Software to study annotated games

Hello all,

About 3 months ago I moved from USA to China to start new studies.  I currently live with my girlfriend in quite a small apartment.  I've really picked up chess for the first time while here and have enjoyed studying it from the ground up.  I have bought a few books that walk through entire games giving annotation and also variations.  I find it inconvenient to try to play through these games on my cellphone software because 1.) It's so small and 2.) I can't have two boards to follow the real game and then work through the variations on the other.  I would buy two real sets but I just don't have the table space here.  Can anyone suggest any software specifically great for annotated games? Preferably one where I can have two boards open at once?  Thanks gang!

If you haven't discovered this yet, it may be what you are looking for.

http://www.chess.com/analysis-board-editor

You can use it manually to play through chess moves.  You can also use it to play through chess games that have been recorded in .pgn file format, which is essentially a text file record of chess moves of a game, which any .pgn software viewer/player can recognize and allow you to view and step through the moves of a game.  Chess.com's analysis editor board ("Game Editor" under "Menu" at the top of the Chess.com home page) allows you to do that. Millions of games have been recorded in .pgn file format and are available online. Go online, locate the game of interest in .pgn format, open the .pgn file in any text editor (Wordpad, Notepad etc), select, copy and then paste the text into the pgn Chess.com analysis board editor.   Use it to step through the moves in the game, all the while viewing the moves on the analysis board. 

There are also many free .pgn viewer/player softwares available for download online.  One of the most popular is the Chessbase Reader 2013

http://en.chessbase.com/pages/download

This software has more functionality than simply a .pgn file viewer/player, but you can use it for that purpose if you choose.  In fact, I use Chessbase Reader mostly to read Everyman Chess eBooks on my computer - a fast, efficient way to study chess books (Everyman Chess also has their own viewer app for their eBooks, but I prefer using Chessbase Reader).

https://www.everymanchess.com/

As for chess books, you might find my chess books list interesting to peruse.....

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

Very helpful, RussBell!  Thank you!  Your extra content definitely interests me, too.  I will check it out.

I looked at your book list and the first two books I have read so far are on that list (Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, followed by Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess).  I really like the Chess Viewer app!  I have heard good things about the Winning Chess collection by Yasser Seirawan.  Do you have any opinions?  I think this Chess Viewer makes for an amazing reader, so I may look into using it eventually.

1) I'm not sure which Chess Viewer app you are referring to.

2) Yasser Seirawan's "Winning Chess...." series is certainly well regarded and you can't go wrong with them.

3) There are so many books in my list I like that it is hard to single out only a couple that I would recommend over many others.  I would highly recommend to check out the several books on  beginning opening, tactics, endgame and positional concepts that I point out in my opening remarks.   However, in addition to those, and based on your rating of around 1000, I would tend to suggest you consider two additional books to start with - Patrick Wolff's "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess" and Matthew Sadler's "Tips for Young Players".  (You needn't qualify as an idiot or a youth in order to benefit immensely from these books!)  Both books are excellent introductions to the practical issues of all facets of chess play.  Lots of great instruction in both books which every aspiring chess master should be exposed to!  In fact, I think I might recommend these ahead of Seirawan's books for you, at this stage in your chess development.  The key at this point is to focus on FUNDAMENTALS and PRINCIPLES - whether it be tactics, the opening, the endgame, or basic positional concepts.  

As for the opening, don't spend much time and energy trying to learn/memorize specific, detailed opening lines and variations.  There will be time for that later,  For now, keep it simple.  Maybe even play lots of gambits - Danish, Goring, Scotch, Evans and the like.  Even the King's Gambit.  These will not only be fun and sharpen your tactical skills, but will teach you the importance of rapid development in the opening, the value of seizing and maintaining the initiative, and hopefully imbue in you an aggressive playing style.  

With respect to aggression.  On every move, look for ways to present your opponent with a problem to solve, something he needs to be constantly concerned about.  No matter how small or inconsequential it may seem, present him with some kind of threat, real, imagined, direct or implied that they must be mindful of.  Even a seemingly innocuous threat of capture or checkmate will limit your opponent's options.  Constantly think in terms of trying to limit their choice of useful moves which might improve their position or their ability to threaten you.  Make them respond to you - not the other way around!  You are hoping that the constant pressure you've placed your opponent under will eventually cause a crack to appear in the dike, i.e., an exploitable weakness somewhere in his position will manifest itself.  This is the situation you must prepare yourself to perceive and be ready to exploit. Easier said than done, of course!  But that's the beauty of chess - understanding how to make it happen, and knowing how to take advantage when it does.

Finally, and this is preeminent, make sure every one of your pieces is protected to some degree, at all times, or have a good reason for why they aren't.  Unprotected pieces are disasters waiting to happen!

I try to check these forums regularly for responses to my postings.  So if you have any other questions let me know.  Especially about chess books.  (I'm somewhat of a chess-book-aholic!  Around 400 at last count.  I've read all of some of them, and some of all of them!) 

Haha, wow.  That's a library.  I felt Bobby Fischer's book got me in a chess frame-of-mind, and tought me some basic mate in 2 tactics, but I definitely didn't see my game improve too much.  I rarely had the opportunity to get myself near mating positions.  I then read "Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess", which taught me some good base principles that have helped my game marginally.  I'm currently on only the 4th game in "Logical Chess: Move By Move" by Chernev, and I have really started to see myself formulating an attacking strategy.  Sure, I don't always win, but I am proud to finally feel like I am at the cusp of executing something.  I have really enjoyed all of the first 3 matches Chernev has explained so far and it has really made me want to study it with true focus on some sort of Game Editor.  Chess has been a great hobby to fill my time here in a far away land.  I am addicted to studying and learning more.

As for the Chess Viewer, I am referring to the EverymanChess app.

Yes.  I understand where you are coming from.  I am retired (engineer) and have become addicted to chess myself!  I will mention once again, that I think Pandolfini's "Weapons of Chess" is also must-read for the novice.  It will set you up to being able to read and appreciate/understand more advanced chess books which are necessarily heavy on positional-strategic concepts and techniques, which is where you will eventually want to focus much of your study.

So are you actually using the Everyman Chess Viewer app?  As far as I know, it only works with their eBooks.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

One other thing to mention.  Check out chess tournaments on Chess.com.  A good way to play lots of chess (maybe too much!).  I prefer the Multi-day Tournaments.  Time controls are longer (days), so no need to rush to have to make moves immediately.  Also gives time to study chess books in between moves, which is allowed for these kinds of tournaments - i.e., essentially correspondence tournaments.

One more from my list - Judit Polgar's book.  Its a gem!  Check the reader reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Fischers-Record-Judit-Polgar-Teaches/dp/1907982191/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446220879&sr=1-1&keywords=judit+polgar

She's not a little girl anymore.  Judit is universally recognized as the greatest female chess player of all time...

http://en.chessbase.com/post/judit-polgar-the-greatest-prodigy-ever

The remarkable story of the three chess playing Polgar sisters...Susan, Sophia and Judit...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrmhcpoM1EU

For the beginner/novice, I must recommend Bruce Pandolfini's "The Winning Way".  It presents useful, thematic attacking techniques which can be employed out of the opening.  Every good chess player is (or should be) familiar with these attacking themes.

http://www.amazon.com/Winning-Way-Opening-Strategems-Fireside/dp/0684839490/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446226612&sr=1-1&keywords=the+winning+way+pandolfini

Be sure to check out "Chess Maniac's" review of this book on Amazon.

Excellent suggestions!  I will definitely queue these up.  I'm not sure which book I'll pick up after Logical Chess, possibly Weapons of Chess.  I definitely lack weapons!  Also, as you suggested, I joined a 24h/move tournament.  Should be fun.  To play those better than me will surely help me improve and maybe I'll make a chess friend to spare with on the way.

Excellent!  Glad to be of help.  

A nice thing about Pandolfini's books, besides the fact that many of them are very instructive for the intended audience, is that if you can find a used copy in good condition on Amazon, they are typically very cheap!  (His "Traps and Zaps" (2 volumes) is also a fun favorite of mine).

I am also very curious to know to what extent you are able to access the internet in China.  And to purchase chess books.  Having myself spent 3 months working in Fuzhou, China in the late 90's on a telecom project, and having very limited internet access then, makes me wonder what the situation with online access is like now.

I'll mention this with regard to the online multi-daychess tournaments, although it may already be understood.  You may use books and online databases to do research during the multi-day tournament.  This practice is generally understood to be allowed for these "correspondence" type tournaments which are played out over weeks, months, etc.  But not for "live" tournaments where moves are made in real-time and which typically last for several hours, or perhaps in some cases a couple of days when there are a lot of participants and many rounds.  What is absolutely disallowed for ANY type of tournament (although no one is monitoring you) is using computers (chess playing software engines) to calculate your moves, and/or human assistance.  Basically these tournaments operate on the 'honor" system.  Although if you are consistently beating people rated hundreds of points more than you, eyebrows and hackles will be raised and action may conceivably be taken to disqualify, or even bar you.  So keep your nose clean!

I apologize for being excessively didactic.  I sometimes get swept up in trying to be helpful, and tend to overdo it.

Good luck to you in your forthcoming chess adventures!

Russ,

Actually, to my surprise, Amazon has a decent presence here in China.  I can't say it's too popular, but I have been lucky to find the Chess books I wanted so far.  I pay a few US dollars worth more for them than I would have in the States.  It's unfortunate, because I am still on a university student budget for myself.  I guess I have to do what I have to do.  In fact, they even have a few Chess books that are temporarily out of print in the US warehouses.

As for internet access, it's roughly the same as you experienced.  No Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google, and the list goes on and on.  However, I use a VPN software that allows me to bypass the firewall with masking my IP address with that of an American IP address.  Chess.com is not blocked in this country, thankfully.

In Lucas Chess, with the PGN viewer, if you double-click on a variation, it opens it in a new, independent board.

Thank goodness for the VPN.  At least you have a window to the outside (free) world!

Not sure if you noticed the following link for my list of good OPENINGS books:

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/good-chess-opening-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

At this point I would suggest you focus on no more than the first 2 or 3 books in the list, in the order listed, which concern themselves largely with teaching opening fundamental principles, with brief introductions to several good openings.

Earlier I had suggested you engage in plenty of gambit play (as White) - as much as 50% or more of your games.  A great book on some gambits would be "The Alterman Gambit Guide - White Gambits" by Boris Alterman, and perhaps, if the King's Gambit is of interest, John Shaw's book on that opening (as Alterman does not treat the KG).

The point of playing gambits early on is that in doing so, you will sharpen your tactical and attacking skills, learn the importance of fast piece development, and seizing and maintaining the initiative.  As well, you will come to appreciate the value of an aggressive (not reckless!) style of play, which especially for "open" games where tactics are paramount, is a necessity.

PossibleOatmeal,

Thank you for the suggestion.  I will test drive that software and see how I like it.

Russ,

Excellent suggestions.  Sometimes I have a gut feeling that I lost a game because I don't feel confident in my opening.  I know I have many holes in my game, but opening knowledge is quite small.  Russ, is there any way to contact you?

You can send messages within Chess.com I believe - to my Chess.com ID.  Otherwise, I could furnish you with an email address if you prefer that.  However, I am reluctant to publish my email address on the internet, for all to see.  If you were to provide me your email address I would respond to it with mine, via my email account.  I'm not paranoid, just trying to be careful!