My Secret Weapon for Chess Improvement: Forward Chess Review
Do you want to improve your chess, but find yourself saying, “Ugh, I just don’t have the time or energy”? Welcome to my boat and let's party! With kids, work, and action-packed social events, life feels like a chaotic obstacle course constantly getting in the way of my chess! But. I found a solution that is steadily transforming my chess – Forward Chess.
Chess On the Go: Your New Best Friend
With all the amazing technological advances and online resources in chess, including our own beloved Chess.com, chess books are still our invaluable teachers. Now, imagine an interactive app where you can read all your favourite chess books without the need for a chessboard. This means that as long as you have your phone or laptop, (insert a dramatic drum beat here) you can read your chess books anywhere and anytime! Ta-da-da-dam!
Let’s now take a moment and imagine all the opportunities and places where you can improve your chess …
[Pause, 10 seconds]
Woah! I just imagined the moon!
Now, here are some real-life places where I managed to fit in those much-anticipated chess sessions over the last couple of months: the beach, on a train, in a plane, during car rides, at a cottage, and while waiting for my kids at dance class, piano lessons, and swimming sessions. I even practiced chess in a lavish hotel restroom, complete with a comfy couch, a minty vanilla aroma, and smooth jazz music. After all, why not turn every moment into a chess moment, right?
These are hours and hours of chess, I would not have practiced otherwise. Can you imagine? HOURS!
The Power of Instant Analysis
“But wait, that’s not all!” shouts a tele-commercial rep from the 90’s. One of the app’s standout features is its integration with Stockfish, a powerful analytical tool. How many times have you questioned the genius of a chess book author because he, or she, missed YOUR brilliant move? You know, the one you discovered while analyzing a certain position and thought it truly deserved the double exclamation mark.
Well, now you can explore your hypothetical masterpiece right within the app, by simply hitting the Stockfish “Analyze” button. Spoiler alert: you’ll most likely find that your brilliant move is not so impressive after all; in fact, it might just be a “double question mark” move not worthy of being included in the book. But, hey, at least you’ve validated the author’s genius!
Incorporating Chess into Your Relaxation
Now, let’s say you want to relax and have some fun. What to do? Reading a chess book isn’t exactly Zen, and you’re right! Traditional chess book reading with the board required looks like this:
But with Forward Chess, picture this instead:
Which scene speaks to your weary soul?
If you’re like me—tired, but your brain is chanting “Give me chess! Give me chess!” then you know the answer. I choose lounging and enjoying chess in paradise 
Lazy or Efficient? The Ultimate Debate
Using a paper book + chessboard can turn a casual chess study into an Olympic event for your eyes and dominant arm. Look at the book. Look at the board. Raise your arm. Move a chess piece. Lower your arm to rest. Look back at the book. Repeat 2684 times. Your dominant arm is working out while your eyes are doing jumping jacks. Back and forth, back and forth. How long can you stay focused?
What a turn-off! This is one of the reasons I told myself a few years ago, that I will never read a chess book again! But I was wrong.
Now I can sit back, glue my eyes to the screen, and follow the evolving position while pressing the ‘next move’ button with just one finger. And I'm focused. Thank you, Forward Chess!
What’s on My Forward Chess Menu?
I chose puzzle books: Woodpecker Method I - Tactics and Woodpecker Method II – Strategy. This is one of the reasons I was able to squeeze both short and long chess sessions anywhere, practice pro-active learning, and not worry about constant interruption.
My advice? Be strategic about the content you consume given your particular time constraints, interest, and situation. Test it out and find what works for you! 😉
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So, here we are, in 2024 and life is a whirlwind. But, guess what? There is still time for chess … as long as you keep that chess fire burning in your heart.
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FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve penned a few pieces for Forward Chess for which I got paid. But this is not one of them—this is my heartfelt recommendation to you as it is part of my windy chess journey. Over the summer and early fall, books on Forward Chess app were my only lifeline, keeping my love for chess alive. If it wasn’t for the app, I would have forgotten how to play.
And no, I wasn't asked to write this, nor will I get paid for it, thanks for clarifying! Some people just write from the heart ...
So, if you share my passion, I hope this amazing app will help you too! Go ahead, grab your phone, and fill every dull, spare moment with a chess book!
