Zig_Zag_Zug_Zwang's Blog

I Have One Year To Become an IM...

2026-08-05T19:22:17.969Z

Hi! My name is Vidar Grahn, a 20-year-old FIDE Master from Sweden. Right now, I’m writing this from a plane to Podgorica, Montenegro, on my way to play in the U20 European Championship!

Why I Started my Own Chess University

2026-04-13T17:49:53.927Z

When I was climbing the ranks as a kid, my improvement primarily came from playing a lot and going to the club for training every week. I loved chess, but I was never obsessed to the point where it was the only thing I thought about.

A Recap Of the U20 European Champiosnhip

2026-08-18T16:13:38.183Z

Hi! I’m finally back from my long tournament trip and I’m ready to continue documenting my journey to IM...

The 4 Pillars of Chess Improvement

2026-04-13T17:29:27.987Z

Hi! My name is Vidar. I’m a 19-year old FIDE-Master from Sweden. In this Blog I will go through 4 steps to improve at chess.

Chess is a Mirror of Real Life

2026-02-04T12:41:31.252Z

As chess players, we’ve all been there. The tournament hall is dead quiet, par for the rhythmic thump of the chess clocks and the occasional squeak of a chair or dry cough from an elderly man. You’re sitting there, staring at a position that went from "completely fine" to "total disaster" in a single heartbeat. You’ve just made a move you can’t take back. Suddenly, the last four hours feel like a heist where the only thing stolen was your time.

When Life Moves Faster Than Your Elo

2026-01-23T16:27:37.251Z

Every chess player goes through a rough patch. Progress is rarely linear, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating when the graph takes a nosedive. Over the past month, I’ve been navigating a significant slump, plummeting from 2300 live Elo to the brink of sub-2200. A 100-point swing at this level isn’t an accident; it is a "perfect storm" of life changes, shifting priorities, and a fading fire.

3 Super-GMs in 3 Rounds!!! | World Team Blitz Championship

2025-06-24T10:56:06.091Z

If you caught my last two blogs, you know how the rapid part of the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship went down. Three days of intense rapid games, and while day three was not exactly full of fireworks, we still managed to finish 39th, which is pretty solid for a team seeded 42nd. But today I want to tell you about the blitz part of the event, and more specifically, rounds 10 through 12. Why? Because I got to play three Super Grandmasters back to back. Yeah, three rounds, three super strong GMs. It was as crazy as it sounds.

Good End to a Tough Day | Day #2 of World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship

2025-06-13T23:06:04.917Z

After a night of perhaps one too many blitz games, we rolled into Day 2 looking pretty rough. I felt surprisingly okay, but I can't say the same for most of the others. We threw together a basic breakfast and went on a quick mission to Sainsbury’s for a meal deal each. We didn’t have time to cook anything proper, and honestly, the budget option fit the vibe of the day. We had done some light prep beforehand, and going into round five against The MongolZ, we felt more ready than we actually were.

I BEAT A SUPER-GM!! | Day #1 of World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship

2025-06-12T23:00:10.111Z

When my friend Tim first suggested we play the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship together, it felt like one of those ideas you laugh at and then forget about. Too far away. Too unlikely. But a few months and a lot of calls and messages later, we were standing on the streets of London as Team Uppsala SSS, about to play the biggest tournament most of us had ever been part of.

Introducing The Chessathon

2025-05-13T06:45:41.643Z

Let me ask you something. Have you ever woken up at 3 a.m.? Not for a flight. Not because of a bad dream. But rather because you just... wanted to. I did it today. And I’m doing it again tomorrow. Every day this week, actually. Not because I enjoy the sound of early morning silence or feel inspired by the moonlight (or sunshine if you live as far north as me). I’m doing it to reset my sleep schedule so that waking up at 3 a.m. feels natural. Because soon, it needs to be.

I'm so lucky! | Day 2 of road to IM

2025-04-29T21:12:54.258Z

Today was rounds 3 and 4 of the IM tournament I’m playing in. First up, I was paired with the strongest player in the field, Hampus Sörensen.

Road to IM | Day 1

2025-04-28T20:41:44.283Z

Hi everyone! If you guys didn’t know it already, my name is Vidar. I'm an 18-year-old FIDE Master from Sweden. Today, I’m excited to share my journey toward earning the International Master title. With graduation just around the corner, I’ll soon have much more time to fully dedicate myself to chess. My goal is to achieve the IM title before I turn 20. I’m looking forward to taking you along for the ride!

Learn From One Of The Best Coaches In The World

2025-04-25T07:20:20.095Z

In December of 2022 I attended a weekend long chess camp in Uppsala, Sweden. The man who was coaching us was the legendary chess author and coach GM Ramesh R.B. He is known for mentoring many indian prodigies, the most famous being the young super GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

The 100 Game Marathon

2025-02-16T09:35:05.855Z

I’m writing this about an hour and a half before the marathon starts, and honestly, I’m both excited and a little nervous. In case you’re wondering, my friend Oliver and I are about to take on a pretty crazy challenge... We’re playing 100 blitz games in one sitting. No breaks, just non-stop chess!

What Reading About Human Intelligence Has Taught Me About Chess

2025-02-01T14:13:04.697Z

In the room where I often sit to study chess, there’s a sort of "mini-library" filled with my dad’s favorite books, and recently, I’ve begun exploring them. My interest has especially gravitated toward books about the human mind and the science of intelligence. At the moment, I’m reading The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan, which has led me to draw intriguing connections between chess and psychology. While these insights may not directly enhance one’s chess skills, I find them fascinating and would love to share what I’ve discovered.

A Data-Driven Approach to Chess Improvement [Part 2 - Chessable Effectiveness]

2024-11-26T14:18:18.647Z

By combining science-backed learning techniques, most notably SRS (spaced repetition), with interactive tools, Chessable has gained widespread popularity and is used to help players retain and apply chess knowledge effectively. But how effective is it in practice? To answer this, we examine data from users' experiences, rating improvements, and other metrics that provide insight into the platform’s impact on chess performance.

How To Improve At Chess In 4 Simple Steps

2024-12-14T17:30:40.946Z

In this post I’ll talk about 4 simple steps to improve at chess. To complement it, I’ve also decided to post a detailed 5-minute youtube video explaining them.

How You Can Win By Becoming An Endgame Expert

2024-12-06T19:44:25.878Z

Hello! I'm back with another blog and today I'd like to touch on a subject I haven't talked about in a while: Endgames! I wrote a very similar blog a long time ago but I think it's time I'll refresh your memory a little bit with some of my wisdom.

How To Choose The Right Openings To Play

2024-11-29T09:28:18.942Z

When it comes to chess, choosing the right opening and studying it effectively can feel overwhelming. Many players struggle with this aspect of the game, often falling into common pitfalls that hinder improvement. This guide will walk you through practical tips to help you select openings suited to your level and study them in a way that truly enhances your game.

The Best Exercise for Improving Positional Understanding

2024-11-25T20:52:54.862Z

Throughout my life, I’ve attended numerous chess camps worldwide, learning from some of the best coaches in the game. Each coach has their own unique philosophy and teaching methods, but there’s one exercise that almost all of them have consistently recommended.

A Simple Rule for Knowing Where to Attack

2024-11-25T13:27:58.599Z

When creating a plan in chess, it's crucial to determine where to direct your attack. While I often bring a checklist of factors to consider to these types of topics, today I’ll share a simple rule of thumb that works in nearly every game.

My Journey To The World Championship

2024-11-21T11:05:48.297Z

Hi, I’m Vidar, an 18-year-old FM from Sweden. You might recognize me from my blog or various free lichess courses/studies, but today I’ll talk about something different. A couple months ago, I achieved something I never imagined possible: I won the Swedish Blitz Championship. This victory qualified me for the World Rapid and Blitz Championship, a tournament featuring some of the greatest players on the planet. But as exciting as it is, there’s one big challenge standing in my way: funding the trip.

Which Openings Should You Play?

2024-10-19T16:46:02.688Z

To preface this post, I just want to mention that this post goes hand-in-hand with my new study, The Ultimate Chess Guide. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it! It’s similar to this blog in that it’s pretty text-heavy, but it goes even more in-depth with practical examples. It also touches on key topics like thought processes in chess, how to calculate effectively, and even includes a brief look at theoretical endgames, along with links to other helpful studies.

A Data-Driven Approach to Chess Improvement [Part 1 - SRS & Woodpecker-Method]

2024-10-18T19:32:48.537Z

Hello! I'm back with a new blogpost, but this time it's going to be a bit different. Usually I write about my own opinions on how to improve at chess but for today's article I've decided to write something more scientific while using a way more formal language. A long time ago (August 25th to be exact) I posted a survey with questions on how people train and what they consider themself good at. I've finally decided to use the 2800+ answers I got (Thanks!) to come to some conclusions about different training methods. I will divide this into a few parts and the first one will be about spaced repetition and the woodpecker method. I hope you find this interesting! It took me awhile to digest all this information so feel free to leave a like <3