STP in Action
Issue No 21
3/10/2025
Sponsored by Chess.com
Prologue
Add STP to your game plan
This week I would like to share my progress after utilizing the plan I shared with you last week, my online chess friends. Honestly, I have work to do. Here’s a graphic:
This is how I spent my chess time last week.
Engaging the plan for serious progress:
How am I doing on the STP Chess System?
I just finished my first week on the STP system. I’ve committed my chess time for 21 days as a test run. Hopefully, I’ll stick to it. I’ve failed the regularity test profusely in the past.
Okay, I have two more weeks to go. I’ll keep you posted.
Basically, I need more balance, as do we all. I’m not being ridiculous with this, but I do have OCD. Therefore, I tend to keep records, especially as I study with the STP system. Remember, I’m a retired math professor with a lot of time on my hands.
Also, I’m sad to admit that I lost two games on time. I may have over committed myself with matches and tournaments. No excuse, but last week I had back issues of pain and agony… I slept very little for three days.
Analysis of critical positions
This is still true: If I am playing an interesting game and it’s somewhat new to me, I’ll look up lots of similar master games in the database (Chess.com, of course) and play through them to get a sense of how that opening is professionally approached. That way I won’t just be tossing out random unconnected moves. Did I ever mention that I absolutely love the Daily Game format? This is how I study the openings these days.
Endgame study
Hegde-Palatnik, Calicut, 1988
Black had 1...Bg7! at his disposal. and after 2.Rh4, Bd4!! it's a draw. But Black resigned?!
(from the book "Endgame Tactics," by Van Perlo)
Book Reviews
In this space I feature various chess books from my personal library and others that come to my attention through friends, or recommendations I get from magazines advertisements that catch my eye, and naturally as I’m doing research for my blogs.
From my working library
“Pawn Power in Chess” by Hans Kmoch
The information contained in the pages of this classic is worth its weight in gold to the positional chess player. Of course, It’s quite a bit of reading involved, and it’s best read with a chessboard set up as you work out the variations. This is one of my favorite ways to study. As you “handle the wood” (or plastic) or even use a digital chessboard, the very act of going through the moves will engrave the lesson into your brain. Like I said, this book isn’t for light reading. As Philidor famously said, “Pawns are the soul of chess.”
A more modern version of these concepts can be found in Andrew Soltis’s “Pawn Structure Chess.” It’s a bit easier to chew, like a bowl of soup with a ham sandwich, rather than a formal dinner. But I would still advise bringing out the board and pieces for a good study session. Naturally, it’s not mandatory to study books like these alone. You could even study with an online friend! What a concept.
Battle Royal by I.A. Horowitz and Hans Kmoch
I picked up a copy of this classic about twenty years ago from the Newton free Library in Massachusetts for $3.50.
This book is about the First World Championship Chess tournament to determine a successor to Alexander Alekhine. It’s very well written with lots of information on the players and background action. For book lovers, I highly recommend it.
For the rest of you, try Utube.
I did some research, and the book is out of print. You can buy a copy of it for $53.96 from Amazon.com
Resources
(1) https://www.chess.com/home
(number one best so far)
(2) https://www.zedwaldo.com/take-action/chess
(my other chess blog)
(3) https://theweekinchess.com/
(weekly update with thousands of free game downloads available)
(4) https://new.uschess.org/
(all about chess in the good ‘ol USA)
(5) https://en.chessbase.com/
(a really great database program + the Fritz engine, but expensive: €199.90-€499.90)
(6) https://www.fide.com/
(all the official stuff in the world of chess)
CyaL8r
~GrizwoldZed
