It's a mixed bag. I've found that my judgement of a position has improved a lot, i no longer make stupid sacrafices (well, not as often) as through extensive use of the analyse board i've found most of them to be bad when i bother to check. Positionally my play has improved as well, particularly when dealing with pawns.
However, this aside, i am now hopeless at blitz. This isn't such a problem as i don't really play it any more but when i play matches for my club i oftern use too much time in the opening as im used to spending 10 minutes on every move (well, almost every...)
All in all i'd say that my un-timed chess is greatly improved. Unfortunately most competitive chess is timed so it's up to you to practice with a clock as well to get the best of both worlds 😉
I've found that the best way to improve is to play. Period. Studying Opening Books helps some but at my level there are constant deviations from book. The fastest way to improve is to study and apply tactics and the best way to learn how to apply tactics is to search them out during a live game... hence playing is of the utmost importance. My play has improved dramatically since joining the site.
Also, I don't try to learn a lot of different openings. I pick a couple and play them exclusively so that I get to know typical middle game tactics and endgame pawn structures.
Originally posted by donpon2Thank u 🙂
Thank you for your answers. I think both of you are perceptive. My main concern is relying too much on the analysis board, which may be weakening my ability to do the same OTB. Oh, well, win some, lose some. It's not like I depend on chess to earn a living.
I have found that when i play online at RHP i open the analyse board straight away and think out loud so to speak. However when i play OTB i don't miss it. In the League i play in for my club, the time controls are 1hr 15mins for 30 moves, followed by 1hr for all remaining moves. Generally speaking i force myself to analyse anew, even when repeating opening moves i've played countless times. This isn't so much to check that they are sound...i'm happy that they are sound enouph....what i am doing is making sure that i am understanding my opponent before i commit to outright attack/ defense or slow positional manouvering.
Having played over my openings again and again with the analyse board, i find i am aiming for deep positional considerations that i was unaware of before. Im not saying i'm some master of the opening or anything like that, just that the action of analysing a position (rather than making time constrained best guesses as in blitz), my play is no longer aimless. This was my first full season as a member of a team and i scored 8/10 (W7 D2 L1). Both draws would have been losses without RHP. 2 or 3 of the wins probably wouldn't have happened either. I've heard GM's say over and over, analyse your games. This site is an opportunity to combine study with actual play, what could be better for your game?
I agree entirely with marinakatomb: What could be better for your game? I learned about RHP because I told someone how much I hate blitz (I really hate it). As they say, ignorance is blitz. RHP is definitely better for your game than, say, playing 10 minute games on yahoo.com. Of course, playing OTB, in tournaments or wherever you happen to play, is a slightly different enterprise, but I think that of all the different ways to train yourself, except perhaps playing against the computer or reading books, this is the best. Playing against the computer can begome repetetive, and after studying openings or endgames or positional strategy, you begin to wonder how much/if your game is improving. And in my opinion, this is the right place to find out. This is the best opportunity you have to train yourself to play maximalist chess, to look for the objectively best move in every position. . .
I absolutely love this site. But I'm a positional player, so maybe I'm biased.
Originally posted by donpon2One of my biggest problems, especially in very fast games, is that I do not always trust my own calculation. But, the fact is, I'm a good calculator, and a good strategist. The analysis board helps me build confidence, in this respect; I can prove to myself that what I was already thinking is correct.
Thank you for your answers. I think both of you are perceptive. My main concern is relying too much on the analysis board, which may be weakening my ability to do the same OTB. Oh, well, win some, lose some. It's not like I depend on chess to earn a living.
Originally posted by KAMachiavelliAnd there we have it folks, the preverbial nail hit square on the head. Confidence in your chess, yes, it all makes sense now. Through use of the analyse board i've managed to save a lot of games. Drawn games i would have resigned before. This filters through to your OTB play! Now that you mention it THIS is why blitz is so bad!!! You make a mistake and think you're a bad player when in fact your not giving yourself a chance to be a good player!!!!!
The analysis board helps me build confidence, in this respect; I can prove to myself that what I was already thinking is correct.
If anyone needed to be convinced that correspondence chess is a worthwhile medium, I would say that the Scotch Game and French Defense both got their names from correspondence games. . . In his late teens, Alekhine played hundreds of correspondence games simultaneously. . . Tal won some great correspondence matches. . .
And it continues today.
As far as the Analysis Board goes I use it mainly to 'test out' my visualized analysis. I'll try to find the best line first and then run it through the board looking for things I may have missed. I don't always do this and it doesn't always prevent a blunder, but I think it helps keep me sharp OTB and learn at the same time. Bryan