International Chess School-calculation 4k2op

Calculation in Chess

We need to start with an important observation: Calculation is totally different from the so-called tactical combinations or tactical commitments, generally known as “tactics”. Tactics are only a subordinate of calculation. The confusion between these 2 (calculation and tactics) has a bad influence especially on the student’s preparation. Whether by confusion or by forgetting about this difference, most students tend to think that solving “combinations” is enough for their training, which is far from true. In fact, calculation is a very important TOOL that the chess player has to use at almost every move of a game. Therefore, in his training program, the chess student has to include specific preparation to improve his ability to calculate quickly and accurately. In the end of this file, you will find methods for improving your calculation ability.

STRATEGY

CALCULATION

Another complicate position Better prospects

1. Tactics Clear advantage / Material gain / Checkmate

2. Playing Technique A better position / Solving a crisis

VICTORY

STRATEGY Better positions

CALCULATION

In this diagram, we present the collaboration between strategy, calculation, tactics and technique of play. The calculation is a subordinate of strategy and a tool for the player to reach his goals. When they work, tactics (1 – in our diagram) give the player a clear-cut advantage but the concluding of the game this way is a more rare usage of the calculation. Instead, at almost every turn, the player needs to find and calculate the moves and their consequences (2 – playing technique) in order to get better positions (reach his strategic goals).

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The strategy is of first importance. Even from the very first move, the players choose their moves aiming for some strategical goals as the occupation of the centre, active and secure positions for their pieces, safe position for the king, good pawn structure and so on. Try to imagine that you have to calculate everything without the help of strategy and you’ll realize that you have to rediscover everything in chess. Also, the strategy makes tactics to work! Take a book of combinations (tactical exercises) and observe that in almost any diagram, the side called to play and win has in fact a very good position from strategical viewpoint. It is ridiculous to assume that we can win games only by tactical means; in order to make possible nice combinations, our pieces have to be on active positions and some weaknesses to be present in the opponent’s camp – so, strategy is on the first plan and helps the player with information which substitute the need of calculation. A good example in this regard is the World Chess Champion, Mikhail Tal, very well known for his brilliant combinations. In fact, Tal had a very good positional feeling and a great intuition. His games are full of brilliant moves and ideas, but to be frank, many of his tactics are contestable. You should know that the great tactician had in fact a great positional understanding and the great amount of tactical possibilities from his games was a result of his strategic play. You may wonder why we are talking about strategy in a lesson under the “tactics” section. The answer is: The calculation is a tool that the chess player uses at almost every move to reach his goals in the given position. The correct evaluation of the initial position is extremely important for the decisionmaking process. No less important is the correct evaluation of the resulting positions after the continuations the player takes into consideration. Many errors are done during the calculation process because players are too optimistic (and, in some cases, too pessimistic) about their position and available resources. A correct and realistic goal at the end of the calculated variations should take into the initial evaluation. White sacrificed a pawn to reach this position. The evaluation was made with some moves before and the factors which contributed for choosing this line were: White has the bishop-pair, a half-open file for the rook, a mobile pawn centre, and an active and secure position for the queen in the centre. Everything seemed so good, but after 1….Qa5 (threatening Bxd4 and Nxe4) 2.Bc1 Rd8 (making pressure on d4) 3.Be3 b5 (getting the c4-square for the knight), White realized that he has nothing for the pawn. The calculation up to this position was perfect, but the evaluation of the result was wrong. Black has no weaknesses, and has very active and secure positions for his minor pieces, a good target on d4 and… a free pawn on the b-file.

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Playing technique The calculation plays an important role for a normal game. After every opponent’s move, the player should try to foresee opponent’s plans and threats, and, of course, analysis is needed to check if the threats are real and to find ways to prevent them. Then, the player has to decide about a move and even if the next move seems normal as part of player’s “TO DO” list, the position has to be analyzed again checking if the move has no drawbacks, see its consequences or, if there are more moves in the “TO DO” list, decide about the move order. All these require a smaller or bigger amount of calculation. The chess game is rarely won by spectacular moves. A normal chess game is won by the player who plays more logical moves, does fewer mistakes and prevents the opponent’s counterplay. This is called “playing technique” and it is a combination between understanding the position’s requirements, a good evaluation and a quick and precise calculation subordinated to the strategic ideas and objectives.

Complicate positions Before talking about the calculation in complicate positions, we need to introduce 3 important : Candidate moves = these are the moves you consider for you or for your opponent as replies to your moves. Of course, nobody takes into consideration all legal moves on the chess board, so the candidate moves are only the moves that seem good for you after a quick analyzing of the position. Analysis tree = When you consider the candidate moves for you and, then, for every of them you look ahead for the candidate moves of your opponent and, then, the moves for you… all these moves form a “tree” of analysis. Different lines of this tree are called “branches”. In the analysis process, you should evaluate the position at the end of every of those branches and subsequently decide if the first move of the tree is good or no.

In complicate positions, we often have to examine a large number of different branches and more moves ahead. In order to do well in complicate positions, we should find first all the candidate moves for us (or for our opponent). So, do not plunge straight into analyzing the first move which comes into your head, but try to find all the good possibilities in the initial position. Step 1) Determine all the important squares in the initial position. You can use some squares for your pieces and other squares are controlled by the opponent that he can use to improve the status of his pieces. In complicate positions, a calm move that improve the status of one piece can be extremely strong. Don’t neglect the usage of these squares in your calculation.

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Step 1a) Determine all the pieces which are not defended (or weak defended) on the board. At the end of a long variation, a piece which can be captured after a double attack with check changes the final evaluation. You should have all these “weaknesses” gathered in your mind before starting to calculate. Step 2) Determine the candidate moves and inspect them trying to determine quickly which the critical lines are and which are easier to be solved. Try to figure out without analyzing too far ahead which lines are essential and are worth to be calculated precisely. Step 2a) Try to discover hidden resources in the position. It is not worth to calculate long variations if you miss some important improvements for you or for your opponent. Step 3) The order of analyzing the candidate moves is very important. Start your calculation with the forcing moves (exchanges, piece captures, checks, attacks and double attacks). Then, check the simple lines and let the branches which require more calculation at the end. This way you avoid calculating for a long time something which may be refuted in a much simpler way. Also, while going through the simpler branches, you might find very interesting new ideas/moves which will help you to improve the critical line/s of the analysis tree.

Recommendations: 1. Consequences of your opponent’s last move After every of your opponent’s move, you should quickly inspect the consequences of his move (both drawbacks and advantages). This technique will help you a lot in your calculation too. Some moves/possibilities that were not good before, could work now. Some interposing, new closed or opened lines can change a lot the situation on the board. Also, in time, you will get used to do the same (instantly and subconsciously) with the moves you calculate ahead. This way, mistakes like “ah, I didn’t see that after Ne7, the queen from c7 doesn’t defend anymore the g7-square” will become fewer and fewer.

2. your calculated lines from a move to another Try to carry out from a move to another some of already calculated lines. During a practical game, it’s no time to assess the position after every move and redo the entire analysis tree. So, the thoughts you had with a move before should be carried out, of course, taking into the changes (consequences) of the previous moves.

3. When to enter complications and when to avoid them By complications we understand positions which are (very) hard to be calculated precisely in a practical game.

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When you have a better position from strategical viewpoint, avoid complications! Try to find a more peaceful continuation which keeps your advantage and doesn’t change the thread of the game. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look for continuations that you can calculate up to the end and favors you. When you are stand badly and feel that a strong defense is not enough to hold the game, then, entering complications and setting traps are things you should even look for.

4. Don’t think that your opponent won’t find the best defense A grave mistake is to think that your opponent won’t find the best defense. Especially when playing against weaker opponents, many chess players make the mistake to underevaluate their opponent’s chances to find the best defense. Surprisingly, the defensive moves are often easier to be found out than the simple logical moves.

5. Don’t forget the weaknesses In this position, White is completely lost. His a1rook and b1-bishop cannot play, he is a pawn down and black pieces dominate the board. However, Black made a grave mistake and lost the game instantly: 30…Nd2?? 31.Qxf5! 1-0. You should not forget a second about the weaknesses of your position (and of your opponent’s position too). If Black had in mind that his back-rank is weak (the king has no escaping window and only one rook defends it), he surely could avoid such a mistake. Again: Always keep in mind the strategical and, especially, tactical weaknesses of the position.

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6. Fresh eye The course of the game has a great impact on the player’s psychology which influences his thinking a lot. Very simple moves and ideas can be overlooked easily and, therefore, when there is a difficult position on the board, the player should try to look at the position for some seconds/minutes with a “fresh eye”. This means that you should try to forget for a short time about anything you have calculated before, forget about your opponent and the game until this moment. Try then to imagine that the position is a puzzle/exercise you are doing at home or try to think that your chess idol (Tal, Fischer, Karpov…) is playing your position. Try to find hidden ideas in your position.

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You will be amazed how many new ideas or good moves can come to you this way during a whole game. This is a position after a game where White outplayed Black. The latter is near to resign as he is 2 pawns down. Black’s last move was 48…a4-a3 to which White quickly defended the pawn with 49.Nd3. If this position (after Ne5-d3) was published in a tactical book under the section dangerous pawns, anyone could see that Black wins by 49….b4-b3 queening one of the pawns. Black didn’t see this move because he was seriously influenced by the last events of the game where all his tries were systematically refuted by White. If Black would have tried to use the “fresh eye” in this desperate position, he could win the game.

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7. Make use of tactical resources to improve your position Very often, gaining a strategical advantage is not possible without the use of some tactical resources. After you improve your position and status of your pieces more and more, you might need a tactical strike in order to destroy opponent’s defense. In our example, White better development and strategical advantage (the control of the centre) is clear. However, in order to get some long term advantage, White has to make use of simple tactics: 1.d5! (creating a free pawn). The pawn is defended indirectly: 1…exd5 2.Nh4 (or 2.Ne5) and using the pin on the long diagonal, White regains his pawn and creates a mobile pawn phalanx in the centre (d- and e- pawns), with of course, the free d-pawn. This is a quite simple example of how tactics (here the pin) are used for strategical objectives.

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8. Time The chess clock and our mind’s limits play a very important role in our decision-making process. A precise calculation during the whole game and especially when the positions get very complicated is practically impossible. This is why we need to be pragmatic and to make some concessions, but well driven. So, below are some recommendations for the practical game (not for your training at home!): 1. Don’t enter tactics if you can play an equally good continuation without risks. Many players lost their advantage or did really big mistakes by a wrong calculation, so save your time and preserve the course of the game by playing natural moves of which you can calculate the consequences. 2. Trust your intuition. Check if the move dictated by your intuition is good, but don’t try to find reasons to dismiss that move. 3. 5 minutes of thinking per move in no complicate middlegame positions is plenty. Using more than 5 (maximum 10) minutes to think at a move usually don’t bring any improvement. Moreover, spending more time leads to fatigue and to a disorganized thinking. In extremely complicate positions, 20 minutes should be enough to get the best you can from it. 4. Check if the last move of your opponent changed the character of the position and if did not, play consistently with your plans. 5. If 2 or more moves seem equally good to you (we assume that you can not find a significant difference between them), choose the move which make your opponent to think more or the move which doesn’t reveal your next plans or, otherwise, choose at random as probably there is no real difference between them. 6. If you don’t find a satisfactory continuation within 5-10 minutes of thinking, there are 2 common situations: a. You did a wrong evaluation of the initial position (you thought you are better but, in fact, your position is worse). Then, try to make a correct evaluation and take the appropriate decisions for a worse position. b. You are tired by previous situations you had to solve, so use the “fresh eye” technique to help you. If no good move comes to your mind, just play the less bad continuation without hoping for a miracle. Maybe your position is not all that bad and you can redress the game later. 7. Apportion your time with care and think that the position you have in front of you is not be the hardest of your whole game. Keep your time and nerves ready for the rest of the game. Even if your opponent will get a small advantage at some moment, this will be hard to be exploited. Trust in possibilities that will appear later in the game; you will be amazed how often the advantage will be back to you. 8. Also, don’t play too fast! If you have the bad habit to play too quickly, then write down the move you are intending to play on your scoresheet, and, then, check again the position and your move for about 1-3 minutes.

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Specific training to improve your calculation As said in the first part of this file, the student of chess has to develop his calculation force and thus prepare for the practical games. 1. Start your chess training with 20-30 minutes of solving simple/average tactical exercises (combinations). This has more beneficial effects: - You improve your chess tactical vision and get new tactical ideas - You get your mind ready for the rest of your chess training day. - You get confidence in your own powers 2. Choose games or complicate positions, analyze them and then compare your analysis with the annotator’s one. If possible, find a partner and prepare one for the other the positions and games for analysis – this way you don’t see the solutions/analysis and also you will have a concurrent atmosphere that should motivate you. 3. Analyze your games and try to find better candidate moves for you and for your opponent. Never analyze with the computer before trying to figure out on your own about better/best continuations. 4. Don’t trust in others’ analysis when studying annotated games. Try to find better candidate moves and continuations if possible. Be critical all the time, as in practical situations more continuations can be good or even better than the one played by the grandmaster during his game. 5. Play training games. Playing is very important for improving your calculation. You can play at the chess club, against a partner of study, on Internet or even against your computer. 6. When studying your openings, work on the variations, moving the pieces on the board and analyze different continuations which seem good / interesting to you. This has 2 beneficial effects: - You improve your calculation ability in situations closely related to the positions you will play - It will help you a lot to memorize your opening systems 7. Collect 20-50 games from your database, of the same ECO code (the same opening variation), without annotations, between strong players. You can choose any opening variation you want, yet trying to find interesting ones (for example: B80). Play quicker through these games (5-10 minutes per game) without analyzing them. This way, we will observe similarities, typical plans, attacks, piece maneuvers and pawn’s play for that position. This should widen your chess knowledge with new ideas which will help your playing technique.

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