Why can't I see it?

I learned chess as a child from my father. We used to play and he'd whup my butt on a regular basis. As I grew older I was interested in chess and enjoyed movies and books on the subject (Searching for Bobby Fischer, Queens Gambit, etc). I'd come back to the game from time to time, only to get frustrated and give it up.

My main frustration stems from the fact that I can't see 1, 2, 3 or 10 moves ahead like most of the chess players I know.

 When I look at the board I can see the pieces, I can go through them one at a time and think "Ok this pawn attacks here and here and this bishop supports this pieces" but that takes a LONG time and a lot of concentration. To be honest by the time I've looked at the last piece on the board to see what it can do on THIS move I've forgotton about the first 5 pieces I've reviewed.

 It can take me 10 minutes of looking at a board just to go over all of the possible moves on the current turn and there are so many variables! I can't keep track of them all, let alone track projected moves based on adjustments to these variables for this or that move I might make or the multiple responses my opponent can make.

I am truly amazed by a player's ability to track all of the variables and develop plans and lines of attack, something that has always escaped me.

 Now it's possible that some people would claim I'm not smart enough to play chess. I'd argue that one as I have a good iq and work as a programmer and am quite successful. Additionally I'm an avid gamer who normally has a very quick ramp up when it comes to learning and becoming proficient at new games.

 Perhaps there is another way to see a chess game rather than going over every piece on every move to see what it may or may not do. Perhaps I just need to cram and play a ton to develop some sort of 'chess-o-vision'.

Any suggestions or thoughts would be most appreciated as I do enjoy this game and would like to develop to the point where I don't feel like I suck royally on a regular basis.

 Peace,

B 

You probably already know this, but in case anyone doesn't - during a game on this site, check out the "analysis board" where a replica of the existing board appears on a new screen.  You can then go through some possible moves (I move here, he moves there, I move here, etc...)  as far into the future as is reasonably foreseeable.

For me, the analysis board is a lifesaver because it can be tough seeing the board 3+, 4+ moves into the future, especially when there are several variations.  It works best in near checkmate situations because there are usually fewer variations to analyze, but it also works in other situations where you're simply looking to end up with a better position, or to not lose material.

 As for overall getting better at chess (I'm only 1400 rated so I don't know much) but I do know that playing a hundred+ games against a hundred different players will always make you better.  You learn the basic tricks and see similar situations over and over.

I'm no expert but I find that it's unneccessary to check every piece on every move. At any one time there are only a few pieces to be concerned with, usually those that have just moved and any pieces that are freed up by the move.

 There's always exceptions but generally I try and look a few moves ahead from the pieces I judge to be a danger or those I am attacking.

 PS - I didn't know about the analysis board - great tip!

Certainly not an expert, but the point of the game of chess is not to see every possibility, it is to see the continuations that occur when you make what you feel is the best move or could possibly be the best move. 

When examining the board, I usually look at the position, and then pick 3 or 4 moves that I feel are good.  I then mentally play against that move as myself, playing both white and black, and see if my move was forcing, or could be countered easily. 

Thanks all. I love the analysis board and I'll be snagging that book.

Peace All,

B 

Take your time and be pacient

One way I learned was when I would see the possibilities of a big sac and have to calculate quickly in order to see if it is the right descision. Your best bet though is to stay calm. Anger and frustration are your own worst enemies. But remember, experience comes with practice

You don't actually have to look any moves ahead. If chess was all about calculating a number of moves ahead then nobody would be able to beat any chess engine since they can calculate every variation much faster than any human ever could. This is why we learn stuff like controlling the center, in wich situations and positions your bishops works best and stuff like this all this give you a good approximation to wich move will improve your position the most. This is called positional play and will help you play moves that might benefit you 20 moves ahead without actually having to think 20 moves ahead.

Another good tip is to play, analyze and learn about endgames, lots of it.

If you do this alot you will get a good feeling for how the pieces work individually and  how to evaluate different positions. Start with simple pawn + king against king and work your way to more advanced endgame positions. Take notes of important things that will help you evaluate different situations without having to calculate every move and variation.

Are you kidding????

This is 100% cheating and a bannable offense.   Do not do this.

You're blatantly admitting to a pattern of cheating here, all of your games should be annulled and your account should be closed.

the analysis board is allowed during daily games look it up.   🙂

sad