I wonder if anyone has written any software to help you with the vision exercises (the ones he recommends doing before the problems). I can just use 'set up position' in some random piece of software, but it winds up being a lot of unnecessary clicking, and of course the answers aren't checked. (Could just use a board, too, but I'd rather practice on the computer since that's where I'll be playing most.)
Originally posted by incandenzaYou need a board & pieces for the vision exercises - that's the whole idea.
I wonder if anyone has written any software to help you with the vision exercises (the ones he recommends doing before the problems). I can just use 'set up position' in some random piece of software, but it winds up being a lot of unnecessary clicking, and of course the answers aren't checked. (Could just use a board, too, but I'd rather practice on the computer since that's where I'll be playing most.)
The knight vision one works very well.
For anyone that doesn't know, you put a knight on a1 & actually hit the squares to which it can move with your finger (leaving the knight alone), then a2, a3 etc right through to h8.
I did this twice & it took maybe 10 minutes of board-slapping, but yeah, after you're done put the knight on a random square & all the legal moves do jump out at you.
It may be incredibly basic, but MDLM argues that athletes practice the basics over & over again to hone their skills, so why not a chess player?
Knight Vision exercises helped me, and the best is to redo them, even after you think you got it down pat.
The "concentric squares" was interesting too. I like to change it up, with a sorts of different pieces and setups.
I like to combine the two, add a few pieces on the board and do the knight moves.
The problem solving can be very very time consuming, it may help if you set it up in "smaller batches".
Originally posted by SquelchbelchI don't see why that should be. e.g. if there was a piece of software that would put the knight on each square and make you click the squares it could move to--what's the problem with that?
You need a board & pieces for the vision exercises - that's the whole idea.
It seems your vision would always be slightly different on a real vs. 2D board.
Originally posted by pawntorook4Are you actually using CT-Art?
Knight Vision exercises helped me, and the best is to redo them, even after you think you got it down pat.
The "concentric squares" was interesting too. I like to change it up, with a sorts of different pieces and setups.
I like to combine the two, add a few pieces on the board and do the knight moves.
The problem solving can be very very time consuming, it may help if you set it up in "smaller batches".
I know we PM'd recently about this & I thought maybe Chess tactics for beginners
http://products.convekta.com/198/2/
may be better for -1300 players to start.
I think many of the CT-Art problems would be hit-and-hope for -1300's & may put them off.
The pattern recognition aspects would probably sink in though with practice.
Originally posted by incandenzaYou're supoposed to physically hit the potential move squares with your finger though.
I don't see why that should be. e.g. if there was a piece of software that would put the knight on each square and make you click the squares it could move to--what's the problem with that?
It seems your vision would always be slightly different on a real vs. 2D board.
I guess you could smudge your screen/monitor!
Originally posted by SquelchbelchHmm, well I don't see clicking a square vs. physically touching one as a distinction that could possibly make any difference.
You're supoposed to physically hit the potential move squares with your finger though.
I guess you could smudge your screen/monitor!
Originally posted by SquelchbelchWhat I am using is a set of problems I printed off a site I found, that had several hundred problems, from easy (1-2 mate) to difficult (6-8)
Are you actually using CT-Art?
I know we PM'd recently about this & I thought maybe Chess tactics for beginners
http://products.convekta.com/198/2/
may be better for -1300 players to start.
I think many of the CT-Art problems would be hit-and-hope for -1300's & may put them off.
The pattern recognition aspects would probably sink in though with practice.
Haven't gotten past the 4-5 to mate yet. I want to practice stuff I can actually figure out.
Originally posted by incandenzaMaybe the physical aspect is to do with OTB play?
Hmm, well I don't see clicking a square vs. physically touching one as a distinction that could possibly make any difference.
Clicking the squares may be enough if you only ever play on a pc.
I don't know anything about the psychological aspects of physically hitting the squares with your finger, but as I say, the legal moves almost seem highlighted on the board after doing it twice then putting a knight on random squares.
You presumably have a board & pieces?
Try both that & on a pc & see if there's a difference.
Actually I don't have a board at the moment, but I'd pick one up if I decided to try this technique.
Still seems to me that it would be useful to have a piece of software that did all these drills. e.g. on the forking/skewering exercises, it could confirm that you didn't miss any of the squares, and could also measure your time and accuracy.
I'm almost considering writing something like this myself, which is why I was kind of wondering if it already existed. (Probably not, since I've never seen such a thing mentioned on any of those blogs.) Don't know if you could do it by scripting winboard or something.
John Nunn has an interesting opinion regarding Michael de la Maza's Rapid Chess Improvement which he describes in Secrets of Practical Chess (2nd Edition). I have not read the MDLM book but have read the articles on ChessCafe. I would suggest reading Nunn's review and think about just how much time you wish to devote to MDLM's techniques before embarking on them.