123Chess_Game9
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.)
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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. Don't make too many passive and pawn moves in the Opening. Unless it is intrinsically characteristic of a specific Opening you're playing, being so far behind in development and space can dig a hole for yourself that you can't get out of.
2. Don't allow an ambiguous aggressive line to cloud your sound thinking in the Opening. If I simply played Bb7 instead of d5 on move 11, I would have finished my plan to catch up on development and possibly would have even had an advantage.
3. Don't give up when you blunder! Even after I lost my Queen, I gave the Midgame/Endgame every last bit of effort that I possibly could. And even though I lost the game, I was only a single pawn down in the end. Had I not lost a Queen but perhaps a smaller piece like a Rook, that kind of mindset could have allowed me to actually win in the end.
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.)
7. O-O The moment I realized that I'm 3 tempo behind in development
9. O-O When I developed a plan to catch up on development using an attack and a check
11...d5 The most important moment in the game, when I allowed an ambiguous tactical idea to override my sound judgement on finishing my development
13...Qxd4 The move that sealed my fate, when I missed a discovered check trick that Tom had prepared
33. Qd3 The moment when I developed a clear idea of how to coordinate one last attack, exploiting the weakness of the g2 square
39...Rd2 The moment when all my pieces were set and ready to launch my attack
41...Rxg2 The moment when my attack became a reality
44. Kf2 Last moment to choose whether to take his Rook or a free pawn
47...Kxf5 When the dust of my attack settled, and I was faced with inevitable defeat because of his Queenside majority - 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.)
I honestly only had 1 critical moment that I found to go over in this game: And that critical moment was 11. Kh1
This PGN below includes my finalized analyses for this critical moment 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 watched some instructional youtube videos on the Sicilian Defense.
2. I went through a few Grandmaster games that began with the same line of our game, so I'd have an idea of ways I could continue with this opening line that we played, for my future games.
3. Tom and I both memorized the below Grandmaster game that was the most similar to our 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. Never underestimate King vulnerability, as it plays a significant role in the game if it hasn't approached the Endgame yet and the Queens are still on the board.
2. If you find an early attacking line, make sure your calculation is sound for that line. The line needs to be air tight or else it just hinders your development and gives your opponent the initiative. The line must place you at a clear advantage afterwards. If it doesn't, continue your development first.
3. When playing as black in the Sicilian, both e6 and e5 are solid move choices when white plops his Knight into d4.
Finally, this video below is based on our completion of this analysis:
