Are You Spending Too Much Time on Openings?
More than 90 percent of games at the beginner level are decided by tactics.
By beginner level, I mean a Lichess rapid rating below 1900 or a Chess.com rapid rating below 1700 .
Suggested Training Time Split 
Initially, I would recommend splitting your training time as follows:
Puzzle Solving / Calculation – 50%
Opening – 10%
Endgame – 20%
Middlegame Concepts – 20%
Start with Tactics
Tactics or calculation should be the topmost priority when you start.
You should get acquainted with basic tactical ideas like Pin, Fork, Discovered Attack, Deflection , etc., and then solve a lot of puzzles based on these themes.
Also, you can solve Mate in 2s, Mate in 3s, and Mate in 4s to hone your visualization skills .
How to Solve Puzzles Effectively 
When you solve these puzzles:
Try to see the entire variation , not just the first move.
Visualize the sequence until you’re convinced the resulting position is winning.
Don’t move the pieces while solving — push yourself to visualize the position.
But How Can You See It Deep Enough?
The answer is: Practice, Practice, and Practice.
The more puzzles you solve — with genuine effort — the better you’ll get at visualizing positions.
Initially, focus more on accuracy , not speed. It’s very important to put in quality time to build those foundational pattern recognitions in your brain.
This is where you train your brain to quickly watch out for forcing moves — i.e., CCT (Checks, Captures, and Threats).
If both sides are forced to play particular moves, then you can see it deep enough.
What About Openings?
Don’t spend time mugging up the lines.
Instead, focus on opening principles and just get the basic idea of whichever opening you decide to play.
Remember: Understanding the opening is more important than blindly memorizing moves.
Endgames Matter Too 
Theoretical endgames are very important — especially basic checkmates like:
* Checkmate with one rook
* Checkmate with two bishops
You can also study king and pawn endgames , as they help in understanding the board better.
Middlegame Concepts to Know
You can invest time in learning some basic middlegame principles like:
* Rooks belong on open files
* Trade when ahead in material
Just knowing these principles is not enough — you should be able to apply them when required.
So, study some model games where these principles were effectively used.
What Happens As You Grow Stronger?
Now, how does the time split change as you grow stronger?
Well, that’s a topic for another blog .
See you soon!
— Mr. Vaishnav Jangam
