The eternal chess question is at what move does one really strategically plan ?

Jeremy Silman seems to suggest from the first move - he says the opening is the plan to create imbalances. And again through inference, the imbalances provide the basis for a second plan ( which maybe different from the first plan ). 

 Hard to imagine planning from the first move since there is nothing by which the opponent can offer to plan by.

 Sunil Weeramantry says unequivocally that strategic planning should start after the opening has concluded.

 What do you think ?

 

I usually plan on losing, and this certainly starts before the first move.

I have really enjoyed reading Silman, and there is probably something to his assertions about the opening and how it should be played. I must admit, I'm mostly just snapping out moves until I don't recognize the position, then I start looking for a plan.

Eventually, whether I find a good plan or not, I accomplish a lost position. It simply comes natural to me.

But I build a plan in my head when my opening knowledge is exhausted or when I don't see any natural moves. Often times I find i'm too late. I should plan to plan earlier.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail...

Step 1.  Choose an opening you know, but your opponent doesn't.

Kasparov once said it took 48 hours to plan his games before he even played and about 1hour to play, or something like that anyway. All the champion players seem to have aplan from the very first move. Every opening has its basic plan or idea on how it comes about and the endgames tend to end up in certain ways after them i noticed....

Rabid_Dog wrote:

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail...

Step 1.  Choose an opening you know, but your opponent doesn't.

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 That's assuming you know your opponent !

littleman wrote: Kasparov once said it took 48 hours to plan his games before he even played and about 1hour to play, or something like that anyway. All the champion players seem to have aplan from the very first move. Every opening has its basic plan or idea on how it comes about and the endgames tend to end up in certain ways after them i noticed....

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 Is there hope then for us lesser mortals if the chess gods are so capable ?

hope for what? of being like Kasparov? No

Of enjoying the game and playing competent chess? Absolutely.

oginschile wrote:

hope for what? of being like Kasparov? No

Of enjoying the game and playing competent chess? Absolutely.

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 LOL....no,not hoping to be like Kasparov. But hoping to come up with a decent plan !

Bodhidharma wrote: Rabid_Dog wrote:

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail...

Step 1.  Choose an opening you know, but your opponent doesn't.

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 That's assuming you know your opponent !

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 At least you are supposed to know yourself .

Therefore you may study an opening that very few players have studied.

payet_alexandre wrote: Bodhidharma wrote: Rabid_Dog wrote:

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail...

Step 1.  Choose an opening you know, but your opponent doesn't.

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 That's assuming you know your opponent !

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 At least you are supposed to know yourself .

Therefore you may study an opening that very few players have studied.

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 Sounds like you are quoting Sun Tzu !

All im saying is that u need to plan from the start. have a frame work or do u just play whatever and go mindlessly into the dark? You dont make a house untill u have the blue prints and you dont go into a war without a plan in real life. Chess is the same. Plan your game if ur wise even if its simple at first. Thats after all what strategy is about....

Bodhidharma wrote: littleman wrote: Kasparov once said it took 48 hours to plan his games before he even played and about 1hour to play, or something like that anyway. All the champion players seem to have aplan from the very first move. Every opening has its basic plan or idea on how it comes about and the endgames tend to end up in certain ways after them i noticed....

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 Is there hope then for us lesser mortals if the chess gods are so capable ?

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 Yes there is hahaha. Even the chess gods had to start from somewhere alot less skilled then now, even us woodpushers should plan ahead even if its just to get the pieces in better places and find something to attack from. Learn about positional chess and strategy mate!....

littleman wrote: Bodhidharma wrote: littleman wrote: Kasparov once said it took 48 hours to plan his games before he even played and about 1hour to play, or something like that anyway. All the champion players seem to have aplan from the very first move. Every opening has its basic plan or idea on how it comes about and the endgames tend to end up in certain ways after them i noticed....

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 Is there hope then for us lesser mortals if the chess gods are so capable ?

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 Yes there is hahaha. Even the chess gods had to start from somewhere alot less skilled then now, even us woodpushers should plan ahead even if its just to get the pieces in better places and find something to attack from. Learn about positional chess and strategy mate!....

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 yes, there is truth in what you say. My positional chess is still lacking in that I still don't watch the different coloured squares !!!

A good book for learning the basics of strategy i liked was "winning chess strategies" by:- GM Yasser Seirawan. Its simple and might help u sort out how to go about planning ur games, just as a thought mate!....

   I plan a position to achieve, even if it is just d4 c4. I'm a hack, but it seems to me that at my level of skill (skill?  lol) there is a weakness in every move. Looking for that weakness and adjusting to make it weaker...if possible. Chess is more like tai chi or judo. Over powering by unbalancing my opponent. I also plan on recovering when enevitably...my position becomes unbalanced. Keeping the tempo on my side seems to help me stay in balance

The key is to constantly plan, but without rigidity. You have to be willing to replan at every move.

littleman wrote: A good book for learning the basics of strategy i liked was "winning chess strategies" by:- GM Yasser Seirawan. Its simple and might help u sort out how to go about planning ur games, just as a thought mate!....

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 Thx 4 the tip !

ednorton wrote:    I plan a position to achieve, even if it is just d4 c4. I'm a hack, but it seems to me that at my level of skill (skill?  lol) there is a weakness in every move. Looking for that weakness and adjusting to make it weaker...if possible. Chess is more like tai chi or judo. Over powering by unbalancing my opponent. I also plan on recovering when enevitably...my position becomes unbalanced. Keeping the tempo on my side seems to help me stay in balance

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 Did someone say "taichi, judo?" - please come see my blog !

Ricardo_Morro wrote: The key is to constantly plan, but without rigidity. You have to be willing to replan at every move.

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 Interesting comment. Silman said that we should presevere with our plans ( I think he meant objective, after all the objective may be the same, but plans change ). Can't imagine anyone being pigheaded with a plan when circumstances for its success have changed dramatically.

Stategy starts right at the begining. Say you've been on a losing streak, your staregy changes for your next opponent. Maybe your playing someone stronger/weaker then you , again this affects the stategy. Is it a rated game, a greeters game, a tourney, all these things affect strategy. Is it a new opponent, an old one. Have you read something - seen something new that you want to try? Everything affects your stategy, and it is employed even before White makes their first move.