Originally posted by wormwood
only 3 losses and your rating shows no sign of stabilizing, so maybe you're doing everything right? ask again when you have a real problem. 🙂
seriously though, you can't go wrong with analysing your losses. figure out why you lost it, and work on that area.
I'd skip the books, at least until you have a clear well defined target area you need t ...[text shortened]... them, instead of trying to make up reasons for reading them, which is plain procrastination.
4 losses now.
Game 4431036
The thing about that one was after he made an inaccuracy that allowed the Greek Gift I was sure I had it in the bag. After 16...Kh8 I decided to retreat the B, a pawn up, rather than continue the attack as I couldn't see any clear mating attack there while he'd get good counter-play to limit my options with a Bb7-Qc6 battery. He later compelled the exchange of Qs leading to a level ending where my plus pawn wasn't so important, and I became so focused on trying to lift my Rs and put them on the h file that I just lost the thread. When I got up this morning I looked at the game for 5 seconds before making the move that allowed him to fork my Rs. Just terrible play on my part. And that backward d pawn was a PITA.
So, in light of that disaster, I've decided I also need to get my thinking in order again and start exercising some disciplined thinking process. This is what I intend to do there, as PM'd to someone else here (this is a copy/paste of my PM):
Its a checklist that, on each and every one of your moves consists of asking yourself the following:
1. What does my opponents last move threaten?
2. Does his threat need to be addressed on my move? If it does, will my move do so?
3. Are any of my pieces loose or hanging now?
4. Does he have any checks, discoveries, or tactical shots?
5. Do I have any tactical shots based on loose pieces, overloaded pieces, pinned pieces, or back rank weaknesses?
6. Will my move hang a piece its protecting, allow a check I can't meet, or put the piece en prise?
The important thing is to run through that list every time you move. You only need to forget to do it once to blunder and lose the game (as, ironically, I just did). A good thought process is to first look at his move and question 1. Then the first part of question 2. Write that threat down and if it needs to be met. Now look at the remaining points and make a note of any observations you see there. Then begin looking for candidate moves and write them down. Look even at candidates that don't seem to address his threat since you may find a stronger one. Candidate moves should be considered on the following rough list of priorities:
1. They meet or parry my opponents threat.
2. They create a threat stronger than his.
3. They setup or initiate a tactical shot.
4. They improve my position, or weaken his, through prophylaxis.
5. They activate, or improve, the position of an inactive piece.
Now is where you rank the candidate moves using the second 5 step list while comparing each move to each point on the first list. Example: you see can't see your opponents last move as creating any real threat. Looking over the board you see none of your pieces are hanging or loose and you see no criteria for creating a tactical shot So points 1-5 are covered on list 1 and you begin creating a list of candidates with the second list in mind. After the list is complete you run them through the first list (the blunder check list) to eliminate the bad moves, rank what's left of them on the second, and then play your move.
Where to begin?
10 Jan '08 23:01
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