How to Study Chess on Your Own by Davorin Kuljasevic
Creating a Plan that Works… and Sticking to it!
Sample Pages

Study chess without wasting your time and energy

Every chess player wants to improve, but many, if not most, lack the tools or the discipline to study in an effective way. With so much material on offer, the eternal question is: ‘How can I study chess without wasting my time and energy?’

Davorin Kuljasevic provides the full and ultimate answer, as he presents a structured study approach that has long-term improvement value. He explains how to study and what to study, offers specific advice for the various stages of the game and points out how to integrate all elements in an actionable study plan.

• How do you optimize your learning process?
• How do you develop good study habits and get rid of useless ones?
• What study resources are appropriate for players of different levels?

Many self-improvement guides are essentially little more than a collection of exercises. Davorin Kuljasevic reflects on learning techniques and priorities in a fundamental way. And although this is not an exercise book, it is full of instructive examples looked at from unusual angles.

To provide a solid self-study framework, Kuljasevic categorizes lots of important aspects of chess study in a guide that is rich in illustrative tables, figures and bullet points. Anyone, from casual player to chess professional, will take away a multitude of original learning methods and valuable practical improvement ideas.

Davorin Kuljasevic is an International Grandmaster born in Croatia. He graduated from Texas Tech University and is an experienced coach. His bestselling book Beyond Material: Ignore the Face Value of Your Pieces was a finalist for the Boleslavsky-Averbakh Award, the best book prize of FIDE, the International Chess Federation.

Praise for How to Study Chess on Your Own by Davorin Kuljasevic:

“The book is well-structured didactically, as it should be in light of the importance of the subject. What Kuljasevic does very well is relate all angles (study methods, priorities, sources of study material) to playing levels, so you can work out what is effective at your particular level, and, even more important, what isn’t. To illustrate how thorough his approach is: in the second chapter Kuljasevic describes fifteen study methods and indicates for all of them the practical relevance, the time it consumes and the long-term learning potential. After the methodical chapters he works on the various elements of the game: opening, tactics, endgame and middlegame. The chapter on the endgame is a must. Everyone struggles with how to train the ending , but Kuljasevic shows very clearly how you should tackle this and what advantages this has.
I recommend this book unconditionally, it will be the standard work on studying chess for years. It is a must for every chess trainer and talented youngster who is ready to work a lot on breaking through. Davorin Kuljasevic has outdone himself and I am looking forward to his future books.” - Barry Braeken, Schaaksite

“Many players know the age-old problem of how to study chess. Davorin Kuljasevic shows a good middle way between learning everything in all books by heart and only playing. Be inspired!” - Grandmaster Karsten Müller, co-author of Winning with the Slow (but Venemous!) Italian

“As an experienced coach [Kuljasevic] explains how a motivated player should approach improvement and what they should study. Before starting to study priorities need to established, and Kuljasevic shows the importnace of methods and discipline. Whoever finds endgames boring should read the chapter ‘Make your endgame stude more enjoyable’. A unique book on self-study.” - Barend Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad

“An extremely impressive book on an increasingly important aspect of chess: ‘how to learn’ as opposed to ‘what to learn’. Davorin Kuljasevic has clearly put an enormous amount of thought and hard work into writing it. If you’re within the target market – you want to improve your chess and have a lot of time available for that purpose – I’d give this book a very strong recommendation.
Even if you only have a few hours (or even less) a week, rather than a few hours a day to set aside for chess study, you’re sure to find much invaluable advice about how to make the most of your time.
There’s a lot of great – and highly instructive – chess in the book as well, so you might enjoy it for that alone. Kuljasevic’s previous book was shortlisted for FIDE’s 2020 Book of the Year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this book was similarly honoured. He’s clearly an exceptional writer as well as an exceptional coach.” Richard James, British Chess News