Calculation Technique - Chess Forums

ParveshGupta

Sep 14, 2017

0

#1

Please guide how can we choose the white's best move in this position. It is just a simple position but I want to know the technique/method to be adopted to find the best move in these types of tactical positions. Which are the lines that we should/should not calculate and Why? I really want to know. Thanks

MickinMD

Sep 14, 2017

0

#2

When looking at a position, the first thing (assuming you have enough clock time to do it) is not to start calculating combinations but to identify squares, pieces, and pawns that are likely to be involved in tactics.

First, what pieces or pawns are left hanging - undefended? White's b- and e-Pawns and Black's c-Pawn and c5-Bishop are currently hanging.

Next, which pieces that are attacked are over or underdefended? Everything is aimed at d5, which is attacked and defended three times.

Next look at potentially vulnerable important squares like f2 and f7 and attack/defend if an opportunity exists. Note that Black's Q and B point at f2 and moving the White Knight fails in an attack because White needs a defensive after ...Bxe3, threatening ....Qxf2.

Then look for existing or potential pins/double attacks/skewers and other common tactics.

If no obvious tactics leap out, try to develop pieces and aim them at your opponent's king while keeping your pieces protected. Look for Knight Outposts, creation of isolate and backward pawns, center control, etc.

If you are White, you can see that moving your d5-N out of harm's way can to b5 attacks the undefended c7-Pawn and moving the d5-N to b3 attacks the c5-Bishop, but the c5-Bishop can then exchange with White's e3-Bishop, giving White the disadvantage of double, isolated e-Pawns.

ParveshGupta

Sep 15, 2017

0

#3

DeirdreSkye wrote:

This is not the correct position to learn how you must think.

This is a theoretical position thathas been analysed a lot and you need to know theory to play it.

Both players want to castle and complete their development.To understand what you must do as white , you must first understand what Black will try to do.Black's queen usually goes to g6 to create a pressure on e4.The queen is very well placed on g6 and white would like to chase it away but how?But Black also wants to play d5 and if white exchanges on d5 then a black knight on d5 will give Black some very dangerous options( a knight on d5 usually offers Black a lot of interesting options and attacking chances).

Scotch is a battle of activity(that is true for any opening but in Scotch it's much more intense).Both sides try to reduce each other's options as much as possible.

Now let's see all these in games.

The next game shows how dangerous Black's attack on k-side can be

In the next game white manages to keep Black's pieces restricted.

All these are only a small part of the position.The more games you will study the more you will understand it.

THANKS ALOT

ParveshGupta

Sep 15, 2017

0

#4

MickinMD wrote:

When looking at a position, the first thing (assuming you have enough clock time to do it) is not to start calculating combinations but to identify squares, pieces, and pawns that are likely to be involved in tactics.

First, what pieces or pawns are left hanging - undefended? White's b- and e-Pawns and Black's c-Pawn and c5-Bishop are currently hanging.

Next, which pieces that are attacked are over or underdefended? Everything is aimed at d5, which is attacked and defended three times.

Next look at potentially vulnerable important squares like f2 and f7 and attack/defend if an opportunity exists. Note that Black's Q and B point at f2 and moving the White Knight fails in an attack because White needs a defensive after ...Bxe3, threatening ....Qxf2.

Then look for existing or potential pins/double attacks/skewers and other common tactics.

If no obvious tactics leap out, try to develop pieces and aim them at your opponent's king while keeping your pieces protected. Look for Knight Outposts, creation of isolate and backward pawns, center control, etc.

If you are White, you can see that moving your d5-N out of harm's way can to b5 attacks the undefended c7-Pawn and moving the d5-N to b3 attacks the c5-Bishop, but the c5-Bishop can then exchange with White's e3-Bishop, giving White the disadvantage of double, isolated e-Pawns.

Thanks, But d5 is attacked only one time by d4. And it is not defended by any one. Why you are saying 3 times attack/defend?

ankitdj

Sep 15, 2017

0

#5

Yo

SeniorPatzer

Sep 15, 2017

0

#6

How about 7. Be2? So Black doesn't gain a tempo with Ne5?

poodle_noodle

Sep 15, 2017

0

#7

7.Be2 is fine.

7.Bc4 with 8.Bb3 is also fine.

Better to not annotate opening moves with your imagination.

Also 8.Qg6 is, IMO, inaccurate at the club level because white can go into drawing / complicated lines with 10.Bh5. Super GMs ignore this because for them a draw with black is a good result.

@OP

In a position like this (where there's no tactic for you) find a logical move (like development) then check whether or not forcing moves refute it... or just whether moves make it look bad. For example losing tempi or control of the center is bad in the opening so you wouldn't consider 7.Na3 8.Nc2 simply because it takes 2 moves. You also want smooth development of ALL pieces so, for example, a move like 7.Qd2 is not attractive as it and the c3 pawn block the b1 knight. So just ignore "ugly" moves, and briefly calculate reasonable looking moves.

After the game check to see whether your logical move was in fact any good. I say
"briefly calculate" and to check after the game because many times it's not possible to figure out why good looking moves are bad during the game with raw calculation, you learn this stuff after the game with study, and some opening moves won't be understood until much later in your development. As a quick example, 7.Bc4 Ne5 8.Be2 may seem to lose tempo, but often white gets a tempo against that e5 knight with f4 at some point later.

poodle_noodle

Sep 15, 2017

0

#8

ParveshGupta wrote:

I want to know the technique/method to be adopted to find the best move in these types of tactical positions.

Heh, I just realized you called this a tactical position.

Anyway: