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We had saw about how the method call the Circles works and had heard about the term, Knight Errant for N numbers of time but have not have a clue on what it is and how is it related to chess training.

The Knight Errant FAQ after the jump should be able to answer that.

Knights Errant FAQ

The original post is at BDK: Knights Errant FAQ  while what you see here is a slightly modified version of it in order to fix it in this article. 

1. Who are the Knights Errant?

The Knights Errant is a group of bloggers that are trying to get better at chess tactics using a method known as the Circles. The Circles program involves working through a large (usually 1000+) set of tactical problems multiple times until they can be solved without a lot of thought. We became Knights because, while working through such a strenuous program, it is very helpful to have others out there to ask for advice, give encouragement, and generally foster comradelier. There are many Knights who have finished the Circles (Knights Victorious on Blue Devil Knight  sidebar), and it is fun to read through their blogs to see how they fared.

2. Who invented the Circles program of tactical study?

Michael de la Maza, whose USCF rating went up over 600 points in two years while working through the Circles. He wrote about the method in two articles (Article 1 and Article 2 ), and then expanded them into a book Rapid Chess Improvement. Note that the book contains very little information that is not already in the articles. The general idea, that to improve at tactics it helps to learn a large set of basic tactical positions extremely well, has been independently suggested by many chess instructors.

3. Who was the first Knight?

Man de la Maza   was the first to begin blogging about his experiences with the Circles (in September 2004), and when Sancho Pawnza joined in the fun, they whimsically dubbed themselves the Knights Errant. The name stuck, and the ranks of the Knights grew.

4. What is the meaning of the term 'Knight Errant'?

It is homage to Don Quixote, who calls himself a Knight Errant in Cervantes' master work. In Cervantes' day, the term invoked images of knights wandering in search of adventures, which was Don Quixote. Now it tends to invoke images of a bumbling fool. We try not to take ourselves too seriously.

5. How can I become a Knight Errant?

If you are blogging about your Circles-inspired program of study, and want to be a Knight, just email Blue Devil Knight and let him know (his email address is on the sidebar). It is always fun when new voices enter the chorus.

6. As a Knight, what do I need to do?

To stay on the list of active Knights, just blog regularly (once a month or more) and maintain a list with all of the active Knights on your sidebar. The sidebar list allows new Knights to quickly become known amongst other Knights, and it provides a useful way to quickly navigate through the Knights' blogs to check in on everyone. It also guards against link-leeches trying to increase the "value" of their site.

7. What software should I use for the Circles?

Seven Circles Software List, originally posted at Blue Devil Knight

This open-ended list of software aims to help people decide what software to use in the Seven Circles. It'd be great to hear additional suggestions for inclusion in the list or personal experiences with any of the software. Note, if you search around online you may be able to find better prices than those listed, which are simply manufacturer's suggested price. Also, if any of the links are broken, please let me know!

Here's the list:

CT-ART 3.0 is what everyone knows about from MDLM's book. I have read criticisms of some of its move choices amongst the Knights (and besides, it is too hard for me), but it is the gold standard. It goes for $26. 

Chess Tactics for Beginners 

and Intermediate Players  

each has over 1000 puzzles arranged into five Stages. Each Stage contains increasingly more challenging themes (e.g., mate in 1) until Stage Five, when there are no themes given: you must just find the best move. Made by the same company as CT-Art, they have the same general setup, but unfortunately they differ from CT-Art in that they do not give you the the option of working through all the problems in order of difficulty with all the themes intermixed. They go for $26 each.

Intensive course tactics

and Intensive Tactics II  

each includes over three thousand problems from multiple databases. This review said that the programs are great, and this review is also quite glowing. This review also gives high marks, but is a little more critical. The software is $27. These programs look great, and I am surprised that no Knights have tried to climb these Mount Everests of tactical problems.

 TASC Chess Tutor (or TCT) is popular amongst the Knights, and lies somewhere between CTB and CT-Art in difficulty level. It includes over 2000 problems broken up into Five Steps, each of which contains lessons on about 15 subjects. Lessons start out very easy, covering subjects like algebraic notation for squares, but quickly become quite challenging (e.g., mating combinations involving multiple tactics). Each lesson presents helpful instructional text that teaches a basic concept. This instructional material is followed up with two to four problem sets (ten problems each) set up to blast the concept into your brain in practical terms. At the end of each Step is a test with about 80 questions in which the questions are not categorized by topic. If you get stuck, it will give you hints or the correct answer. It costs about $30. 

Personal Chess Trainer is becoming increasingly popular amongst the Knights. No surprise, as it is essentially built to implement the Circles for you: if you get a problem wrong you must repeat it right away, and a problem is not considered 'solved' until you have correctly solved it six times. Each subject is divided in Training Modules, which start at a simple level and then gradually reach more complex ones. The subject Tactics includes 6 modules with 51 units each for a total of 4,320 different exercises. There are 3 endgame modules with 51 units each for a total of over 1400 problems. Finally, there are 3 strategy modules with 51 units each for a total of around 700 problems. The official price is $80, but they often have a half-off sale at the site. I won't be surprised if this becomes the new Gold Standard for the Knights. 

Chess Mentor allows for four different options that range from absolute beginner level to advanced. Prices range from $15 (beginner package) to $330 (the full package that includes everything). The $75

Comprehensive Chess Course in particular looks like it might be circle-appropriate, as it includes over 1200 problems. 

1001 Tactical Exercises, all in PGN format, are available for free download from Chessville. They are taken from Fred Reinfeld's book 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations. You can get the problems organized by theme or all together. The price is right!  8. What if I want to do the Circles with a book?

This is great: it gives you freedom! A couple of Knights have done the Circles with books of tactical problems.

9. What if I want to do Circles, but not with tactics?

This is fine. You might want to apply the Circles to study endgame problems, master games, or even your favorite opening book.

10. Why do you repeat the same problems multiple times?

The repetition is meant to burn the patterns into your memory, so you can eventually do the problems quickly without thinking, the way you can multiply 2 and 3 or recognize a human face.

11. Do I have to do multiple circles of the same problems?

No, actually things are quite flexible (every Knight has modified de la Maza's original program in some way to suit their preferences). Some Knights have worked on huge problem sets defining their goal as doing N problems. One Knight, Temposchlucker, did 70,000 problems at Chess Tactics Server ! 

12. How can I stop being a Knight Errant?

There are a few ways to bow out of the Knights. You can email Blue Devil Knight, or blog, that you no longer wish to be a Knight. You can also simply let your blog go inactive by not posting for a month.

13. This seems like a very narrow approach to chess. Isn't there more to chess than tactics?

This is the most common criticism of the Circles. Jeremy Silman voices it quite stridently in a review of de la Maza's book here. Clearly, chess is more than just tactics. Strategy, opening theory, and the endgame are important aspects of the game. The Circles are a kind of Intensive Care Unit for those of us who are especially challenged in the area of tactics. If you are dropping pieces every game, then studying the subtleties of an arcane opening is probably not the best remedy. However, the Circles are only one of many possible avenues to tactical competence, and we always enjoy a good discussion of alternative methods that we might incorporate into our study.

14. Do the Circles actually work? Have your ratings improved?

This is the big question, and deservedly so! Most who have finished the Circles say it has improved their tactical vision in games, and hence their rating. Quantitatively, the average rating increase amongst the 18 Knights who have finished the circles is 186 (with a standard deviation of 112). You can see the original data here. Note that de la Maza's rating jump is unusually high, especially for non beginners (he devoted himself to chess full time during the Circles). Based on the data, it is more realistic to expect your rating to go up by a bit under 200 points. Each individual must decide whether this justifies the amount of effort involved in the Circles.

15. I'm a Knight but I am not on your sidebar. What the heck?

Please email Blue Devil Knight

16. Who is 'DG'?

DG, often called the 'Official Historian' of the Knights errant, is a blogger at the Boylston Chess Club in Boston. From the start, DG has supported and discussed the Knights Errant on his blog. His first post on the Knights. Incidentally, Michael de la Maza used to be a regular at the Boylston Chess Club.

17. Who are the 'Friends of the Knights'?

Some of the Knights Errant have a 'Friends of the Knights' partition on their sidebar. It isn't an "official" list, but is used by some Knights to acknowledge those non-Knight chess bloggers who make positive contributions to the blogosphere.

18. Is there a leader of the Knights Errant?

No. Every Knight is an independent blogger whose posts on chess, the world, and everything represent only his (or her) perspective. There is one volunteer among the Knights who has agreed to keep the sidebars up to date, post when a new Knight joins the fray, and serve as a point of contact for people interested in the Knights. This is more of a secretarial than a leadership role. Typically this responsibility is passed on to a new Knight after the person finishes the Circles. Right now this job is filled by Blue Devil Knight   

Hopefully abovementioned FAQ will be able to answer what is knight errant.

Up next:

Point of View of the Knight Errants.