I like to make funny faces. It's less effective on the internet.
For a long tournament game it's probably a good idea to relax a bit, though shutting off completely is not such a good idea. If you don't have a ton of stamina to play a 3-day tournament without trouble, deciding when to use your energy becomes a factor just as deciding how much time to take on a move.
Middle game is a good time to turn your thoughts and prayers to Middle Earth, for what are chess players if not creatures of Hobbit?
Usually I think about girls with huge tits and ass
So, the question can be summarized thusly:
What to think about, boards or broads?
I spend it thinking of his likely moves, what opportunities said moves will create for us both and the best way to take advantage of them. Basically, I never stop calculating. Unless my opponent takes like 5+ min to make a move (I play with 30min time controls), at which point I stop calculating and start thinking: "Hurry the f*** up already*
I usually think of the next insult I will say.
Christina hendricks
Even in the middle game you can think about you opponents position and try to figure out, what you would play, if you were your opponent.
But I usually get up and walk around and look at other games or get some air.
"When my opponent's clock is going I discuss general considerations in an internal dialogue with myself. When my own clock is going I analyse conctrete variations."
Mikhail Botvinnik
I am hoping this ninny will make a blunder cos I am too lazy to think
I think it is agreed, bagging off is the widely preferred use of time.
I think it is agreed, bagging off is the widely preferred use of time.
...but not the most useful one, of course.
I usually start/continue thinking about the tactical variation I evaluate as deepest in the position. That way, if the opponent goes for it, I already did a bit of job, and if he doesn't, well, I am only left with the easier lines. I'm not sure that is very rational, but it works.
I go with what Botvinnik said--when it's my move I calculate variations as much as possible, because I know what my options are. When it's my opponent's move, yeah I'll still calculate some variations, but I try to focus my attention on the positional considerations because those probably aren't changing in the next half-move. What squares/files/diagonals are important/going to become important, what pieces do I need to improve, where are the pawn weaknesses, how do I attack them (and these things for my opponent too, to understand what his plan should be.)
Like above posts, I ask what the board wants me to do. If in a normal middlegame, I don't calculate in my opponents time. Not even if he only has 1 forced move. Except if I'm in time trouble of course.
Sometimes I just go to another board and calculate some strange moves there.
If it is a simnply position, lets say a Lucena position. Then I stare at my opponent, and when he looks up, I say: ¨It's a Lucena, resign!¨
In the opening, you are wondering whether they are following the path you have planned. In the end game you are furiously calculating possible combinations. But in the middle game you can't possibly calculate the number of possible responses, so how should you manage your time when it is your opponent's turn? Rest your brain? Snooze for a bit? Concentrate on your plan and how it could most likely be scuppered by your opponent. Try to work out his plan?
For me the overwhelming temptation is to snooze for a bit and rest the brain.
zzzzz
what? checkmate?