How to Efficiently Analyze Your Own Games?

What is the best way to efficiently analyze your own game or even a game of a grandmaster? I don't have any competive OTB partner so I like to break out my chess board and run over the game but it seems cubersome to break out the board ever single game and go move by move. It seems best for me to just put it into shredder and go move by move annotating myself before I look at Shredder's lines. Then I go back look at the key moves I wrote down and see what it said and look where any major pawn swings took place. 

Second question is how much time to spend analayzing a game? I set a timer for like 25 to 30 mins to keep me focused and then after the timer goes off do the same when I go over it in Shredder. Any suggestions? 

My friend told me the best way to go through master games of chess is to play through the game first, without looking at the notes. Then, if I was confused about something, look back to the notes for that particular "something". If the notes didn't have what I wanted, either ask him about it, or just move onto the next game. He was very good at chess, so I guess I had a luxury there.

But, since then, I go through the game quickly, and if anything confuses me, I look at the engine analysis. I never played through master games reading every note at first. I only read the notes if the writer(like Tal, for instance) is engaging, or witty enough to interest me.

In the end for me, I try to collate patterns in games, much more so than understanding what the chess master is thinking per move.

Of course, I'm not very good at chess

Oops! I should say, I don't analyze my own games. It bores me.

The best way is to have a friend who is a stronger player than you go over your games with you, that is the advantage of a 'bricks and mortar' chess club. If the internet is the only way, it can be a bit more challenging to find that kind of friend. If your pockets are loaded, there is no shortage of those willing to go over your games, but that can get expensive. Whether you can find a friend or not, always try to go over the game with your opponent, win or lose. That way you get an idea of their thinking and plans, and you could find that friend you are looking for. If play correspondence, keep notes of what you were thinking, it will help when you go over the game. If live, go over game immediately while thoughts are fresh. How long? Depends, when you glean some knowledge and understanding from the game you are going over should be long enough.

Best to you

Thanks, I realize it's hard to find someone to play live with today. Not many people you bump into have a competitive chess background. 

True. I had the good fortune of having a chess club at the high school I attended, and two of the players were serious tournament players. We lived near San Diego and became members of Claremont and Balboa Chess Clubs and played in weekend tournaments. Later I was able to play at Mechanic's Institute and teach for the Berkeley Chess School. Now I live one hundred miles from the nearest chess club, so it's internet only.

Try playing correspondence (here they call it 'Online Chess'). You get lots of time to think about your moves, you can use databases to research and learn opening lines, and you can chat with your opponent. Granted not everyone is friendly, but perhaps you'll run across someone, become friends, and they will help you go over your games.

If setting up the board is the most difficult part of studying a master's game, you're doing it wrong.

analisis of your own games.

1) anilise a game you lost in or had a thuogh win (even though its fun looking at the way you killed your openent).

2)anilising a game where a sudden blunder caused you to loose is less affective then anilising a game where you were worse poisitinaly thrue out the midlle game.

3) if the lose was due to bad end game play, study it deeply finding the corect responce for next time because meny endgame patterns apear several times!

you dont want to lose the same sort of position over and over.

4)after anilisng it your self have a stronger player anilise it for you and give you notes.

a stronger player will fined all difrent positinal errors you have made and help you improve your positinal play. in addition a stronger player will be able to show you lines of analisis wich you have missed even after going over the game and make chess understanding a lot easier on you.

you can chek my chess coach profile, if you are intrested i offer deep analisis and full support via mail/chess.com mail answering  qustions you have regarding the games you send me for analisis.

good luck!

Just saw your post. Thanks that helps a lot. I may have to take you up on the offer. It helps to know that I don't have to feel guilty for not looking at the games I blundered when the answer was obvious. (However, sometimes could be necessary to know if missed something before I blundered).

Yeah I analyse most of my losses for the cause of the moves ( a recent one I lost was due to me spilling my coffee and I droped my Rook in a B v R engame this was OTB)

Another one from a long time ago on this site was due to me finding out my girlfriend was cheeting on me so I hung the queen ( oh the Irony)

Then I analyse my wins for soundness of my moves, for example the game that put me over 1200

here is a good article from our WGM

http://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-analyze-chess-games

You are very welcome. My offer is still valid, and i would be happy to keep assisting you.

regards,

ori0

One way I already found is instead of writing down on a piece of paper, I just type my notes write into a pgn with the move on OTB and also on the computer. That has helped with confusing notes that I may have written. 

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/how-to-double-rooks

Here is two of recent games on chess.com

Just moved over from FICS.