Alrighty! Have you seriously thought about the improve-in-chess tip I have given you yesterday? You should. Just thinking about how much time on average you can spend on each move will help you stave off time trouble.
And now, we are back. This is the second part of the series and we'll now look at NOT just how to play better chess BUT how to manage your time better. Without further adieu, let's get to the meat of this article!
Time Management Tip 1: During The Chess Opening Phase, Don't Spend TOO MUCH Time
True, I have warned you about the 'sin' of playing too quickly. I have emphasized the need to take it nice and slow...try to find the best move.
HOWEVER, in the opening, there are only a couple of rules that you need to keep in mind to play it successfully.
1. Get your pieces out in optimal positions.
2. Get your king to safety.
3. Get your Rooks connected.
(I have emphasized this further since many amateur players, including me at times, are guilty of developing only their minor pieces and Queens...BUT leave their rooks dozing at the corner.)
That's about it!
Unless you are a Grandmaster (who plays for a +/= advantage on every move in the opening), which I doubt you are since you are in this chess improvement blog meant for amateurs, logical developing and opening moves should be enough to reach a playable middlegame. Remember, the goal of the opening is to reach a playable middlegame.
(GM Igor Smirnov has tackled the question how to play during the opening really well in his chess video course Grandmaster's Secrets. You should check it out.)
You don't believe me? Well, check out Fischer-Benko, 1963 (which has been annotated by yours truly in this blog). Benko played what was an offbeat opening (the Pirc was considered offbeat half a decade ago). Fischer responded with solid and logical chess opening moves.
The result?
A crushing win! Fischer played nothing spectacular in the opening. He occupied the center, he developed his minor chess pieces, he moves the queen out, connected his rooks...and when he's all primed up for action, he attacked and won the game in 21 moves!
I can't imagine Bobby taking a lot of time in the opening phase of this game. If you REALLY want to improve in chess, you should follow the former world champion's example.
In the complications department, the opening pales in comparison to the middlegame and endgame where players walk a tightrope, where one mistake spells a loss.
Don't spend too much time in the opening, save your time for the latter phases of the game, and you will NOT just see significant chess improvement BUT you will also find that time trouble doesn't plague as much as it used to.
If you are struggling to improve in chess - manage your time, find the right moves in tactical and strategic positions, etc., one of the FINEST and easily accessible resource I have found is The Grandmaster's Secrets written by GM Igor Smirnov.
It's a chess video course that goes into GREAT detail about how to think in chess, how to train for chess tournaments, how to manage your time, and a whole lot more. Moreoever, it comes with a beefy practical part - chess positions and games, where you can train the new stuff you have learned.
GM Smirnov even tells you how to use these training materials for maximum benefit!
Check it out RIGHT here: The Grandmaster's Secrets Official Website
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Improve In Chess Tips - Get Better Chess Results With PROPER Time Management 1
A little break from our OTB improve-in-chess tips, I think it's about time we tackle a facet of chess improvement that hasn't been tackled a lot in most books, courses, etc.
What is this issue I'm talking? Time management. You see, the clock is part of the game. There are 3 ways to win a game:
1. Your opponent resigns.
2. Your opponent is checkmated.
3. Your opponent's clock runs out of time.
Each of these awards you a point. A game won through checkmate doesn't gain more points than a game won through the clock. That's why it baffles me why players haven't paid much attention to it.
Here's a common scenario...
I (a couple of years back), and I believe other improving chess players too, find myself able to find the correct moves during home analysis, when playing skittles (untimed and informal) games, or when playing solitaire chess.
When I have all the time in the world, finding the best move in the position is a piece of cake. HOWEVER, you and I don't have all the time in the world in a REAL tournament game!
The clock can be a good friend, and it can be one of your worst enemies too if you don't know how to manage it.
Chess players face different problems on the board - dealing with openings preparation, attack and defense, finding the right chess strategy, how to convert one's advantage into a win, and the list goes on and on and on. And before you know it, if you don't practice good chess time management, you only have 5 minutes left for the next 20 moves! Or worse, you have lost a winning position because your flag fell.
And this brings me to the following point,
Strong players have EXCELLENT time conservation techniques that I will reveal on the next parts of this series (so stay tuned :D). For now, let's get started with chess tip...
Planning Ahead To Manage Your Time
This sounds pretty obvious, right?
BUT seriously, have you paid serious attention in managing your time before a tournament? How long should you think about every move when you have 120 minutes or 2 hours for the game? What about games with fast time controls - 30 minutes with a 10-second increment?
Not so sure?
Then let's have a closer think about it. On the average, a game reaches up to 40 moves. With 2 hours for the whole game (120 minutes divided by 40 moves), we have approximately 3 minutes per move.
Do the same for other time controls and you will have a rough idea of how much time you should spend per move. Being aware of this will save you from time trouble.
OK, this chess improvement and time management post has taken too much of your time. Haha.
So let's stick to this for now, and come back tomorrow where I take a look at the time saving techniques I was referring to earlier.
Time management and having a solid thought process - these 2 are some of the MOST important things you need to take care of if you want to improve in chess.
One resource that has tackled this EXCELLENTLY is GM Igor Smirnov's Grandmaster's Secrets. What I like about the book is how Igor clearly explains how to properly think in chess - no matter what type of position is in front of you.
Of course, it also comes with tips that will only boost your chess improvement further - how to train, tournament preparation, knowing you and your opponent's weaknesses, managing time, and those are just to name a few.
If you want to improve at chess, if you want to play better chess and eventually win more games, the Grandmaster's Secrets by GM Igor Smirnov is a chess video course you should check out!
What is this issue I'm talking? Time management. You see, the clock is part of the game. There are 3 ways to win a game:
1. Your opponent resigns.
2. Your opponent is checkmated.
3. Your opponent's clock runs out of time.
Each of these awards you a point. A game won through checkmate doesn't gain more points than a game won through the clock. That's why it baffles me why players haven't paid much attention to it.
Here's a common scenario...
I (a couple of years back), and I believe other improving chess players too, find myself able to find the correct moves during home analysis, when playing skittles (untimed and informal) games, or when playing solitaire chess.
When I have all the time in the world, finding the best move in the position is a piece of cake. HOWEVER, you and I don't have all the time in the world in a REAL tournament game!
The clock can be a good friend, and it can be one of your worst enemies too if you don't know how to manage it.
Chess players face different problems on the board - dealing with openings preparation, attack and defense, finding the right chess strategy, how to convert one's advantage into a win, and the list goes on and on and on. And before you know it, if you don't practice good chess time management, you only have 5 minutes left for the next 20 moves! Or worse, you have lost a winning position because your flag fell.
And this brings me to the following point,
If you want to improve in chess, it's NOT enough to have know how to find the RIGHT move...you also need to find it as fast possible.
Planning Ahead To Manage Your Time
This sounds pretty obvious, right?
BUT seriously, have you paid serious attention in managing your time before a tournament? How long should you think about every move when you have 120 minutes or 2 hours for the game? What about games with fast time controls - 30 minutes with a 10-second increment?
Not so sure?
Then let's have a closer think about it. On the average, a game reaches up to 40 moves. With 2 hours for the whole game (120 minutes divided by 40 moves), we have approximately 3 minutes per move.
Do the same for other time controls and you will have a rough idea of how much time you should spend per move. Being aware of this will save you from time trouble.
OK, this chess improvement and time management post has taken too much of your time. Haha.
So let's stick to this for now, and come back tomorrow where I take a look at the time saving techniques I was referring to earlier.
Time management and having a solid thought process - these 2 are some of the MOST important things you need to take care of if you want to improve in chess.
One resource that has tackled this EXCELLENTLY is GM Igor Smirnov's Grandmaster's Secrets. What I like about the book is how Igor clearly explains how to properly think in chess - no matter what type of position is in front of you.
Of course, it also comes with tips that will only boost your chess improvement further - how to train, tournament preparation, knowing you and your opponent's weaknesses, managing time, and those are just to name a few.
If you want to improve at chess, if you want to play better chess and eventually win more games, the Grandmaster's Secrets by GM Igor Smirnov is a chess video course you should check out!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Improve In Chess By Studying Annotated Chess Master Games Part 2
Watch how masters play and you will surely improve in chess.
No doubt about that. And that's EXACTLY what we are going to do here (and in the next articles to come). First off, a little introduction to the annotated chess game that we will look at.
This one is a classic...and RIGHTLY so.
No Shirov, no Anand, no Carlsen for now. This game is a blast from the past - coming all the way from the 1963 United States Chess Championship, which was won by some fella named Robert James "Bobby" Fischer.
The game below is played by...well, you guessed it - Bobby Fischer! (No bonus points there). Fischer's performance in this United States Championship is unprecedented - a jaw dropping 11-0! None of his fellow US grandmasters - the best chess players in his country, could draw, let alone win against him.
With 3 and 1/2 points ahead of the pack, he clearly shows that he is NOT just one of the better chess players in his country...he shows why he is one of the BEST not just in the US but in the WORLD!
Before moving on to the game, one more thing to point: Fischer's style...it's UNIVERSAL! He plays the opening like a machine - exhibiting great accuracy like that of Alekhine in his prime. He plays the endgame like Capablanca. He plays very solid positional chess - NOT lashing out like a madman, slowly building up his position and plays for small advantages. HOWEVER, when given the chance, he will rip you inside and out with combinations as he shows in thi game.
If you want to improve in chess STEADILY, if you want get good at all phases of the game - opening, middle-game, endgame, and everything in between, studying Fischer's game is HIGHLY recommended.
Played in Round 10 of the said tournament, Fischer goes up against a fellow chess Grandmaster - Pal Benko...and DEMOLISHES him in only 21 moves!
Fischer - Benko
1. e4 g6
Benko's move doesn't reveal his intentions. It can pretty much transpose to anything - Sicilian (after 2.Nf3 c5), Modern Defense (2...Bg7 whatever White plays), Pirc (2...d6), etc. Anyway, we're not here for an extensive opening lecture. Let's move on.
2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6
What started out as the Modern Defense has now transposed to the Pirc. The Pirc (just a little trivia) is one of those hypermodern games where Black allows White to build a strong center with the hope of attacking it from the flanks.
4. f4
This is the Austrian Attack. By playing this, it's like Fischer was saying: "You're giving me the center? Alright! I'll take it. And you better act fast or I will smother you with my central and spatial advantage".
4...Nf6 5. Nf3 O-O
This is the Capablanca-like play by Fischer that I was talking about. Against little known opening systems like the Pirc (it's NOT popular back in the day), Fischer sticks to solid developing moves - bringing out his pieces first before anything else.
6. Bd3
Many experts and masters believe this is the BEST set up in the Austrian attack. And, looking at it, it's really the most logical move. 6.Bd3 develops his last kingside piece while providing more support for his center.
6...Bg4
Benko's move, however, isn't too convincing. It allows Fischer to grab an advantage. What did Bobby play to take advantage of Benko's inaccurate move?
Stop Right There And Think About It
7.h3!
While 7.Be3 is also good, the text is better. Why? First off, it immediately puts the 'question to the Bishop' - should you retreat or capture? Looking at it closely, retreating the Bishop doesn't really bring Black anything. It's more of a time waster since White can play a normal developing move (like Bc1-e3) and catch up in the development department.
Capturing - 7...Bxf3 Qxf3, on the other hand, moves the Queen an inch closer to the Kingside, and MORE importantly, it gives White the Bishop Pair. The White light-squared will have no counterpart. This gives White the opportunity to attack the light squares...squares that Black may have difficulty covering or defending.
Later in the game, you will see how CRUCIAL the role of that light-squared Bishop is for winning this game.
7...Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nc6
Black immediately attacks the squares left undefended by the Knight on f3.
9. Be3 e5 10. dxe5 dxe5
With Black's 9th move, which initiates the exchange, the center has somewhat stabilized. With White almost completing his development (he's just a move away from connecting his Rooks), it's time to take action. What would you do if you are Bobby's shoes?
Stop Right There And Think About It
11. f5!
A strong move! Divide the board from top to bottom - look at White's pieces, 3 of them (the 2 Bishops along with the Queen) are setting their sights on the Kingside. And by opening lines on that area of the board, he increases the likelihood of creating a successful attack.
11...gxf5
You may be thinking: "What's Benko thinking?! He's doing exactly what Fischer wants!" A closer look, however, reveals that this is the lesser evil. White is threatening to follow it up with g2-g4. What's the BIG deal? Here are some lines I have found.
(Please point out chess improvements in this analysis if you find one :D)
11...Qe7 12.g4 Nd4 13.Qf2 gxf5 14.gxf5 Rad8 15.0-0-0 Kh8 16.Rhg1 Rg8 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Bf6 (Forced. If Black recaptures the pawn with 18...Rxd5 then 19.Rxg7 Rxg7 20.f6 Qe6 21.fxg7+ and White is winning) 19.c3 Rxg1 20.Rxg1 e4 21.Bxd4 exd3 22.Re1 Qd6 23.Re6 and if 23...fxe6 then White finishes with 24.Bxf6+ Kg8 25.Qg2 Kf7 26.Qg7+ Ke8 27.Qg8+ Qf8 28.Qxe6+ Qe7 29.Qxe7#.
And it all started by allowing White to create a series of threats beginning with 12.g4!
If you want to improve in chess, you should always (especially when the pieces are already clashing...when there is a lot of tension) look for FORCING moves. Forcing moves are often the start of winning combinations.
12. Qxf5 Nd4 13. Qf2 Ne8 14. O-O Nd6 It seems like Black has everything defended for now. How to increase the pressure?
Stop Right There And Think About It
15. Qg3!
Once you have the initiative, don't let go of it! Fischer sure knows this advice. With his move, he threatens 16.Bh6. Always look for threats and attacking moves - this is a crucial advice that GM Igor Smirnov emphasizes over and over again in his chess course Grandmaster's Secrets.
15...Kh8?!
Now, this is more of a panic move. Instead of doing something active (activiting his pieces for example), Benko allows himself to fall into passive defense and gives the driver's seat to his world-famous opponent. Much better would have been 15...f5 creating the counterthreat of 16...f4. And if -
a. 16.Bh6, then 16...Qf6 creating the counterthreat of 17...f4 18.Qg5 Qxh6.
b. 16.Bg5 Qd7 17.Qh4 Rae8 18.Rae1 when White has an advantage due to the Bishop pair and shattered Black Kingside. However, this is far from winning.
16. Qg4!
Stopping ...f7-f5 and moves the Queen closer to the enemy monarch.
16...c6
I think this is another mistake (I could be wrong for all we know). BUT here's why I think this is - it's way too slow to be an effective counterattack. Much better, I believe is 16...c5 17.b3 Qc8 18.Qh5 (still keeping an eye on f5) 18...b5 when Black is still kicking.
17.Qh5 Qe8
This is what Black is counting on - an exchange of Queens after ...f7-f5. BUT Fischer proved that this saving resource is actually a losing one! What move did Fischer find?
Stop Right There And Think About It
18.Bxd4!
As you can see, both the Queen and the d3-Bishop have their sights on the h7-pawn. If only the e4-pawn is out of the way, it would be mate! This move by Fischer forces Black to get the e5-pawn out of the way so the e4-pawn can advance and give life to the blood-seeking Bishop...the Bishop that has been imprisoned by his foot soldier now effectively enters the game!
18...exd4
The e5-pawn is now out of the way. The foot soldier on e4 is free to move forward, which will now allow Bishop to create a mate threat with the Queen on h5. What would you do?
Stop Right There And Think About It
19.Rf6!!If you played 19.e5 right away, that's ok. Many grandmasters watching this game back then are actually thinking the Black has the advantage at his point! And they failed to find this move. This just proves how way ahead Fischer is of the pack. After 19...f5! Black stops White's threat and is still in the game. The text move stops the possibility of ...f7-f5 and threatens 20.e5.
If sincerely want to improve in chess and get better results, keep in mind that you and your opponent has an equal say in the game. Always look for his potential countermoves all the time. This is a part of a good thinking process. A good resource...a chess course, for honing your chess thought process is the Grandmaster's Secrets (written by GM Igor Smirnov).
19...Kg8 20.e5
The final blow.
20...h6 21.Ne2 1-0And Benko throws in the towel and RIGHTLY so. Black cannot move away the Knight as Qh5-d5 would follow with mate next move. And he certainly cannot take on f6 as Qxh6 would lead to mate next move as well.
How did you do?
I hope you did pretty good. If NOT, that's ok. You don't get to be a better chess player overnight. Improving in chess takes a lot of things, BUT step 1 to being taking your game to the next level is having a solid and well structured thought process that would allow you to see and check the possibilities.
One chess video course that tackles the chess thought process REALLY well is GM Igor Smirnov's Grandmaster's Secrets. It contains rock solid advice about how to think in chess. GM Smirnov even dissects both a tactical and strategic position in front of you using the thinking system he's advocating.
And to make sure that you get to practice this newly acquired weapon, he tosses in a mouthful of training games and positions that would allow you to train your newly found thought process.
Combined with tips on tournament preparation, how to train further, how to keep in shape for tournaments, and more, you will surely improve in chess with this course (provided that you apply his advice).
Check Out Grandmaster's Secrets By GM Igor Smirnov RIGHT HERE
No doubt about that. And that's EXACTLY what we are going to do here (and in the next articles to come). First off, a little introduction to the annotated chess game that we will look at.
This one is a classic...and RIGHTLY so.
No Shirov, no Anand, no Carlsen for now. This game is a blast from the past - coming all the way from the 1963 United States Chess Championship, which was won by some fella named Robert James "Bobby" Fischer.
The game below is played by...well, you guessed it - Bobby Fischer! (No bonus points there). Fischer's performance in this United States Championship is unprecedented - a jaw dropping 11-0! None of his fellow US grandmasters - the best chess players in his country, could draw, let alone win against him.
With 3 and 1/2 points ahead of the pack, he clearly shows that he is NOT just one of the better chess players in his country...he shows why he is one of the BEST not just in the US but in the WORLD!
Before moving on to the game, one more thing to point: Fischer's style...it's UNIVERSAL! He plays the opening like a machine - exhibiting great accuracy like that of Alekhine in his prime. He plays the endgame like Capablanca. He plays very solid positional chess - NOT lashing out like a madman, slowly building up his position and plays for small advantages. HOWEVER, when given the chance, he will rip you inside and out with combinations as he shows in thi game.
If you want to improve in chess STEADILY, if you want get good at all phases of the game - opening, middle-game, endgame, and everything in between, studying Fischer's game is HIGHLY recommended.
Played in Round 10 of the said tournament, Fischer goes up against a fellow chess Grandmaster - Pal Benko...and DEMOLISHES him in only 21 moves!
Fischer - Benko
1. e4 g6
Benko's move doesn't reveal his intentions. It can pretty much transpose to anything - Sicilian (after 2.Nf3 c5), Modern Defense (2...Bg7 whatever White plays), Pirc (2...d6), etc. Anyway, we're not here for an extensive opening lecture. Let's move on.
2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 d6
What started out as the Modern Defense has now transposed to the Pirc. The Pirc (just a little trivia) is one of those hypermodern games where Black allows White to build a strong center with the hope of attacking it from the flanks.
4. f4
This is the Austrian Attack. By playing this, it's like Fischer was saying: "You're giving me the center? Alright! I'll take it. And you better act fast or I will smother you with my central and spatial advantage".
4...Nf6 5. Nf3 O-O
This is the Capablanca-like play by Fischer that I was talking about. Against little known opening systems like the Pirc (it's NOT popular back in the day), Fischer sticks to solid developing moves - bringing out his pieces first before anything else.
6. Bd3
Many experts and masters believe this is the BEST set up in the Austrian attack. And, looking at it, it's really the most logical move. 6.Bd3 develops his last kingside piece while providing more support for his center.
6...Bg4
Benko's move, however, isn't too convincing. It allows Fischer to grab an advantage. What did Bobby play to take advantage of Benko's inaccurate move?
Stop Right There And Think About It
7.h3!
While 7.Be3 is also good, the text is better. Why? First off, it immediately puts the 'question to the Bishop' - should you retreat or capture? Looking at it closely, retreating the Bishop doesn't really bring Black anything. It's more of a time waster since White can play a normal developing move (like Bc1-e3) and catch up in the development department.
Capturing - 7...Bxf3 Qxf3, on the other hand, moves the Queen an inch closer to the Kingside, and MORE importantly, it gives White the Bishop Pair. The White light-squared will have no counterpart. This gives White the opportunity to attack the light squares...squares that Black may have difficulty covering or defending.
Later in the game, you will see how CRUCIAL the role of that light-squared Bishop is for winning this game.
7...Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nc6
Black immediately attacks the squares left undefended by the Knight on f3.
9. Be3 e5 10. dxe5 dxe5
With Black's 9th move, which initiates the exchange, the center has somewhat stabilized. With White almost completing his development (he's just a move away from connecting his Rooks), it's time to take action. What would you do if you are Bobby's shoes?
Stop Right There And Think About It
11. f5!
A strong move! Divide the board from top to bottom - look at White's pieces, 3 of them (the 2 Bishops along with the Queen) are setting their sights on the Kingside. And by opening lines on that area of the board, he increases the likelihood of creating a successful attack.
11...gxf5
You may be thinking: "What's Benko thinking?! He's doing exactly what Fischer wants!" A closer look, however, reveals that this is the lesser evil. White is threatening to follow it up with g2-g4. What's the BIG deal? Here are some lines I have found.
(Please point out chess improvements in this analysis if you find one :D)
11...Qe7 12.g4 Nd4 13.Qf2 gxf5 14.gxf5 Rad8 15.0-0-0 Kh8 16.Rhg1 Rg8 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Bf6 (Forced. If Black recaptures the pawn with 18...Rxd5 then 19.Rxg7 Rxg7 20.f6 Qe6 21.fxg7+ and White is winning) 19.c3 Rxg1 20.Rxg1 e4 21.Bxd4 exd3 22.Re1 Qd6 23.Re6 and if 23...fxe6 then White finishes with 24.Bxf6+ Kg8 25.Qg2 Kf7 26.Qg7+ Ke8 27.Qg8+ Qf8 28.Qxe6+ Qe7 29.Qxe7#.
And it all started by allowing White to create a series of threats beginning with 12.g4!
If you want to improve in chess, you should always (especially when the pieces are already clashing...when there is a lot of tension) look for FORCING moves. Forcing moves are often the start of winning combinations.
12. Qxf5 Nd4 13. Qf2 Ne8 14. O-O Nd6 It seems like Black has everything defended for now. How to increase the pressure?
Stop Right There And Think About It
15. Qg3!
Once you have the initiative, don't let go of it! Fischer sure knows this advice. With his move, he threatens 16.Bh6. Always look for threats and attacking moves - this is a crucial advice that GM Igor Smirnov emphasizes over and over again in his chess course Grandmaster's Secrets.
15...Kh8?!
Now, this is more of a panic move. Instead of doing something active (activiting his pieces for example), Benko allows himself to fall into passive defense and gives the driver's seat to his world-famous opponent. Much better would have been 15...f5 creating the counterthreat of 16...f4. And if -
a. 16.Bh6, then 16...Qf6 creating the counterthreat of 17...f4 18.Qg5 Qxh6.
b. 16.Bg5 Qd7 17.Qh4 Rae8 18.Rae1 when White has an advantage due to the Bishop pair and shattered Black Kingside. However, this is far from winning.
16. Qg4!
Stopping ...f7-f5 and moves the Queen closer to the enemy monarch.
16...c6
I think this is another mistake (I could be wrong for all we know). BUT here's why I think this is - it's way too slow to be an effective counterattack. Much better, I believe is 16...c5 17.b3 Qc8 18.Qh5 (still keeping an eye on f5) 18...b5 when Black is still kicking.
17.Qh5 Qe8
This is what Black is counting on - an exchange of Queens after ...f7-f5. BUT Fischer proved that this saving resource is actually a losing one! What move did Fischer find?
Stop Right There And Think About It
18.Bxd4!
As you can see, both the Queen and the d3-Bishop have their sights on the h7-pawn. If only the e4-pawn is out of the way, it would be mate! This move by Fischer forces Black to get the e5-pawn out of the way so the e4-pawn can advance and give life to the blood-seeking Bishop...the Bishop that has been imprisoned by his foot soldier now effectively enters the game!
18...exd4
The e5-pawn is now out of the way. The foot soldier on e4 is free to move forward, which will now allow Bishop to create a mate threat with the Queen on h5. What would you do?
Stop Right There And Think About It
19.Rf6!!If you played 19.e5 right away, that's ok. Many grandmasters watching this game back then are actually thinking the Black has the advantage at his point! And they failed to find this move. This just proves how way ahead Fischer is of the pack. After 19...f5! Black stops White's threat and is still in the game. The text move stops the possibility of ...f7-f5 and threatens 20.e5.
If sincerely want to improve in chess and get better results, keep in mind that you and your opponent has an equal say in the game. Always look for his potential countermoves all the time. This is a part of a good thinking process. A good resource...a chess course, for honing your chess thought process is the Grandmaster's Secrets (written by GM Igor Smirnov).
19...Kg8 20.e5
The final blow.
20...h6 21.Ne2 1-0And Benko throws in the towel and RIGHTLY so. Black cannot move away the Knight as Qh5-d5 would follow with mate next move. And he certainly cannot take on f6 as Qxh6 would lead to mate next move as well.
How did you do?
I hope you did pretty good. If NOT, that's ok. You don't get to be a better chess player overnight. Improving in chess takes a lot of things, BUT step 1 to being taking your game to the next level is having a solid and well structured thought process that would allow you to see and check the possibilities.
One chess video course that tackles the chess thought process REALLY well is GM Igor Smirnov's Grandmaster's Secrets. It contains rock solid advice about how to think in chess. GM Smirnov even dissects both a tactical and strategic position in front of you using the thinking system he's advocating.
And to make sure that you get to practice this newly acquired weapon, he tosses in a mouthful of training games and positions that would allow you to train your newly found thought process.
Combined with tips on tournament preparation, how to train further, how to keep in shape for tournaments, and more, you will surely improve in chess with this course (provided that you apply his advice).
Check Out Grandmaster's Secrets By GM Igor Smirnov RIGHT HERE
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Improve In Chess By Studying Annotated Chess Master Games Part 1
Want a surefire way to improve at chess?
We all do! No doubt about that. And one of the best ways to get better at chess is to study instructively annotated chess games...those that were played by a master against a master.
Playing through master chess games that are annotated with a lot of explanatory text is an excellent way see how the experts of our beloved royal game think and play through the opening, middlegame, and endgame. YES, it's a complete lesson. The only downside is that you cannot ask questions.
That's EXACTLY what I'm going to give you in this series - annotated master games (for your entertainment and chess improvement) PLUS MORE!
We all do! No doubt about that. And one of the best ways to get better at chess is to study instructively annotated chess games...those that were played by a master against a master.
Playing through master chess games that are annotated with a lot of explanatory text is an excellent way see how the experts of our beloved royal game think and play through the opening, middlegame, and endgame. YES, it's a complete lesson. The only downside is that you cannot ask questions.
That's EXACTLY what I'm going to give you in this series - annotated master games (for your entertainment and chess improvement) PLUS MORE!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Improve In Chess - Getting Rid Of The Negatives In Chess Part 5
Alrighty! This is the last part of this series...AND I hope you are still following. If you haven't read the previous Improve In Chess articles I have written here, you should check it out.
Now, there is nothing revolutionary with what I have written here. I'm sure other chess players and writers have written about them before. BUT they do serve as a strong and regular reminder concerning the bad habits you need to get rid of to improve in chess.
What I'm about to discuss right now is probably the most important so far in this series. This is precisely the reason why you lose when your opponent plays something out of the book, why you can't make any sense of the position in front of you, why you fail to find tactics despite spending hours on chess tactics training.
Now, there is nothing revolutionary with what I have written here. I'm sure other chess players and writers have written about them before. BUT they do serve as a strong and regular reminder concerning the bad habits you need to get rid of to improve in chess.
What I'm about to discuss right now is probably the most important so far in this series. This is precisely the reason why you lose when your opponent plays something out of the book, why you can't make any sense of the position in front of you, why you fail to find tactics despite spending hours on chess tactics training.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Improve In Chess - Getting Rid Of The Negatives In Chess Part 4
Why do chess amateurs, despite spending hours on training, fail to improve in chess?
Well, there are many factors - my previous articles in this series, have tackled some of them. You should check them out. HOWEVER, what I'm about to tell you right now is just as destructive in your progress...preventing you from being the better chess player that you wanted to be.
Here it is...
Well, there are many factors - my previous articles in this series, have tackled some of them. You should check them out. HOWEVER, what I'm about to tell you right now is just as destructive in your progress...preventing you from being the better chess player that you wanted to be.
Here it is...
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Improve In Chess - Getting Rid Of The Negatives In Chess Part 3
Right now, I hope you have taken the previous articles on this Improve In Chess series seriously - you are now taking one chess topic at a time to study and have set your encyclopedia of openings to the side for now to focus on things that matter more...things that would help you improve your chess better and faster.
Yeah?
Cool!
BUT we are NOT done yet! There are still a couple of bad chess habits that we need to get out of the way. This will pave way for better and faster chess improvement. And the one we are going to look at today is so obvious that you will bang your head for NOT realizing it.
Ready?
Here it is...
Yeah?
Cool!
BUT we are NOT done yet! There are still a couple of bad chess habits that we need to get out of the way. This will pave way for better and faster chess improvement. And the one we are going to look at today is so obvious that you will bang your head for NOT realizing it.
Ready?
Here it is...
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