123Chess_Game10

The CHESS Analysis Method (7-Steps)

CLOCK & CODE (Step 1)
HEAD & HAT (Steps 2 & 3)
ED & ANA (Steps 4 & 5)
SELECT & STUDY (Step 6)
SECURE KEY TAKEAWAYS (Step 7)

CLOCK &CODE: 

1. CLOCK & CODE: During Gameplay - Create a CODE legend for you to write down and identify the critical moments of the game, including the moves that took the most time on your CLOCK.
   Tip 1: You can use numbers, letters, symbols, or anything else you can think of.
   Tip 2: This process works best if you play a live (non-correspondence) game with at least 10min on your clock.
   Examples:
   - When felt Disoriented
   - Confused
   - Comfortable
   - Uncomfortable
   - Stuck
   - When you overlooked something
   - When you had a positive "eureka" moment
   (The code legend I created for myself is “SCOUTE.”)
   S = I feel Stuck
   C = I feel Comfortable
   O = I Overlooked a position or tactic
   U = I feel Uncomfortable
   T = This was a Time consuming move
   E = Eureka! I discovered something good!
   
   HEAD & HAT:
   
2. HEAD: Immediately after the Game - Write down what went through your HEAD throughout the game such as what you were feeling, the reasons for your decisions, the plans you had, and calculations you performed.
   Tip 1: Expound on your In-game CODE
   Tip 2: Be specific
   (This PGN below include both of these steps 1 and 2 within the annotative comments.)
   
3. HAT: Immediately after the Game - After finishing the above, write down at least 3 key lessons you've learned from this game that you can add to your HAT of knowledge.
   Warning: No outside sources! Just your own thoughts and conclusions so far!
   (Here are mine.)
   

   1. It's important to calculate all squares an opponent's piece can move to when you're calculating a line.  Had I calculated moves more closely from move 8 to move 16 in this game, I feel like I should have been able to come up with a better plan and better coordination with my pieces.  It turned out okay for me, but surely there was some line as we transitioned from the Opening to the Midgame that would have given me a greater advantage that wouldn't have forced me to rely on Queenside counterplay.
   2. I struggle with knowing when it's safe to open up a file for my opponent's rook.  In this game on move 11 i decided not to take his Bishop with my Knight because I was afraid to open up the h-file for his Rook toward my King.  Yet I still wonder if my instinct to not open up that file was wise or inaccurate.
   3. I know very little about the Slav Defense, and even less about the Chameleon Variation of the Slav.
   4. I struggle sometimes in knowing if I should exchange Queens.  Example of this is move 33 in this game.
   
   ED & ANA:
   

4. ED: Immediately after the Game - EDUCATE on the critical moments of the game. These include any major changes that took place.
   Internal critical moment examples:
   - Ran out of known moves
   - Moves that surprised you
   - Change in plans
   - Overlooked a situation
   - When you found yourself "lost" or stuck
   External critical moment examples:
   - Phase Transition
   - Draw-ish Endgame --> Lost one
   - Massive trade of pieces
   - Major pawn configuration change
   - Quiet game into Tactical storm
   (Here's what I chose.)
   4...a6 - My first moment when I was outside of knowledge of this Opening, and when I was deciding between solidifying my pawn structure or developing my DSB
   7...b5 - The moment I decided my best option was to lock up the position
   9...Nbd7 - The moment I decided which piece I wanted to attack (his Bishop)
   10...Bg6 - The moment I went against my initial plan because of fear of opening up the h-file toward my King
   11...Be4 - The first move of my opponent that I overlooked in the game
   17...O-O - My first major strategic decision moment, when I decided to focus all my attention on creating a Queenside attack (it was here when I transitioned from an Opening to a Midgame mindset)
   19...Qe7 - The official beginning of the Midgame
   22. Bf3 - My first move in a series of moves where my goal was to create subtle positional improvements
   27. Qb6 - The first trap I set in the game
   28...Ke8 - The first moment when I felt I had a decisive advantage
   29...Bd8 - The first moment when I recognized a clear mistake by my opponent and punished it
   32. Qxc6 - The transition from Midgame to Endgame, and the first moment I felt I had a clear winning position
   32...Qd7 - The moment when I was unsure if I should exchange Queens
   35...f6 - My last chance to easily simplify the position and prevent any possibilities of counterplay from opening up for my opponent
   
   
5. ANA: After the Game - Pick at least 2 or 3 of the critical moments you identified above, and now ANALYZE them. Warning: Before you analyze, run your moments by an equal or higher level player!
   (Here are my 3 critical moments that I chose to analyze.)
   10...Bg6 Should I still take the Knight?
   14...Ne4 What is the strongest minor piece on the board?
   28...Ke8 How can I instantly exploit black's King exposure?
   
   This PGN below includes my finalized analyses for these critical moments within the annotative comments.
   
   SELECT & STUDY:
6. SELECT & STUDY: After the Game - SELECT an opening theory, positional pattern, or tactical element to STUDY it by learning from an expert sources.
   Examples of types of sources:
   - Reading instructional Books
   - Watching instructional Videos
   - Reading relevant Articles
   - Looking up relevant Master Games
   - Submitting your game online for a Game Review
   Warning: Finish this step and THEN check your findings against a chess engine!
   (Below is what I did for this step.)
   1. I looked at some instructional youtube videos on the Slav Defense
   2. I reviewed some master-level games to see how other players playing the white side handle the Slav Defense.
   3. Tom and I memorized the below GM game that was most similar to our game.
   
   
   SECURE KEY TAKEAWAYS:
7. SECURE KEY TAKEAWAYS: Conclusion - SECURE and write down any final KEY TAKEAWAYS that are principles you can take into your future chess games, based on what you have learned from your analysis of this one. Write down at least 2 or 3.
   (Below is what I did for this step.)
   1. When you have a major space advantage and are clearly the one on attack, your goal would be to find the most efficient line to convert your advantage into a clearly winning position. This will inevitably include exploiting specific weaknesses of your opponent
   2. Don't back down on a reasonable plan you developed unless you have a better reason to do so.
   3. In the fairly closed positions the Slav Defense tends to create, always be cognizant of the strength of the minor pieces on the board as well as the consequences of pawn moves.
   4. When you have an advantage and are trying to decide if you should trade off Queens in an Endgame, pawn structure and placement is paramount in that decision.
   
   Finally, this video below is based on our completion of this analysis: