Originally posted by pawne4You're the guy who played that first OTB tournament a few weeks ago. Glad it went well!
hi currently 1565 how can we improve looking at tactics and strategies can anyone sugest some good books or websites
The best way to improve is to play opponents slightly better than yourself and to go through your own games afterwards. Once you begin to see what mistakes you are making it is a good deal easier to try and avoid making them in the future. When you realise what it is you are not seeing you can try and see it in the next game. The process is slow and incremental. Just before you were checkmated or lost material the opponent moved a piece to threaten checkmate or to take material. Just before that they moved a piece to a square from where material or mate would be threatened the following move. There is no better way to ingrain these patterns than to feel the annoyance or chagrin of missing it in your own games.
Books can give ideas. Personally I have yet to see better than "The Art of the Middle Game" by Keres and Kotov which has been reprinted. The two chapters by Kotov - Strategy and Tactics of the attack on the King and Various Pawn positions in the Centre are straightforward and concise.
If you want a longer read then "chess strategy for club players" by Dutch IM and trainer Herman Grooten is quite good. On the tactics side "Understanding Chess Tactics" by German IM and trainer Martin Weteschnik is very clearly explained. Just money for one? Go with Weteschnick.
The trouble with all books is that it is the devil's own job to learn how to apply any principles to your own games because of the "fog of war" - trying to keep a cool analysis head under fire. This is why going through your own games is fundamental. The books show how very good players resolved certain specific positions with analysis to back up the fact they got it right. Some of those ideas work in positions we have. The difference is we have to do the back up analysis to show we had it right. The writers of these books are where they are. Start where you are.
Originally posted by robbie carrobieI like your sites...the second one has commented games, I did not know that there are sites with commented games like this...so nice to browse fast through the commented games(compared to the old method of reading from a book and moving on a real board)...
tactics : http://chesstempo.com/chess-tactics.html
strategy : http://www.logicalchess.com/games/classic/index.html
enjoy 🙂
There's a company called CheckBase that is working on an engine that will help improvement. Their engine will explain in detail: strategic plans, positional concepts, and human psychology. It even analyses your games and automatically orders any books that you need to read. And if you make the same mistake again and again, it e-mails all your friends telling them what an idiot you are - a sure cure indeed! Greenpawn will love it. It was due to be released today.
Originally posted by vipiuhey thanks, yes, the logical chess site is great, it used to have more games, but i dont
I like your sites...the second one has commented games, I did not know that there are sites with commented games like this...so nice to browse fast through the commented games(compared to the old method of reading from a book and moving on a real board)...
know what happened to them, anyhow, glad you enjoyed it. I think in all honesty,
these types of commentary, move by move are the most enjoyable, for the narrative
brings the game to life, as we actually able to understand what is going on - regards
Robbie 🙂
Pawne4 you're making me think in our game!! :-)
The initial reason you and I are playing is because I wanted to experiment against a stronger player - I was asking myself the same question. I've been guilty of playing too quickly, so I afforded the opportunity to create a long timeout in our game. Am am consciously taking the effort to understand the position, evaluate the good and the bad for each side (I could be wrong, but at least this affords me a plan), then work through some best-guessed candidate moves to a reasonable level.
I am following this procedure in other games as well. I'm seeing more clearly where I have gone wrong, and how to put things right. It's taking time to complete games, but the slower play is actually more enjoyable than just clicking in front of the T.V.
However, the main point of my response, is that I think I may have identified a way that I can improve my game at this time - that doesn't include lots of books (I've read them all), lots of tactics websites (I've played them all), but actually allows me to perhaps improve by a pragmatic and practical approach ... play, understand my personal weaknesses, which are different to everyone else, and try to improve them once understood.
Seems to me that you can't fix something unless you know what is broken (i.e. you could do more tactics practise but perhaps that's not the main weakness in your game). Identifying areas you are weak is may be important - hence I've also started to play over previous games and see where I think I could do better and where I am strong.
It's a sort of do it instead of read about it approach - with the key focus on understanding my weaknesses then fixing them. It will be interesting when I reach a plateau and I am trying to find a new way to improve, however... perhaps you are there...
G.
Originally posted by nimzo5Rec'd. I knew this, but I don't think I have actually shared it exactly this way. This is worth repeating, and it will be.
If you want to learn strategy, get a used copy of Golombek's book on Jose Raul Capablanca
If you want to learn tactics and calculation, get a book on Paul Morphy.
Most importantly, play an analyze your games and then show them to someone better for advice.
Golombek's book was one of the first chess books I ever read, and it is as good a textbook as one could have on chess.
Originally posted by nimzo5Golombek's book on Capa is a great primer. After that proceed directly to any Smyslov collection he's annotated himself.
If you want to learn strategy, get a used copy of Golombek's book on Jose Raul Capablanca
If you want to learn tactics and calculation, get a book on Paul Morphy.
Most importantly, play an analyze your games and then show them to someone better for advice.