 habits reveal who's serious about chess, and who's just playing.

Talent gets you started, but consistency gets you to 2000. Daily study, even 30 minutes, beats sporadic 8-hour sessions every time.

One bad loss becomes two, then five. Tilt is the silent rating-killer, here's how to recognise it, how to stop it, and how GMs deal with it.

If your rating is stuck, the cause is usually one of five fixable mistakes. Here's how to diagnose and stop each one.