I just moved a bishop to keep a knight pinned against the edge of the board- good move! ...except I forgot my bishop was protecting my knight and I lost the piece.
Who has a good list of things to consider before moving?
1) Is this piece protecting any other pieces?
please help me continue....
Before moving : what is my opponent best reply ?
Just did almost the same thing in a game myself. So very annoying. For me an improtant question is always how can my opponent attack the square to which I am moving? And I definitley adding in Is this piece protecting any other pieces?
Ask yourself what will change on the board if you move that piece ...As Josh Waitzkin would say : "What do you leave behind ? "
Try to imagine what you or your opponent would do if he/you was/were allowed to move twice ...
You could change
into
1) What is this piece's function here and can other pieces take over it's function when I move this piece ?
Look for pieces that have the same number of defenders as attackers , because those pieces can be considered undefended.
rokadus wrote: ...Look for pieces that have the same number of defenders as attackers, because those pieces can be considered undefended.
Look for pieces that have a smaller number of defenders than attackers, because those pieces can be considered undefended - I think you mean.
Some good ideas were garnered here http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/your-mental-checklist-you-run-through-before-each-move
Thanks for all input.
Art, at first glance, that forum looks like just what I'm looking for - thanks!
Two further points:
Too avoid blunders, simply identify all the bad moves on the board, then play something else. ;)
Blunders are a natural part of chess. Sometimes the measure of a strong player is not how few blunders they make, but how well they mitigate the effects of those they that do.
Hmm... a checklist? Good idea!
1) If I could just "pass" without making a move, what could my opponent do to me? What are all his checks, captures and threats? Is there any move of his I need to counter?
2a) If my opponent has a serious threat, what is the best way I can counter it?
2b) If not, what are all the checks, captures, and threats I can make? Does any of them improve my position?
3) If (2a) doesn't apply, and the answer to (2b) is "no", what else can I do to improve my position? Of all these possibilities, which is best?
4) If I were to make the move I've decided on, what would my opponent be able to do?
here is a thread on this: http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/your-mental-checklist-you-run-through-before-each-move
Listing them all off can be overwhelming, so if you need a shorter "beginner" list, maybe this will help:
1) What is attacking and defending the square I am moving to? If an exchange can occur, can I win it, would I break even, or will I lose it?
2) What are the pros and cons of leaving it in its current position? What is it defending where it is now, and how will that exchange go without it? What is it attacking where it is now, and what defenders would my opponent be able to mobilize?
3) What are the pros and cons of moving it? Gaining control over squares, chasing attackers away, threatening a powerful combination? Am I better off (even slightly) than if I don't move it?
4) Can my opponent play an intermezzo after this, threatening a key piece or giving check to gain a positional advantage on the next turn? (Today's daily puzzle is a good example of an intermezzo.)
And most importantly:
5) If I do this, what is my opponent's next move? Will I help or hinder my opponent's plan by moving the piece?
6) Do I have enough beer in the fridge to not care how I play.
Before you move, break the board down into the 4 quadrants and look at each one individually, then break those down and look at those, then take another look at the whole board while considering everyhting these other guys have said, except Aristokatt, lol.
If I break out my microscope, and look at the look at the individual wood fibers on the chess board,,,, think that would help?
Hey dvaud: good post! I was thinking about a way to formulate the same idea but yours is excellent! The ideas exposed along the way are just as good, including Aristokatt's!!! lol
I also found that St Pauly Girl helps!
Look for obvious problems that shouldn't have been overlooked like mate threats and such. prevent opening blunders by learning opening theory and lines, and play them. Even if your opponent doesn't follow that line, follow general theory (knights before bishops, don't move a piece more than twice unless necessary, etc).
Nobody has mentioned this, but "how much time is left on my clock" should pretty much always be your first check.
I ask myself: "What is it that I am not seeing?"
Great discussion, comments, and tips. Here is my question on the same lines that I created a new topic as well. Any help/pointers will be great.
Hello,
I am trying to help my son who has been playing chess for a while now. I am seeing that under pressure during a game, he misses some of the basic and obvious threats and make move that is a blunder!.
Eg- He pinned his opponents bishop to the queen with a rook (playing as black) overlooking the fact that, the white bishop could take a pawn and check his king, and his rooks were not connected. So, he lost a pawn and rook for a bishop.
I saw other threads that list all the points to consider while making the move. These are great points, and very useful. However, my question is, how can one internalize these steps into every single move one makes.
Many times in short 30 minute games, one may or may not have the time to go through all the list - if it is large.
Question
Has any one come up with a concise list, workflow, process of decision making before every move and some key/core steps to think in every single move. If so, that will wonderful.
Thanks,
Sunny.
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