The “Steps method”

 http://theamazingchessworld.blogspot.it/2012/10/the-steps-method.html
The “Steps method” is a relatively young method worked out by the former Dutch Federation coach and IM Cor van Wijgerden and Rob Brunia, chessplayer and specialist in pedagogics.

The essence of this method is that you learn certain themes, first in their easiest appearance but with each step some complexity is added.
There is a strong emphasis on tactics.

The “Steps method” contributed to give a good chess education to a whole generation of young dutch chessplayers.

What I like the most is that within the method chess knowledge and skills are  nicely structured. This means that the method’s serious student rarely fails in endgames with a few pieces, and rarely misses a combination too.

Step 6 http://www.chess-steps.com/step6.html  may really be the real step for a 1^st class player to become a good candidate master.

The authors explain that it is required to integrate a serious study of the “Steps method” with:

• Playing serious games;
• Analysis of the games played.

Concerning Step 4 http://www.chess-steps.com/step4.html I have studied the first 4 lessons of the manual and I have gone through the same number of exercises in the workbook, with a success rate of about 85% So I can say that the indication that Step 4 is for players up to a USCF rating up to 1750 is quite ok.

It should be noted that Steps 1 to 5 are contained in the Tasc Chess CD 2    http://www.stappenmethode.nl/en/tasc-chess-cd-2.php

Additional material to the standard Steps  is available as well:

http://www.chess-steps.com/workbookplus.html

http://www.chess-steps.com/workbookextra.html

At last we want to highlight that International Master Cor van Wijgerden helped Chessity to develop an exciting new training concept:

http://www.chessity.com/

To conclude, I can say that the material is well organized and challenging. Highly recommended.

PS my thanks to IM Gerard Welling for being a constant source of chess inspiration.