How to Study Chess on Your Own

Almost every improving player has asked some version of the question this book is named for — and, as the author notes in his preface, almost none get a satisfying answer. Davorin Kuljasevic, a grandmaster who shifted from playing to full-time coaching, found that when students put him on the spot he could offer only a few quick tips. This book is his attempt to finally answer the question properly.

The result is not a collection of exercises but a method. Across nine chapters, Kuljasevic builds the reader toward a single practical outcome: your own structured, personalised study plan. He starts with mindset — the difference between studying with the right and wrong frame of mind — then moves through fifteen concrete study methods, how to identify your priorities, and how to choose resources appropriate to your level rather than copying what works for someone hundreds of points stronger.

Separate chapters then tackle how to actually study each phase: openings in genuine depth, tactical training, endgames, and a system for organising middlegame knowledge. The book closes by pulling everything into an actionable plan you can follow week to week.

The emphasis throughout is on independence. Kuljasevic’s goal is not to be a crutch but to make you self-sufficient — able to diagnose your own weaknesses and design your own training long after you finish the book. Suitable for everyone from ambitious club players to professionals, and rich in tables, checklists, and worked examples viewed from unusual angles.