Have you ever been nervous about an upcoming tournament or big game? What did you do to prepare? Did you over-prepare? Maybe you didn’t feel prepared enough. I think it can be likened to a college student cramming before exam day. Just about every professor in the world will tell you not to do that, and yet it is the preferred study style for so many. Don’t do it. It will hurt you.
If you entered the tournament or agreed to the competitive game, it’s because you felt you were at a place in chess where you had a chance. Don’t freak out as the time nears. Don’t change your study habits, and for goodness sake don’t study more. In fact, many top players simply do nothing before a tournament. They go fishing, they go to the races, they relax with a loved one on the couch for a good movie. Anything but chess. In my opinion, starting the game or tournament with a fresh outlook is best.
Of course, we all have different ways of learning and preparing. Maybe watching four hours of video lectures and going over a thousand GM games the night before a tournament helps you. It doesn’t help me, though, and I’d be willing to bet many (if not most) of you out there are the same. Over-preparing is just as bad as not preparing at all.
What a strong player does before a tournament may differ significantly from what a weak or beginning player might do. I would advise to find an Expert or above chess player and ask what his or her study habits are, especially before a tournament. I’ll bet it’s far less than what you think. Sure, they read books, do tactical problems and watch GM games and lectures the same as you do, but they may not be quite as “freaked out” as you are when it comes to the big game or tournament.
For a couple days before a big tournament, just relax a little. Go for a drive, take in the sights, breathe in the fresh air. Your brain knows a tournament is coming, and it won’t let you down. Similar to what happens when we dream, our subconscious takes over and it is working for us, trust me. You won’t believe how fresh and ready for chess you are after a three or four day hiatus. As I said, it may not work for you but it sure does work for me. Good luck in your games!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
To Bullet or Not to Bullet
Have you, as an Internet chess player, found that some days you can think fast and play bullet, and other days it just doesn’t happen? I do, and when I don’t have time for the nice long games that I like it gets very frustrating losing quick match after quick match. So, what should we do about that? Can we do anything at all?
On the Internet chess site where I normally play bullet I have been into the 1900s, but even on a real good day I’m not worth much more than that. However, it’s the days where I’m playing like a 1400 that bug me. I don’t mind dropping a game here or there to 1600s or 1700s and fluctuating from the high 1700s to the low 1900s. I really don’t. What I do mind is dropping three or four games in a row to beginners. It hurts both the rating and the ego.
Some sites like the ICC (Internet Chess Club) feature players who frequently if not exclusively engage in 1-minute chess and do very well. Many are titled. You can really tell when they have an off day, because they drop a few hundred points, just the same as we do. The trouble is, their “bad days” consist of only playing at the 2200 level, and not the 2500 level they are used to. If I dip from the 1900s into the high 1600s I’m disgusted with myself, so I can only imagine what going from 2512 to 2240 or something must feel. Points are not gained so easily at the high level as they are down here in Patzerville.
If you can “feel” that your game is off, and really bad, I suggest only playing two or three and then leaving it alone for a while. There is no use becoming frustrated and becoming angry over the game. That will only cause further losses in my experience. Go read something, step outside for a bit, maybe talk to someone on the phone; do anything but chess. Then see how you feel in an hour or so. You might be surprised how your game turns around once you give your mind a rest.
If your bullet chess does not improve but you still feel you can play a decent game that day, try 3/0 blitz. I find that if I’m in a bullet slump and go to a slower time control my chess really wakes up. Of course, we don’t always have time for a rewarding standard game (and some of you may not even like standard at all!) but after playing loads of 1-minute chess, a 3/0 can seem like a really long game.
On the Internet chess site where I normally play bullet I have been into the 1900s, but even on a real good day I’m not worth much more than that. However, it’s the days where I’m playing like a 1400 that bug me. I don’t mind dropping a game here or there to 1600s or 1700s and fluctuating from the high 1700s to the low 1900s. I really don’t. What I do mind is dropping three or four games in a row to beginners. It hurts both the rating and the ego.
Some sites like the ICC (Internet Chess Club) feature players who frequently if not exclusively engage in 1-minute chess and do very well. Many are titled. You can really tell when they have an off day, because they drop a few hundred points, just the same as we do. The trouble is, their “bad days” consist of only playing at the 2200 level, and not the 2500 level they are used to. If I dip from the 1900s into the high 1600s I’m disgusted with myself, so I can only imagine what going from 2512 to 2240 or something must feel. Points are not gained so easily at the high level as they are down here in Patzerville.
If you can “feel” that your game is off, and really bad, I suggest only playing two or three and then leaving it alone for a while. There is no use becoming frustrated and becoming angry over the game. That will only cause further losses in my experience. Go read something, step outside for a bit, maybe talk to someone on the phone; do anything but chess. Then see how you feel in an hour or so. You might be surprised how your game turns around once you give your mind a rest.
If your bullet chess does not improve but you still feel you can play a decent game that day, try 3/0 blitz. I find that if I’m in a bullet slump and go to a slower time control my chess really wakes up. Of course, we don’t always have time for a rewarding standard game (and some of you may not even like standard at all!) but after playing loads of 1-minute chess, a 3/0 can seem like a really long game.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
I Just Dropped a Piece!
Last night, something surreal happened to me, and it reminded me of Josh Waitzkin’s lecture in the Chessmaster series where his opponent moved a rook to threaten his queen, and Josh thought for something like 35 minutes about where to move her. Trouble was, the rook was unguarded and completely hanging! Finally, Josh actually moved his queen to another square, and did not realize that he’d missed a rook for the entire game. I thought to myself, Wow, haha, not a chance! What was he thinking? Well, it happened to me and let me tell you, it was weird.
I was playing on World Chess Live (www.worldchesslive.com), competing in their nightly Titanium King Challenge (TKC) tournament, a 4-round 25/0 that sometimes has a pretty strong field. I had done some tactical exercises and watched a video lecture, so I felt ready to go. I managed to beat my arch-rival on the site, a player rated almost exactly what I am, and then got pitted against a 2124, a rating I have yet to achieve. Just play the game, I thought, forget about the rating. Focus.
And focus I did. So much, in fact, that by move ten I had lost a piece and had no clue whatsoever that I had done so! I thought we were even material and my weak tactical maneuver had actually worked. What really happened is I ended up getting both his center pawns for a knight. Had I realized what I’d done I would likely have freaked-out a little and blundered further, sending my game into oblivion.
As it happens, I went on to smoothly and methodically win the game, never realizing at any time that I was down a whole piece. After the game, my opponent told me, “When I played g5 you just hung a piece. Why?” I was baffled, and hadn’t a clue what he was saying. We reviewed the game together, and I had more than a good laugh.
The point? Chess is not only learning, memory, strategy and calculating. It is also attitude. In fact, a big part of it is attitude. I remained “in the zone” after I dropped a piece and played as hard as I could because I didn’t know any better. Mentally and emotionally, I was still in the game, whereas if I’d realized my blunder I might quickly have lost focus. What Josh Waitzkin says in those Chessmaster lectures is absolutely true: Get in the moment. Sink into the position. Try to win, with every move. After all, sometimes the only loser is the one who stops fighting.
I was playing on World Chess Live (www.worldchesslive.com), competing in their nightly Titanium King Challenge (TKC) tournament, a 4-round 25/0 that sometimes has a pretty strong field. I had done some tactical exercises and watched a video lecture, so I felt ready to go. I managed to beat my arch-rival on the site, a player rated almost exactly what I am, and then got pitted against a 2124, a rating I have yet to achieve. Just play the game, I thought, forget about the rating. Focus.
And focus I did. So much, in fact, that by move ten I had lost a piece and had no clue whatsoever that I had done so! I thought we were even material and my weak tactical maneuver had actually worked. What really happened is I ended up getting both his center pawns for a knight. Had I realized what I’d done I would likely have freaked-out a little and blundered further, sending my game into oblivion.
As it happens, I went on to smoothly and methodically win the game, never realizing at any time that I was down a whole piece. After the game, my opponent told me, “When I played g5 you just hung a piece. Why?” I was baffled, and hadn’t a clue what he was saying. We reviewed the game together, and I had more than a good laugh.
The point? Chess is not only learning, memory, strategy and calculating. It is also attitude. In fact, a big part of it is attitude. I remained “in the zone” after I dropped a piece and played as hard as I could because I didn’t know any better. Mentally and emotionally, I was still in the game, whereas if I’d realized my blunder I might quickly have lost focus. What Josh Waitzkin says in those Chessmaster lectures is absolutely true: Get in the moment. Sink into the position. Try to win, with every move. After all, sometimes the only loser is the one who stops fighting.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Hikaru Nakamura: Going for it.
Could Hikaru Nakamura be the next world champion? It sure seems that way.
In the Tata Steel tournament being held in the Netherlands, Hikaru Nakamura is showing he is worth every bit of his 2751 rating. Of course, Magnus Carlsen (2814), who is rated #1 in the world isn’t going to just sit idly and watch Nakamura climb the ranks, and neither will the world champion, Viswanathan Anand, whom Nakamura is tied with in the tournament. I believe some exciting chess is coming our way in 2011.
Now, I’m not one to speculate normally, and 2700+ level chess is so far beyond my comprehension that it may as well be quantum physics, but the new article in the NYT chess blog (http://gambit.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/four-tied-for-the-lead-of-tata-steel-chess-tournament)is suggesting that Hikaru Nakamura definitely has what it takes to be a top contender when he sets his mind to it.
On the Internet Chess Club (ICC – www.chessclub.com) Hikaru Nakamura is consistently one of the highest rated players on, batting GMs around in 1/0 while kibitzing his thoughts and playing with his music mix at the same time. In my view, Nakamura is like a baby rattlesnake; although their bite is vicious, they are still a little out of control and need some honing in order to become a full-blown predator.
I think we can expect some very good things from Hikaru Nakamura this year, and that he is quickly becoming more goal-oriented in the overall picture. Sure, he can sit down with the best GMs in the world and give them a game anytime, day or night, but consistency is the key that is going to propel him into a major part of chess history, in my opinion. I have high hopes for him, not only because he is American but because his brutal chess style and unbelievable vision could easily become legendary.
In the Tata Steel tournament being held in the Netherlands, Hikaru Nakamura is showing he is worth every bit of his 2751 rating. Of course, Magnus Carlsen (2814), who is rated #1 in the world isn’t going to just sit idly and watch Nakamura climb the ranks, and neither will the world champion, Viswanathan Anand, whom Nakamura is tied with in the tournament. I believe some exciting chess is coming our way in 2011.
Now, I’m not one to speculate normally, and 2700+ level chess is so far beyond my comprehension that it may as well be quantum physics, but the new article in the NYT chess blog (http://gambit.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/four-tied-for-the-lead-of-tata-steel-chess-tournament)is suggesting that Hikaru Nakamura definitely has what it takes to be a top contender when he sets his mind to it.
On the Internet Chess Club (ICC – www.chessclub.com) Hikaru Nakamura is consistently one of the highest rated players on, batting GMs around in 1/0 while kibitzing his thoughts and playing with his music mix at the same time. In my view, Nakamura is like a baby rattlesnake; although their bite is vicious, they are still a little out of control and need some honing in order to become a full-blown predator.
I think we can expect some very good things from Hikaru Nakamura this year, and that he is quickly becoming more goal-oriented in the overall picture. Sure, he can sit down with the best GMs in the world and give them a game anytime, day or night, but consistency is the key that is going to propel him into a major part of chess history, in my opinion. I have high hopes for him, not only because he is American but because his brutal chess style and unbelievable vision could easily become legendary.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Playing Defense in Chess: Chicken or Fox?
The vast majority of chess players, and beginners in particular, love to play attacking chess. We see the immortal games of Morphy, Alekhine, Tal and Fischer and wish to emulate their style. What we do not necessarily understand, is that these players were also master defenders. If they weren’t, many more of their games would have ended with their kings in checkmate instead of wins or draws against very strong competition. Let’s take a quick look at defensive chess.
1. Always look at the position, and at least as far as your opponent’s best move, before deciding to go on an attacking spree. If he or she is lined up for a head-spinning piece sacrifice that ends in mate or heavy loss of material, we must defend first. Defending is not as easy as attacking in many cases, but is just as, if not more so, necessary. One relatively easy way to defend is a chess term called Prophylactics. You simply decipher what your opponent’s plan is, and try to stop it. If you can attack and defend at the same time, all the better.
2. It is a well-known rule that unless your opponent blunders into a quick checkmate or loss of material during the opening, the best idea is to develop all of your pieces before launching an attack. Get the rooks to the center files or on open files, get the bishops to squares where they can own the most real estate, and castle your king. It stands to reason, then, that someone in a good position out of the opening is intrinsically more difficult to attack. Therefore, simply getting all your forces out into play must be a defense in an of itself.
3. Attack. Yes, we just ascertained that attacking only can be detrimental, but if the attack is solid and successful, then your opponent must either defend or lose the game, and they cannot normally attack while they are doing either. So sometimes, the adage that claims the best defense is a good offense rings very true, especially in chess. Again, set up the attack carefully and execute it with precision, instead of simply allowing your queen and a bishop to be batted around in the opening, losing you a lot of precious time and tempos. One good rule to live by that a master once told me: It takes three pieces to mate. Getting out of the habit of trying it with only two will definitely net better results.
And so, we have decided in three simple paragraphs that defense in chess is indeed not only necessary sometimes, but correct. One simply must learn to defend in certain positions, even though attacking and hoping for checkmate is a lot more fun. Study lines, get to know what squares each opening is playing for, and do your best to stop your opponent’s plans, all the while making plans of your own. Doing that results in a hefty battle usually, and will increase your chess rating quite a bit.
1. Always look at the position, and at least as far as your opponent’s best move, before deciding to go on an attacking spree. If he or she is lined up for a head-spinning piece sacrifice that ends in mate or heavy loss of material, we must defend first. Defending is not as easy as attacking in many cases, but is just as, if not more so, necessary. One relatively easy way to defend is a chess term called Prophylactics. You simply decipher what your opponent’s plan is, and try to stop it. If you can attack and defend at the same time, all the better.
2. It is a well-known rule that unless your opponent blunders into a quick checkmate or loss of material during the opening, the best idea is to develop all of your pieces before launching an attack. Get the rooks to the center files or on open files, get the bishops to squares where they can own the most real estate, and castle your king. It stands to reason, then, that someone in a good position out of the opening is intrinsically more difficult to attack. Therefore, simply getting all your forces out into play must be a defense in an of itself.
3. Attack. Yes, we just ascertained that attacking only can be detrimental, but if the attack is solid and successful, then your opponent must either defend or lose the game, and they cannot normally attack while they are doing either. So sometimes, the adage that claims the best defense is a good offense rings very true, especially in chess. Again, set up the attack carefully and execute it with precision, instead of simply allowing your queen and a bishop to be batted around in the opening, losing you a lot of precious time and tempos. One good rule to live by that a master once told me: It takes three pieces to mate. Getting out of the habit of trying it with only two will definitely net better results.
And so, we have decided in three simple paragraphs that defense in chess is indeed not only necessary sometimes, but correct. One simply must learn to defend in certain positions, even though attacking and hoping for checkmate is a lot more fun. Study lines, get to know what squares each opening is playing for, and do your best to stop your opponent’s plans, all the while making plans of your own. Doing that results in a hefty battle usually, and will increase your chess rating quite a bit.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Improving your Chess with a Plan
Have you ever noticed that players (especially on the Internet) with a rating of 1900 or greater seem to move quicker, and more accurately? Even in a long game, they are able to navigate the position with ease compared to the 1500 crowd. Why is that? It’s because they have a plan. Even if they don’t have a complete plan in the particular game, they are able to understand small nuances of the position that other chess players may miss.
One of those is recognizing weak squares, both in your opponent’s camp and yourr own. They work on both defending and attacking at the same time, whereas a lower rated player might only attack, or only defend. A fine-tuned mix of both will increase your rating big time. After each time your opponent moves, ask yourself why he played it, and what, if any, the threat is. Stopping your opponent’s plan is huge in chess.
Another is becoming familiar with a couple openings that work for you. Trying new things is fine, and everyone does it at some point. But a chess player needs to know what his or her “style” is in order to successfully choose an opening repertoire. Ask yourself a few questions before choosing one: Am I an aggressive player, or do I enjoy slow positional bouts? Am I comfortable with an isolated d-pawn in some instances, or would I rather try and grab the whole center? Do I find myself attacked on the king side a lot in games, or am I the one doing the attacking? Once you get definitive answers to those questions, choosing your opening style becomes easier.
Finally, the dreaded endgame. There is simply no way around it; you must study up on endgames if you want to survive into the 1900s and beyond with your chess. You must brush up on the idea of king opposition, of tempo, and know which pawns to try and queen based on the opponent’s king location. And that’s just for starters. Gather as much information as you can on the endgame, and then you’ll find that your middle game improves because you are trying to reach an ending you are comfortable in. Believe it or not, at the Expert/Master level entire openings can be chosen because of how their end games usually work out.
Chess isn’t easy!
One of those is recognizing weak squares, both in your opponent’s camp and yourr own. They work on both defending and attacking at the same time, whereas a lower rated player might only attack, or only defend. A fine-tuned mix of both will increase your rating big time. After each time your opponent moves, ask yourself why he played it, and what, if any, the threat is. Stopping your opponent’s plan is huge in chess.
Another is becoming familiar with a couple openings that work for you. Trying new things is fine, and everyone does it at some point. But a chess player needs to know what his or her “style” is in order to successfully choose an opening repertoire. Ask yourself a few questions before choosing one: Am I an aggressive player, or do I enjoy slow positional bouts? Am I comfortable with an isolated d-pawn in some instances, or would I rather try and grab the whole center? Do I find myself attacked on the king side a lot in games, or am I the one doing the attacking? Once you get definitive answers to those questions, choosing your opening style becomes easier.
Finally, the dreaded endgame. There is simply no way around it; you must study up on endgames if you want to survive into the 1900s and beyond with your chess. You must brush up on the idea of king opposition, of tempo, and know which pawns to try and queen based on the opponent’s king location. And that’s just for starters. Gather as much information as you can on the endgame, and then you’ll find that your middle game improves because you are trying to reach an ending you are comfortable in. Believe it or not, at the Expert/Master level entire openings can be chosen because of how their end games usually work out.
Chess isn’t easy!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Anonymous Quote
Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong!
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