I find that I suffer from a curious phenomenon while playing chess. It happens both OTB and here at RHP. I seem to naturally focus on an area of the board that is very active and almost block out portions of the board that I have deemed peripherally inactive. This has led to several astonishing blunders on my part. Do any of you guys use a certain method to analyze any given position? I realize I should just slow down and scan the entire board, but is there a methodical way I can do this and apply that process to any given game?
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Originally posted by SnaveDont think about chess moves.....dont caculate....I imagine your tunnel vision comes from seeing a good move and then focusing in on it. You need to just take in the whole board and the features of the position for 20-30 seconds before even thinking about moves.
I find that I suffer from a curious phenomenon while playing chess. It happens both OTB and here at RHP. I seem to naturally focus on an area of the board that is very active and almost block out portions of the board that I have deemed peripherally inactive. This has led to several astonishing blunders on my part. Do any of you guys use a certain method t ...[text shortened]... ire board, but is there a methodical way I can do this and apply that process to any given game?
You've definately hit on a point I've recognized as well. I tend to find a move that is the second in a combination that I've identified as good for me, and I lose sight of my opponents options. I simply jump on that move not taking into account the results of my opponents last move, let alone his next move. For the next week I'll spend at least 1 minute just looking at every board that I'm playing on and try to wipe out any preconceived notions that I may have already developed about the positions I see. Thanks.
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Originally posted by SnaveMaybe a system to slow down would be to take a piece of paper (or the RHP notebook?) and on each move try to caculate what you think the value of each piece is then write it down, since the value of pieces is never static this should take you a min or two in each position. It should also help with your tunnel vision since when you are working out how much a piece is worth you will also be working out why its worth that 🙂
You've definately hit on a point I've recognized as well. I tend to find a move that is the second in a combination that I've identified as good for me, and I lose sight of my opponents options. I simply jump on that move not taking into account the results of my opponents last move, let alone his next move. For the next week I'll spend at least 1 minute j ...[text shortened]... preconceived notions that I may have already developed about the positions I see. Thanks.
Originally posted by Bedlamat one point I decided to never move within an hour from when I first see the opponent's move. I don't do it anymore, but it helped a great deal.
Maybe a system to slow down would be to take a piece of paper (or the RHP notebook?) and on each move try to caculate what you think the value of each piece is then write it down, since the value of pieces is never static this should take you a min or two in each position. It should also help with your tunnel vision since when you are working out how much a piece is worth you will also be working out why its worth that 🙂
with fast games, literally sitting on your hands has proved to be a pretty good weapon against hasty moves. it slows you down just one or two seconds, but it's surprisingly often enough to avoid that reflex move, where you spot a huge mistake just a fraction of a second after making the move.
a more concrete way to actually train off the tunnel vision, would be to start doing problems on CTS, consciously focusing on looking over the whole position before moving. no matter how obvious the move was. (it's a good way to train your thought process in general, just force the process through a couple of thousand of times, and I'll be incredibly surprised if it does not get internalized.)
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Originally posted by wormwoodI find that on tactical problems I rarely see the whole board, when doing CT Art I just got into the habit of quick glance at the position and then trying to the first move that came to mind....whoops 🙂
at one point I decided to never move within an hour from when I first see the opponent's move. I don't do it anymore, but it helped a great deal.
with fast games, literally sitting on your hands has proved to be a pretty good weapon against hasty moves. it slows you down just one or two seconds, but it's surprisingly often enough to avoid that reflex mov ...[text shortened]... le of thousand of times, and I'll be incredibly surprised if it does not get internalized.)
My housemate seems to suffer from a similar thing. I can see him look at the pieces, he'll find a move and will spend a few minutes working out if it works, then he'll play the move without looking for other options. The result is he often over looks strong moves, that are often quite obvious!!
Personally, i always look at all my pieces, every move, even if i am half way through a combination. In fact, i spend much more time looking at my opponents pieces. What are they planning? Can i remove a vital square from his calculations? Can i move one of his pieces to a bad square?? That sort of thing.
If you are looking for a 'method', it'd be hard for me to give you a formula as each person is different. The thing about chess is it is very difficult to be taught, you have to learn it! If you were to discover a method under your own steam it would work for you MUCH better than anything someone tells you. I'll have a go though...
1. Why did my opponent move there?
2. What squares are important to him?
3. What pieces can i use to affect these squares (all of them, including sacrafices)
4. What do i want to do?
5. Can i combine the two??
6. Select candidate moves.
7. Choose and calculate the best variations.
8. Move
This is VERY ruff around the edges, but it is mean't as a basis for you to develop your own method.
If you are looking at all your pieces, you are generally looking at all the board. I will look at the potential places each piece can move to and look for patterns that link them together. By constantly re-accessing the position of your pieces in this way, combined with your opponents, you will gain a deeper understanding of the quirks of the position in front, and it is the quirks that swing games. 😉
Wormwood - I have recently signed up for CTS but I have felt pressure there to make a move quickly, I want a decent score after all. Much like here at RHP, I don't want my rating to decrease. I guess I really need to concentrate on my game and not my rating. I think doing those problems slowly will help out a great deal, as will slowing down here and playing less games online. Thanks.
Originally posted by MarinkatombMarinkatomb
My housemate seems to suffer from a similar thing. I can see him look at the pieces, he'll find a move and will spend a few minutes working out if it works, then he'll play the move without looking for other options. The result is he often over looks strong moves, that are often quite obvious!!
Personally, i always look at all my pieces, every move, e ...[text shortened]... tanding of the quirks of the position in front, and it is the quirks that swing games. 😉
Thanks for the elaborate post and you have made many good points. I often realize that I could have played a stronger move immediately after letting go of a piece or hitting the submit button.
I need to spend more time analyzing my opponents position. As I've done a little more study I've realized the importance of considering vital squares on the board as opposed to simply looking at the squares that my opponents pieces occupy. This is something I've truly never done and I consider it something of a breakthrough in my game.
Reading what you put in print about discovering my own method makes a whole lot of sense. Your post is much appreciated... Thank you.
Originally posted by Snaveaim for accurate AND fast. be thorough but efficient. the most important thing is to not move before you're ready. don't worry about the rating, the points are really hard to earn there. even GM's only score around 1800-1900 on cts...
Wormwood - I have recently signed up for CTS but I have felt pressure there to make a move quickly, I want a decent score after all. Much like here at RHP, I don't want my rating to decrease. I guess I really need to concentrate on my game and not my rating. I think doing those problems slowly will help out a great deal, as will slowing down here and playing less games online. Thanks.
the point I was trying to make was not that though, but that it's a convenient and easy way to get loads of problems served automatically, so you can focus exclusively working on the tunnel vision problem you have (or any other bad habit you might have developed). if you start guessing there, obsessing with the rating, It'll probably do no good for you. maybe it'll even develope you a bad case of trigger happiness. -but if you use it sensibly as a training tool, it can be very effective.