Feel like I am not learning from post game analysis - game analysis advice

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Quantum_Robin

Hi all, 

My first topic post. I have been playing chess for about 2 months, mainly as my daughter (6) wanted to play/learn it. I have got quite hooked and I have got to a point where I am not able to understand why a move is good or better or bad (unless it is a blunder) in my games when analysing with the analyser. Similarly, I do puzzles and sometimes sit confused when looking at the analysis as to why you would ever play that move in the first place.

This is also limiting my ability to help my daughter when she asks the dreaded kid question, "why"?

Here are a couple of games (one black, one white), from when I am actually paying attention to what I am doing. Could anyone help me deconstruct an example from either game to an understandable analysis? Many thanks!

(White)
(Black)

Quantum_Robin
Tonya_Harding wrote:

Many of your questions are answered in my thread here:

Don't trust "accuracy" and "tips" - Forums d’échecs - Chess.com

 

Ah great, thanks Tonya. I am still finding my way around in here. Chess.com maze is sometimes more challenging than chess itself. happy.png

catmaster0
Quantum_Robin wrote:

Hi all, 

My first topic post. I have been playing chess for about 2 months, mainly as my daughter (6) wanted to play/learn it. I have got quite hooked and I have got to a point where I am not able to understand why a move is good or better or bad (unless it is a blunder) in my games when analysing with the analyser. Similarly, I do puzzles and sometimes sit confused when looking at the analysis as to why you would ever play that move in the first place.

This is also limiting my ability to help my daughter when she asks the dreaded kid question, "why"?

Here are a couple of games (one black, one white), from when I am actually paying attention to what I am doing. Could anyone help me deconstruct an example from either game to an understandable analysis? Many thanks!

(White)
 
(Black)
 

 

Well, you actually had fairly accurate games for that level of play. There's not a lot to break down here. One mistake does stand out, and that's when you offer a piece to trade but your takeback is a pawn that can be taken next. In both games you offer a knight trade that leads you to have a very vulnerable pawn ready to be taken for free. Game 1 your opponent misses it, game 2 they don't, and they basically push off of that edge. Game 2's pawn is harder to keep track of because it involves an extra move of defense and noticing en passant. So that's the takeaway of this pair of games on your end. Look out for when you offer a trade for how weak the defending pawn becomes afterwards. I usually find there's more to pull from such games. Do you have other examples? 

 

 

 

Quantum_Robin

Wow, thank you so much @catmaster0. I did pick two games which were me concentrating and play my best. I have lots of games of me blundering a queen, 2 rooks and a knight because... or where my kids need something at a crucial time but those games I know where it was not good. 

It is exactly these games where I think I play well and see mistakes highlighted and I do not understand them. You picked up on exactly the moves I was concerned over, the knight moves and I notice I do this often. I couldn't work out why it was a mistake, you have made that understandable, thank you! I even had a game last week where I found a 3-way fork to take their queen, I was so proud I found it, then analysis tells me it was a blunder cry.png.

I will have a look if I have any other good examples of my play. Your insight helps a lot in how I need to think about the moves and the consequence of a given move. Much better than the engines "you bad man!" feedback happy.png