50 Essential Chess Lessons

A good book that I just finished. There are indeed 50 lessons to learn here by Giddins. I used it as refresher of chess strategies. It is probably good for 1400 rating players that I enjoyed very much. Now I am moving on to Chess Strategy for Club Players, by Grooten.

Training focus

After considering, reading, and testing I have come to the realization that to improve in chess I need to adhere to a consistent training regime. It must simple and clear. Given all what it talked about improvement from so many sources, it seems to me that the path forward has 3 only 3 components:

 1. Tactic drills....> because every position is just another puzzle to solve.

 2. Playing over Master annotated games ...> because every one of them is a lesson on strategy and patterns.
 
3. Playing ....> The games has to be annotated by a computer partner after their conclusion....to get a feedback...

 Annotated master games are the only opening games worth reading.


General comment:
Sometime, after solving puzzle with ichess for a while, I feel the mind in a fog. Thoughts are unclear. I move just out of memory sake. And of course, I do not see the solution. I suspect that when playing, something similar might happen and then I blunder. What is this? Is this too much chess for the brain to handle? Could such a thing occur? How to avoid it? Something to explore.

My largest tournament ever

Madness. I began playing in the largest tournament I ever played: 20 players. I plan to play without looking at any database or theory. Just playing the best move I can see. I would be interesting to observe if my tactics drills have any benefits. The games are in slowchess.com

Game 5 Two blind men

Lesson:  Keep you eyes open, oh blind man!

Game 4 A night and its post

Lesson: Be patient. In chess, the loser is the one who makes the first mistake when the winner takes advantage of it.

I am posting game as they happened. I just that I have been winning a lot lately. This was a good game where it does not seem that I made any mistake. However I began to study the modern because there is too much with the pirc. I do not want to pass the time preparing for black when I have to study. Beside the modern seems pretty wild and with full of posibilities. White owns the center, while black get ready to strike it. A very clear strategy.

Game 3 Eye on queen exits

Lessons: the queen can attack too. (1) Eyes on any potential exit with the queen threatening available weaknesses. (2) Avoid obsession with a particular side. Remember to look a the whole board.

Thinking method

I decided to start playing again in Slow-Chess.Net. Joining a 20 players tourmt. I plan to use as a ground to test my new opening set. I plan to play a little faster than normal and practice a consisten thinking process. No piece touch approach

Thinking process:

1. Check on Check-Capture Threat
2. Strategy
        1. King safety
        2. Mobility
        3. Space
        4. Coordinate
3. Check on Check-Capture-Threat
Move

I plan to continue as normal in Gameknot.

Game 2: Greed on the board

Risk all just to trap a queen. I did. Then I worry on how to fight minor pieces with rooks and queen. To no avail, the enemy blundered and the game was over.
Lesson: Trapping a queen is a major turning point. Final evaluations must over rule greed and fancy tactics.

By the way, I enjoy very much annotating my games. But it is very hard to remember my thoughts when I have to work that have been going for weeks. There got to be a way to keep track of my thoughts in Gameknot.

Game 1: Fight with an army

I need to remember to engage the full army in the war.
What about if I apply the lessons from the "Art of War" to chess?

This was a terrible game that I deserve to lose.
A lesson from my hall of shame.

Play chess online

Returning to study chess

After a long time without studying chess, I am picking up the books again.
Training schedule:

1. Tactics  - Everyday - As much a possible - Similar to doing scale practice as per the musician practice.
2. Master games - Just read books full of anotated master games - Reading for fun, for pleasure
3. Gameknot - No more than 12 games at the time- Make sure that each move is done purposely.

My rating in Gameknot is 1826.
I am not sure if I will return to OTB. It takes too much time and effort. I am not even sure that my wife would allow me to give away weekends and evenings that I could pass with her. So CC is the way to go.
Yes...I know people might play with computers against me. It does not bother me at all. It is their loss and it is my win. Why? Because then I am playing against a GM and their would be just pushing clicking away. Their wins means nothing.