The Mentor Thread-Tips for Beginners

Originally posted by welsharnie
You seem to like calling people 'trolls'. Before you do that, you should take a step back and have a look at yourself...

You have recently:

* Accused someone of cheating, when everyone else posting in that thread (most of them stronger players than yourself) recognised that there was no way he was cheating (regardless of the fact that you then were ...[text shortened]... to ignore my posts, but i will continue to post whenever I feel it necessary.

Wow

On a different note, after my opponent makes a move the first thing I check for it tactics. What about you guys?

If there are none, then I look for positional stuff.

In that game with Kasp vs Petrosian I posted, the first or second diagram, are you telling me Rd8 is positionally bad? It's not positionally bad. Open file, get your rook on it that is positional. It's a tactically bad move and that is why it wasn't played.

Originally posted by basso
OK, I'm kinda new to the study of chess, though I've been playing for a few years. I understand how to study tactics and endgames, but how to study "positional basics, and pawn structures, square strategy"? Thanks.

You need to read Nimzovitsch's two books to gain some insight into the finer aspects of positional play. Also, it never hurts to study Capablanca or Rubenstein. First, read Kmoch's book on Rubenstein, then play through "My System" and "Chess Praxis" by Nimzovitch. After that, go through any collection on Capablanca, including the ones by Chernev and Golombeck. You'll then be ready to study the games of Alekhine and Botvinnik. Who knows, if you have the determination to get this far, you can then study the games of Smyslov and learn the most difficult aspect of chess: how to win a won game. Good luck!

Originally posted by basso
About positional play: Is positional play essentially the same as strategy? Are they close cousins, or even related? Is to study one to study the other? And is the best way to study this to work through annotated master games? Thanks.

Yes, positional play is very closely related to strategy. Think of it this way: tactics are what you have to do right now in order to get the future position you want. Strategy is more akin to the plan you devise and employ to combat the opponent in an advantageous manner...but it is constantly evolving as your opponent counters your moves.

Study of tactics will improve your positional understanding, but not vice versa. As a new player, it is far more important that you study tactics and have a complete understanding of mating patterns and tactical motiffs before embarking on a study of strong squares vs. weak ones, etc.

A Russian grandmaster once told me that at the Soviet chess academy he attended, they were made to study nothing but classic games for two years before they were ever allowed to study openings. The point I'm making is that there are really no shortcuts. If you care to learn how to play the game properly (or to acquire a modicum of skill) be prepared for a lot of hard work and many setbacks over the board.

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
You need to read Nimzovitsch's two books to gain some insight into the finer aspects of positional play. Also, it never hurts to study Capablanca or Rubenstein. First, read Kmoch's book on Rubenstein, then play through "My System" and "Chess Praxis" by Nimzovitch. After that, go through any collection on Capablanca, including the ones by Chernev ...[text shortened]... f Smyslov and learn the most difficult aspect of chess: how to win a won game. Good luck!

Sounds like good advice. Thanks much.

I had some thought's about my ideas about tactics, and positional learning.
What i realized, is it would make more sense for a beginner, or advanced beginner to look at complete games.
Not really annotated, as this might be too steep a gradient for them, but just play through some games from a database, or book.
Get a feel for how the masters played. Start with any piticular master from the past, and work up to the modern games.
Heisman, the guy on chess cafes, Novice nook, commented on how some kids nowdays, dont have an idea of the old classics, only looking at modern games.
The tactics, positional, endgames, etc are all in there.
GN lombardy was telling me this in a lesson i took with him.
In his time there was no databases, so he poured over every game he could get.
This is a thirst for knowledge, that any potential master should have

The Chernev book 'Capablanca's Best Chess Endings: 60 Complete Games' is a superb book if you are trying to learn the art of endgames. ('Fundamental Chess Endings' is also very useful, and is more informative as to what each player should be doing in endgames with various material balances.)
'The life and games of Mikhael Tal' is my personal favourite, although maybe not the very best book around for improvement, it certainly is useful, and offers insights into the mind of my favourite chess player.

Originally posted by welsharnie
The Chernev book 'Capablanca's Best Chess Endings: 60 Complete Games' is a superb book if you are trying to learn the art of endgames. ('Fundamental Chess Endings' is also very useful, and is more informative as to what each player should be doing in endgames with various material balances.)
'The life and games of Mikhael Tal' is my personal favourite, a ...[text shortened]... , it certainly is useful, and offers insights into the mind of my favourite chess player.

Ya I heard that Tal's is very good. He is a great writer and the world lost out in his writing skills but the chess world benefited from him.

I would recommend Logical Chess Move by Move by chernev, i think thats his name

and Chess, the art of logical thinking by Neil Mcdonald. Its a great book, exactly like logical chess but with new games by anand, kasp, topolav,kramnik etc..

Originally posted by RahimK
Ya I heard that Tal's is very good. He is a great writer and the world lost out in his writing skills but the chess world benefited from him.

I would recommend Logical Chess Move by Move by chernev, i think thats his name

and Chess, the art of logical thinking by Neil Mcdonald. Its a great book, exactly like logical chess but with new games by anand, kasp, topolav,kramnik etc..

Neil McDonald has also produced 'Mastering Chess Tactics', which is an excellent primer for beginners and intermediates. It covers everything you need to know about them, and is very well laid out.

Loking at the last post i noticed this was allready mentioned😳
This i think is waht i was trying to get at.
Study games!
Especialy the old masters.
I beleive this was the way Kasparov also started

Originally posted by welsharnie
The Chernev book 'Capablanca's Best Chess Endings: 60 Complete Games' is a superb book if you are trying to learn the art of endgames. ('Fundamental Chess Endings' is also very useful, and is more informative as to what each player should be doing in endgames with various material balances.)
'The life and games of Mikhael Tal' is my personal favourite, a ...[text shortened]... , it certainly is useful, and offers insights into the mind of my favourite chess player.

Logical Chess is good for a beginner, around 1200. I liked it, but its not that deep. My teacher recomends the Nunn book. Understanding chess move by move. More suited for an intermediate.
Tal also is better for an intermediate.
The problem with someone under 1400 is a lot of books will be over their heads.
Try a lot of games first, then move on to annotated books

Originally posted by Grandmouster
Logical Chess is good for a beginner, around 1200. I liked it, but its not that deep. My teacher recomends the Nunn book. Understanding chess move by move. More suited for an intermediate.
Tal also is better for an intermediate.
The problem with someone under 1400 is a lot of books will be over their heads.
Try a lot of games first, then move on to annotated books

Yes, Tal is better for an intermediate. Looking at basso's prov. grade, I figured that would be suitable. Some of it maybe a bit too complex, but the analysis in it is quite easy to follow.

Master games require people to help them study it, they are not things that a beginner can study on their own (if they cannot follow annotated games in a book, how will they understand what is going on in a master game without annotations?! else they merely end up aping the ideas without understanding the thinking behind them...) I have seen plenty of books around which annotate past master games, and I am sure Grandmouster can recommend more of them than me, as I do not read a great deal of chess books.

Originally posted by welsharnie
Yes, Tal is better for an intermediate. Looking at basso's prov. grade, I figured that would be suitable. Some of it maybe a bit too complex, but the analysis in it is quite easy to follow.

Master games require people to help them study it, they are not things that a beginner can study on their own (if they cannot follow annotated games in a book, how ...[text shortened]... Grandmouster can recommend more of them than me, as I do not read a great deal of chess books.

That's what my lessons are trying to get at. Helping people understand the moves but unfortunately there is very little feedback. Those 3 problems I posted are still not solved, yet they are so easy. I'm seriously considering to stop wasting my time with this. When others such as Bowmann would post a puzzle they people would immedietly solve them, yet when I post a whole game no one trys to solve the puzzles at the end 🙁

Originally posted by RahimK
That's what my lessons are trying to get at. Helping people understand the moves but unfortunately there is very little feedback. Those 3 problems I posted are still not solved, yet they are so easy. I'm seriously considering to stop wasting my time with this. When others such as Bowmann would post a puzzle they people would immedietly solve them, yet when I post a whole game no one trys to solve the puzzles at the end 🙁

Try just positions> whole games may be too much for some people, especialy without a java board to play them on.
Most people cant figure out how to load games into chessbase, or other software

Originally posted by Grandmouster
Try just positions> whole games may be too much for some people, especialy without a java board to play them on.
Most people cant figure out how to load games into chessbase, or other software

They could always use a real board. The games I pick only last around 20 moves so its not hard to follow.

I never liked it when a book just gave a position. I always wonder how that position happened, or if they just made it up. Plus everyone says study master games. Seeing how the game un folded is so much better.

I'll give it some more days. I got some great Kasp, Ivanchuk, Karpov games.