Tips for using Game Explorer

Several people have written sound advice on how to use (and how NOT to use) Game Explorer. It seems a good idea to bring that advice together into a central reference point.

Launch Game Explorer by ...

LEARN -> Openings -Game Explorer.

Make a move for white, say h4.

You'll be told it's the A00: Kadas Opening. A list of related openings are shown.

Database will be set to Master Games by default.

It will show you 13 responses by black, indicate the number of games in the database for each of these responses, and show you the proportions in each set of games where white won, black won and where it was a draw.

Now make your move as black, c5 say.

Game Explorer will tell you that the database contains games with 3 next moves by white.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/a-tally-of-database-users--non-users?quote_id=1565471&page=31 (post 612)

INTRODUCTION TO GAME EXPLORER (Openings Database).

Here's a much more common opening:

(Launch Game Explorer from LEARN -> Game Explorer - if you want to work through it.)

After 3 moves, Game Explorer contains no games with this opening sequence. As several people have pointed out, the assistance from Game Explorer is limited to the first few moves.

For white's second move, there are 27 possibilities. The Master DB contains games with 21 / 27 moves.

2.g3 is the most popular move.

2.Nd2 is the move showing the greatest percentage wins for white.

The moves that Game Explorer doesn't mention - such as 2.Bd2 - are hopefully ones that no-one in their right mind would consider anyway. That still leaves a lot of sensible moves. The stats. in Game Explorer are a double-edged sword. If you just pick lines on popularity, that will surely lead you astray.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/a-tally-of-database-users--non-users?quote_id=1565471&page=32 (post 640)

jonnyjupiter wrote:

A few things to remember about game explorer:

1) In the drop down menu you can choose your own games instead of master games - this will give you an idea of when a line goes wrong for you. A very useful retrospective tool.

2) The likelihood of a win is a bit misleading - it can often change dramatically a move or two down the line. Check a few moves ahead before opting for a move at a glance.

3) Remember that the database consists of master level games, so they generally knew the strategy behind their openings. Going in blindly picking obscure openings is likely to end in disaster. Don't go for the Sodium Attack.

4) When an opponent goes off-book you need to know why it is off-book. Generally there is a weakness which can be exploited. It is better to use the game explorer in conjunction with one or two books on your favourite openings to give you an idea of what the opening themes are (common attacks, weak squares, pawn structures, middle-game transitions).

5) Openings are a small section of the game. Buy a book on middlegame strategy and it will shed light on why certain opening moves are good or bad.

6) Many games are won/lost on the transition from opening to middlegame.

I'm currently going through this process myself as a learning method. I probably need to take some time out to study strategy more and smooth out the transition into the middlegame. Just playing lots of games without studying the ones you have played already will keep you at a level. You need to study the key moves in your own games and play through some GM games to really improve.

If you are just playing for fun, then please ignore any points not relevant to you, and enjoy!

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/a-tally-of-database-users--non-users?quote_id=1565471&page=33 (post 642)

jonnyjupiter wrote: 

1) lines get refuted, often even after dozens of years. the 'unsound' won games don't get removed, so the winning percentages are not to be trusted.

2) you ABSOLUTELY need to understand the position you're going into, regardless of how the masters have done with it statistically. otherwise you're trivially lead right into bad positions, or, you might not be able to 'swim' in the following position. an example of the latter: the continuation requires you to be able to mate Q vs R. if you can't do it, you'll lose 100% of the continuations. -what's won for a master, often isn't for an amateur. if you don't understand a line, it's always better to pick the statistically worse one which you dounderstand. unless it's trivially losing of course.

only play moves you understand. blind db copying will make you easy prey for a more experienced db-user. using dbs is a skill, which takes a lot of time & work to learn. it's closer to pure analysis than copying moves blindly.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/a-tally-of-database-users--non-users?page=33 (post 643)