⭐⭐⭐ Take 1 minutes to read and improve your chess game ➡️ : This article was first published on, and is Copyright of Chessquestions.com

Hi, I am Steve

I first started playing chess in 1979 at the age of eight.

My mother was a good player and a teacher so it was only natural I should pick the game up.

I became super proficient and skilled and [without official competition], I could and would beat anyone and everyone I played [Mostly].

Aged 12 or 13, I started discovering things that 12/13-year-old lads discovered and my rather expensive Studio Anne Carlton Chessmen were packed away, never to see the light of day again.

Fast forward 30+ years and I still have the set and have rediscovered the game, albeit with a lot of what I learned and knew a vague recollection.

Joining chess.com, I now struggle to raise my rating to even average levels.

So this is my journey in rediscovering the game and starting at ground zero to ensure I employ best practices along the way.

I endeavor to answer all of the relevant questions I am asking as well as anyone discovering or revisiting chess and wanting to learn from the bottom up once again might ask

There are a lot of questions!

I’ve Not Written All The Answers Myself

There are many things I am no authority to write on, so at times I have leaned on a friend of mine, Ranveer Mohite, who is better placed to provide insider knowledge. As a 2277 elo Rated Chess professional, he has been able to provide insight that might not otherwise be available generally outside the chess community.

Being impacted by the events of 2020, he was unable to travel and play tournaments as a chess professional and was looking for some work writing about chess, and we were fortunate to find each other, just at the right time.