The 7-Step Thought Process

Developing an ideal thinking process for calculation can make it a lot more efficient and you'll miss less. Here’s a structured step-by-step approach to the thinking process

1. Evaluate the Current Situation
Before making any moves, take a moment to assess the position on the board. Consider the material balance, pawn structure, piece activity and king safety. This evaluation will help you prioritize what to focus on during your calculation.

2. Identify Weaknesses
Secondly, look at both yours and your opponent's pieces, and try to identify weaknesses. This will help you develop a plan (which is something we'll talk about later) and maybe you'll notice some tactical opportunities.

Here the d6-pawn is weak, which helps us make a plan to maneuver the knight in order to apply pressure on it

3. Find Out Your Opponent's Ideas
It's important to think prophylactically and try to understand what your opponent is planning. However, it's important you don't focus on this step too much and get overly scared of your opponent's plans. That would lead to you making passive and overly defensive moves.

Black’s idea is to play b7-b5, so we play a4-a5 to prepare answering it with en passant

4. Generate Candidate Moves
Begin by listing all reasonable moves, including both tactical and strategic options. Include captures, checks, and other active moves. Don’t overlook less aggressive options, as they may also be viable. Generally speaking, three candidate moves are enough but some positions require more.