1. Standard memberwormwood
    If Theres Hell Below
    We're All Gonna Go!
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    11 Mar '06 13:021 edit
    I finally got tired of losing a lot of games because of dropping pieces. I don't mean those situations where you get outplayed positionally and are forced to lose a piece, or some really complicated tactic that you play wrong. I mean those braindead blunders, where you just drop a piece for no reason whatsoever. bishops assassinating undeveloped rooks from the corner, landing queen into a Q+K fork, hanging a piece generally. which I still do quite often, regardless of the tens of thousands of tactics I've solved, and daily work on it.

    so I decided to start applying a blunder check on every move I make. It turned out surprisingly hard to really stick with it rigorously, but I already caught one winning knight fork within first 10 moves or so, in a position I had thought about for a longish period.

    I tend to be a bit obsessive about this kind of things, so I of course drifted on to think about and research thought processes in general. I've dabbled with it before, but lack of determination, I guess, caused me to stop trying it out before long. but now I feel a real motivation, and am going to create a customized process and use it on every rhp-game, maybe doing it even written like a stoyko-exercise. in CC there's the time, so why not.

    my question is: what kind of structured thought processes do you have?

    It would be nice to hear what kind of thought processes players of different strengths have. do they differ in the amount of detail? is there a rating-limit after which it's almost required? did strong players start using one when they were low-rated, and how did it affect their game initially? It's given most of us low-rated players don't use any, but it would also be interesting to hear about higher-rated players who don't.
  2. back in business
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    11 Mar '06 13:49
    Originally posted by wormwood
    my question is: what kind of structured thought processes do you have?
    [/b]
    usually I play the first sensible-looking move that comes to my mind.
  3. Joined
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    11 Mar '06 13:59

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  4. Standard memberhuckleberryhound
    Devout Agnostic.
    DZ-015
    Joined
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    11 Mar '06 14:01
    I just bought a chess game lately and am starting to go throught the tutorial.
    I have already learned how to prevent some of my greater blunders by reading through the beginers lessons, by learning about taking advantage of the open files, pawn skeletons, etc. I can only guess that my rating will soon see the benafits of this.
    Now i dont loose my queen as easily, and dont trade my bishops for knights so readily.

    But avoiding the impulse "click. . .DOH" factor has been my greatest coup. Count to 10 before confirming move 🙂
  5. Joined
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    6500
    11 Mar '06 15:161 edit
    i suppose this is one of my greatest faults... i often spot a potencial Knight fork before i spot a hanging queen...


    Generally When it comes to each move I try and see what threats my openants have, and their plans [I.e tactics like potecinal pins, forks, etc].....aswell as thinking of my own.... if i'm on the offensive i generally disregard the former.

    depending of my attittude, my time, and my desire to win will generally dictaite the amount of effort i put in into "finding the move" -- its when i play weaker players, and/or can't be bothered is when i make huge blunders -
  6. Edmonton, Alberta
    Joined
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    11 Mar '06 18:40
    Wormwood, after you think of your move do you put it into the analysis board and then try stuff out for you opponent?

    That might help you, since you get a feel for the position and see what your opponent could potentially play after you make that move.

    Ohh I got it. I'm going to PM this to you. It's great and easy to implement!
  7. Canukistan
    Joined
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    12 Mar '06 01:00
    Dan Heisman has a few good articles on this subject available on line. Have a look at http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman14.pdf , and you might also check out his "Thinking Cap" series he did for Jeremy Silman's site at http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_thinking_cap/archive.html
  8. Standard member33moves
    4th stooge
    anytown, USA
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    12 Mar '06 01:261 edit
    1. what is the opponents threat? If you see that it needs to be answered, pick a move that preferrably develops a piece and even creates a counter threat- BLUNDER CHECK, move
    2. If the above isn't significant, look for tactical opportunities- are pieces hanging? is the King exposed or vulnerable? If you find a tactic- BLUNDER CHECK! move.
    3. If both of the above aren't there, Strategic planning comes into play. Finish development, increase the scope of your pieces, pick a target, such as a backward pawn and pile up attacks on it, take away squares from their knights and their bishops, seek active play- kill kill kill and BLUNDER CHECK move.
    Always with the blunder check- with all of this, my rating has gone up and continues to rise. Read all of the books by Jeremy Silman, he will help you to see the need for developing a plan and how to maximise the use of your pieces!
  9. Standard memberAThousandYoung
    Shoot the Squatters?
    tinyurl.com/43m7k8bw
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    12 Mar '06 01:531 edit
    Check out my post here:

    http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=37207

    EDIT - Also check here:

    http://home.worldonline.dk/kfyhn/VikingChess/RussellBlack/Article1.htm
  10. Joined
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    6676
    12 Mar '06 03:45
    I agree with prior posts in that the single most important thing to do to cut mistakes is to take up your opponents pieces and play them against yours. It's hard for beginners to do that psychologically because they don't like to see their plans thwarted. Well, in that case you must adjust your plan.
  11. Under Cover
    Joined
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    28912
    12 Mar '06 06:11
    Originally posted by AThousandYoung
    Check out my post here:

    http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=37207

    EDIT - Also check here:

    http://home.worldonline.dk/kfyhn/VikingChess/RussellBlack/Article1.htm
    I just read the Viking Chess article, and I thought it was very good. I second this recommendation.
  12. Standard memberAmaurote
    No Name Maddox
    County Doledrum
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    12 Mar '06 10:21
    Lack of confidence is the key part of my problem in being unable to beat higher-rated players - against lower-rated players I've reasonably systematic and unworried, but once I start playing 1700-rated and higher-rated players I tend to look for the most defensive position first, and I'm inclined to panic and get caught en prise after looking at positions for five minutes to long, not seeing a way out and playing semi-desperately. Until I conquer that, I'm not going to be able to develop my chess at all, no
    matter how many times I look at Silman or hone my openings (which is the second of the stumbling-blocks I have to face against stronger players).
  13. Standard memberwormwood
    If Theres Hell Below
    We're All Gonna Go!
    Joined
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    12 Mar '06 10:55
    Originally posted by AThousandYoung
    Check out my post here:

    http://www.redhotpawn.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=37207
    thanks, I looked for that thread but couldn't find it...

    rahim, yes I do use analysing-board always, I think that's probably why I play so lousy blitz. need more visualisation exercises. doing reinfeld 300 for that effect now.

    skorj, yea those articles are familiar, but thanks anyway. many others probably haven't read them.

    reg, I've been trying to play upside down, now that there's the new 'flip board' feature. it's a lot easier to see opponent's threats that way, and my own position becomes harder to see. so I think it's more about brain getting trained to recognize mirrored patterns than not wanting to see your plans busted. although false pride is certainly a factor too, as is lack of confidence... but do you have a more or less structured process?

    any more thought processes?
  14. Standard memberAThousandYoung
    Shoot the Squatters?
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    12 Mar '06 17:34
    Originally posted by wormwood
    thanks, I looked for that thread but couldn't find it...

    rahim, yes I do use analysing-board always, I think that's probably why I play so lousy blitz. need more visualisation exercises. doing reinfeld 300 for that effect now.

    skorj, yea those articles are familiar, but thanks anyway. many others probably haven't read them.

    reg, I've been trying t ...[text shortened]... e... but do you have a more or less structured process?

    any more thought processes?
    Just copy and paste the address into the address bar. Let me see if I can remember how to link threads:

    Thread 37207
  15. Edmonton, Alberta
    Joined
    25 Nov '04
    Moves
    2101
    12 Mar '06 20:12
    Originally posted by wormwood
    thanks, I looked for that thread but couldn't find it...

    rahim, yes I do use analysing-board always, I think that's probably why I play so lousy blitz. need more visualisation exercises. doing reinfeld 300 for that effect now.

    skorj, yea those articles are familiar, but thanks anyway. many others probably haven't read them.

    reg, I've been trying t ...[text shortened]... e... but do you have a more or less structured process?

    any more thought processes?
    Here's one, it's a short read which I got from a Fm's website. I think it was written by Larry Evans. I thought it was pretty good..

    It more about planning though.

    http://www.davidlevinchess.com/

    Left hand side, instruction, larry evan's method.
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