tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33688733148269880432024-03-13T06:08:48.838-07:00theGreatPatzerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-91909297389251702232016-04-05T13:39:00.003-07:002016-04-05T13:39:23.546-07:00APRIL 4, 2016<!--[if !mso]>
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DAY # 593;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>85<sup>th</sup> Week</div>
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HOURS. 6.8 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hours</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“A TURN FOR THE WORSE”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>I’d Love to say that last week was an
opportunity to tie our shoelaces and really do some great Workouts.</div>
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It didn’t.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DISTRACTED!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And my program really went poorly this
week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will do better this week. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-24363531522010325732016-03-29T11:13:00.002-07:002016-03-29T11:13:59.997-07:00MARCH 28<!--[if !mso]>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eSp5rcjkBU0/VvrFvKOeebI/AAAAAAAAARo/rtxlQn2iBysis00Td5MtqREJD5P5mrs4A/s1600/do-something-better.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eSp5rcjkBU0/VvrFvKOeebI/AAAAAAAAARo/rtxlQn2iBysis00Td5MtqREJD5P5mrs4A/s320/do-something-better.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">MARCH28, 2016</span></div>
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DAY # 592;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>84<sup>th</sup>
Week</div>
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HOURS. 11.8 hours</div>
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RATING (gain):<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1446 (0)</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“something Different”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>We have used our blog as an opportunity
to say (as I see it), things I have learned of chess, to express ideas that
inspire me, to focus on an important idea, or to philosophize in a place less
contentious and argumentative than the Chess.com Forums.</div>
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With apologies to however reads this; the point of this blog
will be to document progress, and a failings in my whole improvement program is
a certain amount of accountability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I keep track of my progress,
but there’s not a weekly evaluation of what is working and what is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MY blog will become the place for us to
summarize what I need to do- to give place to goals, and to inspire me to
evaluate and change.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“We continue to
Motivated by something that happened Just over a week ago…”</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so after a lengthy back and forth pm at
chess.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I Played on SATURDAY MARCH
19, the strong player; International Master Trener $40 in certain loss to gain
insight into my game and to see at a longer Time Control that I normally play
if I could keep up with a talented and strong Human player…</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The results were embarrassing,
No HUMILIATING.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Basically I barely
got a game- after a brief amount of Theory in a French opening I thought I knew
somewhat well- I ended up take a poison pawn and losing both a piece and a
defender.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>White invades and quickly
wins; when my passive defense fails to see a Mate in 1! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew I was Tactically bad at times, and had
a tendency to blunder- but this game proved I need to Deeply work on seeing big
threats,and keeping all my pieces Safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can’t play an interesting game with a very strong player, if you
Give him your pieces, and allow him a quick mate….</div>
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I’ve Decided To approach this by looking towards my Chess
Activities, and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> setting Goals that I
think will help.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By reaching for
consistency in my program- I can work on increasing my tactical Good sense- and
strive to study/play my tendency to blunder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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ACTIVITES that will help me Blunder less and Win more!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(As of Saturday Night)</div>
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1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Memorize a Blunder Pledge</b> ,establishing
what is good thought process. and do so Three times a week….. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not achieved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>2 times</div>
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2)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go
over Tactics Puzzles.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stay sharp on
what is a Definitive move in a chess game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>25 puzzles a Time and Four times a week…. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not achieved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>3 times and 88total</div>
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3)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Play Titans (hi Level)</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To work towards making less Material Losing
moves;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3 games- 3 times a week….<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Not
achieved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>1 times and 2total</div>
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4) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Play Live
Games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>to play human and equal
competition, please play 12 Live games on at least 3 separate times.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">(mostly)
achieved!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3 times/ 8games</b></div>
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We are Clearly Concentrating on Live games (especially at
FICS where I want to get a solid rating)- but are doing Very poorly on Titans.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE WEEKS
distractions!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Per this calendar Date,
NOW is that time when we should be catching Calico ( a very pretty FISH that
also goes by the ugly name “crappie”), like crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As one of my oldest and most avid hobby
(perhaps even more than chess, itself)- fishing remains Important to me- when
the fish are biting!</div>
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Oc. What do I say, when my normally very effective fishing
trips becomes dismally uneffective?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that
each fishing trip is a more than normal drive that takes lots of time away from
chess.</div>
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I can really only say, that a certain amoun of tolerance is
needed. Its Good that I can have a study program this time of year- and Better that’s
its actually Not that Bad. <u>Time wise we are above our average effort.</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as said, still meeting some of our goals.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We are doing very
little Book Learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Book Learning
on things like Positional chess and Endgames have always been a little harder
for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tactical puzzles squeeze into
small units of time well- require no set up of a board, can be easily paused
when someone needs my attention at home, and are very straitforward to
understand.</div>
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On the Other end of the spectrum <u>Annotated games are
nearly an opposite</u> – so its not suprising that I find it hard to obsess on
this kind of study.</div>
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But “Book Learning “ has a bery peculiar function in
chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it may seem that Blunders
and tactics explain many games- “technique” and “Positional understanding”
underly every move of a game, and create something of a Potential Energy of ones
chess strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With good book
learning- blunders become less disastrous,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the point of openings and the concepts of the endgame become clear, and
straitforward and you can effortlessly prevail, in what another players
struggles at.</div>
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In short, <u>its important and I know it</u>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just need to make Time for it- and <u>if I
continue to put it last on a list I never complete, I don’t need to ask why I
see no serious rating improvement.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>We had no book learning last week- and
need to change it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if it occurs
weekly this is an deep investment that will someday pay off.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We need to more
thorough track Blunders!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>How often
do they occur in our games?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How
frequently are we making them in tactical .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We don’t know & we haven’t been doing enough due diligence to find
out.</div>
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But I believe improvement will be more incremental than
revolutionary- so we need to work on this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SUMMARY</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in this coming week, I want to make
improvement in both of these topics with a solid session of book learning, and
a better understanding of how often blunders are happening in our game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-12822839653527667822016-02-23T12:44:00.003-08:002016-02-23T12:44:36.666-08:00OUT OF SHAPE & Losing<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KPmRlmQXnkY/VszEmVWWX6I/AAAAAAAAARU/ZAB_nPTZJ0c/s1600/post-14535-No-matter-how-slow-you-go-you-wKJC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KPmRlmQXnkY/VszEmVWWX6I/AAAAAAAAARU/ZAB_nPTZJ0c/s320/post-14535-No-matter-how-slow-you-go-you-wKJC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A couple weeks Back, I got a Bad flu!</div>
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You know the kind of flu that sends you strait to bed for
hours at a time….</div>
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Anyways… I did quite playing chess for a few days-</div>
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But I’ve been struggling to get better (bronchitis)- and it
all begs the Question:</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Should I be Giving up on chess, while I am hacking and
coughing; and Struggling to get enough Sleep?</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">NO!</span></b></div>
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I’m a fervent believer that getting good at chess (as an
adult) is a long term project; where you may slug along for quite a long time
not quite conquering your weaknesses, --- failing to similar issues of fuzzy
calculation, tactical blindness, and a poor judge of what is and isn’t a sound
attack…. But in all that, your slowly developing a web of experiences, and
athletic strengthening of your focus,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
slowly developing “repertoire” of dashing tactics – All THAT matters…..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and as for the LOSING?</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">LOSING
IS A TEST OF CHARACTER:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve often
thought that LOSING was something that divided the COMMITTED PLAYERS from
those who just had whims or those that just like the feeling of BEING
BETTER than the opponent.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">LOSING
A HARD FOUGHT GAME SHOWS US WHERE OUR EARNEST THINKING FAILS:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we work to play SLOWLY and CAREFULLY
outright blunders and Oversights DIMINISH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Instead more fundamental errors APPEAR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Places where we become PARALYZED or
slowly INVADED & INFILTRATED.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">OFTEN,
LOSING imparts a small PYCHOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When one is prepared to lose but
determined to fight for it- they sometimes can find smaller errors that
their more confident opponent will miss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again this is all how you view your situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people do really poorly when they
feel like they are not winning- but if you can get beyond this mindset….</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">LOSING
teaches us to be patient, and humble in our thoughts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Losing can teach us the IMPORTANT
principle of LOOKING FOR WEAKNESSES in OUR MOVES.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m convinced that personally I don’t
do NEARLY enough thinking about how a MOVE might lose.</li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-50487718542432014622016-01-15T12:46:00.006-08:002016-01-15T12:46:56.319-08:00MY SYSTEM of Chess improvement<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jEc1yMxoXwg/Vplao9FNuYI/AAAAAAAAARA/TfnFkWAPiag/s1600/staying%2Bahead%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bgame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jEc1yMxoXwg/Vplao9FNuYI/AAAAAAAAARA/TfnFkWAPiag/s320/staying%2Bahead%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bgame.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My blog has been pretty quiet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apologies (sort of)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>truth is… its not so easy to keep up at the
blog- and some winter illness has made my prioritize my efforts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was reading among the ‘Advertising’ of GM Smirnov… While
his self- promotion (and High prices!) is kind of a turn off… he published an very
interesting interview with a student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the things the student said, I think rings Very True, about Chess
improvement. And is worth Emphasizing (and reiterating)… </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ANY CHESS IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT WORKS NEEDS TO BE PERSONAL, It
needs to be a Sincere adoption of what the Chess Student really believes
Works..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>because More than anything Chess
Improvement is a matter of a REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE of our thought patterns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are to shore up weaknesses- we must
start seeing that 2+2=4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BASICALLY WE’VE
SPENT ALL OUR DAYS, SEEING IT AS 5.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
…. There’s Irony in GM Smirnov- man who HAS the SYSTEM (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“YOURS FOR $99.99!”</i>)- Iterating the
truth of the importance of a personal approach to chess improvement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Short, you can buy What you want to buy; but it doesn’t
do any good to Passively Browse the Material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>IF YOU GOING TO LEARN IT, YOU MUST BECOME THE BIGGEST PROPONENT OF YOUR
APPROACH TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what’s
My Angle?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What my Current and Personal
approach and how to further Evolve in this game?....</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
….. “IF YOU GET AN ADVANTAGE HOLD IT!”….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So you Might ask (and Should really)- What
is Your approach to Chess Improvement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is the Current Situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Realizing that the core of a Good Program is optimism and
Determination-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My deal is that its
important to understand whats Going well, and Build from that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And what recent games Have REALLY emphasized is the
Importance of Holding ON to a AN ADVANTAGE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Theoretically, Advantages come from bad moves from the Opponent- but practically-
One has to Find it, play it! and HOLD IT!!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s the holding on- that difficult!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Equilibrium of a position is that often
in seizing an advantage (and by that I often meaning gaining material)- things
get out of place, less active and the opponent can gains some chances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even In <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good moments less
than forced check mate, allow the opponent the opportunity to try to throw
chaos and problems in your plans.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SO you Must Work hard to make sure You’re snuffing out the
Opponents chances. This involves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">UNDERSTAND
your Opponent Advantages (and seek to destroy any future counterplay!)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">MAKE EXCHANGES
Forceful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weakish offers of
exchange are almost an insult to the Opponents Intelligence!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(yet how many players comfortably ahead
make them. Like How DENSE do you think the opponent is).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">PRESS
for Game Ending Play BUT</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">DON”T
be Wild, DON’T Gamble…</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Its
better to have a firm, resolute and bulletproof plan- than any no Plan or
A WILD ‘ALL OR NOTHING’ kind<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of
play*</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Take
time in simple spots to Carefully assess the plan (too Many chess players
only try to deal with rigors of calculation After things have become
Undone)…. But the problem, then, is that often they are all USING MASSIVE amounts
of time- when there is in fact, play has become forced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big Thinks in forced play that is
caused by a misplayed variations- is actually “AGONALYSIS” that is often
More Harmful than Helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead…</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">WHEN
THINGS go wrong- the first calculation should be “Is there A reason to
calculate deeply right Now”</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The Magic
Rule is ….” If your UP on material- Play As safe as you can Without
blunting the beauty of any tactical Victories- IF your IN TROUBLE, Gamble”!</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
The ‘Magic Rule” IMHO, then is the
PRIME REASON why Holding the advantage is so Instructive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
IF your HAVE an advantage; you
Have the time and ability to deeply assess your Opponents play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as Important as it is To find your own
2+2=4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chess is a Battle of Minds!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to Learn to “set up” your opponent
to fail.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Deeply understanding how to do
this, is to deeply understand the nature of chess advantages itself…. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
EVOLUTION AS A CHESS PLAYER</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
One Last Point about this!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its not Clear to the beginner that one player
Can (and should!) Set up his Opponent to Fail!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Instead it is usually thought of as a race between both sides to the
winning blow).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This INABILITY OF A
WEAKER CHESS PLAYER TO PREVENT THE OPPONENT FROM SUCCEEDING IS A MARK OF A
PATZER.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(one of the reason why strong
players get so little out a chess game from the beginner as well….)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
By Working on understanding how to
ruin the opponent’s game under the Best of Conditions (when your ahead)—<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your Working on how to understand HOW To do
that – All the Time- and how to go Head to Head against a strong player.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-4453114658954960152015-12-07T05:17:00.001-08:002015-12-07T05:17:46.158-08:00I Am NOT Quitting chess!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JSOWXtuMI9E/VmWG1giJoCI/AAAAAAAAAQs/OxlDE7mgY4A/s1600/tumblr_lpqx459FNj1qaaqmq.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JSOWXtuMI9E/VmWG1giJoCI/AAAAAAAAAQs/OxlDE7mgY4A/s320/tumblr_lpqx459FNj1qaaqmq.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok this might seem bizarre to some of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly always lurking on chess.com, playing
16 correspondance games and part of two small but active chess.com groups… and
Yet a poorly worded email and the lack recently of Live chess.com- had my coach
quite concerned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It ‘sounded’ (from the
email) that I didn’t intend to play chess – against people again – possibly for
good!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I quickly assured him that this was wrong, very wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not necessarily having great success
right now in my chess training program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
I’m still feeling strong and active;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>working through puzzles, (trying to) meticulously working through my 16
games, and recently more than anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reviewing Old Games!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got to
try to quit making similar mistakes—and If I must keep on making the same weary
game losing mistakes—I can at least be aware what I struggle with most.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nevertheless..</b>
there really has been a lack of games recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This wasn’t intentional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a
number of times in the last few months have I had nagging doubts that I should
be playing live (am I thinking well enough?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Will I blunder a lot??)- and yes, I’ve lost rating.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps this <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rating
Game</b> is getting to even me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see
its actually a great secret that many chess players don’t seem to realize…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Improving in this game doesn’t Always or Consistently
lead to Rating gains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rating even when you are playing constantly ; comes at its own
time and place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rating gain as well, is
an indication that you have worked out a limited habit; whether that is playing
too blindly to tactics- or too unaware of a positional problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the point is that THEY are many chess
topics to learn;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and many are not as
critical to your chess results.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">BUT I DON’T WANT TO GO OVER THE ‘RATING GAME’ in this
blog</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Most of those that are
most caught up with rating; don’t read my blog and wouldn’t/couldn’t be
persuaded to change there mind anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ISN’T A sky High Rating Proof that you are talented and smart at chess?!
(ahem-no!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">INSTEAD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>I wanted to reiterate the need for LIVE
games-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WHY CAN’T WE JUST ‘STUDY’ CHESS?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">WELL
first,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>game review excluded,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b>you tend to lose the
perspective of a game as a narrative a clash of ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And THAT is a big problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Losing your ability to make long term
plans, and juggle positional realities while remaining sharp to tactical
threats and opportunities will make you MUCH weaker, when you do go back
into the game…</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">PUZZLES </b>are exceptional positions
with unique and “vetted” significance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>IN a puzzle, its ALWAYS worth completely exploring the outlandish
and un-natural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In the game, though, most of the time
chess play is a matter of attentively playing by watching your control of
squares and lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t need to (and shouldn’t)
meticulously go through zillions of variations (this is OUR advantage over
a computer by the way).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Its important to realize most
positions don’t HAVE a ‘right’ answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>only moves that are good, weak, or some kind of mistake.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FUN!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>Ok this might seem off; I mean chess is- is it not?- fun! Well.
if you feel that way strongly you probably haven’t been <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">avidly playing deep endgame</b>
theory- or staring at chess tactics for 2 hours strait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While those activities can be plenty obsessing;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">draining, hard work</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
fact, this is what holds back a great many talented chess player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but for those of us that have the
determination to put in the effort- you need to recharge with quick,
shorter efforts.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE WHOLE GAME</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>playing the whole game regularly keeps
one from getting too narrow a focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And too hung up on things that Really aren’t as important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also a good indication of where you
stand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This latter fact is why it
pairs so well to game review.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re
reviewing what you just played- your working on understanding where you
are at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THOUGHT PROCESS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>this I think is the most important
skill to learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is Not enough to
be able to recite chess principles or to do long calculations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead the most important skill is to
be able to do a little of both and integrate it to a thinking process, in
which you keep you pawns and pieces, safe and active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alert to opportunity and threats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An easy way to show HOW important this
is, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if you knew, at a given
position whether there was a stunning tactical win or an important
game-ending flaw—how much easier would it be to get the right move?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, we don’t know- not in a real
game and however hard we work to develop our abilities to understand and
visualize great chess moves—<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">we can
only develop a good careful process for seeing them by trying and failing
and trying harder.</b></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I WANT to end with this thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, as much as I would like to achieve
a given rating (actually 2000 if you wanted to know).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its not important to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to take joy in what I’m doing-
building skills and understanding more chess day by day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea what ultimate rating ‘ceiling’
I have<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">…. But I know I have one!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EVERYBODY does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I wrote back to my Coach that I am strong player; and
I know I am.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am strong because I am striving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am strong because I am studying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chess is actually really delightfully unpredictable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exploring chess’s hidden insights is no
small task, and no quick accomplishment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Above all else “I’m not dead yet”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think until I am, there is always the
chance that I gain continue to grow as a chess player</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-27397565131971937282015-11-20T07:38:00.003-08:002015-11-20T07:38:57.174-08:00Knowing the Unknowable!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1Jy3NNbqtM/Vk89Qbv46jI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/amJtD2wQiN0/s1600/TooYoung1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_295663="null" height="212" kva="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1Jy3NNbqtM/Vk89Qbv46jI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/amJtD2wQiN0/s320/TooYoung1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 2in; margin-left: 0.7pt; margin-top: 0.7pt; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; position: absolute; width: 216.85pt; z-index: 1;" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:title="TooYoung1" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\JOLIPH~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata><w:wrap type="square"></w:wrap></v:shape>Shall I study Openings or Tactics?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about Endgames and Annotated Grandmaster games…</div>
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How long will it take me to get to 1500? 1800?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about Gm???</div>
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What is the best response to 1.d4?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what about 1.e4??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>should I even have a repertoire!?</div>
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Ah Such frequent questions on places like chess.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed the post reveal a nearly insatiable thirst for insights, into improving ratings, study programs, chess openings, along with sprinkles of generic “what is the best chess book for a college student” (like being a college student has anything to do with it.</div>
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I communed with the spirit of capablanca*… read each and every word of the Kmoch’s venerable book “pawn power”**, and consulted my favorite eight ball***</div>
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<o:p> </o:p><o:p> </o:p>…. Satisfied?</div>
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Ok SO is that a great insightful blog post?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the signs point to Yes”.</b></div>
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The Problem with these questions (and many more) is that they are Simply Unanswerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And really, truly, we need to get over asking Unanswerable questions.</div>
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Instead the cure for all these broad whim questions is to…</div>
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TRY OUR BEST</div>
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… EVALUATE RESULTS</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>….. IF it AIN’T WORKING – change it, or try something new.</div>
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And that goes for <strong>ANY BOOK, ANY OPENING, ANY STUDY PROGRAM, </strong>and many MANY <strong>VAGUE, BROAD, CONTROVERSIAL QUESTIONS </strong>asked on the Internet</div>
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Ohh and by the way <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HAVE PATIENCE and PERSISTANCE</b>-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THEY BOTH GO A LOOONG WAY IN CHESS.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Can you really be a strong chess player without both- I know Probably unknowable-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BUT…. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the signs point to YES”.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">* </i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by the way, I didn’t do any of these things, but If I had- do you really think I would obsess about these kinds of open ended vague questions. <strong>NO way!</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would want to Improve my game- Espacially if Capablanca was willing to give me good tips from beyond the grave….<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-49411593953464946312015-11-05T10:02:00.001-08:002015-11-05T10:02:25.476-08:00An experiment with Chess.com Groups...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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A new experience and an Experiment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As long time readers now I have always been a
wordy kind of guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like sharing what I
am doing and reading what others have been doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also like the idea of doing THAT,
preferably, with friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is In
the description of a good chess club – and I’m sure that if I could get to a
OTB chess club, regularly<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d enjoy
playing and chatting with people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially
if I could find likeminded people that like to talk about what they are
studying…</div>
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But I’m strictly digital- and limited to just certain times
(late pm) when I have time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so this is
the reason, why I felt that the group “Socrates unlimited” might be an
opportunity for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The founder, a guy
called ‘quantum butterfly’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was an
engaging kind of guy that set up a club and stressed engaging activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I joined determine to make this an
experiment- could I engage the group and pick up instructive experiences- or
would it be more of a distraction, or would it utterly fail with little
content?</div>
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So I Began to participate (after a minor delay with a work
trip)- and impressed with the content and sharing within the club.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9zkSEn-uCqA/VjuZfbQyHWI/AAAAAAAAAP8/LI87Yqnk6Aw/s1600/16410-one-lie-is-enough-to-question-all-truths.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9zkSEn-uCqA/VjuZfbQyHWI/AAAAAAAAAP8/LI87Yqnk6Aw/s320/16410-one-lie-is-enough-to-question-all-truths.png" width="320" /></a>And really I just began to truly appreciate it when there
was shocking news…</div>
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“Quantum Butterfly” was Banned!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course this was hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was the founder, his content disappeared and
I wondered if without him, anyone could /would take up the role and continue
the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most active guy in the
group, Alvin, did in fact step up. He took charge and Created lots of
content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He picked me, and another
younger member- simply_simon, as admin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Assistants to watch over group activities and look for new members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again we were doing relatively well and were
going over positions, playing matches- had started a group game against a chess
computer and a vote game against another group.</div>
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When , shockingly, simply_simon was banned!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was 2 days ago.</div>
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Let me say that I think all experienced all the stages of
Grief that day and felt shocked, surprised and that I couldn’t believe it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>simply_simon was a talkative yet low rated player,
really just a beginner by his tentative online rating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went looking for answers and found someone
that was in the know, and gave me access to some of his games…</div>
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So What does a Perfect game look like when you play a low
rated guy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not particularly
mind-boogling, and I say this because simon’s match game was a perfect match to
a strong chess computers #1 move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
playing a 1300- and you have a 3000 rated engine behind you…. The strong moves
don’t have to be too startling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some development
and a PC’s inhuman ability to foresee every possible consequence.</div>
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I next learned that Simply_simon wasn’t who he seemed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was in fact the groups founder; QB. Chess.com
had overwhelming proof of this- as simply_simon was created the very day after QB
was banned.</div>
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Some thoughts on this Experience…</div>
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A)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ngine Cheating is NOT a victimless offense</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To those that see chess as a mere game or as
an odd way to trashtalk to a total stranger,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But those that Love the Game take their Result seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They put heart and the head in the game as
it sits in the board; and take responsibility for their blunders and errors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they start disastrously losing to an
equally rated player, they feel that they are fairly beaten by a chess player
of similar skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a grave insult
to play against another claming a reasonable rating – and then go deceitfully
giving out moves that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>much stronger and
also Not yours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have lied, and
deeply mocked your opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He now has no fair fight against you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it be fair for a boxer to grab a brick and
get a clean, easy knockout.? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have
called you opponent Dumb- and are claiming that his errors are easy to Defeat-
when it is really You that have had the failure of intelligence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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When you are part of a TEAM and are striving support them in
a challenge against other groups- you embrace another kind of experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are on the same team, your win in mine-
we celebrate! If there is loses and rough games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team gets together, and works to boost
morale and offer to help each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Any serious chessplayer understands the sting of defeat- and understands
that one cannot always win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But by cheating- you have given us a very
different defeat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If you can’t lose when you use a 3000 rated PC for help- you can’t win
either</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It becomes a black mark
against the group!.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, you have
betrayed the trust of the whole group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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B) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Don’t be naive,
and don’t be reluctant to step up</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think coming into the group, I very much wanted to participate- but I wanted no
part of administration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point of
this experiment I thought was that as a mere member, I could interact with all
the other, without necessarily taking charge of anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once QB left, the group floundered and my
thought was that there was another who could take charge- again why get
involved?</div>
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I was naïve to think the QB wouldn’t try to get back with
his old group. I realize Now that it wasn’t a matter of Ego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group needed Help!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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It needed defended and it needs more people that want to talk
and intereact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes I could do some
(most?) of this on the outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as
a member of administration- I have the ability to work with the my co-leader to
deal with problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fixing problems is
a fine price to pay for good analysis, friendly assistance, and thoughtful
feedback.</div>
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C) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I greatly
appreciate the other very vocal and active member of our group; Alvin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>His energy and level of commitment is
very inspiring to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lack consistency
and struggle to do chess activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
a study partner he is a great help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
other people have become more involved as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps, losing one of our most active members (Twice), will encourage
those that haven’t committed to be active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Equally true it has spurred Alvin
and I to be much more aware of Cheating, and need to engage and find people
that have genuine wish to improve in chess.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-32501739277365917352015-10-14T06:31:00.004-07:002015-10-14T06:31:23.926-07:00I'm not Suppose to Excel at Chess<!--[if !mso]>
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I’m<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> 42- with kids- without tournament experiences and without any plans of
future tournament (Club) experiences. ….</i></div>
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If I asked online, whether I could become Good At chess- at
my age- with my experiences… I might get a Few optimistic posts (mainly from
people that hope to do what I’m trying to do), but the response would be a
guarded.</div>
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If I asked further if there was any chance I could get to be
as good at chess as a 1600 ELO chess player in Standard Time control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I
might get a Maybe</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I asked if I
could get to an 1800- I might get a “its possible”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, If I asked – If I could get to be a
2000 or higher, perhaps the truth would come out.</div>
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“look, you don’t understand, people online they are not
playing their best- this is just half tries & blitz games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to get to an expert or better-
you almost certainly HALF to play in OTB chess tournaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the place to prove your strength.” </div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Any Las Vegas odds man would bet against me</span>!
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Of course I haven’t actually asked this- but I don’t have
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of people have asked about
whether they can become a master.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ‘regular’
posters, usually assume the OP is young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And they have encouraging but guarded answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some good thoughts come out of threads like
this- but the normal answers are worn out.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">MOST people Quit Before they
Have a good try… and most Adults don’t make enough effort- to really qualify As
a good Try.</span></div>
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This is of course discouraging. But in a way it paints a
true picture of what kind of mountain I’m trying to climb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also puts the question to “What AM I trying
to achieve anyway”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Frankly Said, I would like to
Excel at chess</span>, and (just as frankly) <span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">This
means USCF expert. 2000</span>+.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Fact that I am not trying to improve my USCF rating<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>misses the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I will Find a way” is the important thought.</div>
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First I want to Really Improve in chess- In ALL time
controls here at chess.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Later I
will find a way to get to USCF tournaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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MOTIVATION.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its been
lagging recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t mean to be
stuck on the big effort to get to 1200 blitz- but now that is done, for some
reason I find myself a little Lazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
few other things have become a distraction.</div>
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YET 1200 Blitz is NOT where I want to stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I don’t want to stop, at all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but I find myself drawn more into chess.com
forum than more legitamite training efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I feel a little slow, tired and fatigued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some more days than ever.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">In Short, NOW is the Time to
show determination</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now is a time to draw resources from within</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And <span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Now Is the
Time to remind myself of how big and exciting the broader goal really is</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to start showing more time spent on
tactic puzzles, game review, and careful readings from some of my chess book.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">“The only universal approach to winning is diligence.”</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.0pt;">Justs99171</span></div>
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I apologize if I’ve made this particular blog somewhat
unreadable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remind myself, that my own
personal ramblings aren’t great literature.</div>
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(On chess.com, we usually suffer the patzer’s to write
because there comments are brief.)</div>
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Instead, a blog is a way of documenting your thoughts, and I
need more motivation.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-91819350867505087542015-09-24T08:50:00.000-07:002015-09-24T08:50:07.610-07:00Back to the Place I was Before<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scUZ30xK7oU/VgQbgtv5M6I/AAAAAAAAAPI/BzKpo4TDuqg/s1600/After_the_party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_638065="null" height="240" iva="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-scUZ30xK7oU/VgQbgtv5M6I/AAAAAAAAAPI/BzKpo4TDuqg/s320/After_the_party.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I can’t help feel like this week has been the end of a party…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the goal was set, the race was run, I burst through the finish line- in time. Victory!</div>
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And now a calm, a break after night after night playing hardcore blitz…</div>
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Its not that what I want to do next is unimportant or actually Easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s a different thing to tackle a challenge where the goal is clear- and progress- as obvious as running around a track. The exact time and distance is clear.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My next goal is to deepen my chess</span></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much more analysis, more time thinking about careful endgames and the struggle to deeply understand complex middle-games…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So, we must return to the place we were before</span></b>… </div>
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But it was handy & very useful to have such instant feedback to my chess improvements…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>how does one live without it?</div>
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Thoughts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, I have thoughts. Thats the whole point of the blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And moreover, I can imagine someone having this concern…. I think they need to realize..</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">FIRST in chess, if we are to really understand it (and get truly strong); we must <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Build up our Patience.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you look at Grandmaster level chess- you will see how patient and determined you must really be… two incredibly strong chess players staring at a unclear position- with no apparent strong moves on the board;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>staring, gazing, pacing, and grimacing- striving to pierce the tactics that could be… and definitely patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a predator that sits for many hours, in the shadows waiting for the definitive moment to make his move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We must Have Faith</b> in our methods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not an easy idea- but its SO important, there’s no quick proof that going over a morphy game has any immediate cure to my game- and no instant change that comes over one when he has solved a thousand tactics puzzles…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking over my games feels embarrassing- Especially the losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there’s really no better more instructive fix than to look over games, and strive once again to see all my mistakes- vowing to not repeat them, yet knowing I probably will.</li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">I’m convinced <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rating Gains (</b>Any rating gains) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Are much more gradual than they appear.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have our good days- and win several (many) games – getting to a Peak!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But disappointedly falter. (especially if we are seeking equal opposition)</li>
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The Next low point seems depressing but look more closely- is this low point above the last one?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can see a Truer rating gain – by a gradual increase in our Lowest Rating of the Week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is not to be crushed and upset by our loses and falling rating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course we must lose. And when we lose we will lose rating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(We left Blitz on a <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">High point</st1:place></st1:city> and so I know it doesn’t Accurately reflect where I’m at in blitz).</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span>Lastly, we Must realize that rating is only a index of Performance and NOT playing strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing strength is quite hard to measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in some ways, we can take a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Common sense approach to increasing our playing strength…</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we see tactics easier (and miss them less in a game)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if so, we’ve definitely increased playing strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hang pieces less often, and look more carefully for threats?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What about being more thoughtful about carefully consider how exchanges and maneuvering effects the mobility of our pieces??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about studying the EndGame??? </div>
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In short,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Party is Over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the blitz was fast paced and exhilarating- but the broad challenge of increasing my tactical accuracy, of really seeing through complexity in the middlegame and working on Winning the endgame- this is all Better addressed through thoughtful patient work with my Coach and the several thought-provoking books I have collected over the last little while.</div>
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My big goals might include <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Being able to follow and understand modern Gm chess</b>, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">being able to play blindfold chess</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and these goals is every bit as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">important to me as a Sky-High rating</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Interestingly, all three goals is better served by thoughtful study than incessant blitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(though some blitz can and will be part of this study)…</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-83802130152455986472015-09-17T06:41:00.000-07:002015-09-17T06:41:24.870-07:00How I gained 193 Rating points of Chess.com Blitz in 18 days!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TKjSj7_b7So/VfrCZm4eicI/AAAAAAAAAOw/A8NJwtRda4U/s1600/finish-line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_385139="null" height="240" hva="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TKjSj7_b7So/VfrCZm4eicI/AAAAAAAAAOw/A8NJwtRda4U/s320/finish-line.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(this will be both posted to the chess.com forum and My own blogspot blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Irregardless of its usefulness to others- it represented a huge effort from me- and I think I gained important insight not only to blitz but also to OTB chess.)</div>
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First and foremost, I don’t want to debate the usefulness (or uselessness) of obsessing on Blitz chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to make it clear, that these are 10 minute game and that time control is definitely faster than I naturally play chess- does not stop one from making general plans (on the opponents time especially), and to a point making accurate calculations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10:0 is not bullet chess and rapid mouse skills and instant pattern recognition, while handy, is not required!</div>
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I also want to make it clear, that I am not trying to be boastful with what is probably a pretty common achievement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of people gained 200 points , after their blitz score has the chance to settle and if they put in a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>modest amount of chess improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its nothing extraordinary or epic… its simply personally satisfying- and I think some people that stagnate in these levels would do well to carefully read my observations and make small changes in the way that they play Blitz….</div>
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THERE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now most of my future competition has now<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>stopped reading- tl;dr. and we can get to the some of the observations I had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These ‘observations’ are common things I see and I will group them into things to do and things NOT to do….</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">IF YOU WANT to be good at Blitz--- then DON’T<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Don’t RESIGN. Hardly ever</b>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My own experience is that in Blitz, it can be hard to convert winning material to a win (the winning side is quite prone to premature and unsound attacks), that tricky sudden checkmate threats can be very effective, and that baring all of THAT the opponent still has to completely beat you before his clock goes to nothing.</li>
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The idea that the next game will be better, because you won’t make SO many mistakes is Naïve!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mistakes tend to come in bunches (see next point). So if you still feel like you’ve got chessic determination- you should TRY to surprise your opponent who is lulled by his winning position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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IF YOU DO resign, STOP playing for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve been beaten, your determination to win is spent and youre not seeing good moves and important threats- tomarrow night WILL be better.</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Don’t Play On and on, when you are Losin</b>g!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a huge mistake I see a heck of a lot!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is you are losing for a reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your tired, your distracted… your only kidding yourself to think that it won’t be the same next game,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though, an important qualification--You can’t give up the moment you lose a game! see Next point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some games go bad, and you need to persevere.</li>
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But the Point is to determine where the occasional bad game threatens to become a massive Rating retreat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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One mental Mistake I was making was thinking that if I fell behind a few games I had to play on and on to Catch up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is Almost like a gambling disease, where a compulsive loser plays deeper and deeper into his checkbook to try to get back his fortune.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Know when to fold em” is what the lyrics say, and a good blitz chessplayer- knows that when you are shedding points It is time to quit</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Don’t Spend lots of time looking for the Best move, or playing complicated ones… </b>The Advice to look for a Better move (once you find a good strategic/tactical move) is REALLY bad in blitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Instead, blitz is about NOT missing blunders</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">simplifying pieces and positions once you get ahead</b>. And Being Just as careful in long chess about NOT giving the opponents easy tactical opportunities. If your behind in blitz you must quickly make the decision to hold against the opponent or ignore him looking for a sudden attack and checkmate; he isn’t expecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can make rather simple quick moves and see if he makes the BAD mistake of SLOWING down to grind you down. If he can’t force a checkmate- you might be able to win Yet on Time!</li>
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This must be all done on a rapid assessment of the position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spend HIS time asking the same question he will be- Can the opponent force a checkmate with his extra peice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Basically, if you Can’t find a hanging piece or win an easy tactic- you should try to have less time in the endgame and avoid losing! </b>If you have a strong enough time advantage in a long Game, the game can SHOCKINGLY allow you to win AFTER the opponent has promoted queens and simply doesn’t have time to find the win – in a WON position…</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">IF YOU WANT to be good at Blitz--- then DO<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First, AND FOREMOST…. BE under-Rated</b>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I know- OF COURSE- you are under-rated, but bear with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are probably under-rated if you’ve done lots of tactical puzzles and noticed that you can solve more of them and quicker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(solving Simple puzzles quick is VERY important in blitz).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You Are also probably under-rated if you’ve gone up in other time controls and not blitz.</li>
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You SHOULD not be routinely playing blitz to look for improvements in chess ANYWAY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need time to work on having a better thought process- But once you’ve achieved improvements in OTB or chess.com STD- then playing blitz makes more sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are UNDERRATED and know only need to master the fine art of blitz….</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Warm up BEFORE playing any game online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>I like playing a lowish level of chess titans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am Sharp I can beat level 6 pretty easily and without dragging our the game and being very slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a Great indicator whether I am In the mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pick a challenging level thats you can definitely beat when you are playing good chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a nice way to warm up, and get a feel for how its going to go tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried chess puzzles, but I think that a midlevel chess playing program is a much more accurate indicator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Play LOTS of game.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve already warned you about NOT losing game after game… but you need to realize that you should still put in the time into the game- and that Means MORE games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A single loss is NOT decisive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Play with determination ! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Play Game after Game- UNTIL you come to the end of a Winning streak (End at the first losing game)! or You begin a losing streak.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point here is to stop when you’ve gained rating - your ahead, and before you’ve lost much ground!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Know your openings- </b>and Play the Same Openings as much as possible – given a certain sequence of moves- after you’ve played many games against people you get a very Good idea what your typical Opponent will play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The knowledge is Far, far more important than GM theory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The players that you are playing against think they are clearly good moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they are Natural!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they commonly create strategic or tactical advantages??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Know YOUR traps thoughout your repertoire!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just picking up the occasional win from a trap is a big deal in blitz and can make a steady rise. </li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mostly and Lastly,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously work on seeing the SIMPLE stuff ALL the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>SPEND time looking at previous Games – how are you winning and losing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is Time a big issue in your games? what about tactics- do you routinely lose pieces?</li>
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When you Review games do so rapidly- looking for hanging pieces, simple tactics, and check mates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do so for all your moves- then your opponent moves- then Redo making your own moves…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>do you repetitively give away pieces?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hanging pieces, threats, and simple piece/pawn safety should be your obsession</b>… </div>
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LET ME end by Saying that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Chess Blitz can be Played two ways…</div>
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IN the fi<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">rst way you play aggressively, looking towards your opponents weaknesses</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Attackers (in Bltiz) have a BIG advantage… the opponent has to defend while at the same time- not fall badly behind on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you play aggressively and seize the Attack- your time versus the opponent becomes less important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are pushing the opponent to panic and blunder- and it CAN work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often, opponents that feel stressed and attacked, just Resign<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the Chessy way to play it. ( you aim to win on attack and not time).<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Second way you play more cautiously</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– not being aggressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you cede the center, but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">you carefully watch for threatening play (to squash it) and you make very sure your playing faster than your opponent</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your defensive enough your opponent starts running out of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he might try an unsound attack. Either way your work to win on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hypermodern black openings often work very well for this strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This is the Bullet way to play it ( you aim to win on time and seeing your opponents big blunders).</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SO WHAT is the Best for Blitz!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NEITHER. The trick is to be able to do both.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Whole Point of Blitz IS to be able to FLEXIBLY change your thinking speed</b> without being inconsistent with important things- like looking for loose pieces and seeing serious threats.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-29231356522546401592015-09-10T10:57:00.001-07:002015-09-10T10:57:40.982-07:00In Memory of a Good chess player and a Great Friend<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
This is going to be a hard blog to write; and perhaps uncommonly short. So bear with me.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t-_gyvKadIM/VfHDwAegRNI/AAAAAAAAAOU/QlsKm3_I9YE/s1600/Good%2Bfriends%2Bare%2Bhard%2Bto%2Bfind%252C%2Bharder%2Bto%2Bleave%252C%2Band%2Bimpossible%2Bto%2Bforget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_618474="null" height="247" hva="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t-_gyvKadIM/VfHDwAegRNI/AAAAAAAAAOU/QlsKm3_I9YE/s320/Good%2Bfriends%2Bare%2Bhard%2Bto%2Bfind%252C%2Bharder%2Bto%2Bleave%252C%2Band%2Bimpossible%2Bto%2Bforget.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My start in Chess….<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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It seems like such a long time since I learned how to play chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly I was taught chess during big experiment during the height of the Bobby fisher days,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A local academic wanted to study how teaching students chess at a local middleschool affected their academic performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He set up a local scholastic chess club (that survives to this day), did a chess tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know whether I was part of the chess group of kids- but I can tell you this, it didn’t really take.</div>
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I had my own issues during of all school, and chess seemed pretty unimportant to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a long time through my life; I liked chess – would play it if someone wanted to – even pretty strong compared to the many novice players that occasionally mentioned the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> but w</span>ithout wanting to take it to a more serious level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Several years back a small chess group came into a temporary existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was part of it and enjoyed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but all enthusiasm was limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Issues came up and we stopped meeting.</div>
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Richard was faithful part of the this group and spoke to me about chess whenever we had the chance to talk</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Richard Howard and being a lot more serious….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Last summer however, I decide to be a lot more serious about the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started buying books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I studied tactics, I started a notebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to restate the OTB chess club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only Richard and another guy was interested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard was truly interested and we joined the USCF and did a tournament together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richards failing health made it hard; but in more than a year, we solidly played weekly OTB; even when he was in the nursing home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only in say the last month did his health deteriote to the point at which he could play no chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still he wanted to hear me talk about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was source of strength and very occasionally, he had a wry way of humbling me (Why did you put that peice there!?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would also add, that for many weeks he persevered playing me with all his wits and losing for week after week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not one to obsess on Tactics- his board awareness suffered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was magnficant to watch him tirelessly try week after week. I even mentioned his struggles in a blog. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Richard was Here!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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And that’s not the only time he got a role (and sometimes big) in my blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s my big discussion about stopping the opponent/versus understanding weaknesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His early middlegame was excellent and very thoughtprovoking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His KIA against the French was a thought provoking retort to a very well practiced French opening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ended up failing to convert to some tactical issues… but I’ve struggled long and hard to understand the fundmental weaknesses he drove home- and that when he played that game when he was pretty sick.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Moving On without him.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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So I suppose we must depart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a religious man and truly believe I will see and know him again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its amazing to me, how much we grew to know and appreciate each other in a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a man, perhaps, he was old- but as a chess player; unfortunately we lost a passionate chess player who had a lot more good games to play.</div>
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Richard was a talented Queen side play- the kind of guy that found strong positional moves on the queen side that could sneak up on the Kingside attackers; and daunt those who’s quick attack was shallow and unsound.</div>
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I feel like, I need to try to carry on not only his memory, but also his chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his way, I know one of his aspirations was to teach me to appreciate the positional possibilities of well posted pieces and carefully pushed pawns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His intuition far exceeded his official rating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look forward to developing his strength in my game.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">There’s so much I can’t say.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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As I thought when I delivered part of eulogy; there’s so much about the guy that can’t easily be said in paragraph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And a deep appreciation that might not be appreciated by family that have known and loved him for decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One year might not be long—but in a year we truly had a lifetime of good experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had other friends before, but I don’t think I’ve had anyone so close and part of my life (that wasn’t my wife and my kids).</div>
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Most importantly, I have sought a good friend or true to have good times with and nearly everyone has said No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the other guy in a chess club quit coming many months back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are SO busy! It’s a shame. The failure of the modern age is to make it so Easy to communicate with people (cue facebook), but so hard to share time with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with chess, you can find a tense competitive blitz game in milliseconds, but seek someone locally to play a friendly OTB game with , and there’s no one around.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lastly, Me and my friend have proved that conflict in chess, is indeed, with the pieces and not against the opponent.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I’ve heard it said, that you need to ‘beat’ the opponent and should mentally revile him for best competitive efforts in chess. I think such attitudes are sad and I strongly disagree that you need to have </div>
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I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>much prefer the idea that you and your opponent are exploring the intricate patterns of chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also know that there often a serious amount of frustration in chess; often failing to see the simplest of moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that this frustration is entirely with yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One knows that you Must see all captures, checks and strong threats that the opponent has Before moving the piece and make sure that the move is safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To err is human. And when failing, the opponent plays the necessary role of maximizing his gain in your poor move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the nature of the game…. your frustration at your weakness makes it a little hard to appreciate your opponents’ victory.</div>
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Nevertheless I know Richard did try as did I.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We appreciated each others willingness to play and play hard at winning.</div>
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.What do you know? It wasn’t really that short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Nevertheless, </span>I still feel like I’ve only awkwardly and insufficiently expressed how much I appreciate my OTB friend.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-74953201969747694902015-09-01T13:36:00.001-07:002015-09-01T13:36:16.137-07:00BLITZ SKILLS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bEHpmgTgXMk/VeYLtEVZoyI/AAAAAAAAAN0/ZNb41LUGOlc/s1600/e390a29438ff90999dc21008493029f5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_804434="null" height="288" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bEHpmgTgXMk/VeYLtEVZoyI/AAAAAAAAAN0/ZNb41LUGOlc/s320/e390a29438ff90999dc21008493029f5.jpg" width="320" yua="true" /></a></div>
<v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 259.5pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; position: absolute; width: 4in; z-index: -2;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-56 0 -56 21538 21600 21538 21600 0 -56 0"><v:imagedata o:title="e390a29438ff90999dc21008493029f5" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\JOLIPH~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata><w:wrap type="tight"></w:wrap></v:shape>I’m SOOO bad at it!<br />
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I feel embarrassed and awkward<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and a little confused- </div>
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why seemingly</div>
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When we reduce the time down to a game in 10 minutes- suddenly I am below average!</div>
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Perhaps I just Got no BLITZ Skills….</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">BLITZ SKILLS.</span></div>
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I think that even though I don’t play FIDE standard chess, my Rapid Games offer a clear contrast to games three times faster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there are skills that are unique to blitz- and I think it is interesting, that is poor as my Blitz is- I was making clear improvement for most of year and then… My Blitz skills took a sudden downturn in February and March, Just when I played A LOT of correspondence chess!</div>
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Clearly what patterns and habits are good in correspondence is NOT good in Blitz chess.</div>
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What Skills are Unique to Blitz then?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s a list as I see it….</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">KEEP IT SIMPLE!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this then is unique to blitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In slow chess and particularly in correspondence you should NOT be afraid of complications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead you need to calculate them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead in blitz- there isn’t time for long calculations!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting all uncertain and using lots of time means you Might not have time to convert; even if you plans yield material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a solid Calculation of checkmate is worth Lots of time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but how do you know if you<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if you got a certain checkmate? You don’t… </div>
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So this advice I think goes beyond just tricky uncertain attacks (a No-no in blitz)… instead it must be the watchword in Blitz;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you want simple plans and familiar situations; You want pieces exchanged- especially if your ahead of time or material (next point).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want positions you’ve seen over and over again (next next point) and advantages and blunders you recognize in an instant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the opponent slows down to get out of a bind; he’s in a bind with the time.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE CLOCK is Worth a piece.. At least!</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its Not just that you need to keep it simple, one must take more responseability for ones time. its Critical to keep it close to the opponent and you needs to be ruthless about<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about trying to push it below the opponent.</div>
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Its important to realize that if the game goes long- the clock competition may become the dominant factor who wins (and who loses).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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This is not to say that you speed along SO quick that your miss blunders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BLUNDERS become a real factor in blitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you must always wonder- what Can the opponent do?</div>
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Cut time by not looking SO hard for tricky tactical moves!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead be more a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Little</i> MORE passive- but ever aware of simple hanging pieces and obvious tactics.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE ENDGAME is a real factor in blitz; & is defined a little differently…</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In slow chess the endgame is when both opponents have simplified their pieces and are seeking final clarity in who will win and who won’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but IN BLITZ <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the endgame occurs when the clock , both clocks, approach zero</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When that Occurs, the Game will be decided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who will win?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve LOST several games with massive material!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the very last minute (for me) of the game- the exact count on the clock matters more than queens- and usually it is A) the position of the king and B) the exact difference in clock time that resolve the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are TWO moves to forced check mates- but the opponent has a few more seconds than you and YOU can’t find it- YOU LOSE.</div>
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This is the New and Hardest part of chess for me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a fine line to between getting a small but game winning advantage in the clock and in giving the opponent just enough blunder to checkmate me in the last few seconds…..</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">IN BLITZ, nearly memorized openings and very familiar Positions are important.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would say as the game speeds up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That you should Know your opening; from memory, better and better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But of course, there is an important Caveat.</div>
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One should not spend time memorizing what the masters play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>such lines will rarely occur in the games between patzers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead one should spend real time to figure out what your “peers” play against a standard development ; such as d4-c4 or the French.</div>
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I’m always amazed how in dozens of games, patzers from all over the world more or less plays similar moves.. few of which are Masters <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key is the stuff in Point one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone who studies blitz chess realizes they need to play simply and naturally in the opening.</div>
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Since blitz games need to be played in greater quantity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blitz games are a natural way to check for wholes in your opening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The key is thorough investigation of what works and what doesn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this is a big plan of mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figure- in blitz learning to bullet proof and speed up the opening is practically as useful as tactic puzzles (which by the way, become MORE important – as you need to spot tactical opportunities QUICKLY). Obviously then, you don’t want complicated puzzles. You want easy ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to be able to see them in seconds!</div>
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<v:shape id="_x0000_s1027" style="height: 246.75pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; position: absolute; width: 3in; z-index: -1;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-75 0 -75 21534 21600 21534 21600 0 -75 0"><v:imagedata o:title="10873491-large" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\JOLIPH~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image003.jpg"></v:imagedata><w:wrap type="tight"></w:wrap></v:shape><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LASTLY, hesitation is Toxic in blitz, & failure is of less consequence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>About this Blitz seems like basketball.</div>
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You have no time in a normal basket ball to calmly work up the shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead you must rush towards the best position possible and make the Good game winning move you see.</div>
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You must NOT hesitate- you have limited time to work it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Don’t “look for a better move”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>only make sure the move is actually good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Also, since blitz games are shorter one ought to play more games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This seems straitforward to me – if in two hours I can play 3 rapid games—I should be able to play 9 Blitz games!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes the inevitables blunders (you made bc you were rushed) a little more reasonable… you still might win on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and so long as you win more than you lose You Progress!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WHAT IS THE POINT OF WORKING ON BLITZ SKILLS?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Lastly I’ll say this… I don’t think you have a good education of chess without the ability to blitz and Blitz well…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What OF they Blitz skills</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Time pressure which is inevitable in even some long OTB games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that point, You are playing Blitz—if you have good blitz skills you maximize your playing strength when pressed.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Blitz is a Great way to work out your opening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since your openings see so many different replies this becomes a good way to brainstorm what an opponent, naturally, do against it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you can review your openings against what masters play, too… but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in most cases your opponent will play more like a blitz player than a Gm. (even OTB).</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Blitz teaches you put your thinking in order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Blitz you must see the blunder, and the opponents threat FIRST if you are to excel at it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any regular reader knows how focused I have been about Blunders. The guy is Seeing your blunder afterwards and seeing if it re-occurs in game after game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn that Pattern!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>prevent opportunities for your opponent.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Blitz helps Intuition. Since your thinking is simplistic- and you are seeking simpler positions… you can go into quiet and reoccurring positions in game after game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn what moves create tactical opportunities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You must train your intuition on simple Positions before you can expect it to find Tal-like crazy tactics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tal was very good at blitz </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Lastly, Strong chess players are progressively good at Faster and faster game controls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That Can’t be a coincidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some might attribute this superior chessic skills; but quick thinking like running sprints can be developed and strengthened.</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-62491025549057171772015-08-25T12:17:00.000-07:002015-08-25T12:17:46.441-07:00WORKING MEMORY OVERLOAD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know there’s something Important I need to do!?... but, I can’t remember what.</div>
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Oh well how important can it be?</div>
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My LONG winning Streak Has come to an end!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 15 strait wins, I played an online chess tournament against higher rated players and did terribly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can see the progressive erosion of my thinking process.</div>
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In the first round against a chess player 150 rating points higher, I won a piece and was doing great, until I fell to a sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unbelievably two pieces down- he quickly had unstoppable checkmate.</div>
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On the second round, I got to a complex spot where I had a pretty risky discovered attack-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I discover a loose piece but could have hopped to a knight fork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I missed the simple point of his move; a pivotal piece was attacked twice and guarded once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He got the piece and eventually won the game.</div>
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On the third round, I was clearly rattled and I didn’t get out of the opening before I gave away the exchange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had enough of being pummeled for the night.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“There is NO strategy, principle, guideline or concept that is more Important than this- DON’T GIVE AWAY PAWNS AND PIECES”.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is my simple and earnest advice I gave myself a few months ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its not that revolutionary! (<span style="font-size: 10pt;">nor is it strictly true. LOL*). </span>But it is good advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Problem is , frankly, how do I beat the idea to not hang pieces or allow easy tactics, and checkmates in my Head</b>? --important and simple question , no easy answer.</div>
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Well, this all relates a pretty long winded word/concept to a simple and common human failing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“WORKING MEMORY OVERLOAD” basically for whatever reason-<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> we fail to do remember to do something because we are trying to fit too much into our working memory.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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It is this weakness for example that might make you suddenly forget what you want to say when you are bursting to say several things at once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to say too much, you force your mind RESET! And end up saying nothing.</div>
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I THINK this effect (perhaps it should have a fancy psychological name- but it does not), is a big part of several of our problems in chess; and specifically is VERY involved in why we can fail to stop blunders even when we are intensely concentrating in chess and in particular in NOT blundering…</div>
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<strong>Thoughts….</strong></div>
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FIRST the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">STRESS and ANXIETY</b> and reminding yourself how Much you blunder and how much you don’t want to blunder again does you no good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>its well known that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">working memory decreases when we feel stressed and anxious</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the ability to hold even less information in your head at one time- directly decreases your playing strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is true of being anxious because you are in a tournament or because you are playing a player you consider much stronger than you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BLUNDERS aren’t simple</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem with my quote about blunders is that it makes something that could happen for many different reasons; seem like a simple thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we can blunder because we didn’t protect the piece we moved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t reinforce something that it suddenly attacked more times than it is defended. Pins. Double attacks…. because the actually material winning attack varies…. We will need to keep in mind several different patterns to avoid blunders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Patterns?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Well specifically we should try to understand those patterns that seem LEAST obvious.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a pattern becomes highly obvious it doesn’t need to be in working memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(if this weren’t true chess would be practically impossible to improve in – as our working memory would be full just remembering how our pieces move).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, we work on our weaknesses seeking things we can’t instantly (or “intuitively”) see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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But this “work” of seeing things in a chess game, has another peril<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can fall prey to “juggling” errors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>the important thing when seeking to understand a position is how to come to the conclusion of an important thought, and while holding a summary of that calculation – to move on to another view of the position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will compare that to Juggling… if we make a big calculation of an important exchange- we must next take the same position and looking at it from the point of whether our selected view Hangs any pieces (or underprotects them).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> it is important that the Earlier information is in your head TOO.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Perhaps the earlier exchange makes the latter calculation unimportant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is that more simplistic calculations about piece (and King) safety must be done in addition to Tactical, Strategic and Positional calculations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must strive to juggle each of these calculations carefully and thoroughly to be playing our best chess. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We can’t push ourselves to the point at which our working memory is overloaded- either our calculations are inaccurate or our understanding of how everything relates becomes muddled</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is Just like someone who wants to say So much he struggles to say anything. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The worst failure ,though, is definitely of piece or king safety<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be far better to try to say less (to use the analogy) than to say<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>something that is Obviously and Easily show as absolutely wrong.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The VALUE of discordant thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Separate to the issue of understanding and relating several different calculations in our chess position- is the peril of too quickly summarizing positions into variations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our analysis can become simplistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often in my own thinking I race on ahead for ply after ply not realizing that the opponent has creative choices I have not considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the where the value of Discordant thought comes in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We need to break into our own variations and ask “what if the Opponent” Does NOT do as expected.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This can be particularly true in the face of difficult play,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>complicated tactics, and strong threats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I would add that this tendency to allow the mind to run on ply after ply (or perhaps pointlessly plan) is why it is so much easier to see the opponents mistakes than our own-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or opponents moves are less predictable; and prompt us to look for weaknesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our own thinking must (to cover many moves) be much more predictable and and fit within our working memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sometimes the whole calculation starts when you should be more attentively falsifying your candidate move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other times, we make unwise assumptions about exchanges or strategic generalizations</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Its been Long and important blog for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its important I don’t try to say too much as well!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SUMMARY.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">RELAX, and reduce anxiety</b>. Take whatever measures you can to prevent anxiety, stress from diminishing your abilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TAKE your time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>don’t be in such a hurry to tough the piece!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep an emphasis of the simplest and most important calculations as you try to see more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continue to work on practicing getting calculations summarized and understood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its more important to understand why the tactic puzzle works, than actually to solve it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Other point of tactical puzzles is to make important, strong tactics easy to see/understand so that you aren’t struggling to see them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Don’t say Negative things to yourself during a game</b> (the only thing I’ll highlight in the summary I promise). And don’t generalize about defeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t overwhelm yourself with complicated plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See far ahead ONLY when the opponents choices are minimized if not forced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Generally don’t play tricky, risky chess you don’t understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only play tricky uncertain chess, when conservative careful moves would be certain defeat – such as when your badly behind in material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-22478723954075873092015-08-14T13:39:00.000-07:002015-08-14T13:39:07.775-07:00Failing Pychololgy; FEELINGS!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 272.25pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; position: absolute; width: 180pt; z-index: -1;" type="#_x0000_t75" wrapcoords="-90 0 -90 21540 21600 21540 21600 0 -90 0"><v:imagedata o:title="grief" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\JOLIPH~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata><w:wrap type="tight"></w:wrap></v:shape><strong>FEELINGS….</strong></div>
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Everyone has them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to say right that are no WRONG feelings in chess (*).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Any, issues to the extent that we encourage them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Feelings can after all prompt us to play really good chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if there’s tricky feelings (we’re making a list….) there’s a few other feelings that are rarely bad to have</div>
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Determination , optimism, meticulousness, carefulness.</div>
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<o:p></o:p><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The point is control our feelings- work on mastering our thoughts and allow our “inner” grandmaster to emerge</i>.</div>
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<u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></o:p></u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Nervous and stress</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></u></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we’re facting an opponent perhaps in a first tournament, or perhaps in a time control we have bad experiences with (ME: BLITZ!), and the first challenge is powerful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re NOT relaxed, we’re not calm, we’re Nervous!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FIGHT and FLIGHT are kicking in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>analysis becomes shallow- decisions become quick and un-thoughtful. Everything <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">gets Rushed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creative, counter-play becomes invisible.</b></div>
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it’s a Poor state of mind for anyone wanting to excel as game of wit, and careful cunning.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Solution</span></b>- this is about putting the brakes to your mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look for a way to break your mood- for me personally in an OTB event- I find really talking with people helps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gets me out of state of just thinking how much I want to win this OVER and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Online- I find that music is good antidote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I want to WIN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I a little distraction tempers my mind from racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I would also say that it is very important to immerse yourself in the chess- never mind the Event!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is echoed by all kinds of tournament winners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of them talk about coming to just play good chess- and not thinking about ranking- who’s ahead, etc. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Slow starts</span></u></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I credit this to a youtube video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was one of the suggestions I really agree with and one that I’ve been putting in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(and it seems to be helping!).</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Solution:</span></b> Don’t just jump into a game- ‘cold’!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it takes your mind a few minutes to warm up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t wear yourself out- but a few minutes doing tactical puzzles, an important endgame and looking over your repertoire is a very good idea!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am busy doing other things and hope right into a game- I can making very silly ridiculous opening moves within seconds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mind simply hasn’t switched to “chess”…</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Over Confidence!</span></u></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having some kind of concrete, long-term, “static advantages” has all kinds of advantages in chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ability to easily seize (and Keep) the initiative,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the ability to sacrifice to eliminate counter-play, and room for little inaccuracy in calculation or attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pychologically its also Pleasant to play a game ahead a piece.</div>
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On the other hand,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a lot of times when we start winning- we stop looking so very deeply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We go with the flow and make natural choices rather than looking for the strongest move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is particularly true in terms of defence where we might be inattentive to our opponent move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If we’re Ahead- our opponent is behind, and if he hasn’t tipped his king—he’s still desperately looking (and hoping) for his own break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s most likely to be truly ingenious now- </b>there’s no material surplus to protect- or easy endgame to look for.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Pychologically, he’s pushed to be his very best because its utterly clear what will happen if he fails!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I’ve lost all kinds of games ahead in pieces and won not an insignificant amount of games, utterly lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And its nearly always these feeling—the happy blind state of the guy ahead and the desperate, creative state of the losing player.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Solution:</span></b> Awareness is the solution of the problem!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That and of course experience, practice, and going over games after their done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look for it! highlight it! and otherwise beat it into your ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IF you ahead YOU must crush any possible chances for the opponent to win and if you behind you must be creative and determined to seize any inattentiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Intimidation and Pessimism. </span></u></b>Now lets talk Overconfidence’s unhappy opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If its bad to be blinded by warm , lazy overconfidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can just easily spiral into really negative feelings too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One could divide these two emotions by whether they are centered on the opponent; but truthfully there is no point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we’re overwhelmed with an inflated opinion of our opponent or depressed by an assessment of the position- you’re in the same boat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not trying!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HAVE courage, only rarely is our position that awful!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And even then our very human opponent may blunder and give us a half chance to get back in the fight.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If we can’t create that courage</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">feel determined to play the best chess we can- one ought to just resign! </b>and save yourself the agony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not point to play if you can’t fight; with ALL of your creativity or ingenuity for either a win or a draw…</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Solution:</span></b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Experience, I think is the massive answer to this is Experience</div>
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This is a big topic for the future for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I have a lot of experience crushing casual players OTB.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been only been seriously competing online for perhaps 8-9 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel as if , as I’ve gone over all the puzzles and worked on my weaknesses in chess- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I am gradually working towards playing more formidable opponents</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know full well that intimidation is something to work on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think that when I get badly behind in chess and fight for a win… I am working through the psychology of trying to beat expert level opposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I can also look at my experience from the point of view of those that have played me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, quite a few people have been RELUCTANT to play me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m quite sure they think that there is no point in playing someone good at chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they only knew that way the game sometimes turns on people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even playing much weaker players- there’s always the chance of a loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No human if flawless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Expression</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is late. I need to wrap up</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to end on perhaps the most cryptic feeling in my list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but I think it is the most significant….</div>
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Chess is an interesting hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point it is a game- and to that end- there is but a ceaseless set of decisions made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as a game—there is little expression of luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreoever there is an unusual amount of art in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, because it is an expression of our thoughts sometimes it feels more like writing a story or playing a musical instrument that a card game.</div>
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Perhaps this is the root cause then of the effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t just play moves, when we play chess – we express ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when we express ideas don’t we normally express something LOULDY and boldly when we feel that a given move is right and smart?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aren’t we usually a timid and uncertain?</div>
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SOLUTION:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chess doesn’t care about HOW we move our pieces- and dramatically changing the time we spend on each move is dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must be consistent and scrutinize , accurately, the results of seizing an Opportunity</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does our fork allow a debilitating check?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even seizing pieces can be dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of a long chess game… grabbing the last pieces can give the opponent a stalemate- Giving away the victory you deserved!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all threats are to be taken seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And sometimes hanging a piece plain works- the piece is poisoned!</div>
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I’m very convinced that there is a huge deal of strength is creating a routine. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quiet consistent paced approach to chess</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creating a habitual approach to playing the game is worth losing a few games to time. Attitude here is king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be resolved to win by carefully playing each move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not a fan of big lists Either- we need to work on altering our attitude to seek a strong, rigorous, methodical thought process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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This is one of those of “I’ll know it when I see it”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at times my thought process is better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My gaze is enlightened- I’m seeing the opponent chances – I’m accurately weighing my own opportunities better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Analysis becomes more complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game is more predictable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are moments of happy confirmation- that my efforts to strengthen my thought process are working.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AN INVITATION TO MY READERS….<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I don’t always seek comments but in this case- I would appreciate it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What feelings have caused real issues in chess?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you been working on- or conquered a feeling or attitude that has really elevated your game?</div>
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About how much of your chess strength would you say – is based upon your mastery of your feelings (or put it another way- suppose you suffered from confidence issues, how much weaker would that make you)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.. and how much of it is based upon your skills?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-75442842053837575002015-08-10T08:24:00.000-07:002015-08-10T12:50:51.374-07:00CHESSERCISE; Athletic musing from a Passionate Patzer!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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Chess has two sides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one hand, We stare at the UNCLEAR position- thinking of long-term plans and looking for Vague, tactical complications… </div>
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On the other we seek mainly to make Move after move- avoiding idiotic blunders and avoiding giving the opponent Easy tactical chances to win the game!</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">YOU don’t need to play for hour on end- you merely need play carefully, slowly, and regularly</span></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chess is not kind to sweeping generalizations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one hand, I agree that instant obsession, and a four day marathon of only chess- does little. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed my own son; just did that – achieving a momentary 1200, then tanking his online rating as he overthought, overplayed and flat wore himself out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(while at the same time draining himself of interest in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“chess is too hard” he says)…</div>
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On the other hand, I have pretty much gone the other way—playing at best just a G30 game or two every 2-3 days. (with brief exceptions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have also created a persistent, real, chess improving training program. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Studying (in one form or another) at least every other day and have maintained this for now over a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I consider THAT an accomplishment by itself;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>from my observations most patzers that Can’t OTB play have training programs that are more imaginary* than consistent.</div>
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Back to the TOPIC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My own gaming this weekend was much more intense than normal. In no danger of draining my motivation to play (and study up on the likely) losses I joined an online tournament playing four G30 games in rapid succession.</div>
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Despite being one of the higher boards- I expected dismal results… and I GOT itt. only winning 1 game in 4 and finishing last place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To add to the workload- I then take the next few moments and look over my games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do this?</div>
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Because chess is athletic and to a degree…. </div>
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<strong>We must “Push” our mental muscles to the point at which they are weak- if we are to strengthen them. </strong>its not just being chess weary Either! We can be plenty chess weary looking through reinfield puzzles. Or spending many long moments trying to decode a complex position but we must find senseable answers in more simple positions too! In fact, sometimes the biggest hallmark of the master is that the master knows what should NOT be played. Ruling out all of the obviously incorrect moves, if you will.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The real OTB challenge features a need for careful play over a great deal of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Welcome to one of the biggest problems with online chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When games last mere minutes there isn’t the exhaustion factor that plays in serious competitive chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So by skipping it- and not pushing oneselves by playing lots of games in a row- we have cheapened our own abilities.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Exercise , of any sort, is always about doing a lot (more or harder), so that activity itself becomes far less taxing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Perhaps this is one of the biggest reasons to pursue it, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to make it a hallmark of my play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NO STUPID errors</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Instead a clever and sensible approach to every position</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An answer that leaves no shattering Refute in every move.</div>
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Of course they must be losses and there will be the opposition to formidable to hope to even draw against.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I don’t have to drown in some very easy puddle on the way to my funeral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the opponent have to actually work to checkmate me. </div>
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Let me warn those on chess.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will RETURN for more G30 tournaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps I will make progress in my efforts to play longer without falling apart and missing stupid stuff…</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-56761192259044452502015-08-05T13:35:00.001-07:002015-08-06T05:45:21.912-07:00ONE DOES NOT simply state an opinion on the Internet!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHvc-_A8Z6s/VcJzX5qw5LI/AAAAAAAAAL8/yTelhjf5Mzc/s1600/let-the-flame-wars-begin_o_1526287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" pua="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aHvc-_A8Z6s/VcJzX5qw5LI/AAAAAAAAAL8/yTelhjf5Mzc/s400/let-the-flame-wars-begin_o_1526287.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ah my little hobby…. Watching the threads on the forum of the mighty chess.com</div>
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http://www. chess.com/forum/new_posts</div>
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Note that I said, watching or rather reading and not so much participating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You might wonder at that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ve come to the rather principled view that its much better “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">to remain silent</b>”, rather than have “<strong>anything you say or do can (will) be used against you in a court of [public opinion]</strong>” over at chess.com.</div>
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Instead, despite the fact that those same people Could certainly can come to this blogosphere and flame away- I take comfort to know that so far the GreatPatzer readership has been VERY courteous and helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both to me and other participants.</div>
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SO why is THAT?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can only offer my meager readership as a possible reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps then it is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Far better to gather a tiny group of throughtful chess players</b> than the large world of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">rabble-rousers and cut-throat blitz players</b>?!*</div>
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Anyways, I wanted to depart from my normal litany of WHY-PATZERS-LIKE-MYSELF-ARE-REALLY-LOUSY-AT-CHESS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>( I imagine, however true that it is – this it must be getting old to read week after week)….</div>
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But there really is an interesting context to some of this Insults, hatin' and genuinely rude talk that chessplayers often have in threads such as </div>
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<a href="http://www.shaken.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/why-is-ruy-lopez-considered-the-strongest"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.shaken.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/why-is-ruy-lopez-considered-the-strongest</span></a></div>
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Note that I haven’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">exactly</i> been following this epic thread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is epic in the sense that it SO dramatically highlights the fight.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WEAKer PLAYERS have the RIGHT TO SPEAK UP (THINK and OPINIONATE);<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">STRONGer players SHOULD BE RESPECTED FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ACCOMPLISHMENTS.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both are truths and absolutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When people seek to undermine either principle- chaos is guaranteed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Egos will be engaged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Folks feeling WRONGED with escalate with WORDS and STRONG EMOTION.</div>
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I Also fundamentally think that Just like you can’t play strong chess mad (emotions dramatically color your objective judgement of the position),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>good tips and useful instruction diminish in an angry rude thread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a “this thought occurs to me and might help you” VIBE that needs to occur if a random stranger is to depart any useful information to another random stranger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">WHY SHOULD WEAKER PLAYERS have the right to speak up, think and opionate?<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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So here’s one good thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the point is for a chess forum to be a teaching tool- a place where players learn from another- why should a weak player say anything?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can think of three good reasons….</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FIRST the World Champion can’t spend his whole time Teaching all the world chess!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Chess Strength IS relative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is good to one person is a perfect patzer to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we can say in general terms whether we are good or not- this greatly depends on who we’re comparing ourselves to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IN FACT, in most cases compared to the GENERAL populations of people that have played the game- EVEN some of the Weakest tournament players are PATZER TYRO’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and demolish those that had only a superficial, fleeting experiences at chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’d be surprised on how far PATIENCE, and a little EXPERIENCE get you against those that have little of either.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SECOND, We all think a little Differently</b>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Insight at chess can occur to anyone who is thinking deeply at chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most powerful ideas in chess (well at anything) are simple ones. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>little ideas that affect every move can literally revolutionize your game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>most of the time these “little ideas”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>catch – not so much because they are hard to figure out, but because with experience finally we are prepared to understand them- to internalize them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its Equally True- that just as good as to HEAR something that gives us deep insight- there is the possibility that I will finally SAY something that revolutionizes my chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In FACT, this is one of the reasons I relentless toil away with my Blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BY BLOG is the chance to share my thoughts, to clarify my thinking, and hopefully to reduce some of my most discouraging weaknesses.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THIRD, Writing about chess allows one the opportunity to become passionate about their chess.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Staying interested in one hobby for likely years at a time is NO easy task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ADD to this the need for time consuming, and Draining mental exercise – a bunch of it, done quietly with no one but yourself; IS daunting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me be clear- I am by nature a introverted person- but when there seems no support group- its tough to slog on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think a good “Club player” has a significant advantage in this respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the unpopularity of this hobby and the geographical smallness of this corner of PA makes connecting to other people impractical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, lets just say that I really value my blog readers- I picture them as a group of fellow supportive chess players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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[WOW! This is a really LONG BLOG ENTRY!]<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sorry. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll try to keep the rest of it short.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">WHY SHOULD STRONGER PLAYERS have respect?</span></u></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me keep my comments Brief here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FACE IT</b>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you can have whatever opinion you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is those that have <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">played and WON that have proved their KNOWLEDGE of chess.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is particularly crazy for some mid-club newby to contradict a TITLED player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing as How a Titled Player had to face and prove his understanding of key ideas and variations against strong, slow and determined opposition.</div>
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Another Brief, Point to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should be glad that someone high-rated has even bothered to discuss you own limited understanding of openings, the middlegame and chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is little for them to gain and they certainly don’t need to your acclaim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The key problem for YOU is that LIKELY- you don’t understand enough chess to know how much more they COULD teach you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your not prepared to hear it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, without the pivitol battles and rigourous training; you think you know it all- as if chess were nothing more than avoiding blunders and memorizing a few lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The DUNNING KRUGAR Effect.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Instead really seek to MASTER THE GAME and then perhaps you won’t BE so inclined to INSULT what a HIGH RATED MASTER might choose to tell you.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-45304443843632290962015-07-28T07:53:00.000-07:002015-07-28T07:53:36.209-07:00THE LAZINESS OF THE PATZERS (and the winning ways of the St Emillion chess club)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8F3rZOEDUY/VbeWDJQbPCI/AAAAAAAAALc/KP7r4Qsy0xQ/s1600/Lazy-being-lazy-137901_800_600.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" pua="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8F3rZOEDUY/VbeWDJQbPCI/AAAAAAAAALc/KP7r4Qsy0xQ/s400/Lazy-being-lazy-137901_800_600.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #ccffcc; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Why is it that most average players don't have the discipline, patience, or motivation to become involved in a long-range plan of study and practice to increase their chess skills? The vast majority of games played are quick games played with no increments, with the intentions of winning on time, not with superior chess skills….</span></strong><span style="color: #ccffcc;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #ccffcc; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Many tell me that the reason they play chess is purely for its entertainment and recreational value only, and have no desire at all to work so hard to become serious players and increase their chess skills to the point of becoming skilled players. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #ccffcc; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(St Emillion Chess Club; “Why we Lose at Chess”<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
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Ah, the Infamous and Brutally honest ‘St Emillion chess club’ of FICS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dutifully administered by a John of WI and seemingly abandoned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have confession…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve had access to its content for quite along time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John ( and others ) do spill on some good stuff- they go in some detail about several openings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as always in chess- it is the effort to make something of ones position without giving away pawns or pieces and most importantly allowing a big attack; that is the failure of a patzer.<br />
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<span style="color: #ccffcc; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Don't play chess like your inept and incompetent opponents do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ccffcc; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Most average players don't have the discipline or patience to put together such long range plans or make plans to first weaken their opponents camp, develop an outpost on a key square, develop all the pieces they can to be poised for a siege on the castled kings fortress, consider a sacrifice to make a breakthrough in the kings pawn shield. In fact they don't even consider it important to castle first to protect their king from harm before they start an attack. They are totally indifferent to the basic principles of the opening and other basic principles of the game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ccffcc; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(St Emillion Chess Club; “Dynamic Power play”)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I would say that that constant retorts go a little overboard- I think that they are right about us Patzers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While everyone, I’m sure have their own bad habits… I think we’d all be a lot stronger is we’d own up to our aspirations and try harder to get our training program in good shape. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So.. anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My motivational messages, yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to small list of ways that are right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We really are deep down DESPICABLE PATZERS! Let me count me the ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The THRILL of the attack (when it makes no sense)<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A personal weakness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately the thrill of the attack means that other parts of the game are being neglected and unexplored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is particularly true of the endgame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, if you always try for the attack- on the rare times where an attack simply isn’t possible – you find yourself in a very rare endgame is can kiss any real chance of making some subtle endgame work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And the cruel thing about this; is that its not as if you can just explore endgames for a while; then go back to your reckless attacking ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what you don’t use you lose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you remember pawn opposition?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Has it been TOO long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why you’re a patzer!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Masters and experts don’t neglect the endgame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 16pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’ve only got Time for a TIME!<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I’ve been reading an interesting chess.com Forum thread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Author rants that he sees not point of Blitz and Bullet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course it stirs up all kinds of heated discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now Bullet I’ve not had the inclination to study; but blitz play (of course) has been the subject of several blog entries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The long term reader will know that I don’t like on Blitz- but that I can be obsessive about it nonetheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But lest you think Blitz is only about a relatively meaningless ELO (online) number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Blitz play represents something more important than that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Blitz play represents how you play when you are rushed. (if your not rushed most of the time- your not playing it right).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you need to be able to make wise careful choices, even when time is of the essence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Point is to still make good moves while maybe not necessarily making the Best decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you see the opponents threats when short on time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>do you play by good principles, developing your forces and keeping you pieces active?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great players master the art of Basic chess at any speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But patzers stick to their own time- unable to speed up on slow down without drastic consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The SAME errors AGAIN and AGAIN… <o:p></o:p></span></u><br />
This is probably the biggest; though some might say its vague.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there might be an endless variety of chess errors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately the Patzer, makes his habits last until eternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While its simple to say- He just give up his pawns and pieces- there’s still easy reasons why he… I mean I do it. <br />
And the simple reasons usually boil down to the fact that I was busy dreaming about my own prospects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“my pawns and pieces are safe! I say”…. “Are you sure !?”…”of course I am”…. NOT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bluff- I guess- I am looking at only what I can do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chided an opponent for saying that I ought to more carefully consider what my opponent wants to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it even MORE simple-minded to obsess about my own tactical daydreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Chess is more about observation that this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IN a debate perhaps you can stick to your own story with increasing conviction and passion… but in a chess game you MUST seek to understand the WHOLE truth.<br />
This is all very philosophical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say it, because I could have said that Patzers don’t look over their game enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While even this statement is probably true—the fact is starting at game analysis- is not necessarily a cure to actually getting over your own habits<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The essence of chess improvement is almost religious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>YOU want to REPENT and get rid of sinful ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you want to change and be something more and better.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deep sorrow for chess loses is NOT enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only determination and a genuine and lasting desire, EVERY move to make stronger moves is going to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking over past games should be a chance to perform the same calculation better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is important to use past games to strengthen better mental habits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t see not going over a game at least 2 -3 extra times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But some people just go over the game<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(ok, this an old habit as well) and say “oh that’s a shame!”- they are wasting their times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeling negativity of past games doesn’t increase motivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There should be joy and improvement in understanding a game; understanding how to play it and playing it, at least some of its moves better.<br />
I could go on… but this is enough! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I’d LIKE to make another public call; if you know how to reach this group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They intrigue me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to thank them for their content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I appreciate John’s determination, and yes his tough talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says in a post; the harder it is- the more joy there is in its accomplishment. I heartily agree- and it’s to this end that I recommit myself to the hobby.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-42836462051102763282015-07-24T09:02:00.003-07:002015-07-24T09:02:49.095-07:00Why Am I so Bad at Blitz?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pql4ZcApio4/VbJhc0zwccI/AAAAAAAAALA/qBUAFsqoGno/s1600/sport-advise-coaches-aim-bows-archery-35031212_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_702075="null" height="320" nua="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pql4ZcApio4/VbJhc0zwccI/AAAAAAAAALA/qBUAFsqoGno/s320/sport-advise-coaches-aim-bows-archery-35031212_low.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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No deep philosophical discussions this week, witty musing, perhaps self-motivational pep talk on the game…</div>
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No <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This blog is dedicated to my pretty-awful blitz game</b>..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On chess.com I’m only around an ELO 1000 at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with the average being around 1200 this means I am significantly worse at blitz than the average chess.com user….</div>
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“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blitz Chess kills your ideas</i>” says the Great Bobby Fisher…. Yes I know!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blitz is a poor way to improve’</i> says another guy in the back of the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I Get it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy do I get it.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Blitz chess Isn’t, and won’t be a big preoccupation*…..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>My purpose is to understand chess- and master it (to the degree that an amateur old guy can) and that means giving myself the benefit of some time to figure out what is going on at the chess board.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But it still bothers me, </b>that the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">average chess.com user</b> who comes along and fights the hoards on the world-wide web can <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">get to about 1200</b> (near most peoples initial rating), and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I who has worked for nearly a year now </b>solving thousands of chess puzzles- pouring over my games for insights- paying for books and tutoring <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">can barely crack 1000.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Anyway <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can complain- or give myself “good advice”- or even look up “good advice”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(though frankly, I’m really well read)… but that really doesn’t do much.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Instead I’ve taken some definite action!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve done an experiment …. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<u>“My Blitz Experiment”</u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>earlier in the week, I played 5 games of blitz (G10) against comparable opponents- losing 2 and winning 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting about the same poor results I would expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the interesting part- I now go over the move 1 by 1 on a chess board recording my choice at 20 seconds, 1 minute and if needed 2 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I take this score to my PC engine and look to see where my choices are….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where does my analysis rate compared to the game; and particularly comparing quicker and slower responses?</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I have only done this (for now) for one of my first loss- but the results are interesting.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First this game was really decided by time</b>; and my analysis shows that I did struggle with time; even in the analysis “Blitz” portion of the study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of the 25 moves- I couldn’t come up with a reasonable choice is :20, with 5 moves.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">I came up with a better reaction to the opening given a longer period of time;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and its likely a good investment in blitz play to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">slow down after the first few moves of rote</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opponent often makes odd moves in blitz that have hidden downsides (development, space, pawn structure)… Being aware of the consequences of their ‘creative’ play could win a lot of games of blitz I think.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">I expected that that the longer time spent looking over the position would<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘carry over’ to the quick moves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NOT True. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the extra time looking on previous moves, A blitz move during analysis was as good during analysis as it was during the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About half the time the same move; sometimes better, sometimes worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This means I can’t spend the first several moves thinking deeply at the game; then play the rest of the game rapidly.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the game is too unpredictable for that (for me).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">A very interesting 20 and 21<sup>st</sup> move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where in analysis; with the longer time I make a material losing blunder on the 20- that I don’t make in blitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then on the following move, I avoid losing material on the 21<sup>st</sup> move with a the longer time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ON both moves, during analysis- I have no blitz move. ( I knew the move was important and took the longer time to work it out)… which means…<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Taking longer times doesn’t guarantee I won’t lose to tactics</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically I tried to get tricky and ran into an unexpected refute.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">on the other hand, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the blitz game, </b>I lost material to the 21<sup>st</sup> move because of a pin (discovered attack) that had been in play for many moves. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In the haste of blitz I forgot about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>obvious errors increase in the quicker game.<o:p></o:p></b></li>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This blog Could be called “IN Blitz, Time becomes an extra piece.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>And that is perhaps its only real draw for me….. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">oh and I want to quite being embarrassed by a class E/(F?) blitz elo.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-34908746485677415912015-07-10T11:23:00.003-07:002015-07-10T11:25:35.492-07:00Losing Control<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pBeKhgEEiOQ/VaANloAdKjI/AAAAAAAAAKk/rDn64biiReg/s1600/thCAL131I1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_35994="null" kua="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pBeKhgEEiOQ/VaANloAdKjI/AAAAAAAAAKk/rDn64biiReg/s1600/thCAL131I1.jpg" /></a></div>
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“<span style="font-size: 14pt;">EVERYONE has a plan! ‘Til <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they get Punched in the Mouth”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Mike Tyson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This weeks message is a different one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been bouncing back a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recently, I have been playing less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure there’s been the occasional fight against my sparring partner- and a LOT of chess Puzzles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But less online duels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s been to my detriment.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there’s any flaws to chess puzzles; its that they always represent something that isn’t always true in chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chess Puzzles, are almost always about seizing the initiative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if the answer isn’t always tactical- its nearly always a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">move that creates initiative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A formidable blow to the face; if you will</b>.</div>
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Yet chess isn’t always about grasping a definite initiative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as said above; you gotta take the hits and while still bruised, keep up smart game. and potentially adapt to one that is changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Having someone play a big play that changes everything, is uncanny and it happens all the time in chess. It’s a total misconception that you predict or anticipate the battle once both sides agree to a given opening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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This wasn’t said about chess, (its actually political commentary)- but it makes my point eloquently…</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">You do not get to make your own terrain</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">. The image of warfare that centers on control is famously inept. Winners win by adapting to the changing environment here and now. Rather than making the world over, greatness is measured along the lines of a dance that makes you fit to things and things fit to you<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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I think this is powerfully accurate assessment of a widely misunderstand concept in chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much of previous assessments in helpful later in a game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much can we say of our future prospects given our current position?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chess has an awesome unpredictability!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have played games which looked hopeless and turned 180° in my favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand; I have seen mighty tactics on both sides; not change an even game.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Part of being a strong player, I think, I being able to freshly look over your position.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this another good reason to play long time controls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it seems repetitive or redundant to continue to stare over your game move to move- you might be missing something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many times on analyzing a game do I see both players miss a definitive tactic for many moves.</div>
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One of my most embarrassing frequent blunders is to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">miss a tactic for several moves; then play a complicated initial maneuver to call attention to it;</b> which my opponent sees and counters- rather than catch the tactic, as it spring from my opponents mistake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alerting your opponent to what could happen; because you don’t have the wit to simply do it at once, is one of the reasons why we say that an attack has a limited window of opportunity<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is particularly true of geometric positions, pins and skewers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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My reminder is to look harder, at my evolving positions with less assumptions and more flexibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think, in summary, being able to flexibly see opportunities and understand your weaknesses, is the DEFINITIVE skill that determines (most of the time) whether you will win or lose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing is , it is easy to gain the knowledge of most of the basic tactical and strategic motifs of chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, being patient, exhaustive, and thorough in adapting to ever changing opportunities and dangers…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that is something to seek in game after game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MENTAL muscle you need to grow if you are to be strong</b>- and you can get that only if your are really regularly playing chess seriously.</div>
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I will do better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goal is to have at least 7 serious games a week. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-3646888053083618932015-07-01T10:09:00.000-07:002015-07-01T10:09:14.507-07:00FIGHTING SPIRIT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Me and my once a week OTB friend were playing some interesting chess- both out of element in an obscure and crazy answer to 1.e4.</div>
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Lets just say that my answer to e4 has been and will be the French. But just for practice sake; I agreed to deviate from my standard repertoire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My opponent for his part did no better reacting poorly with pawns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually I get to the position below;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it is a complex position of pins and the engine says that e5 was a mistake and I can gain a piece by carefully pressuring the pin.</div>
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It is in this position that we got into a passionate debate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>White (me) is gunning for a stranded king and is sure that escalating piece moves that checkmate or a disastrous loss of material is inevitable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand; blacks demise is far from clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blacks pieces are strong and the double pawn was a definite asset against a efile pin.</div>
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Blacks theory is interesting; and my OTB friend now plays off this one idea….</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Look at what your opponent is trying to do, and thwart him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waiting for the opportunity to gain counterplay when his idea is frustrated</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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In short my opponent believes in beating me with my own ideas. He sees chess as far more psychological that I do—He advocates studying an opponents eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game cooperates with him for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With some inaccurate play on my side, he works his work through the pin on efile, eventually gaining a defensive double pawn that becomes a real problem for the remainder of the game and gaining of counterplay on the queenside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bent on checkmate, I hang a piece, trying to bottle up his king.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This game is definitely going his way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get to the position below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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His prospects are definitely better and he is clearly on the verge of grasping an initiative- with moves like Bxg2 and then perhaps big trades that get rid of my fairy tale checkmate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my part, I have no prospect of tactical play, I have given a piece in the hopes to make a Re3-Rd1 sequence work.</div>
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I don’t know if he is still playing by reading my eyes, or has a moment of passive fear, but Bxe4 is a pretty bad move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the the very kind of pin I have been looking for all along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, yet black blundered. </div>
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My OTB friend is pretty upset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He agonizes and then, concedes the whole game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to point out that after the retreat Kd7; the game is far from over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he is upset and his fighting spirit is gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It casts an interesting question upon his psychological game.</div>
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I<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">s it possible that the peril of playing against the opponent is that you can demoralized, when you cannot defeat your opponents idea?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Killing the bishop allows white to crumple the center and sets blacks position into retreat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the thought of what to do once white has chased the black king out of the center was too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know for a fact that a huge streak of losing has badly demoralized my opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has played and lost each week for something like 10 games strait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think an inevitable feeling of defeat has strained the gamesmanship of our weekly game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it is one thing to fight against my gaze when the position offers counter-play and stiff defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was apparently too demoralizing once the king was in full retreat.</div>
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I do not believe my friend is right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t see chess as a fight between me and my opponents ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead I see chess <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">a fundamental struggle to see the truth; and both players have an equal responsibility to understand what is and what is not equal in every move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both players will likely fall short of understanding key weaknesses in their own choices</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Once a weakness occurs- that side must carefully not allow their moves to give the opponent an opportunity to win material or deeper positional advantages. But their opponent must still have the wit to seize the advantage.</div>
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Both sides have clearly misplayed the opening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless; while white is far from victorious; black clearly has the greater weakness as his king is exposed and his options are limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whites clearly is given a chance when blacks king become involved in the Nf6 pin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, white does not capitalize on this weakness, and after some piece development whites weaknesses have grown and are more evident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Losing a piece to an imaginary checkmate that white never had only creates more weakness in white positions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is whites queens side that is not strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the blacks blunder… Black will have to give way, but in mind it is not so clear who will win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once blacks king runs away from the center; the game is close to equal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Black I think ought to aim for a big exchange especially if he is able to grab some pawns.</div>
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I don’t necessarily know that my idea of chess is better-perhaps my constant fixation at attacking enemy weakness causes a bit of blindness when it comes to downsides of my own oftentimes-too-aggressive play;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but I think it is cheap and ineffective to play against someone’s gaze and poor tactical advice to only concern yourself with what the opponent is trying to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tactics oftentimes amaze and astound us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many times has someone been forked because they were fixated in their attack or so distracted by some kind of subtle pawn position and been blown away with a basic sac and mate?</div>
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Of course its not QUITE fair to extend our debate into the blogosphere<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(and to illustrate it with a blunder!), and I do admit he has a point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The aim of the blog isn’t quite so much to win the debate, as to reason through my position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The title of the blog is meant to convey the main theme; which is that psychology can be used, not so much to merely ‘beat’ the opponent , but to create strength and confidence in your attack.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I also believe it is Very instructive, and good for your whole improvement program to become</b> interested in.. no <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">obsessed with chess weakness</b>….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both exploiting your opponents and minimizing your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is instructive to try to understand the game in the perspective of weaknesses; and what opportunities and mistakes were missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I hope my sparring partner bounces back a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I’ve won too many times, and his losing has become something of a self-fulfilling prophesy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The PC says I played that game pretty <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>badly, so I think if he were to be confident and determined he might win some of these games.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-82308562602267828212015-06-26T08:30:00.001-07:002015-06-26T08:30:40.304-07:00WE SHALL REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I didn’t want a loud, bold or involved discussion today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you note from last weeks post- my statistics have been sagging in the last little while.</div>
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There is the feeling that while I understand that there is bound to be up and downs to my commitment to this hobby-- that I intend chess to be different than other hobbies…other more “idle” pursuits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Perhaps Its that chess is worthy of even far beyond what I COULD hope to achieve..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>somewhere there is a 12 year old kid that in spending intense amount of hours; growing and evolving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conquering all his tactical mis-steps; learning the deep theory of KR versus K endgame and easily able to beat blindfold and improving past that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have neither the athleticism nor the skills to match him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And still chess theory looms beyond his significant talents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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This is not simon says or connect-4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">if chess is a game</b> (and it is game; I don’t care how many chess.com forum threads claim otherwise)—<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">it</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is an exceptionally deep one</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m satisfied with my talents; but I want to advance in my understanding! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I routinely draw blanks when I look at grandmaster play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why did he play here or there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fail to see the positional fight that is at the heart of the modern game- and I am not anticipating the combinations that wowed earlier generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So this week is one of bigger efforts </b>and Quickening my pace<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have again dived into my tactics book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m establishing a small little game history in the Internet chess club, and I have found a chess coach—it has gone very well, for a very reasonable price; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finally found someone who is willing to talk at length about stuff, answer questions, and best of all- fully analyzes the weeks game (my last coach would procrastinate this final step).</div>
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I am a Patzer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no doubt and no redemption from that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I strive to be something more- not a OTB tested competitor; but I want to truly be a Student of the game! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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So perhaps a similar tone than in times past (Its my blog and I can be repetitive if I want to!)… it is time to shake off poor performance; remind myself of my persistence, my dedication and to dive back into the game some.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve noticed that faltering weeks often involve less playing of slow serious games… and worthy activities that are difficult, disheartening and distracting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One activity that comes to mind is analyzing past games; I don’t find it happy work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I need to build enthusiasm for this simple task; because more than any other thing- errors during my past games, define what it takes to further improve!</b></div>
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More than any other activity; analyzing past games carefully and thoroughly, separate the improving student from other chess players; that move from game to game, allowing history to repeat itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed I think you could go a very Long ways on merely analyzing past mistakes.</div>
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At any rate; I remind myself that I can, and I need to both play and analyze my game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>at the same time I reject the dogmatic tone I ‘ve seen some people take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IF you do not have time to analyze EVERY game; this is ok. it<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is better to analyze a few carefully and keep playing than to get all inactive on actually playing chess.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Playing chess creates motivation; as it is enjoyable.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some people feel blitz is fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t feel the rushed feeling of blitz, and the terror of the counting down clock, is all that fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find I have a natural rthym that corresponds well with a G30 game<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>G30 games, then , are about as fun as chess gets- and when my ‘other’ activities take over this gameplay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think a decrease in motivation is understandable. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making your program, on the whole, enjoyable IS important</b>- even if there are a few important muscle-building exercises that aren’t AS enjoyable.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I reiterate the importance of making your chess program on the whole enjoyable</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think you cannot sustain bigger efforts without it; but that serious chess study involves a careful balance of activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You cannot swing the other way; and just expect constant chess playing to bring great results.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young growing minds might be something of an exception.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When you are old (LOL), you have to study smarter!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A happy medium of enjoyment, instruction, and excercises. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>And of course, Faith!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If one IS engaged in the task; playing and learning and reviewing- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll grow . I know I will!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s the aim of the whole hobby.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-88384849401246830252015-06-19T09:08:00.001-07:002015-06-19T09:08:10.276-07:00LAPSE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I’ll make no secret of it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t been studying (or playing) chess as I once did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I got a small cold OR something- so I’ve been doing a lot of sleeping; and its put a wringer on my free time!</div>
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I obsessively document time spent on chess; and I haven’t seen anything like since fall (Actually it was worse).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a while I thought perhaps I had rhythm going and I wasn’t going to fall to the lows.</div>
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Well as I read in a forum post of another hobby; it is<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> normal and understandable to feel sometimes more or less involved in a hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>I even think it is critical attitude;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do we handle a little less passion and spark in chess?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is critical to enjoy your hobby and not push the hobby into a feeling of unpleasant duty… on the other hand, I do NOT want to ‘drop’ the study of chess.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A LAPSE</b>. This is what it is. Temporary and unavoidable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can one do to maximize his learning as time and motivation is less?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can this be a good thing- and how do we continue to be motivated… when many long hours slip to just a few?? Some thoughts…</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Intensity doesn’t necessarily offer Maximum Improvement </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lapses can help one gain perspective and relax</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the hardest lessons of chess improvement is that doesn’t necessarily come about just because one is constantly studying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, constant studying can create a kind of information saturation; to the point that no one lesson really is well learnt because your simply trying to learn too much at once!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Only the other hand, an illness comes, your body says “chillax!”- you can now play a game of chess without trying to strain to remember all those recent long hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of remembering, try to be cautious and relaxed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you see?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chess Improvement is much more of marathon than a sprint</b>… and getting all out of breath and weary is counterproductive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your mind is creating motivational obstacles from the long hours; it pays to be sneaky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just do a little!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s little to gain from putting in a long hours of study when you don’t feel like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but theres plenty to learn in the first five or ten minutes.</div>
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I’ve most definitely seen this with tactic puzzles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many people MINE salt; beating their head with puzzle after puzzle; long hours at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ones mind isn’t door to be broken… its an instrument and when it is impaired with weariness it is innately less functional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I think this last point is the Biggest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Every chess lesson is impaired when we are weary.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But generally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of ‘for long hours when we are tired and weary’;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the better strategy is ‘often ‘ and ‘well chosen’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no difference in my chart between 1 hours every other or 30 minutes every day. But there’s little doubt; which one is better.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lose activities that are a burden when you are lapsed and simplify the program</b>… I am currently dwindling down my Turn-based chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a tyro for a time, rising in rating rapidly and spending sometimes quite a long time carefully working out things in the analysis board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But my initial 1200 opposition has changed to reflect a maximum of 1702.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are Brutally good chess players and they don’t make a lot of mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a lot of effort to keep up with chessplayers of this caliber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not saying it wasn’t worth it; perhaps it was. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But with a lapse in place; now isn’t the time to run with Class B players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, I want to concentrate on finding simple and reasonable moves during live chess- I want to decrease blunders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple carefully played games and lots of analysis- this is the simplified program to move forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also need to continue my study of Alburts 300 positions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The combination of tactical opportunities; defending against threats and being careful not to fall for refuted captures or tactics is Top-notch.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A good attitude is a MUST during a lapse</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One could for example feel great guilt? Or figure- I’m simply not putting a reasonable amount of time into this- why bother?? Its important to remind myself why I am doing this..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a naturally obsessive guy; with a pretty Dull life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d like something to obsess on that really builds a skill and engages the mind and passion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ability to think through something clearly to understand a puzzle deeply… this is all very interesting to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end it really doesn’t matter than this week, I’ve felt a little less motivated than others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still motivated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still aiming to be a Great Patzer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An online surprise- a contradiction in terms;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as an older man with no current tournament aspirations there is no reasonable reason to believe I can become good at chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I ask in seriousness; whats to stop me from being good at chess?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only my own attitude and I can work on that</b>!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lastly, perhaps a bit of a distraction.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little bit of one, yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its an another old hobby, with a twist,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use to do a bit of foreign language writing, and even got half good at French.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I’m starting with a new one; Esperanto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Esperanto is a constructed language and as such; has regular grammar and a logical and simplified method of creating words.</div>
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The purpose of the language was to be innately easy to learn and to foster international communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well of course the internet has brought international communication in a scale the inventor of the language could never imagine (it was invented in the 1890’s).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but generally its been English , not Esperanto that has been flourishing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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One could ( I suppose) just call this good luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Millions, no possibly more than a billion people; wearily learning my tricky, native language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No language needed to reach out to the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, there is a sort of chess like reward to learning a foreign language and I imagine being able at some future point, to converse world-wide with people in a way they can’t do in English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I get past ‘Mia Estas Jason Oliphant.’</div>
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Is it a distraction, yes perhaps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there is some time I can use for writing that I can’t use for chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(as a matter of fact that’s when I’ve been doing my blogging).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning a language is also marathon-ish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I can be a lot more relaxed and carefree about Esperanto than chess. (my aim is lower and the task is easier).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until then </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“ Ni devas esti en bone humoro, gis ni renkontas ree.”</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">let us be in good spirits, until we meet again)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-34254804722646416132015-06-10T11:42:00.000-07:002015-06-10T11:45:34.257-07:00Learning from your mistakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The long awaited Blog post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In truth I’ve lapsed a bit—tired or whatever is bringing me down, a little.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Late April and Early May was very fruitful and intense. But I haven’t lost focus!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am more convinced than ever- that the road to higher skills; are as much athletic as anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I’ve been saying the last long while- one needs to be intensely focused, observant, creative and most of all; not let our gaze slip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One errant move is enough to throw a whole game; even if, yes sometimes lost games can be swindled.</div>
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What I have been doing is seriously reviewing past games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mistakes are in there! Lessons to be learned…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do I do wrong, and what are my common failures?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As in past posts I intend to highlight a few things and offer corrections.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Golden variation</b> ! (and all the unexpected replies)…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all those tactical exercises you’d think I’d see a major point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t brilliantly concoct an impressive tactical combination without seeing the larger pattern; and you should always treat the subject of your opponents move VERY cautiously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am far TOO inclined to see every pawn and piece exchange- every threat addressed –and Not creative enough in looking for ingenious ways to defend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">biggest psychological hurdles is simply the thrill of a huge game blowing variation!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “golden” variation</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I pointed out before; Its too EASY (and thus wrong) to summarize as opponents options are limited… The idea that ones options are NOT limited; is the essence of the classic swindle- where one player deeply in material deficient plays a sly desperate attack leading to a checkmate or draw that the winning player never saw (as he had stopped looking in his triumph).</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Funky calculations</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes. Reality. I’m not that good at calculations, though I would call this a critical skill in chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I can often lack creativity and ingenuity; just as often my calculations can be wrong and inaccurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes this becomes startling!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking into the core reasons of why this occurs; I want to highlight two distinct errors, they I note that many possible failures are possible;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not seeing inactive pieces, not seeing backwards or repetitive moves, missing counterattack, check or pins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These (judging from my own games) are common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand:</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Missing that an offensive pawn or piece can just plain be taken!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disastrous to miss, as not only does the missing piece no longer cover certain squares, coordinate with other pieces, but it is material; and as such once you go in material deficit- you have a serious long term problem.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The two way movement of a pawn; and of course the last tricky option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even ignoring the limited trick “pawn d’etait”- pawns are pretty versatile creatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any sequence that places pawn diagonal to pawn; needs carefully considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often, do I find myself only calculating their diagonal attack (most commonly their exchange) and miss that they can move forward as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>moving forward though comes at a price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The forward move frees up a space- that can be used by pieces to infiltrate the position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps the last and trickiest option is to not move at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Masters do not move pawns or pieces without a purpose or a reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no reason to idly misuse your time.</div>
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I feel ( a little ) embarrassed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are simple errors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A sharp beginner learns how a pawn moves in mere minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And of course- leaving loose pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if you hang a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>loose piece, you need not look much harder for the reason why you fail in chess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nonetheless, the roots of failure are simple!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And often in a chess puzzle, I find myself refuted because of very basic errors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting a sequence WRONG is in some respects worse than not getting it at all.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let us put it this way; About <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">taking a MOVE of initiative…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You gain control of the tempo of the game and Wake up and alarm your opponent</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While low ranked beginners may quiver in fear-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your opponent gains a very distinct advantage as compensation for your bold moves-<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the intent and purposes of your moves become clear, the forest of reasonable variations shrinks…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">opponent is now privileged to carefully scrutinize your variation and double, no triple check its accuracy</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Accuracy is a must!</b> If you want to be high rated and failure to be accurate will doom you to be a patzer til the end of your days….</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FAILURE points</b>…. While failure is possible in most positions… see last weeks rock climbing analogy… Chess has natural flow to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Openings (at least successful ones) are normally calm and uneventful where people much stronger than I obsess over subtle differences in move order; and name (which is more Trivia than chess BTW).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most openings offer a sensible mix of development; a claim of certain squares or square colors, and king protection.</div>
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If the opponents can get out of the opening without major weakness; perhaps both will adopt a sensible middle game, and prospects will stay even for both sides for some time.</div>
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But I am a patzer (I make no claim to be anything better than that)… and despite an earnest desire to capitalize on an inaccuracy; and at least get some kind of fighting chance in the endgame… inevitable our conflict hinges upon a few distinct failure points, and the resolution of them will set the game in motion.</div>
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It is fruitful psychology I think to start working on the fine art of knowing when and how the game will unfold… its importance is stated boldy by Great Chess-master capablanca in a carefully preserved interview (Winters, 1939, <a href="http://chess-news.ru/en/node/6472">http://chess-news.ru/en/node/6472</a>)… </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">“</span><span style="background-color: #d5a6bd;">Precise positional judgment, the overall vision of every maneuver in the interdependence of its cogwheels, is what characterizes a great master. It is not a question of a great master seeing any number of isolated moves or of his knowing how to construct a mate; all that is to be taken for granted. What counts is that he should have ideas, and that these ideas should be accurate. That when he is shown any position he should not beat about the bush but should say without hesitation: “This is won, and the win is secured by maneuvering on this or that wing, like this.” I recall that during the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:city>, 1925 tournament – Tartakower often refers to this – various famous chessplayers had been studying a particular position for three hours, without being able to reach a conclusion. I was passing by at that moment and they asked me my opinion. I was not in doubt for a single second, and I told them: “This is won; and it is won like this, and this.” And I was not mistaken.</span></span></div>
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The challenge is to be accurate, and aware as the game approaches one of three important states, which are given below without elaboration…</div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Accuracy as an chess player’s king becomes exposed or vulnerable to threats and checks</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Accuracy as a chess player has pawns that becomes weak and compromised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Susceptible to attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similarly important is all dealings with a passed pawn and whether it can promote; or gain material in threatening to promote..</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">Accuracy as a chess players position contain holes where the opposition can infiltrate and invade.</li>
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Each of these four conditions would be considered a strong advantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of them have been a strong factor in many critical blunders, inaccuracy and mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally, I have to say, I favor reason #3 for the failure of many games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The opponent gaining a safe spot then gaming up on my overstretched attack is a clear motif of game after game!</div>
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As I grow in strength I look to anticipate moves and situations better; being more aware and careful in my analysis- as the game takes a definitive tact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look towards strengthening my abilities at calculation- making less simple mistakes and seeing more refutes and suprises, when seeing a clear tactic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Above all I wish to move from a simple-minded approach to unforced blunders (“safe at any speed”)- to a more repentant view of my mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I need to apologize to the great muse of chess for being too simple-minded; and work on developing athletic determination to be thorough and accurate in all my calculations.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… and as I said before, even in a lapse (a little less time and drive) I need to persevere- and study my mistakes so that I move beyond them...</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-88045189364030659092015-05-21T07:42:00.003-07:002015-05-21T07:48:03.480-07:00Chess is NOT easy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After Setbacks; there were some very interesting comments.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, feeling frustrated, tired and wanting more improvement that you are experiencing is very common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I also see this kind of comment ALL the time in chess forums)….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think that discouragement , by itself, is that instructive or useful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I do think its important, even essential, to take a pragmatic approach to chess.</div>
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I think its important to realize that Chess is, Actually Not easy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>… well, it might be easy ~given a truly easy opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we need to realize the actual intensity of the hobby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The challenge is to be able to grasp the whole truth of the position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is the part that is mind-numbingly difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t just wait for an opponent to throw us a simple tactical “gift”;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is our job to actually understand the position- to see what plan and principle is Reasonable with the position that is on the board.</div>
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This is more difficult than it seems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we go for something that is easily stopped; our opponent can bind our game to near aimlessness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we see something forceful that doesn’t work.. our opponent can ignore our plans and profit from the misplacement of our pieces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our alternately, we can get the attack we were looking for… but fail to convert it (it wasn’t sound) to a winning advantage and watch the opponent rally with material superiority.</div>
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These are just a few common plots in the wreckage of many recent games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bigger point is … why is chess so hard?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep my material safe; find a weakness, build a plan- that uses the weakness to gain mate or material, Win & celebrate ! Simple!</div>
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Chess is NOT easy…</div>
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First Compare this to my dramatic photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who has ever tried a pullup ; is impressed with this guys extreme athlete prowess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One false step orand cramping bicep- and well; bad things happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OTOH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chess looks horribly boring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone deeply staring at their chessboard in an intense gaze (and agonizing) over a few reasonable moves; N @ c3 or d2?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the visitors watch them ; curiously, what could possibly be so complicated about this decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps, there are calculating every possible move?</div>
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NOT! Positional Chess decisions are hard to explain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the vantage point of my club strength; get some key decisions wrong and there are weak spots and holes- and your opponent might soon get his chance to invade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I’ve been grappling quite a while with blunders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re embarrassing and difficult to eradicate!?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet despite intense motivation- they still litter my game—I even see them (just after I move) when the opponent Does not!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My OTB sparring partner; gave me some advice that you hear All the time… Always ask what your opponent is trying to do?... its good advice, but not necessarily so helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was am very tempted- to shoot back at him the same question (as he , I think a little less strong than I).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>happily I didn't say anything, as he was only trying to help.</div>
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But I had a significant revelation; when I was talking to a beginner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guy was avidly aware of the need NOT to blunder, but seemed to take an almost ambivalent tact on spotting his opponents mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely, I said, if you miss taking your opponent hung queen than your not concentrating hard enough at the game!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t always miss hung pieces but I can be unfocused and become sporadic; focusing intensely only after the big play has been made; and all I can do is weep because of what I missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its so essential to work important things out in your head.</div>
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Wow-that is a revelation!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take another reference at the impressive mountain climbing guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re impressed with his athletic abilities- but surely- Isn’t it his constant focus and awareness on carefully gripping the mountain- what is really keeping him safe? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knows there is little hope to grip tightly AFTER he has started to slip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a deep sense of awareness, focus and constant concentration that are essential in both sports…</div>
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To put it in chess terms- “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No matter what innate strength you have at calculating and understanding important variations in your position- isn’t it your constant focus and awareness in the safety and power of your pieces (and the weakness of his) what keeps you from a premature checkmate (or draw)…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this is profound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may win or lose some games based on whether we understand the pawn structure of our opening- and whether we know how to convert basic endgames to wins (or losing positions to draws)- but I am Sure many MORE games hinge upon simply intense gaze and determination to seize the advantage (and defend against weakness).</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Key to this revelation is the Chess is VERY hard….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy answers</b> ( Nd2/Nc3 is irrelevant; I’m simply attacking more times than he’s defending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nxe7 is an easy grab of a pawn….)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>s<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">hould seem naturally suspicious.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One should Always suspect a tactic; if we see loose material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One should go around the board; looking for more pieces to develop and become active.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should look at HIS whole position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the weakest piece? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we’re playing the SLOW game… FORCING yourself to slow down and see MORE must be instructive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the keys to chess is of course, knowing WHEN to slow down; but we will get our assessments wrong; and can easily miss the key moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The solution then is to slow down, even when we’re not sure we need to, and even if we start to lose on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we’re NOT professional and so we’re justified to force ourselves to play for INSTRUCTIVE purposes; slow, deliberated, the best chess we can; even if that means losing.</div>
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Still I don’t think I’m necessarily TOO fast; I’m just not keeping the intense focus and I need to bring it up another notch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to play with more determination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to practice with great determination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m my exercises… I get too many things wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to go over it a second, third time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I FULLY understand the position, have I accounted for everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a good book for that ;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>alburt’s 300 positions to know is DEEP and perfect for this.<o:p> </o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368873314826988043.post-44182527497273383852015-05-15T14:12:00.000-07:002015-05-15T14:12:14.120-07:00SETBACK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YN0uJDVCBBg/VVZhAozr-TI/AAAAAAAAAHo/6VJgEK6H6fs/s1600/thCAMUKRQZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" lua="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YN0uJDVCBBg/VVZhAozr-TI/AAAAAAAAAHo/6VJgEK6H6fs/s320/thCAMUKRQZ.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 168.75pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -0.7pt; mso-position-horizontal-relative: text; mso-position-horizontal: absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative: text; mso-position-vertical: absolute; position: absolute; width: 225pt; z-index: 1;" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:title="thCAMUKRQZ" src="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\JOLIPH~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></v:imagedata><w:wrap type="square"></w:wrap></v:shape>This is Going to be a short blog post!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A new week has passed, and yet the feeling couldn’t be different than last Friday.</div>
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Last Friday I had won like 13 of my last 15 games… by online standard rating was taking a surge upwards… everything felt Great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even my indexes were sky high….</div>
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It was Great! Last week…. Unfortunately; this weeks results have been disappointing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My rating is crashing;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chess feels harder, Tactics seem scarce, openings that were going good… seem to go towards awkward middlegames and losing endgames.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Never Underestimate the ability on one’s confidence to somehow sour every single aspect of your game!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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As the pic says, though, I am reluctant to say too much…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure these psychological setbacks are important and necessary to becoming strong and resilient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to Describe a little about what went wrong… and find the way beyond them.</div>
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I think players of all strengths must find that any ambitious chess training program sometimes goes poorly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think my difficulties are… normal limitations of a chess training program and I welcome any of my readers to comment on any thing they’ve done to adjust to the follow difficulties…</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Energy/ Tiredness</b>… I have a busy life and chess fits between kids and sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes it fills the whole time rather well; recently I find that I’ve just become tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure if I’m sick, getting allergies from the trees, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or I’m just old- and struggling to do to much in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can tell you that a 40 year old father with a growing yard and an upcoming garden has his reasons for feeling tired in mid may…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure that the major reason for cyclical behavior in my indexes relates to tiredness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get tired and sleep deprived; falter – have a few bad days and then gather strength and resume a better program.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Inaccurate Thinking</b>…. This is perhaps somewhat embarrassing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, I feel sharp and gets lots of the 3-5 play calculations dead on!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other times, it becomes Really bad and I don’t even get the variations I calculate right! (not too mention, accounting for unexpected opponent responses etc).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I usually mistrust myself enough to recalculate- but this is time consuming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I imagine between <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the disease and the cure; all the inaccurate calculations are most of why I’m so weak at blitz</b>!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Training Imbalance</b>… try as I might it seems inevitable that when I get a major training idea in my head it starts swalloping all my time up; and either my playing time goes to nothing, or some important form of study (analysis, tactics)- goes as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Relatedly, one of the major uses of my time; the correspondence chess Can’t be procrastinated (I’ll time out)- and this only makes it inevitable that something is going to take a hit.</div>
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I think part of this problem is simply that my time constraints are significant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not “many long” hours to do chess!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 to 2 hours per day is a BIG commitment; but doesn’t go far with an ambitious program.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chess Weariness</b>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>call it what you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I simply can’t think and breathe chess non-stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can maintain an enormous curiousity in the game… but its in the struggle to understand and answer the position, that there are limits!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even within a game- I can grow listless, and not be thinking so intensely about all the facets of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I start missing important features of the positions, fail to see a significant amount of my moves and Espacially fail to see all my opponents moves (after my chosen moves)..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this last step is very important to blunderchecking!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think there’s an athletic component of a game (and a training program), in this regard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully my chess “muscles” are growing stronger!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My indexes give my optimism in this regard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m doing more chess, more often than I use to..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nonetheless, chess weariness follows other aspects of ones attitude- if one is unconfident, discouraged, and tired;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>your bound to bump into weariness in tackling chess’s tricky challenges</b>…</div>
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There’s been a lot of talk in places where I read about chess coaching… and while I done a little bit; I’ve pretty much talked myself out of a more involved experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think a coach offers a lot of invaluable experience in keeping a strong training program- but I’m pretty sure coaching is not by itself a substitute for a training program….(When your learning to play the piano, you still do a lot of practice at home!). </div>
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I look forward to better weeks to follow…</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03801353514449135462noreply@blogger.com8