Calculation training : a 3-steps method

Calculation Training. and Candidates moves.

This is a simple recipe I would recommend if you are going that path.

STEP 1) Select positions where calculation is needed, i.e tension or sharp battle, and tactical variations are likely to occur.  Different from a puzzle Black to play and win in 3 moves in a forced line.

In this blog, I'll do step 1

STEP 2)  set-up the position on a actual physical chessboard, and write down the variations you are calculating. Take 10 to 30 minutes maximum to really calculate all candidates moves and check your variations, like if  you were playing a classical tournament OTB.

STEP 3)  only then, turn on the engine and see which variations Stockfish14 agrees and which ones are incorrect, i.e you either missed a defensive resource or an attacking move. Try to identify what you didn't see or what was incorrect in your assessment line by line.

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Position 1 :  White to play

Hint: your candidate moves might include and are not limited to White playing either fxe4,Rg1,Be1,Bc3,Nf2.

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Position #2 White to play

Hint:  Try to come up with the candidate moves list. This may take several minutes. I leave it to you to figure out how many moves should be considered. 

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Now of course, you could set a different time for each position. You could even write your conclusions after 10 minutes, and then amend in the next 20 minutes. or 5 minutes and then 10 minutes if you want to accelerate the process. Did you change your mind about evaluation and main lines/candidate moves ? 

Happy to hear what take-aways and conclusions you have drawn from Step 2 and then Step 3.

Good Luck !

Note that sometimes you could select a position in Step 1 from a GM annotated game, like a Candidates or World Championship game, as long as the position is new to you. To the extent the GM analysis is detailed enough, your use of a chess engine would be limited. This has the benefits to have explanations as well as variations, as opposed to interpret or make sense of the computer lines yourself.