Today, award-winning author, renowned poet and civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou died. She was 86.

 

   I have used some quotes from Maya Angelou in my newsletters, and wanted to take a look at a couple more, and apply her wisdom to the game of chess, and the world of chess improvement.

 

 

   "All great achievements require time." ― Maya Angelou

 

   Recently I have seen a lot of postings on chess bulletin boards with subjects like "I am rated 1200, and want to be a FIDE Master by the end of summer.  How should I do this?"

 

   The short answer is: You can't.

 

   I don't like to be negative, and tell people what they can or can't do, or create "limiting beliefs", but the truth is that to get good at anything requires time.  There are no quick fixes, magic pills, overnight successes, or silver bullets.
 
   I certainly believe that it is possible to get better at chess, but you have to be realistic.
 
 
   "Nothing will work unless you do." ― Maya Angelou
 
   This quote is along the same lines.  You have to put in the work to get better at chess.  And although chess is a game, getting better at chess IS work.
 
 
   "I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better."  ― Maya Angelou 
 
   Getting better at chess (or anything) is all about taking what you know now, applying it, and then improving it.  It is about taking your current set of

 

  and replacing them with better ones.  At any given time you can only play with the skills that you currently have.  The goal is to keep improving these skills, and continuing to learn and keep getting better.  Don't beat yourself up from mistakes.  They are learning opportunities.

 
 
   "When you learn, teach, when you get, give." ― Maya Angelou
 
   This is probably my favorite one, and I have written entire newsletters about this in the past.  One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else.  I know that for me personally writing about chess has helped my chess game tremendously.  When you teach something, you really have to understand it at a deep level, in order to be able to explain it to someone else.
 
   So if you want to get better at chess, one of the best ways is to start teaching chess to others!  You don't have to be a "chess genius" either - there is always a player who is weaker, or wanting to learn the game.
 
 
   RIP Maya Angelou
 

 

    Here is the complete game

 

[Event "Clan challenge"]

[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]

[Date "2014.04.13"]

[EndDate "2014.04.29"]

[Round "?"]

[White "ChessPraxis"]

[Black "QuickDrawd4"]

[WhiteRating "1897"]

[BlackRating "1860"]

[WhiteElo "1897"]

[BlackElo "1860"]

[Result "1-0"]

[GameId "10577383"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Ng8f6 3. d4 Nf6xd5 4. c4 Nd5f6 5. Ng1f3 Bc8g4 6. Bf1e2 e6 7. Nb1c3 Bf8b4 8. O-O Nb8d7 9. Bc1f4 O-O 10. Qd1b3 Bb4xc3 11. bxc3 b6 12. a4 a5 13. Qb3c2 c5 14. Bf4d6 Rf8e8 15. Nf3g5 Bg4xe2 16. Qc2xe2 h6 17. Ng5f3 Ra8c8 18. Rf1d1 Rc8c6 19. dxc5 bxc5 20. Nf3e5 Nd7xe5 21. Bd6xe5 Qd8e7 22. Qe2d3 Nf6g4 23. Be5g3 h5 24. f3 Ng4h6 25. Ra1b1 Nh6f5 26. Qd3e4 Re8c8 27. Bg3f4 g5 28. Bf4b8 Qe7f8 29. Rb1b5 Nf5d6 30. Bb8xd6 Rc6xd6 31. Rd1f1 Rd6a6 32. Rf1b1 Qf8d6 33. h4 f5 34. Qe4b7 Rc8d8 35. hxg5 Rd8d7 36. Qb7c8 Kg8g7 37. Rb5b8 Kg7g6 38. Qc8g8 Rd7g7 39. Qg8xg7 Kg6xg7 40. Rb1b7 Kg7g6 41. Rb8g8 1-0

 

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