beginchess has written 144 articles

Connecting the Dots in Chess

I have made an observation while solving puzzles, that I feel will improve my tactical puzzle solving skills, and might have direct application during actual games. When solving a tactical puzzle of intermediate to advanced level I either: 1. Have no clue how to go about solving it and get it wrong. 2. Have multiple ideas that…

Critical Moments in Chess

GM Dorfman, has suggested that every game has 5 or 6 critical junctures “forks” at which important decisions need to be made. By understanding that the game has reached a critical moment, you can take extra time in analyzing and evaluating your moves. These critical moments are where games are won or lost, and identifying these milestones in a…

Training Position #1

White wins this position by creating a passed pawn on the Kingside.   Note that if the Black pawn would be on d3 instead of c3, the game would be a theoretical draw. Copy the FEN position 4k3/1pp2ppp/p1p5/8/4P3/8/PPP2PPP/4K3 w – – 0 0 and play this position against an engine. NOTE: There was an issue with…

The Three Things That Have Improved My Chess

1. Practising tactics – I cannot stress enough the importance of tactics at the sub 1800 level. If your time is limited, tactics training would be the one thing that would give you the greatest return on investment. 2. Playing and reviewing my games – This allows you to learn from your mistakes, and to…

What's The Frequency Kenneth?

Chess is temporarily taking a backseat to new hobbies I am currently exploring…so my posting frequency will somewhat diminish. I am adjusting my chess training so that I will continue to spend 30 minutes per day doing chess tempo puzzles.  In the meantime, I have compiled the most popular posts for your enjoyment: Key Squares Chess…

Analyzing Your Games

According to Mark Dvoretsky the analysis of one’s own games is the main means of self-improvement.  In Secrets of Chess Training Dvoretsky offers the following guidelines: Find the turning points – Decide where mistakes were made, where the evaluation of the position changed or an opportunity was missed. Seek the reasons for your own mistakes…