Originally posted by begrestenAnd look at these lines. A lot of the lines computers don't like-they are rather good. Natural moves seem to lose for black in a lot of the analysis that I was looking at. One of the most instructive learning experiences is learning WHY white is winning at the end of a line(in the concrete sense. In most cases general rules will get you crushed by a good player).
You can try with some free chess masters advices. For example I use IM Kalin Karakehajov opening analysis, which you can find here - http://online-chess.eu
Originally posted by SheepChessI looked at a handfull of your last finished games.
Greenpawn, I love your posts as much as everyone else, but that really doesn't help at all! I know the basic opening principles already.
I was wondering how other people learned their openings, because it feels like the way I do it isn't very good. I end up not knowing a lot of the ideas behind the opening, and in blitz and OTB I'm not well prepared fo ...[text shortened]... hat's the kind of response I was hoping for 🙂 I use the chessgames database already though.
Openings OK.
Seems yet another player thinking the opening is the solution
to all his problems.
Tactically you need boosted.
Your sense of danger is poor Game 7847475 and Game 7884615
Game 7704184
You built up a wonderful position with some good play but went daft
with 22...Nh4+ and 23...Bxf3+
These are good latent threats that don't work yet.
22...Qg5 threatening threats and then to simply out number him
with attackers v defenders looks fine. 22...Rae8 was a try,
as was 22...Rf7 and double up.
In that game White missed some good finishes till he eventually found Bd4+
This works a lot earlier thanks to your undeveloped Rook on a8.
In the games I saw you like playing without the a1/a8 Rook
Game 7853964 was screaming for the Rook to come into the game.
Good oppo Bishop attack but pulling the Bishop back 23...Bd6
When Rae8 was there keeping alive the Rxh7+ threats was good.
funnily enough in Game 7847475 it was lazy a1 Rook move that lost
you the game.
And as for Game 7811607 You can become the worlds best
authority on openings but if you are going to play moves like 19...Bxg6
then it will do you no good.
I still cannot figure out why you did it. Just to play....b5?
In none of these games, or others I saw were the openings a severe worry.
I like the way you spun 1.Nc3 into the Caro Kahn but it looks like
Black went that way as well, so who was doing the opening trickery
in that game?
Openings OK - middle game tactics needs working on.
Afraid you won't get that by memorising opening variations from
any online site.
A good daily dose of tactical combinations and ther Art of Attack in Chess.
(a very heavy read, but I can only tell you what worked for me).
I'd drop the Schliemann, you are a counter hitter not a forcer.
(that based on those few games, I may be wrong take or leave that free
bit of advice.).
Originally posted by greenpawn34I agree with your points. But, how do you get good at a middlegame without studying that middlegame....Its like saying I am going to learn how to beat the celtics by studying tape of the heat. There may be some crossover. But, why not just study the heat and the typical things they like to do and their typical weaknesses.
I looked at a handfull of your last finished games.
Openings OK.
Seems yet another player thinking the opening is the solution
to all his problems.
Tactically you need boosted.
Your sense of danger is poor Game 7847475 and Game 7884615
Game 7704184
You built up a wonderful position with some good play but went daft
with ...[text shortened]... er.
(that based on those few games, I may be wrong take or leave that free
bit of advice.).
If you just study tactics you don't internalize how tactics tend to come about. REAL opening study IS tactical study and opening study is also strategical study, and endgame study. Get rid of the idea of studying this or that. Study games and absorb the different ideas all throughout the games. Just make it an effort to study games that happen to be the opening that you play or openings you find interesting or players which style you find interesting
Try picking a grandmaster with a predictable repertoire and a similar style to be your 'opening role model', then study their games.
That, and comb for annotated games in the opening of your choice, being sure to look at wins for both sides.
This is how I've been practicing the Caro-Kann, and it's now my most comfortable opening as Black.
Hi Guys.
I'm a great believer in going over the full game and seeing how
the combinations materialise. And if you do with it openings you yourself
will play them all the better.
But combine them both. Solving set combinations increases our vision
and gives you ideas/patterns that you may not see in your selected games.
Especially of you stick to GM games where all the instructive stuff is hidden
and needs digging out.
Also remember it the same game no matter what opening it came from.
I laugh when I read that some lost guy in 86 moves to a Grunfeld.
What the hell did 3...d5 do that influenced a game that last 86 moves.
There would have been a lot of decisions made and passed after 3...d5.
Come move 25 it would have been nigh impossible to tell what opening the
game from and there is still 60 moves to go.
So don't be averse to playing out a game just because it's an opening
you don't know or play.
I see all too often missed winning chances (check out the blog) this need
not be the case. Looking at and solving combinations is a proven way of
improving your game.
A player that can spot the shots in the middle game can and often does
turn around any opening plus his opponent may have had.
It's hardly inovative advice, but I do like to see the full game.
In the last blog. The S Netto v R Acente, Paraguay 1975 position.
I could not find the complete game anywhere else I would have given it.
Black to play and mate in 6.
Re: combinations on line. Start here and work your way up
http://mateinone.com/
My approach to learning a particular opening has always been to read one or more books which specialize in that opening. After absorbing the main ideas presented in the books, I choose which variations seem most consistent with my style and do the unavoidable memorization that is a necessity for OTB competition. I will then play over recent GM games in those variations and play online blitz (I usually play 5m+5s) to get a better feel for the resulting positions. If I encounter a position during a blitz game where it was not clear to me as to what the appropriate plan was, after the game is completed and before starting another, I consult the books/databases and also will often analyze an excerpt of the game with the aid of a computer program.
I don't claim that this approach will work for everybody and to be honest, it is probably not appropriate for all levels. It does seem to work for me - I had a very nice result recently in a tournament and my USCF rating went from 2030 to 2080, though I don't want to imply that my preparation consisted solely of opening study.
greenpawn, you're right that my main problem in CC is tactics, I'll try to work on that. In CC I don't get into trouble in the opening because there's so much time; I can look the moves up and have a lot of time to think. It's just in blitz and standard that openings are a problem for me.
Thanks for the advice everyone 🙂