Be a Self-Taught Grandmaster

Actually, I don't think I'll ever be one - I'll be quite satisfied to achieve the master title, if that happens in the future - but the following quote from such a person happens to echo some of my previous posts on training.

"It is possible to draw a clear dividing line between two schools of thought when it comes to chess training. One advocates that you should start by studying simple positions, mainly endgames, before working up to more complicated material. The second school starts at the beginning of the game and works forwards from there. I myself belong to a group of players who had to teach themselves, and I believe the most important thing is to start at the area that interests you the most, whether it be endgames or openings. It should not be forgotten that it is possible to study endgames through openings and vice versa! The most important thing is to study in depth."  -- Swedish GM Tiger Hillarp Persson

(Excerpted from the ChessCafe review of Grandmaster Versus Amateur)