training a thinking system

wow .. that was really interesting, thanks for the input

yes i sad that at the start of the topic but its preatty usefull for 5 days a game

I wouldnt say its garbage, its just a different way of how to think.  Admittedly its a dryer way, but for some it works. 

Can you just give me a book/simple method for gaining a good thinking system, ie. tactics trainer trains tactics.

thank you.

Stop worrying about your rating and just focus on the actual chess.

Play slow games.

They can be against  a computer, live or correspondence, anything is better than nothing, just play slow!

Read Dan Heisman's Novice Nook articles from ChessCafe. Find the archives and start at number 1. He has a lot of excellent advice. Dan is a National Master and award winning Coach.

Do what Dan says. Come back in 3 months, it takes time.

Thank you very much. As someone who can't find the right time and place for chess training (aka me), this is the god-sent answer. I have the e-book you mentioned which just lay unread on my tablet but now I know what to do and how to do. I think this advise helps me more than the OP. Thank you rtr1129.

rtr1129 wrote:

yup790 wrote:

My main problem is that I don't think.  I loose nearly all games to a tactical mistake.  This is keeping me below the 1000 mark.

Doing tactics problems is important, and you won't fix your tactical mistakes without doing tactics problems almost every day. Even if you only start with 1 problem per day, that's fine. The important thing is that you get into the habit of improving your chess every day.

I say this because forming a new habit is the hard part. Once the habit is formed, you can do more than 1 problem per day. Psychology research says a successful habit has three parts: (1) A trigger, (2) the action/habit, and (3) a reward.

So do this: At the same time each day, in the same place, get away from all screens (TV/computer/phone/etc), take a few deep breaths, and do 1 tactical problem. Then give yourself a piece of chocolate or candy, or whatever you like. The reward is critical, you won't form a habit without it. Once this becomes a habit that you do every day, start doing more than 1 problem.

However, you also need to have some structure to your thinking process when you play. I am reading this book, "The Process of Decision Making in Chess" by Philip Ochman. You can download it from Amazon for like $8. The way I am using it is, I go through the process he describes on paper. It takes a very long time on paper. The goal is to get faster and faster, and eventually be able to do it OTB.

I would suggest you stop playing blitz and only play Online Chess where you have several days to make a move. First you need to get used to thinking about chess correctly, and that means taking your time. Later on, what takes you 30 minutes to think about now, will become instant. The same way you first learned letters, then words, then sentences.

yup790 wrote:

My main problem is that I don't think.  I loose nearly all games to a tactical mistake.  This is keeping me below the 1000 mark.

Igor smirnov gives a good thinking system but I don't know how to train this.  All he said was use GM games.

Please help

___________________

It is almost imperceptible, but as you get better at chess your brain focuses back and forth first on the pieces and pawns then on the squares they control with their imaginary powers. When you are concentrating on the squares they come into clear forces and the pawns and pieces become blurry. When you are concentrating on the pawns and pieces the squares become blurry.

As you become a a better and better player your CONTROL over this alternating process going on in your brain becomes stronger and stronger.

If you would like to know more please let me know.

Yaroslavl,

Yes, I'd like to know more. What's your training method for reaching that goal?

ernestosim01 wrote:

Yaroslavl,

Yes, I'd like to know more. What's your training method for reaching that goal?

_____________________

First, there are 3 things you need to know:

1.Chess is Modified Siege Warfare on a chessboard. It is all about 3 methods/strategies (restrain, blockade and execute, the enemy)

2.Pawn Structure/Formation is the terrain (mountains, hills, valleys of the battlefield). There are 6 characterisitc pawn structures/formations that the position assumes form any opening within 6-10 moves. Learning how to play either side of those 6 structures is essential.

3.There are 5 visualization pattern memory banks which you must build into your brain:

a.Tactics visualization pattern memory bank

b.Mating Net visualization pattern memory bank

c.Endgame visualization pattern memory bank

d.Opening visualization pattern memory bank

e.Middlegame visualization pattern memory bank

Start with 2 basic tools to organize and control your thinking and play:

1.A Before I Make A Move Checklist which you will expand as your knowledge of chess increases:

a. What is my opponent's Threat?

b. What is the pawn structure that the position has assumed on the board?

2.SIT ON YOUR HANDS when you are at the chessboard.

yup790: "I loose nearly all games to a tactical mistake"

So why not focus on that? I'm just curious.

You want advice from a player that is under 1000?

Who is under 1000?

Yeah, that's my very same question?

I have read the f chapter of dan heismans book but how do I make myself more systematic

i just started reading a book it says in the middle game its rare to have a plan in the middle game its   more often reacting to tactics and playing strageticly

What book?

Can you provide the quote?

Yaroslavl wrote:

yup790 wrote:

My main problem is that I don't think.  I loose nearly all games to a tactical mistake.  This is keeping me below the 1000 mark.

Igor smirnov gives a good thinking system but I don't know how to train this.  All he said was use GM games.

Please help

___________________

It is almost imperceptible, but as you get better at chess your brain focuses back and forth first on the pieces and pawns then on the squares they control with their imaginary powers. When you are concentrating on the squares they come into clear forces and the pawns and pieces become blurry. When you are concentrating on the pawns and pieces the squares become blurry.

As you become a a better and better player your CONTROL over this alternating process going on in your brain becomes stronger and stronger.

If you would like to know more please let me know.

_________________________

3 days ago · Quote · Edit · Delete · #54

Yaroslavl

ernestosim01 wrote:

Yaroslavl,

Yes, I'd like to know more. What's your training method for reaching that goal?

_____________________

First, there are 3 things you need to know:

1.Chess is Modified Siege Warfare on a chessboard. It is all about 3 methods/strategies (restrain, blockade and execute, the enemy)

2.Pawn Structure/Formation is the terrain (mountains, hills, valleys of the battlefield). There are 6 characterisitc pawn structures/formations that the position assumes form any opening within 6-10 moves. Learning how to play either side of those 6 structures is essential.

3.There are 5 visualization pattern memory banks which you must build into your brain:

a.Tactics visualization pattern memory bank

b.Mating Net visualization pattern memory bank

c.Endgame visualization pattern memory bank

d.Opening visualization pattern memory bank

e.Middlegame visualization pattern memory bank

Start with 2 basic tools to organize and control your thinking and play:

1.A Before I Make A Move Checklist which you will expand as your knowledge of chess increases:

a. What is my opponent's Threat?

b. What is the pawn structure that the position has assumed on the board?

2.SIT ON YOUR HANDS when you are at the chessboard.

_________________________

18 minutes ago · Quote · Edit · Delete · #28

Yaroslavl

rtr1129 wrote:

Yaroslavl wrote:

"First, there are 3 things you need to know..."

How does the ability to visualize the board and calculate fit into the framework you describe? It's different than the 5 pattern recognition areas (I think). For instance, when I play correspondence chess and use an analysis board (not a computer), I play significantly better. Is the ability to move the pieces around in your mind, and see clearly the final position, its own skill that can be learned and improved? Or is it limited to natural visualization ability?

_________________________

Campaigning for a candidate in a congressional race for a vacant seat in the Federal House of Representatives has kept me very busy lately and will continue until March 11th.

When I have more time I will share a detailed answer to your questions complete with diagrams. For now I will briefly answer the question and use generalized examples to explain the reasons for the answer.

Beginning with your second question, " Is the ability to move the pieces around in your mind, and see clearly the final position, its own skill that can be learned and improved?", the short answer is YES it is it's own skill. NO, it is NOT limitedby natural visualization ability. With practice you will be able to play an entire game in your head using only the algebraic chess notation of the game. And, you will be able to read a chess book without having to use a physical chessboard. The only diagram you will need is the one in your head. It CAN be learned and improved. The ability to move the pieces around in your mind, and see clearly the final position improves with practice and learning some signposts and shortcuts. Several examples of shortcuts are:

1.determining what is the PAWN STRUCTURE of the position. This will make it possible to analyze the position from the correct perspective. This knowledge alone makes it possible to cut out extraneous analysis.

2.knowing that backward isolated pawns on half-open files, isolated pawns on half-open file,double isolanis on adjacent half-open files, doubled pawns, etc. are weaknesses and how to exploit them.

3.knowing that one of our own pawns that is a protected passer, an outside passer, etc. are advantages and how to exploit them.

4.the 5 visualization pattern memory banks causes a move to jump up off of the position and strike you on the forehead in a flash.

Several examples of signposts are:

1.pawns CANNOT MOVE BACKWARDS. Any pawn move alters the position PERMANENTLY. Analyze long and hard any pawn move, yours as well as your opponent's.

2.PIECES CAN MOVE BACKWARDS. Check the position being analyzed exhaustively for the possibility of BACKWARD CAPTURES by enemy pieces. Also check exhaustively for SQUARES that enemy pieces are DEFENDING BACKWARDS.

3.knowing the difference between DIRECT and INDIRECT DEFENSE and being aware of those 2 possibilities in your analysis. Especially the knowledge that INDIRECT DEFENSE keeps the initiative/attack.

Now and in conclusion to your initial question, "How does the ability to visualize the board and calculate fit into the framework you describe?". The explanation above, I believe, makes clear that the framework I describe is a system of signposts and shortcuts that enhances considerably the ability to visualize the board and calculate. That is how they fit together.

Yaroslavl, there's so much meat in your posts. You might as well write a book about it after your campaign. Good luck to your congressional race. I hope you'll be back in this thread whatever happens.