28 Jan 08
Originally posted by FlyingDutchmanyes, sorry, i did mean think... i read somewhere you shouldnt think any moves in front, and only play the best move you can at that one time... is this true?
I assume you mean think.
If it's your move, 4 or 5 at 1500, and 8 or 9 at 2000.
If it's your opponent's move, no need. 😛
28 Jan 08
Originally posted by eatmybishopIf you could play the best move intuitively, no need to think. I'm sure you aren't Capablanca though, so you should probably think. trust me, it definitely helps OTB.
yes, sorry, i did mean think... i read somewhere you shouldnt think any moves in front, and only play the best move you can at that one time... is this true?
28 Jan 08
Originally posted by FlyingDutchmanDisagree with both statements.
I assume you mean think.
If it's your move, 4 or 5 at 1500, and 8 or 9 at 2000.
If it's your opponent's move, no need. 😛
How far you think ahead is not a measure of being a better player - it depends entirely on what you are thinking. It is true that if a player cannot visualise more than a handful of moves ahead, they might struggle to improve. It is also true that all Grandmasters have the ability to calculate their way through long and complex combinations.
But, and it is a big but, the requirement to look ahead depends entirely on the position and on knowing how to think. In very tactical positions, where moves may be forced, it is possible to look many moves ahead - perhaps a dozen or more. In deeply complex middlegames, it is a nonsense to think you can look 12 moves ahead for every possible line - it would take the most powerful chess computers many hours to do so. This is why Kasparov could beat Deeper Blue - he knows where to focus his thinking, and what to dismiss out of hand. The computer can only achieve this by analysing everything. How else could a man beat a machine that assesses 200 million positions per second?
You improve in chess by increasing your appreciation of positional, tactical and strategic features of the game. When great players look at the board they see in an instant things that we can't, before the slightest thought is given to looking ahead and calculating anything. Their thinking is focused and efficient. It is not about mathematics. It is visual, spatial, based on patterns and experience, and an intuition of what is good and bad.
As for not thinking when it is your opponents move, this is unwise in correspondence chess, and a plain waste of valuable time over the board!
28 Jan 08
Policestate, OTB, using your opponent's time is indeed valuable.
But in correspondence, you might as well wait until the opponent has played their move beforee thinking, instead of going through unnecessary calculations.
As for the number of moves, I was going for the middlegame with the opponents rating. This is in terms of combinations, obviously not every position.
28 Jan 08
Originally posted by eatmybishopNo.
yes, sorry, i did mean think... i read somewhere you shouldnt think any moves in front, and only play the best move you can at that one time... is this true?
Dragon Fire is light- heartedly quoting a GM, but in relation to your question, if you only look one move ahead, your chess career will be short and feature a lot of defeats.
Look as far ahead as you reasonably can, and the position dictates. Disconcertingly vague this advice may be, but it is the only true advice we can give you!
28 Jan 08
Originally posted by PolicestateYeah, listen to Policestate.
No.
Dragon Fire is light- heartedly quoting a GM, but in relation to your question, if you only look one move ahead, your chess career will be short and feature a lot of defeats.
Look as far ahead as you reasonably can, and the position dictates. Disconcertingly vague this advice may be, but it is the only true advice we can give you!
One move ahead is bad. Particularly things like that annoying Legál.
😉
28 Jan 08
Originally posted by FlyingDutchmanFirst point, willing to negotiate! You are correct that, if time is precious, one might as well wait until the opponent declares their hand. On the other hand, the beauty of CC is that you can leave the board and come back in a different frame of mind.
Policestate, OTB, using your opponent's time is indeed valuable.
But in correspondence, you might as well wait until the opponent has played their move beforee thinking, instead of going through unnecessary calculations.
As for the number of moves, I was going for the middlegame with the opponents rating. This is in terms of combinations, obviously not every position.
Whats the betting the top guys on the site study the board when it isn't their move?
Second point, can't agree, but opinion is the right of all men, so not trying to claim the factual high-ground. Most about this game is opinion anyway 🙂