Canidate Checklist for CC

I've seen a really good one posted before by a chess.com member, but can't find it. If you have one that you'd like to share, then please do.

Here's one that I found on the net as a launch point. I don't feel this list exhausts all the important considerations for really strong cc matches (3 plus days per move), but it's a start.

The Chess Checklist

I've noticed quite a few games where one or both players make a very, very aggressive or very, very passive move that has nothing to do with the requirements of the position at hand. The bad moves played end up being the main reason why that person lost the subsequent game.

So below is a checklist that may help you to avoid some obvious blunders and to help you toughen your game.

As an experiment, print it out, then in one of your games, go through it and see how you do. Do you get out of the opening with a satisfactory position? Do your games end up lasting longer? Or is there no difference?

========================

Opening (first 8-14 avg. moves)...

1. Does his move have a threat? Does it create a weakness? Does it do anything?
a. If there is a threat, can I ignore it?
b. Do I have a bigger threat that is more immediate?
c. Are there any In-between moves or desperado moves?
d. If I can't ignore it, what are my options?
e. Come up with candidate moves for him and your responses.

2. Does my move
a. Help my center?
b. Help me to develop?
c. Does my move do anything? Threats, double attacks, pins, etc.
d. Come up with at least 1-3 candidate moves and weigh the pros and cons.

3. Repeat and rinse until you get out of the opening.


Middlegame. Once you have developed most, if not all, of your pieces and your King is safe...

1. Does his move have a threat? Does it create a weakness? Does it do anything?
a. If there is a threat, can I ignore it?
b. Do I have a bigger threat that is more immediate?
c. Are there any In-between moves or desperado moves?
d. If I can't ignore it, what are my options?
e. Come up with candidate moves for him and your responses.

2. a. Are there any tactics? Weak king, smothered king, hanging pieces, inadequately defended pieces, open lanes, forks, skewers, pins, geometry such as pieces in line, etc.

b. Come up with 1-3 candidate moves and start calculating. If you find a tactic, come up with a move sequence. If it doesn't quite work, try reversing the moves in order or trying different move orders.

c. Go back and revisit different moves. Hop around. You don't have to sit and calculate for hours, look into it, then skip to another move, then come back, etc.

d. If there are no tactics, search for strategic or positional moves. What move can you play to improve either your overall position, your pawn structure or how can you improve your WORST placed piece?

e. Come up with 1-3 candidate moves. Once you feel you have found a good move, revisit other moves and if satisfied that it meets your requirements, play it.

Endgame.... Once most pieces have been traded, a few pawn trades, possibly Queens off the board and safe for King to come out...

1. a. What is his threat? Do I need to reposition my piece, king or pawn?

b. Before considering pawn, look to see how this may WEAKEN your position first, before considering how it can STRENGTHEN your position.

Remember PAWNS CANNOT MOVE BACKWARDS. Once you move it, you are committed to this action.

c. Come up with 1-3 candidate moves for him and your responses.

d. Play your move.

2. a. Do I have a threat? Is there a tactic?

b. If there is no immediate threat, do I have time to position my forces to create such a threat? Which weakness should I focus on? Will I be able to continue adding pressure?

c. Come up with 1-3 candidate moves.

d. Play your move.

Wow, that's pretty rigorous.  A simpler one I used to follow was after my opponent moved

What's the threat?
Can I make his move look silly?
Can I directly punish his move? (do I have a forcing tactic)

If those came up negative I'd basically ignore the move and continue with what I was doing.

I'd chose a move and think, do I like this move for my position? and
Do I like this move for me no matter what my opponent plays. (not only is this a blunder check, but making sure no hope chess is involved).

Currently I don't use a system like this anymore and it's all a bit different -- when I was asking myself questions during a game like a checklist, this is how it went.

For CC, if you have a lot of games, I'd imagine a refresher for the current game would be nice.

For example make sure to note all undefended pieces (yours and your opponent's) and if either king is at all exposed.  Then note to yourself the full range of movement of every piece.  This sounds odd but maybe there's a rook on the 3rd rank and it can swoop over to the other side to do something.  Maybe there's an enemy knight ready to ignore it's obvious outpost and retreat to uncover a bishop or something.  Just checking what amounts to each legal move for the pieces (not pawns) is a nice wake up to the position and would only take a few seconds.

I do this sort of check in tactic problems to make a few candidate moves pop up, but I think it would also help avoid oversights in CC due to being a bit unfamiliar with the position due to a long absence.  Tactics problems are totally new positions after all and this does help.  Back when I played CC regularly, I had at least a few games where trying to play a rusty position before I warmed up with it again led to some game losing errors.

Excellent questions to ask when playing a cc match. Thank you!