No, it has nothing to do with the TV show. Rather, it will be about games I played where I eventually lost. More of self-discovery/self-therapy for me, which is precisely what this blog is all about (though being read and eventually helping others out is not a far-off consideration too). But I will try to inject as much "formal" theory in the analysis as practicable, especially in the openings where reference materials abound.
I believe understanding games where I lost could improve my performance much faster than analyzing those where I won. For one, it would tend to reinforce carefulness, especially in those games where I simply blundered because of rushing my moves or not concentrating enough to analyze the move thoroughly before committing it.
I hope to get your feedback and suggestions, too. Hopefully the developing collection of games would be of much help (and entertainment) to you as I expect it to be to me.
Happy New Year everyone!
Read More......
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Discipline in Correspondence Chess, Part 7
A Closer Look at Openings
I wasn't really sure at first about considering this article as part of the "Discipline" series, but I guess the mere fact that I am not practicing what I will soon be talking about just shows the need for "discipline" in this area of my games.
What I observed in most of my games, whether won or lost, is the lack of understanding of how my opening moves affected the development of the game. I think this can be attributed partly to the superficial understanding I have of the openings I use. This in turn can be traced to the haphazard way I employ opening moves. In a number of games that begin simultaneously, usually in a tournament in cc, I would usually employ about half as many openings as the number of games I play as white, which would usually mean three or more opening types, six in total considering my response as black. Plus the fact that I would use another set of totaly different openings if I happen to start another set of tournament games, some of which I don't even recognize the idea behind it. I am beginning to realize I won't get very far in developing my understanding and skill in the game if I continue to do this. Then add to that the lack of discipline to analyze the games as it progress, and you have a recipe for disaster, or at least getting by without getting much out of a game, which in turn makes it a lot less fun (as in any sport, lack of development of skill is one sure way to make it boring).
So on this aspect of the game, I would start making changes in such a way that I would employ a minimal set of openings, perhaps two each for white and black, a total of four, for a certain duration of time enough for me to have a deeper understanding of its pros and cons. I imagine it would be easier for white, since I can dictate more or less the opening, but it would be a bit of a trick for black since I would have to prepare and research more in anticipation of white's opening.
In addition, I would try to understand each game better by taking down notes and observations as the game progress. And this could mean making changes on my game habits, in particular, playing less games but paying more attention to it. And yet, I feel that I would be getting
more, and perhaps having more fun, by doing this rather than playing games haphazardly.
I wasn't really sure at first about considering this article as part of the "Discipline" series, but I guess the mere fact that I am not practicing what I will soon be talking about just shows the need for "discipline" in this area of my games.
What I observed in most of my games, whether won or lost, is the lack of understanding of how my opening moves affected the development of the game. I think this can be attributed partly to the superficial understanding I have of the openings I use. This in turn can be traced to the haphazard way I employ opening moves. In a number of games that begin simultaneously, usually in a tournament in cc, I would usually employ about half as many openings as the number of games I play as white, which would usually mean three or more opening types, six in total considering my response as black. Plus the fact that I would use another set of totaly different openings if I happen to start another set of tournament games, some of which I don't even recognize the idea behind it. I am beginning to realize I won't get very far in developing my understanding and skill in the game if I continue to do this. Then add to that the lack of discipline to analyze the games as it progress, and you have a recipe for disaster, or at least getting by without getting much out of a game, which in turn makes it a lot less fun (as in any sport, lack of development of skill is one sure way to make it boring).
So on this aspect of the game, I would start making changes in such a way that I would employ a minimal set of openings, perhaps two each for white and black, a total of four, for a certain duration of time enough for me to have a deeper understanding of its pros and cons. I imagine it would be easier for white, since I can dictate more or less the opening, but it would be a bit of a trick for black since I would have to prepare and research more in anticipation of white's opening.
In addition, I would try to understand each game better by taking down notes and observations as the game progress. And this could mean making changes on my game habits, in particular, playing less games but paying more attention to it. And yet, I feel that I would be getting
more, and perhaps having more fun, by doing this rather than playing games haphazardly.
A minimal set of opening repertoire would also have an added advantage: it would provide direction for any research and study I would do to better understand the openings I would be using.
Finally, this is the first in this series where I dealt directly with the game itself, as opposed to analyzing and understanding the environment of the game, particularly as it applies to correspondence chess. It has both been a challenge and a refreshing change for me. And hopefully, the start of another something fun and wonderful.
Part 6 here
Start of series here
Read More......
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Discipline in Correspondence Chess, Part 6
Plateau Season
For several months now, I had seen my rating settle in a range. Despite a conscious effort to produce games of better quality, the aspect of strategy seems to escape me. There is a certain numbness that creep in one's game after playing day after day. You become inattentive, even careless. The ratings and game results show it. And no one else knows more about what's happening than yourself, as you review your games and see how you could have won some but blundered your way and lose.
I suppose that no player is immune to this. It has probably occurred to even the better players at one point or another. And I suppose it's even more acute and pronounced in cc than otb chess. For one, cc games can drag on for weeks, your attention shifting from one game state to another, with one or two moves for each of your several games interspersed within the day. In contrast to the more concentrated type of play in otb, where outcomes can be determined within hours, and definitely within the day.
Minus the "distractions" of one's daily life (or inspite of it), in its purest sense the main cause has to be one's concentration aka mental toughness and discipline. Better players are able to discipline themselves to keep on standing where others have already fallen and let down their guard. They can allow for "off" days and probably not make moves. Or probably limit moves to more or less "harmless" ones, which would include those games wehere there are currently no other alternative moves or essentially a build-up in the opening game. And yet they can coax themselves out of a prolonged "slump". (I am making these assumptions based on what I observe other athletes do in other sports. I would surmise that this is the case for chess players also. An alternative view, if any, is appreciated from the reader).
Like I had usually intimated in previous articles on this series, recognizing the problem is oftentimes more than halfway of getting it solved. Recognizing your current state will allow you to make a better decision of how to approach your games. A day or two away from them all is sometimes all that is needed to come back refreshed and energized. A conscious mindset in front of the boards is another way of "being there". Pacing your games and not hurrying to make moves in so many games can usually bring quality results. And yet, we should not lose sight of the fact that we play chess to enjoy and to learn at the same time. If you feel compelled to make a move, it's usually a sign you should put it off, maybe even for just a few hours (for cc at least you can do that). You may probably end up making a better move and enjoy your game better, maybe even gain the upper hand! And yet, "slumps" is something that we should conciously strive to gain control over.
Like many things in life, playing chess is a paradox: you don't enjoy it half as much as when you are taking it seriously, but you can't perform half as well as when you recognize it's just a game.
Good game everyone!
Part 7 here
Part 5 here
Start of series here Read More......
For several months now, I had seen my rating settle in a range. Despite a conscious effort to produce games of better quality, the aspect of strategy seems to escape me. There is a certain numbness that creep in one's game after playing day after day. You become inattentive, even careless. The ratings and game results show it. And no one else knows more about what's happening than yourself, as you review your games and see how you could have won some but blundered your way and lose.
I suppose that no player is immune to this. It has probably occurred to even the better players at one point or another. And I suppose it's even more acute and pronounced in cc than otb chess. For one, cc games can drag on for weeks, your attention shifting from one game state to another, with one or two moves for each of your several games interspersed within the day. In contrast to the more concentrated type of play in otb, where outcomes can be determined within hours, and definitely within the day.
Minus the "distractions" of one's daily life (or inspite of it), in its purest sense the main cause has to be one's concentration aka mental toughness and discipline. Better players are able to discipline themselves to keep on standing where others have already fallen and let down their guard. They can allow for "off" days and probably not make moves. Or probably limit moves to more or less "harmless" ones, which would include those games wehere there are currently no other alternative moves or essentially a build-up in the opening game. And yet they can coax themselves out of a prolonged "slump". (I am making these assumptions based on what I observe other athletes do in other sports. I would surmise that this is the case for chess players also. An alternative view, if any, is appreciated from the reader).
Like I had usually intimated in previous articles on this series, recognizing the problem is oftentimes more than halfway of getting it solved. Recognizing your current state will allow you to make a better decision of how to approach your games. A day or two away from them all is sometimes all that is needed to come back refreshed and energized. A conscious mindset in front of the boards is another way of "being there". Pacing your games and not hurrying to make moves in so many games can usually bring quality results. And yet, we should not lose sight of the fact that we play chess to enjoy and to learn at the same time. If you feel compelled to make a move, it's usually a sign you should put it off, maybe even for just a few hours (for cc at least you can do that). You may probably end up making a better move and enjoy your game better, maybe even gain the upper hand! And yet, "slumps" is something that we should conciously strive to gain control over.
Like many things in life, playing chess is a paradox: you don't enjoy it half as much as when you are taking it seriously, but you can't perform half as well as when you recognize it's just a game.
Good game everyone!
Part 7 here
Part 5 here
Start of series here Read More......
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The Power of Encouragement
I was playing cc the other day and my opponent on the other end who happen to be online also and trading moves with me complimented this blog I started. I had not been updating this for more than a month now for lack of time to concentrate on some articles, but now that I know at least a soul may probably come back for some new stuff, how can I not oblige? :-) not that it's a burden, but indeed an encouragement.
Expect some new things to come up within a couple of days. Now, if only I can get these paperwork out of my way.... Read More......
Expect some new things to come up within a couple of days. Now, if only I can get these paperwork out of my way.... Read More......
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Schemingmind hosts blogs!
Good news to those who enjoy playing chess and are also on the lookout to get wider audience coverage for their blogs. Schemingmind (www.schemingmind.com) is now hosting rss feeds of blogs of their members (free members included). And I suppose the blog doesn't even have to be chess-related, though mine is. This is just one of the many features that are currently being added in a frenzied period of major improvements in the site (shameless plug lol). So, get your pen and opening books together and head to the site and check out what it has to offer.
Read More......
Sunday, August 13, 2006
One Year of Correspondence Chess - A Lookback
July 20 marked a year of active correspondence chess activity for me, as well as a year of actively trying to learn the game more. I can no longer recall what brought me to a renewed interest in chess, nor the circumstances that led me to search for it on the Net which eventually led me to discover the correspondence style of play. I couldn't have been happier, though. It has been a year of fun and discovery for me, and gaining respect and understanding for a game that has been around for such a long time.
Without CC on the Net, I would probably still not be playing as actively as I am right now, basically for lack of people to play with and the time constraints that is imposed by on-the-board games on one's schedule. Coupled with freely (!) available resources on the Net for almost every aspect of the game for all levels of players, and a community of players in sites I play in that encourages and even teaches other players (some of them are really really good), there is hardly any excuse not to see improvements on one's game if one just give some time (on one's flexible schedule, an advantage) and attention to improving on the game.
As I will later know, CC today has been improved over the traditional postal style of play that has been around for decades, and the email-based game that has been around for a shorter time. But internet CC has the advantage of advertising itself and reaching a greater number of audience, as the fact that these two styles of CC has escaped my attention clearly show (of course, it's just a matter of time before email cc would evolve to the current server-based cc style).
Right now, I am just a tad bit above the starting rating (which is essentially saying it's the average rating) provided by both CC sites I play in. It is, however, an accomplishment for me, having seen my rating dipped significantly as I was pitted against different players from diferent parts of the world with varying style of play and strength (such diversity again an advantage of CC).
It's also a source of fun and pride to maintain this blog, honing another aspect of me - writing - as I try to use this for self-discovery and therapy on my games. If for nothing at all, the series on Discipline in Correspondence Chess gave me a sharper realization of the influence of certain aspects of the game that aren't directly related to the strategies and tactics of the game itself. In addition to continuing the series if ever I get to recognize some more aspects, I also have some more ideas that I will be introducing soon.
Good game to all of you!
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Discipline in Correspondence Chess, Part 5
Managing transitions between games
Correspondence chess is usually played with several games simultaneously ongoing, each one in different levels of completion. It would be very seldom that an entire game, even a short one, would be completed in one sitting. Moves are spread out over several days and a player can expect to make, at the most, several moves in several games. In each of these games, a player can be in an advantageous, disadvantegous, or fairly neutral position.
The challenge in this case is mentally preparing and adjusting to the current state of the board one is playing, and leaving the mental and emotional baggage of the previous board that had been played just a while back. This is fairly easy in games that had just been starting. This is also quite easy in situations where one is about equally footed with the person across the board. But the emotional and mental effect of games where either you or the other player has (or will soon have) the advantage can get carried over to the next game at hand. The boost of confidence of making a move in an advantageous position can cause carelessness. While the frustration of a bad game can be compounded further in the next game.
Realizing this factor is again, one of the most important step to be able to take control of it. It would also be useful to back off the board when one is more affected emotionally, letting things cool down a little, whether it's out of excitement or frustration. After all, cc has the advantage of extended analysis and one should utilize it as much as possible: by improving on an advantage, or finding a way out of a losing position.
Part 6 here
Part 4 here
Start of series here
Read More......
Monday, July 31, 2006
Discipline in Correspondence Chess, Part 4
Managing Tension
Managing tension in a game is a very crucial discipline to master, both in correspondence and in OTB games. I have not played in official OTB matches, and so I wouldn't really know how it works in those situations. For cc, I guess it wouldn't be too much to say that playing games in one of several available cc sites would be quite comparable to the "official" tournaments being hosted by the ICCF. Most of these sites like the ones I play in also offer tournaments in various formats.
Tension in cc games can arise primarily in two ways: the game itself, and the time factor involved. As the game progresses and especially when it enters the middlegame, tension is usually present. Generally, the more pieces there are in the board as it enters this phase, the greater is the tension. There are fewer squares to place pieces in. It's harder to predict the response if one tries to exchange pieces and attempt to clear the board. And yet, one knows that unless the board is cleared, there will be fewer and fewer pieces that one can move. Moving pieces that do not contribute anything significant can also become unavoidable.
The other type of tension has to do with time, mostly the part about waiting. There is usually more tension in the waiting part when one has the advantage, either materially or positionally. Usually, when one is about to obtain the advantage or already have it, he becomes all fired up and would like to get some more moves get going in order to consolidate on the advantage. And despite realizing the more rational scenario that the guy on the other side of the board would probably take his time, we get all worked up, usually for days.
And then there are some players who, regardless of how their games are currently going, are just eager to get on to the next move, all taut and tense till the time they are able to do so.
These scenarios all present some potential for committing errors, both in judgment and clicks (for internet players). What is one to do with tension? Like most of the areas we had covered in previous articles, being conscious of these things is about halfway in managing and controlling them. Each one of us respond differently to tension. My tension-filled last week gave way to a different mindset after an unintentional weekend off chess, which I have made reference to in my previous post. In the back of my mind, I am aware I am being tense, but unless it has been articulated, I wouldn't have responded positively to it.
After realization of the tension, that's when our individual coping mechanisms comes in. For some, it may mean more games, for some less. Others may have to force themselves into a vacation, or at least a pacing of sorts. Or a change of activity of some sorts. And it may even vary at different times for the same individual. What worked for me this time is an increase in my number of games (from 20 to 40 concurrent cc games), filling my non-playing time with something related such as writing this article, and pursuing some other aspects of my online life, topping it all off with a return to active physical sports and simply filling my time interacting "offline" with friends and family. I guess it worked! By the way, I also managed to trim down my backlog at work :-) In short, being well-rounded got everything balanced and moving about in a more synced manner.
Managing tension in a game is a very crucial discipline to master, both in correspondence and in OTB games. I have not played in official OTB matches, and so I wouldn't really know how it works in those situations. For cc, I guess it wouldn't be too much to say that playing games in one of several available cc sites would be quite comparable to the "official" tournaments being hosted by the ICCF. Most of these sites like the ones I play in also offer tournaments in various formats.
Tension in cc games can arise primarily in two ways: the game itself, and the time factor involved. As the game progresses and especially when it enters the middlegame, tension is usually present. Generally, the more pieces there are in the board as it enters this phase, the greater is the tension. There are fewer squares to place pieces in. It's harder to predict the response if one tries to exchange pieces and attempt to clear the board. And yet, one knows that unless the board is cleared, there will be fewer and fewer pieces that one can move. Moving pieces that do not contribute anything significant can also become unavoidable.
The other type of tension has to do with time, mostly the part about waiting. There is usually more tension in the waiting part when one has the advantage, either materially or positionally. Usually, when one is about to obtain the advantage or already have it, he becomes all fired up and would like to get some more moves get going in order to consolidate on the advantage. And despite realizing the more rational scenario that the guy on the other side of the board would probably take his time, we get all worked up, usually for days.
And then there are some players who, regardless of how their games are currently going, are just eager to get on to the next move, all taut and tense till the time they are able to do so.
These scenarios all present some potential for committing errors, both in judgment and clicks (for internet players). What is one to do with tension? Like most of the areas we had covered in previous articles, being conscious of these things is about halfway in managing and controlling them. Each one of us respond differently to tension. My tension-filled last week gave way to a different mindset after an unintentional weekend off chess, which I have made reference to in my previous post. In the back of my mind, I am aware I am being tense, but unless it has been articulated, I wouldn't have responded positively to it.
After realization of the tension, that's when our individual coping mechanisms comes in. For some, it may mean more games, for some less. Others may have to force themselves into a vacation, or at least a pacing of sorts. Or a change of activity of some sorts. And it may even vary at different times for the same individual. What worked for me this time is an increase in my number of games (from 20 to 40 concurrent cc games), filling my non-playing time with something related such as writing this article, and pursuing some other aspects of my online life, topping it all off with a return to active physical sports and simply filling my time interacting "offline" with friends and family. I guess it worked! By the way, I also managed to trim down my backlog at work :-) In short, being well-rounded got everything balanced and moving about in a more synced manner.
Part 5 here
Part 3 here
Start of series here
Read More......
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Offline
First, I left my key to the office at my desk, along with my car key, when I went to a meeting. Then, the meeting went for hours that the rest of the people in the office already left for home, since it's a weekend. Thankfully, they decided to clear my table and lock my laptop up - such nice folks. So, when I got back, the door is locked and I can't get in. Luckily, I have a spare car key in my pocket, otherwise I would be knocking on doors of officemates who lived nearby to get to the office or wait for hours while somebody from home gets to me with a duplicate. Then on Sunday, work for Monday was canceled as heavy downpour during the weekend resulted in floods. The floods kept me from work up to Tuesday. And now, two days later (it's Thursday now) I am back at work typing this after having to catch up yesterday on all my backlogs. I didn't get to finish articles I have in mind for my blogs, I didn't get to play any online chess games, and anything resembling the Internet. I was offline.
I still smile when I remember that the first thing that went through my head when I can't get to the office is "how am I going to play cc this weekend?", and "how am i going to get my article online?". Just shows the commitment (and addiction) I have for the game and I guess for the Internet. But I did survived and came out unscathed at the other end (read: now). On hindsight, I benefited from that offline moment. My head got cleared of cobwebs (digital ones, maybe). I got to dig down a bit more on a tangible chessbook and try it out with a real board, and enjoyed a game of chess with my better half who is less than a novice (she's not reading this). My oh my, there is a world out there!
Anyway, enough excuses for not being able to come up with an article for this week. See you again next week.
Read More......
I still smile when I remember that the first thing that went through my head when I can't get to the office is "how am I going to play cc this weekend?", and "how am i going to get my article online?". Just shows the commitment (and addiction) I have for the game and I guess for the Internet. But I did survived and came out unscathed at the other end (read: now). On hindsight, I benefited from that offline moment. My head got cleared of cobwebs (digital ones, maybe). I got to dig down a bit more on a tangible chessbook and try it out with a real board, and enjoyed a game of chess with my better half who is less than a novice (she's not reading this). My oh my, there is a world out there!
Anyway, enough excuses for not being able to come up with an article for this week. See you again next week.
Friday, July 14, 2006
ICCF 2nd Webchess Open Tournament - updates and more
A couple of posts ago, I mentioned my involvement in ICCF's 2nd Webchess Open Tournament, and I promised to give some updates.
I was included in group 38, which has seven players including myself. Total number of games to be played is 6. Time control is 10 moves in 50 days (about 5 days per move). Three of my opponents are provisional rated like myself at 1800 and the other three are ranked 2000+.
So far I have lost four games and I am resigned to the thought that I would also lose the remaining two in due time, not to mention the two unrated games I was entitled to play when I registered.
The features of the site has its good and bad points, but sadly the bad outweighs the good ones I experienced. For one, moves are confirmed before it becomes final. It gives one the opportunity to double check if the move made is indeed the intended move. The board size is of an acceptable size. And there are the usual "private notes" and "message to opponent" options.
But there are certain things that should be there but isn't. For one, captured pieces are not displayed in the screen. In effect, it forces one to re-assess the entire game again to an elaborate extent that would have been easier if only the captured pieces were shown. Not to mention the mental effect, at least on me, of the frustration everytime I prepare to approach my game, knowing that other sites show captured pieces as a default and that even OTB games have it.
Another drawback to the site is the difficulty of reviewing your game. In most other cc sites, the moves made are clickable and replayable from the start. Not so at the ICCF website. Though the previous moves were displayed, you can't click on them. You have to set the board manually with a chess set if you want to do it. Such a hassle.
Such is the limitation of the site that from the get-go, I wasn't in anyway synced to it. I would get an email that my opponent made a move, I will log-in, view the board with all the limitations of half knowing which pieces are already off the board. Add to the fact that my opponent is probably using an engine and given my predisposition not to use one considering how unpalatable the playing area is, and you could almost predict my demise at the very start. I was actually playing a game with myself, psyching myself up that with all my recklessness I may even come out the winner of this group. But as expected, reality has a way of creeping up on some, but this time it was running all over me as my game results dismally showed. Even tools such as the "private note" option lost its usefulness, since I am no longer inclined to use it, owing to the general game atmosphere I was experiencing with the site.
I guess I could still be thankful for the fact that I didn't shell out any money to get into the tournament, since its on the house as my first tournament. To think that the cost of that tournament is already a half year's worth of subscription to a much more user-friendly and feature-filled site, where I can play all the games I want and get so much more interaction and training opportunities. After all, it isn't like I am playing for a pot of gold in prizes in ICCF.
In fairness, ICCF has been announcing a major revamp in its site. I could only hope for the best for them. It's not my intention to defame the site by airing all the negatives I saw. I am just trying to relate my experience and hopefully those that can do something about this may consider some of the suggestions that I made, couched as they may in the negative. I also welcome other's differing comments if any. Don't hesitate to leave a note.
I will let you know when the rest of my ICCF games conclude, but I guess I won't be reporting it as elaborately as this.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Discipline in Correspondence Chess, Part 3
Ratings
Whether we like it or not, we are affected by ratings- ours, our opponents, and the rest. A normal chessplayer wants to win and improve his game over time. The primary barometer of this would of course be the ratings. The downside is that it can get to a point that it interferes with your games. If you are playing a lower rated player, you may have a tendency to rush things, get it over with and get the points. All of course in the delusion that you are invincible, when as often, the lower rated guy just happened to have a string of bad games which he has already learned a lot from. And then there's the jitters of playing a higher rated player, trying to look for a trap at every possible move, not knowing that he reached that rating with a 2 move ahead horizon and simply by being very very careful before making a move.
Ratings should definitely be a consideration when you assess your opponent. But ratings should work to your advantage, not the other way around. At the most, it should give you a feel of what strength your opponent is, nothing more than that. Caution should always be made when playing: that you don't underestimate and become careless when playing lower-rated players, and that you don't panic when a higher-rated player makes a pounce on your major pieces. This is so much more acute in correspondence chess because an opponent's rating may not accurately reflect his/her true strength. Because unlike on the board games where matches are concluded based solely on the outcome of a match, matches in correspondence chess include those that had been abandoned due to a player's inability to "log-on" to his game for a number of reasons. So, a lower rated player may actually have that rating because he had been busy lately and been defaulting in his games, while a higher rated player may actually be getting points from defaulting opponents.
Ratings are like the proverbial sand in your hand, that you lose if you hold on to too tightly or too loosely, but you keep the most of if you hold on with just enough pressure. I like to think of it this way: my objective in playing chess is to improve in the game, my ratings wil improve as a result of that improvement. That means I give ratings the attention due to it, for behind it is a person who is probably on its way to improving his game. He who fails to recognize these principles not only stand to see his rating suffer, but his performance as well.
Whether we like it or not, we are affected by ratings- ours, our opponents, and the rest. A normal chessplayer wants to win and improve his game over time. The primary barometer of this would of course be the ratings. The downside is that it can get to a point that it interferes with your games. If you are playing a lower rated player, you may have a tendency to rush things, get it over with and get the points. All of course in the delusion that you are invincible, when as often, the lower rated guy just happened to have a string of bad games which he has already learned a lot from. And then there's the jitters of playing a higher rated player, trying to look for a trap at every possible move, not knowing that he reached that rating with a 2 move ahead horizon and simply by being very very careful before making a move.
Ratings should definitely be a consideration when you assess your opponent. But ratings should work to your advantage, not the other way around. At the most, it should give you a feel of what strength your opponent is, nothing more than that. Caution should always be made when playing: that you don't underestimate and become careless when playing lower-rated players, and that you don't panic when a higher-rated player makes a pounce on your major pieces. This is so much more acute in correspondence chess because an opponent's rating may not accurately reflect his/her true strength. Because unlike on the board games where matches are concluded based solely on the outcome of a match, matches in correspondence chess include those that had been abandoned due to a player's inability to "log-on" to his game for a number of reasons. So, a lower rated player may actually have that rating because he had been busy lately and been defaulting in his games, while a higher rated player may actually be getting points from defaulting opponents.
Ratings are like the proverbial sand in your hand, that you lose if you hold on to too tightly or too loosely, but you keep the most of if you hold on with just enough pressure. I like to think of it this way: my objective in playing chess is to improve in the game, my ratings wil improve as a result of that improvement. That means I give ratings the attention due to it, for behind it is a person who is probably on its way to improving his game. He who fails to recognize these principles not only stand to see his rating suffer, but his performance as well.
Part 4 here
Part 2 here
Start of series here
Read More......
Friday, June 30, 2006
Discipline in Correspondence Chess,Part 2
Mental Preparedness
One of the challenges in playing correspondence chess (especially the internet variety) is being in the "game mode" when you face the boards. A usual internet cc player can expect to make moves in several concurrent games at least once a day. Unlike on-the-board games where momentum builds up as the match progresses and which is usually over in a couple of hours, cc games lasts for weeks at a time. And you don't usually have the benefit of a sustained momentum. What you usually have are several games in varying stages, and in those games that are usually in the thick of the middlegame and both sides are about equally footed, there is such an effort to get yourself acquainted again with the game. When a move is made, it would usually be based on the assessment of the current position. What is usually lacking in this case is an understanding of how the current position was arrived. This is very crucial especially in the middlegame, where material advantage in pieces or position can and should be achieved.
Fortunately for internet cc players, one has several resources to assist them in this area. Most internet cc sites will allow you to review your moves from start to the current position, since they store the moves on their database servers (if your cc site doesn't have that, I would suggest going someplace else). Then, private comments option allows one to store what he/she is thinking at a certain stage of the match, and recall it when needed. This is particularly useful in capturing one's thoughts on crucial positions of the game.
So, what is one to do? For games already in the middlegame stage or even those in the late opening or in situations where there is already a departure from the usual opening lines, it would be a good idea to review the game from the start. Actually, it would be a good discipline to do this to all games, regardless of how long the game is already or how crucial one thinks the game is currently. Coupled with meticulous record-keeping of one's comments and notes as the game progresses, this should give one enough background to make a more sensible move than would be otherwise.
Read More......
One of the challenges in playing correspondence chess (especially the internet variety) is being in the "game mode" when you face the boards. A usual internet cc player can expect to make moves in several concurrent games at least once a day. Unlike on-the-board games where momentum builds up as the match progresses and which is usually over in a couple of hours, cc games lasts for weeks at a time. And you don't usually have the benefit of a sustained momentum. What you usually have are several games in varying stages, and in those games that are usually in the thick of the middlegame and both sides are about equally footed, there is such an effort to get yourself acquainted again with the game. When a move is made, it would usually be based on the assessment of the current position. What is usually lacking in this case is an understanding of how the current position was arrived. This is very crucial especially in the middlegame, where material advantage in pieces or position can and should be achieved.
It is indeed a discipline to spend enough time with each game, reviewing the moves previously made, understanding the plan one had when the previous moves were made, recalling the traps and weaknesses that were noted in the previous stages of the game. Then add to that the assumptions made on what the opponent was planning, as well as recalling the noted weaknesses in the opponent's position.
Fortunately for internet cc players, one has several resources to assist them in this area. Most internet cc sites will allow you to review your moves from start to the current position, since they store the moves on their database servers (if your cc site doesn't have that, I would suggest going someplace else). Then, private comments option allows one to store what he/she is thinking at a certain stage of the match, and recall it when needed. This is particularly useful in capturing one's thoughts on crucial positions of the game.
So, what is one to do? For games already in the middlegame stage or even those in the late opening or in situations where there is already a departure from the usual opening lines, it would be a good idea to review the game from the start. Actually, it would be a good discipline to do this to all games, regardless of how long the game is already or how crucial one thinks the game is currently. Coupled with meticulous record-keeping of one's comments and notes as the game progresses, this should give one enough background to make a more sensible move than would be otherwise.
This requires that one do not rush over the games, but gives each one ample time. How much time one can spend on each game would also affected by how many games one is currently playing, since one can expect that for the discipline to be effective, it can only be be done with
a limited number of games at a time. You may refer to the first part of this series for a discussion of how the number of games can affect one's performance.
a limited number of games at a time. You may refer to the first part of this series for a discussion of how the number of games can affect one's performance.
Part 3 here
Part 1 here
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Discipline in Correspondence Chess, Part 1
Having been immersed in correspondence chess for almost a year now, I had begun to take notice of my performance. While before I wouldn’t mind being floored by other players, now I take notice of that. For one, if I have to lose, I want to lose because my opponent has a better strategy, and not because I didn’t see that I placed my queen in harm’s way without being forced to do so. And because of that, I had begun to take notice of areas or factors that I believe affects my game (performance-wise, rating as a byproduct only), along with the quirks of human nature as it shows in this game. Think of this series of articles as some sort of self-therapy, where hopefully if you see yourself in a similar situation, be of help to you too. Your comments and contributions are highly appreciated.
For this article, let’s consider the Number of Games
With quite a number of correspondence chess sites allowing one to play a considerable number of games even for non-paying members, it may not take long before one is actually playing quite a large number of games simultaneously in several sites (for example, my combined number of open games in two sites currently are already above fifty). Usually the number of concurrent games grows unnoticed, especially when the sites offers tournament formats, where several games can be added at once. The feeling of adding one more tournament can be inexplicably satisfying. On the other hand, one takes in more and more games consciously, because of a perception that all is well and manageable.
Two factors add to the pressure brought about by the increased number of games. One, the games have time limits, and one is only able to play so much games before quality suffers. The second has to do with enthusiasm (and possibly addiction) to the game. I suppose it is not unusual to find players who upon logging online, would actually make moves on all their games, no matter how many they may be, and sometimes even make more than one move if the opponent on the other end happens to be online also.
In both aspects, quality of game maybe sacrificed, as there are limits to the available time one has, as well as to the level of concentration and clarity of mind to process each and every position of the board in each game.
So, what is one to do with this aspect of the game? The ideal answer is to be able to assess the optimum number of games one should be playing. By optimum means that one is able to devote enough time and concentration on each game, and without eating too much into the game’s timebank. The more practical approach is to increase the number of games being played slowly, so that one can get a general feeling of how increased number of games affects one’s performance.
Of course, work and other activities may reduce the amount of time we may be able to give to the games. In such instances, holidays could be a very effective tool to provide us with that buffer time, or simply to get us back on track if we happen to take on more games than we can handle.
Finally, when all else fails, we are faced with the inevitability of letting go of some games as lost, suffer the rating drop, and move along wiser, hopefully.
For this article, let’s consider the Number of Games
With quite a number of correspondence chess sites allowing one to play a considerable number of games even for non-paying members, it may not take long before one is actually playing quite a large number of games simultaneously in several sites (for example, my combined number of open games in two sites currently are already above fifty). Usually the number of concurrent games grows unnoticed, especially when the sites offers tournament formats, where several games can be added at once. The feeling of adding one more tournament can be inexplicably satisfying. On the other hand, one takes in more and more games consciously, because of a perception that all is well and manageable.
Two factors add to the pressure brought about by the increased number of games. One, the games have time limits, and one is only able to play so much games before quality suffers. The second has to do with enthusiasm (and possibly addiction) to the game. I suppose it is not unusual to find players who upon logging online, would actually make moves on all their games, no matter how many they may be, and sometimes even make more than one move if the opponent on the other end happens to be online also.
In both aspects, quality of game maybe sacrificed, as there are limits to the available time one has, as well as to the level of concentration and clarity of mind to process each and every position of the board in each game.
So, what is one to do with this aspect of the game? The ideal answer is to be able to assess the optimum number of games one should be playing. By optimum means that one is able to devote enough time and concentration on each game, and without eating too much into the game’s timebank. The more practical approach is to increase the number of games being played slowly, so that one can get a general feeling of how increased number of games affects one’s performance.
Of course, work and other activities may reduce the amount of time we may be able to give to the games. In such instances, holidays could be a very effective tool to provide us with that buffer time, or simply to get us back on track if we happen to take on more games than we can handle.
Finally, when all else fails, we are faced with the inevitability of letting go of some games as lost, suffer the rating drop, and move along wiser, hopefully.
Part 2 here
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Game vs. Rotceh
View the game here http://www.schemingmind.com/game.aspx?game_id=47165 (note: clicking on the link will take you to the logon page first. Enter "guest" for both username and password. Or better yet, register for an account and start playing! It's free anyway, and it's a nice community).
Played black and lost in 13 moves.
I have asked several of my friends to annotate this game, for a change :) Read More......
Played black and lost in 13 moves.
I have asked several of my friends to annotate this game, for a change :) Read More......
Monday, April 24, 2006
My First ICCF Tournament
Just found out today, accidentally, that someone new to ICCF can have their first open tournament for free and get an ICCF ID and rating afterwards. I had just been accepted as a participant to the 2nd ICCF Webchess Open Tournament, due to start this coming June.
Will keep you posted! And if you are not yet an ICCF member and want to join the tournament for free also, here are the instructions:
http://www.iccf-webchess.com/Message.aspx?message=105
In particular, follow the instructions in option c under the "How and when to enter?" section. The email address to send to is vdemian@shaw.ca
Joining also entitles you to a free non-rated introduction game. Just be sure to enter first the tournament before you avail the non-rated game, or you will not be considered a new member in the tournament and will have to pay the fees accordingly. However, I plan to avail of that after the tournament has started, just to make sure I don't get billed unexpectedly :-)
That's it for now. Good game to all! Read More......
Will keep you posted! And if you are not yet an ICCF member and want to join the tournament for free also, here are the instructions:
http://www.iccf-webchess.com/Message.aspx?message=105
In particular, follow the instructions in option c under the "How and when to enter?" section. The email address to send to is vdemian@shaw.ca
Joining also entitles you to a free non-rated introduction game. Just be sure to enter first the tournament before you avail the non-rated game, or you will not be considered a new member in the tournament and will have to pay the fees accordingly. However, I plan to avail of that after the tournament has started, just to make sure I don't get billed unexpectedly :-)
That's it for now. Good game to all! Read More......
Friday, April 21, 2006
Private Game Note feature
It's kinda funny, but after almost a year of playing correspondence chess, only now was I recognizing the value of the "private game note" feature that I suppose is available in almost all cc sites (it's available in both sites I play in, mentioned elsewhere in this blog). With the feature, one can add game comments, series of expected moves, reasons you have for making a move, etc. And all this for your eyes only. It's a handy way of keeping track of your games even if your opponent isn't making any moves for several days, which is what one can expect in turn-based chess. It's also a good way of analyzing one's game, to see whether expected moves are reealized, and if not, where did you made a wrong conclusion. And for me it's a good way of keeping track of my thoughts which I will later use in analyzing a game here on my blog. So if you happen to be as "normal" as I am, you may want to put the feature into good use on your next game.
Good game to all! Read More......
Good game to all! Read More......
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Game versus Palinurus
View the game here http://www.schemingmind.com/game.aspx?game_id=43852 (note: clicking on the link will take you to the logon page first. Enter "guest" for both username and password. Or better yet, register for an account and start playing! It's free anyway, and it's a nice community)
Played white and lost. Resigned after 37 moves. Game ended last 19 April 2006.
Right at 3. Nd5 I disregarded one of the rules in the opening stages of a game: do not move a piece twice unless it will free up more pieces or to capture an opponent’s piece.
4. Bc4 – what was I thinking? Maybe hoping for a late Fool’s Mate? I should have considered it unlikely from the quality of the moves he had been making.
5. Qf3 – indeed! How foolhardy! With 5…Be7, Fool’s Mate is a goner, and I haven’t developed my pieces yet, and my queen is exposed prematurely.
6…O-O early development allowed black to castle well ahead of time, while I still need to move two pieces to do so. At 8, blood is drawn – mine!
At 11, Queen is right back where it started.
The rest of the game is a series of moves that were done haphazardly and in haste, without really giving much attention to the repercussions of each move towards the total development of the pieces. The worst error perhaps would have to be at 29.
The main problem would have to be the lack of a plan, or perhaps lack of depth if ever there was a plan. I may be thinking of capturing a piece or getting into a position, but I had not sufficiently considered the situation. In most cases, I made a move with the intention of gaining a piece advantage only to recognize that the pieces are defended by one more defense than I thought. Too many of that proved to be disastrous, especially with regards to the more important pieces. Read More......
Played white and lost. Resigned after 37 moves. Game ended last 19 April 2006.
Right at 3. Nd5 I disregarded one of the rules in the opening stages of a game: do not move a piece twice unless it will free up more pieces or to capture an opponent’s piece.
4. Bc4 – what was I thinking? Maybe hoping for a late Fool’s Mate? I should have considered it unlikely from the quality of the moves he had been making.
5. Qf3 – indeed! How foolhardy! With 5…Be7, Fool’s Mate is a goner, and I haven’t developed my pieces yet, and my queen is exposed prematurely.
6…O-O early development allowed black to castle well ahead of time, while I still need to move two pieces to do so. At 8, blood is drawn – mine!
At 11, Queen is right back where it started.
The rest of the game is a series of moves that were done haphazardly and in haste, without really giving much attention to the repercussions of each move towards the total development of the pieces. The worst error perhaps would have to be at 29.
The main problem would have to be the lack of a plan, or perhaps lack of depth if ever there was a plan. I may be thinking of capturing a piece or getting into a position, but I had not sufficiently considered the situation. In most cases, I made a move with the intention of gaining a piece advantage only to recognize that the pieces are defended by one more defense than I thought. Too many of that proved to be disastrous, especially with regards to the more important pieces. Read More......
Learning from Mistakes
After a string of losses in my games at www.schemingmind.com, I decided that I will analyze each game where I lost in order to understand what went wrong. Somehow, the mere knowledge of what went wrong helps you from repeating the same. This is also one of the tips to improve one's game by no less than International Grandmaster Maurice Ashley (read the article here http://www.angelfire.com/fl/chessninja/ashley.html for more tips). If this becomes a really good exercise, maybe I could also move on to analyzing the outcome of each and every game, won or lost. This is also one way to fill up this blog :-)
You can find my game analyses on the succeeding posts. If you have the time and inclination, you may want to add your comments. Hopefully, some of you may also be helped by the insights that I will try to glean from this analysis. By the way, you may even find your game here :-) Read More......
You can find my game analyses on the succeeding posts. If you have the time and inclination, you may want to add your comments. Hopefully, some of you may also be helped by the insights that I will try to glean from this analysis. By the way, you may even find your game here :-) Read More......
Monday, January 09, 2006
Improving My Game
One of the usual things one who is excited about chess does is to plunge into games without much concern to the principles behind the game. This has been my case when I started playing correspondence chess. I plunged into the maximum allowed in one site (for nonpaying members) and opened up additional games in another site. I ended up with a lot of games that I hardly think through when making my moves, thereby defeating the primary purpose of correspondence chess: to improve one's game by playing relatively slower games that one can analyze as the game progresses, consulting opening books during the opening part and reviewing and analyzing principles of good play during the middlegame and endgame.
Another thing that novices like me tend to do is to experiment with a lot of opening repertoire. So in one game, I may do the Dutch, with another the English, with another the Sicilian, etc. etc. What I ended up with is a shallow understanding of each particular opening, with very little regard for the logic and the reason for the moves that constitute a particular opening. Plus, undue concentration on opening lines gave me little time to understand the various common traps for unsuspecting players.
So, with the new year (so trite hehe), I decided to develop a strategy. The objective is the same: improve my game to the point that I can play high-quality faster games, like the one required in OTB (on the board) events. I still don't know if I should aim for a particular rating, since I am still finding out what's a typically high rating, if that means anything. Anyway, the lifelong goal is to reach a level of expertise that I am good enough for the GMs :-) To reach this ultimate goal, I need to develop skills, and this is how I plan to do it.
If I am playing white, I have the opportunity of making the first move. For now, I can concentrate on the standard king or queen openings. The usual response from black would usually be a symmetrical move, or a sicilian defense. Of course, there will be other responses from black, but the point is that if I concentrate on this line, I will be able to understand the various responses from black, and play them as well with understanding on its effect on white.
After some time, I can start analyzing variations on white's opening moves, like the reverse sicilian. It seems obvious that what I will be missing out is how to respond as black to non e4 or d4 openings. In these situations that I believe would be minimal, I would need more help from opening books.
Of course, tactical plays and an understanding of traps would always be a separate component so as not to squander the wealth from what the preceding plans could yield for my benefit. Read More......
Another thing that novices like me tend to do is to experiment with a lot of opening repertoire. So in one game, I may do the Dutch, with another the English, with another the Sicilian, etc. etc. What I ended up with is a shallow understanding of each particular opening, with very little regard for the logic and the reason for the moves that constitute a particular opening. Plus, undue concentration on opening lines gave me little time to understand the various common traps for unsuspecting players.
So, with the new year (so trite hehe), I decided to develop a strategy. The objective is the same: improve my game to the point that I can play high-quality faster games, like the one required in OTB (on the board) events. I still don't know if I should aim for a particular rating, since I am still finding out what's a typically high rating, if that means anything. Anyway, the lifelong goal is to reach a level of expertise that I am good enough for the GMs :-) To reach this ultimate goal, I need to develop skills, and this is how I plan to do it.
If I am playing white, I have the opportunity of making the first move. For now, I can concentrate on the standard king or queen openings. The usual response from black would usually be a symmetrical move, or a sicilian defense. Of course, there will be other responses from black, but the point is that if I concentrate on this line, I will be able to understand the various responses from black, and play them as well with understanding on its effect on white.
After some time, I can start analyzing variations on white's opening moves, like the reverse sicilian. It seems obvious that what I will be missing out is how to respond as black to non e4 or d4 openings. In these situations that I believe would be minimal, I would need more help from opening books.
Of course, tactical plays and an understanding of traps would always be a separate component so as not to squander the wealth from what the preceding plans could yield for my benefit. Read More......
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