Keep a database of your own games. Annotate them with your thoughts, mistakes, and lessons learned. Over time, this becomes a powerful improvement tool.
Organize your opening repertoire in a dedicated file. Include key lines, traps to avoid, and model games to follow in each system.
Use tags like “sacrifice,” “endgame,” or “pawn structure” to categorize games. This makes it easy to review specific themes when training.
Maintain a written or digital notebook for insights, new ideas, and lessons learned. Writing reinforces memory and makes study more active.
Store games and analysis in PGN format. PGN is universal, so you can import your work into any major chess software or online platform.
Schedule weekly or monthly reviews of your notes. Revisiting ideas helps reinforce them and prevents knowledge from fading.
Include key engine findings in your notes, but always in human terms. Summarize ideas in words rather than relying on raw computer moves.
When you discover recurring mistakes, update your database with targeted drills or reference material. This makes your training purposeful.
Alongside your own games, keep a database of annotated master games in your favorite openings and pawn structures. This gives you a learning library to revisit often.
A giant database is overwhelming. Focus on quality over quantity—better to have 100 well-annotated games than 10,000 unexamined ones.