In a previous post I had promised to compile and post the most instructive games in ChessBase format. I haven’t been able to get around to compiling all of the games, so I am posting a PDF file containing a list of these Educational Chess Games based broken down by themes.
Blog
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Training Notebook 08.16.2007
08.15.2007
Play Standard Game
Played and analyzed my G/60 ICC ST Tourney game08.16.2007
Study Strategy
Reviewed through page 24 of Chess Strategy for Kids don’t mind the title…the book is highly recommended by Dan Heisman, and it ensures that you have all your chess fundamentals in place.Key Points
Everything in chess can be explained in terms of three basic ideas:
- Material
- Safety
- Freedom
Based on those ideas when selecting candidate moves 5 good questions to ask are:
- Who is ahead in material?
- Is either King unsafe?
- Who has more freedom?
- What would you play if it was your opponent’s turn?
- What do you play that takes advantage of the three keys to strategy?
Solve Endings
Did Endgame module 1 of Personal Chess Trainer’s endgame module (40 exercises). I had not planned on using PCT, but it has a good amount of endgame puzzles, and it uses pattern recognition as a teaching tool which is a positive.
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Training Notebook 8.13.07
Today is the first entry of my online training notebook, I’m still trying to figure out how I will work this out, but I plan on adding an entry with the salient topics that I covered as well as personal progress and benchmark data.
I also plan on adding a downloadable ChessBase file which will contain additional positions, games and notes.
Study Endgames
Reviewed pages 57-88 in Silman’s Endgame Course. This chapter dealt with distant opposition as well as basic K+P vs. K endings.Below are a few keypoints from the chapter:
Opposition without a direct connection
In the diagram below notice that the corners of the rectangle have the same colored squares, in this case White has the opposition, since he is 5 (odd number) of squares away from the Black King. You can determine the opposition of two King’s without a direct connection by creating an imaginary rectangle with intersecting same colored squares.
Questions to ask in a K+P vs. K endgame:
- Is the pawn a rook pawn? (then more than likely the game will be drawn)
- Is the stronger side’s King one square or two squares in front of it’s pawn? (One square and it depends on who has the opposition, two squares is a win for the stronger side.)
- Who possess the opposition?
Endgame Puzzle
White to move. Is White lost?Study Tactics
Did questions from the 3rd stage of studies (Queen Checkmates) #419 -442 (23) for 30 minutes with an 84% success rate.
This is a simple puzzle, but I notice that tactics that involve pinned pawns give me difficulty. Highlight for answer [1.Qh6+ Bh7 2.Qxg7#]
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Study Schedule
Monday
Study Endings (30 min)
Solve Tactics (30 min)Tuesday
Play (ST Tourney on ICC G/60) (up to 2 hrs)Wednesday
Analyze my game (1 hr)
Study Openings (part of game analysis)Thursday
Study Strategy (30 min)
Solve Endings (30 min)Friday
Solve Strategy (annotated master game review with Stoyko exercise at critical points) (1hr)
Solve Tactics (30 min)Saturday
Play G/30 (up to 1 hr)
Analyze game (30 min)Sunday
Solve Tactics (optional) (30 min)Resources
Strategy: Logical Chess Move by Move
and Chess Strategy for Kids
Endgame:Silman’s Complete Endgame Course and Pandolfini’s Endgame Course
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Rating Benchmark: 08.11.2007
As part of my benchmarking before I begin my new training on Monday August 13th, my ICC rating is as follows:
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Chess Notebook Revisited
In an earlier post about creating a chess notebook, I overlooked the obvious: using this blog as my online chess improvement notebook.
I can post my daily training regimen, as well as benchmark my progress as I go along. Hopefully, this will help others get ideas as well as help me in maintaining a log of my training activities as well as to get feedback via comments.
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Poor Thinking Process
The best thing I can do for my chess is to improve my thinking process, which is one of my greatest weaknesses. Below are some of the reasons why it my thinking process just plain stinks.
- Not considering the consequences of a move at least 3 ply deep on every play.
- Focusing too much on my plan, and not worrying about my opponent’s plan.
- Not following a standard though process method.
- Not considering the most aggressive candidate moves.
- Poor candidate move selection. This includes.
- not considering aggressive moves
- retained image errors.
- Worrying about misconceived threats, or not choosing candidates because of worries about King safety.
- Not looking for tactics during my opponent’s move.
- Not looking at the whole board. This leads to underutilized pieces at best and a surprise checkmate at worse.
- Poor evaluation of the position.
- Playing without a plan.
- Playing too much blitz. Not that blitz games are bad, but they do not allow you to apply a though process and it does not allow you to practice your analysis and evaluation skills. All improving players should stay away from blitz until we have developed a consistent and applicable thought process via games played at long time controls.
That’s it for now, I’ll add more in time. Feel free to leave comments on how you can improve your thought process.
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Annotated Game: Lordofthedance versus Chessbuzz
Round 2 game of the July Monthly Standard Tournaments on ICC.
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Back to Basics
I have come to the realization that there comes a time in every improving players game where we try to apply all we have learned yet we end up losing more games than we win. The improving player needs to realize that reading more chess books, learning a new opening or practicing obscure endgames is not going to improve their game.
The improving player’s game will be better served by simplifying their chess and going back to basics. Here are five things we can do that should lead to improved results:
1. Improve your thought process. Make sure you look for checks, captures and threats on every move, and always consider what your opponent is trying to accomplish and what move they would make if it would be their turn instead of yours.
2. Improve your ability to analyze. Consider at least three half moves before making a move. If the position leads to a forced tactical continuation, and you are unable to calculate until the position is quiet, then choose a ‘safer’ strategically based move that will require less analysis and calculation.
3. Do not force the situation and instead play for small advantages. Ensure that there are no weaknesses in your camp, while at the same time scanning for weaknesses in your opponents side.
4. Calculate several candidates before making each move, and always expect that your opponent will play the best move. Remember that once you found your move, try to look for a better one (unless you are in time trouble).
5. Play less blitz games. Blitz is the number one reason we develop bad habits which hurt our thought process. Blitz causes us to not analyze and think the position through. Play longer games (at least G15/5) instead of blitz, these longer games will allow you to work on your thought process and analysis skills. Once those bad habits have been eliminated, you can then return to blitz play as a much stronger player.