29 Nov 09
2 edits
Originally posted by heinzkatoops, I meant Tisdall's improve your chess now.
User 330749?
But his texts and general observations are good, no? I have benefited from it anyway.
(I never do much with the diagrams and analyses . . .)
Kotov's book was the first book I read seriously (the first half of it), solving the problems etc, and I have to say it cost me a great deal, trying to really do what he says in the book. I was wasting all my time on stupid variations (because I was starting from the wrong candidate move), trying to "reach a concrete conclusion before jumping to another variation" etc, and then I was feeling so exhausted, finally "giving up", "breaking the rule" and had a quick look at other candidate moves. It made me feel guilty and stupid.
Same thing would've happened with Silman's "thinking technique" but luckily I was smarter then.
and the book is so very much highly credited, I can't believe it! It's everywhere! I was really relieved that some other book came out telling the thing is simply rubbish.
If really trying to do what a book tells you to do is bad for you, then I guess the book has to be bad.
29 Nov 09
Originally posted by AjuinNow that sounds familiar...
Maybe this is what you're looking for.
A position from a past game of mine.I was playing the white pieces and just played Nd4-f5 to which black answered Rf8-e8.
Thoughts that cross my head
First "if I capture on e7 black no longer has the bishop pair".
Second "but my f5 knight is a very nice piece.At the moment it's better than his e7 bishop and it can ...[text shortened]... g move.
And this ridiculous excsuse for a thought process is what keeps me down.
I remember an OTB tournament game I played a couple of months ago when I was entertaining the possibility of saccing a knight in return for three pawns and opening up my opponent's Qside. Went through a very similar thought-process looking at other options, then went for the sac without thinking about it again. Turned out it was a good idea, but I cocked it up later on.
In answer to your reply to me, heinzkat, it's partially the above, and partially blunders - half of which I see before my opponent moves, half of which I don't.
29 Nov 09
I look at my games versus players +200 pts (2000-2100 crowd) otb
1) I am constantly trying to solve openings problems with the clock ticking. Usually I choose slightly worse setups and have to struggle through most of the middlegame
2) endgame - not the basic stuff, but being able to accurately evaluate technical positions from the late middlegame. Too often I wimp out when I am facing an unclear position where being wrong means a loss.
29 Nov 09
Originally posted by wormwoodIt doesn't happen to me but I may have an idea. Do you have candidate moves when training a color? Only the main lines work or you have to start over, unless you tick off that options panel called correct move I think. To get to the panel, start a training session, press stop and click the option button there.
yeah, in training mode. I suppose you're not getting it then...
Also, depending on the difficulty level you have to repeat the variation once or twice after you get it right once, plus you have to start over once you get a move wrong, or you didn't pick the main line.
29 Nov 09
1 edit
Originally posted by Maxacre42yeah, it's not that. otherwise it works just like it should, but sometimes it simply gets 'stuck' with a single line. the scores don't get updated either. but after you finally reach the final repetition, the rest of the lines work just as they should.
It doesn't happen to me but I may have an idea. Do you have candidate moves when training a color? Only the main lines work or you have to start over, unless you tick off that options panel called correct move I think. To get to the panel, start a training session, press stop and click the option button there.
Also, depending on the difficulty leve ...[text shortened]... once, plus you have to start over once you get a move wrong, or you didn't pick the main line.
oh well. it's probably a buggy side-effect of CPT not having real database functionality. which will apparent be implemented in the next version, or so they say.
30 Nov 09
Originally posted by wormwoodhey, can't complain about useful free stuff
yeah, it's not that. otherwise it works just like it should, but sometimes it simply gets 'stuck' with a single line. the scores don't get updated either. but after you finally reach the final repetition, the rest of the lines work just as they should.
oh well. it's probably a buggy side-effect of CPT not having real database functionality. which will apparent be implemented in the next version, or so they say.