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Many chess players dream of destroying their opponents and getting as high an Elo rating as possible, winning tournaments along the way. Some may even daydream about facing chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and giving him a run for his money!
Of course, it’s reasonable to say that most of us won’t be in a World Chess Championship match, but we should have chess targets and goals that we strive to aim for, whether that’s simply being able to beat a certain player in the local chess club, winning a tournament, or even trying to get an official FIDE master title, from Candidate Master right up to Chess Grandmaster.
So, who better to ask how it’s done than those who have already made it to the very top of the chess world? iChess sat down with FIDE Masters, International Masters and Grandmasters from all around the world and asked them the big questions: How does one get better at chess? What does it take to go from patzer to chess grandmaster? How much does natural talent play a part over simple hard work? Let’s dive into the mind of a chess grandmaster.
The first important question to ask is whether reaching the top of chess is possible for everyone, or only for those with natural talent. How can you become a chess grandmaster?
We spoke with some of the best players in the world, including GM Judit Polgar, who certainly knows all about hard work. “You have to work hard,” she said, “no matter how talented you are. I believe my secret is practice, perseverance and passion about the game.”
Plenty of skills and attitudes are needed in order to become a chess grandmaster: Hard work, talent, playing experience, tournament preparation, understanding and memorisation, working on your weaknesses, using your strengths and many more.
iChess talked with GM Judit Polgar, GM Nigel Short, GM Susan Polgar, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Sam Shankland, GM Aleksandr Lenderman, GM Nadya Kosintseva, FM Alisa Melekhina, GM Mihail Marin, GM Liem Le Quang, IM Irina Bulmaga, GM Irina Krush, GM Axel Delorme, GM Bryan Smith, GM Ivan Sokolov, GM Arkadij Naiditsch, GM Damian Lemos , GM Simon Williams, GM Romain Edouard and GM Francisco Vallejo Pons. Sit back and enjoy the advice from the very best players and coaches in the world in this iChess documentary.
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