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Analyzing Games- By yourself or with someone be...

Analyzing Games- By yourself or with someone be...

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c

USA

Joined
22 Dec 05
Moves
13780
Clock
22 Jan 07
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Over they years, many people have impressed upon me the importance of analyzing your games. This, they say, is vital for improvement. I just feel like I don't have the resources to analyze my games. Most of the people who told me this have coaches, but I don't.

I could analyze the games myself, but I may miss a lot of things probably won't be able to draw to many useful long-term conclusions. For example, I won a game in the endgame, I may think it's because of my good endgame play, when in reality endgame could be my weakness and I won only due to errors by my opponent.

I could put the game into Chessmaster, but I find it's analysis function more or less useless, and the mentor option gives lists of moves that I don't understand. Sure, maybe it's the best move, but I need to know whyi it was the best move. Stronger players could possibly understand the reasoning, but a weak 1300 player like me can't.

What do you think? Should I get a coach who can help me analyze my games?

FL

Joined
21 Feb 06
Moves
6830
Clock
22 Jan 07
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It doesn't have to be with a coach. I like to analyse games with one or more players of roughly the same strength as me. This is particularly useful if they have different styles of play.

c

USA

Joined
22 Dec 05
Moves
13780
Clock
24 Jan 07
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So, are you saying it would be best if I do it with another player, and not by myself?

R

Edmonton, Alberta

Joined
25 Nov 04
Moves
2101
Clock
24 Jan 07
1 edit
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Originally posted by chesskid001
Over they years, many people have impressed upon me the importance of analyzing your games. This, they say, is vital for improvement. I just feel like I don't have the resources to analyze my games. Most of the people who told me this have coaches, but I don't.

I could analyze the games myself, but I may miss a lot of things probably won't be able to e me can't.

What do you think? Should I get a coach who can help me analyze my games?
One of the best things about OTB tourneys is that you can analyse after the game. So if they are OTB games, analyse then with your opponent.

Rhp games, go over them yourself. Figure out which mistakes you made. Get a book and board and write them down. Then ask a stronger player or use chessmaster.

I know chessmaster gives you strange moves sometimes which are hard to understand but with tactics, those should be simple enough.

With the game you mentioned, yes you won in the endgame. Maybe chessmaster gave you a slightly better move you could have played which you don't understand. Sometimes I don't get it either.

What you need to ask yourself if, why didn't I win this game earlier? Chances are you could have played a better move earlier on in the game and won it. Because most games at our level end because of tactics. I can't rememeber the last time I won a serious game because of the endgame.

edit: you could also post your game here and people might look at it for you. I do that sometimes when i got some time on my hands and I'm sure someone would help you out.

c

USA

Joined
22 Dec 05
Moves
13780
Clock
25 Jan 07
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Will do. Thanks for the advice.

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