123Chess_Game2
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:
- 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: - 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.)
- 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. When playing as white, I feel uncomfortable with more tactical responses to the Queen's Gambit. For example, I too easily confuse unfounded what-if's with actual threats when reacting to the Albin Countergambit (2...e5), especially starting with 3...Qxd5. The mere spectacle of seeing Tom's Queen already in the center of the board caused me to not think clearly. I need to not let that get to me.
2. Most all of the times when I overlooked a key element of a position was simply because I didn't spend enough time assessing the board for both positional and tactical aspects. I need to spend more time in my games establishing tactical plans and calculating moves. I had far too much time left on my clock at the end.
3. I need to intentionally remember and implement all the Endgame principles I know. Once we reached a King and pawns Endgame, it was basically characterized by a series of hasty mistakes and failures by me to correctly assess the position and pawn structure. If I had taken more time, was more thoughtful, and more intentional about implementing Endgame principles, the game would have ended much sooner. I must have had at least 4 or 5 missed wins because I kept missing the obvious.
5. Maintaining pressure is generally a crucial element in chess that I need to become comfortable with. For instance, as soon as Tom advanced his pawn with 6...e4, it removed the center pressure that was mounting. So by the time I played 7. Nd2, my stress level went from 8 to 1, because I realized my position was quite solid. Similarly to 6...e4, I feel my 13. Bc4 (releasing the pressure) move was at least a mistake, if not a blunder on my part. And it was moved merely because I didn't feel comfortable with the pressure. It was this move that began a series of oversights and miscalculations on my part, which released all the pressure by move 19 that I had been mounting against Tom starting move 9. Sure I traded off pieces and simplified the game a bit, but I feel there were a lot of missed opportunities for me between move 12 and move 19.
ED & ANA: - 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.)
2...e5 The first time I felt uncomfortable, because a tactical response like the Albin Countergambit to a positional opening like the Queen's Gambit is outside my comfort zone.
3...Qxd5 My emotions got the best of me here. This began a series of moves during which I mistook future moves as threats.
6...e4 While this move initially scared me, as soon as I responded with the obvious 7. Nd2, I realized that all the pressure Tom had been mounting against me in the center was eliminated by this single pawn advance.
8...Bf5 The moment I stopped considering taking the e4 pawn, because it was now working against Tom's Bishop.
12...Nge7 The move after which I didn't seem to know how to best capitalize on Tom's 11...b5 blunder. This is where I feel I need to analyze deeper to see what tactical options I might have had. I feel my 13. Bc4 move was at least a mistake, if not a blunder on my part. It was also, this move that began a series of oversights and miscalculations on my part, which released all the pressure by move 19 that I had been mounting against Tom starting move 9. Sure I traded off pieces and simplified the game a bit, but I feel there were a lot of missed opportunities for me between move 12 and move 19.
22...Rae8 The theme at this point for me was, what should I do that's productive? And under that, the 2 questions, where should my Knight be? Should I advance my e pawn to e4? By the time 25. Rb7 came along, I had no solid game plan at all.
26...Nb6 Should I have responded differently than 27. Nxb6 to this move? I feel like I may have missed something here.
34...Kxe7 Endgame Training. What should I have done instead of 35. Ke4?
36. a4 Again, why the pawn advance?
38...h6 Instead of 39. h4, what should I have done? Probably f4?
39....h5 Instead of 40. g5, gxh5 would have given me a passed pawn on either the f or h files, securing the win for me.
42. d6 Missed win. Why not Kf6, after which I would take his g6 pawn and create another passed pawn?
53. Qd3 Missed win. Why not Qd4 instead, boxing him in for a quicker win?
This video below is a review based on our completion of steps 1-4. - 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!
(After running my ideas for which critical moments to choose by Tom as well as by higher level players in a chess.com online forum, I still ended up choosing the below 3 moves. Additionally I realized 3. cxd5 isn't the best way for me to reply to the Albin Countergambit, rather, I should probably play 3. dxe5.)
6. Nf3
12...Nge7
34...Kxe7
This PGN below include my finalized analyses for these 3 critical moments within the annotative comments.
SELECT & STUDY: - 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 started a systematic Endgame fundamentals series on Youtube.
2. I watched a few Opening Youtube videos about the Albin Countergambit and the popular responses to it, as well as looking at Master Games statistics against it via the chess.com database.
3. I once again went through Susan Polgar's Chess Tactics for Champions chapter on pins.
4. I reviewed the tips a couple higher level players gave me on this game in an online forum.
5. I double-checked my game against a chess engine to make sure I caught all my blunders and mistakes.
6. Tom and I both memorized the same master game of Viktoria Johansson (Sweden, Rtg. 2222) vs. Ingvar Asbjornsson (Iceland, Rtg. 1996) at the 2006 XXII Reykjavik Open, because it was one of the games in the chess.com GM database most similar to our opening in this game. Below is this game.
SECURE KEY TAKEAWAYS: - 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. OPENING THEORY: Responding to the Albin Countergambit - After watching a few Opening Youtube videos about the Countergambit and the popular responses to it, taking note of comments and recommendations from higher level players, and looking at the GM stats on chess.com regarding options for Black in response to it (screenshot below), I came to conclude the following:
--> When responding to the Albin Countergambit, the natural 3. dxe5 is by far the most popular and one of the most solid responses. This response still leaves White with more than sufficient positional and tactical compensation after allowing Black's well-placed d-pawn to advance.
--> My 3. cxd5 in this game was the primary cause of my challenges during the OPENING phase. The e5 pawn was the biggest challenge for me to overcome prior to entering the Midgame.
2. TACTICS: I'm not good at capitalizing on Pins that I create - After analyzing this game (especially regarding the position reached in move 12...Nge7) and going through GM Susan Polgar's Chess Tactics for Champions chapter on Pins, I realized that I am very poor at recognizing and utilizing tactical attacks regarding pins. I can recognize when they're there, but am not yet very good at knowing how to properly capitalize on a pin that I have on my opponent when it happens. Going over her chapter on Pins was the first major step for me, but is only the beginning of how I will have to continue to work on sharpening my ability to assess and utilize pins during my games.
3. CALCULATION: Taking necessary time to carefully calculate - This game made me acutely aware of how I need to spend more time during my games, carefully calculating my options. Whether it is tactical options or Endgame logic, this calculation is paramount. Once I establish and idea or plan, I need to follow that plan through all the way in my mind before implementing it to make sure it works as I intended in the end.
Finally, this video below is based on our completion of steps 5-7.
