Those who know me have probably caught me staring into space sometime in the past - yes, I was one of those kids occasionally sitting in the back of the room, staring into space, and thinking to myself. Not surprisingly, I was having one of those days today. Don't get me wrong, I got a lot accomplished throughout the day, but every now and then a random idea would pop into my head, the first being the fact that 'timing of things is so important'. If you think about it, timing dictates a lot in our life. Simply the time and related circumstance of an event can cause it to succeed or fail. Likewise, in chess, when to play moves and how to manage the time on your clock can be crucial factors.
I decided to make a list of ten tips to help you manage time in chess. There are many more things that could be said, but we'll leave those for another day (or feel free to comment).
1. Calculate forced, realistic, and pattern-oriented moves first. This should be common sense, but it's so easy for the human mind to get distracted. There's really no point spending a bunch of your valuable time calculating inefficient or unrealistic options.
2. Arrive on time and remember to press your clock!
3. Really get to know the position and its underlying strategy on your opponent's time, so that you can focus on actual moves/tactics on your own time.
4. If you are constantly low on time, find out where the problem is occurring. Is it in the opening, middlegame, or endgame? Is it in your attack or defense? Does it involve certain trouble pieces? Once you know where the problem is, you can work to improve the situation.
5. Come to the game with fresh energy. Eat & sleep well + don't pressure yourself too much. A friend of mine advised me to relax an hour before each exam - something similar could apply to chess. Basically, if you feel drained and tired during your game, you will have to use extra time to organize your thoughts, not to mention your motivation.
6. Be flexible - don't get stuck on certain 'rules' like you must take 'x' amount of minutes per move. You have to adjust the way you manage your time in each situation. If it's a straightforward game and you are 99.99% sure a certain move is the best move, you don't need to spend all day looking for a better one. On the other hand, if it's a complicated game, and a crucial move, you may want to spend a larger chunk of time thinking - just don't go overboard because you still have the rest of the game to complete.
7. Practice, practice, practice! Try to include a variety of positions, opponents, tactics, strategy, and so forth into your studies/tournaments. The more patterns you're exposed to, the easier moves will come to your mind.
8. Stay calm, but never too calm! Almost everything in life is about finding a balance. If you panic, you won't be able to sort your thoughts efficiently. If you go into vacation mode, you may not be thinking at all! So try to find that balance and use it to your advantage.
9. Develop consistent habits - when I was younger, I used to bring juice, a teddy bear, and a certain set of pens & scorepads to each game of a tournament. I would write out my moves in a certain way, and sometimes even look at the board a certain way. While it may seem over the top, these habits helped me focus efficiently, because when you get used to your surroundings in a consistent way, you don't think about as many distractions. Of course, I would change things up occasionally (between tournaments) to keep myself from going insane (haha) but overall, my habits were quite regular.
Note: While there are many acceptable habits you can develop, make sure the habits themselves are not overly distracting to you or others.
10. Even though timing is important, don't let it overrule your thinking process. It's similar to a test - it's better to get 50 questions correct in a longer amount of time than 100 questions wrong in a shorter amount of time. Your first priority is to find reasonable moves. Your second priority is to find them efficiently.
Further resources:
http://chess.about.com/od/tipsforbeginners/qt/TimeManagement.htm
http://www.chess-game-strategies.com/beginners-chess.html
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman40.pdf
http://www.mychessblog.com/online-chess/
http://www.chesskid.com/article/view/time-is-on-my-mind
http://www.gamecentercentral.com/improve-in-chess-manage-your-time-well-and-win-chess-games-more-and-lose-less/
http://how-to-improve-in-chess.com/2011/02/12/improve-in-chess-proper-chess-time-management-3/
http://www.thechessworld.com/learn/articles/17-chess-how-tos/131-how-to-manage-time-in-chess
http://www.chessfornovices.com/becomingastrongchesstournamentplayer2.html
http://main.uschess.org/content/view/9176/341/
http://www.chess.com/article/view/time-management2
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman10.pdf
or search 'time management chess', 'timing moves in chess', etc... as you can see, there are many articles about this important issue :)
Good night!
Showing posts with label Strategy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strategy. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Combining Two Great Games in One
A fun variant to try - pieces cannot move backwards until they reach the other side of the board. http://www.pathguy.com/chess/CkrChess.htm
The image above occurred in my game (I was white).
Checkers vs. Chess strategy:
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
16 + 1 terms for Sept. 16!
I've found that while chess contains a wealth of easily understood vocabulary, there are some terms that juniors have difficulty understanding. Here are sixteen of them (no particular order):
1. initiative
Initiative is a dynamic imbalance that can be thought of as control. A player can obtain control through superior pawn structure, space, lead in development, etc. Obtaining such control is very important, because it provides the foundation for implementing our own ideas and plans, rather than responding to those of our opponent.
2. deflection/decoy
Deflection and decoy are very similar tactics involving the concept of distraction. In deflection, one piece is distracted from defending another piece or square. In decoy, the distracted piece becomes the target of another tactic, such as a fork or mating attack. Deflections and decoys often involve sacrifices.
3. zugzwang
"Zugzwang" is a German word meaning "compulsion to move". In other words, a player must make a move, but has no good options. This usually results in an unpreventable material gain or checkmate. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zugzwang)
4. en passant
Please refer to: http://chess.about.com/od/rulesofchess/ss/Specialrules_3.htm
5. perpetual
A perpetual is an ongoing repetition, much like an infinite loop in computer programming. Since a chess game cannot go on forever, rules have been set to produce an immediate draw if a position repeats three times in the same game.
6. stalemate
A stalemate is another type of draw, very similar to a checkmate, except lacking the check. A stalemate can be called if 1) one player has no legal moves, 2) it is said player's turn to move, and 3) the king is not in check.
7. sacrifice
A good sacrifice, often used in tactics, is like an investment. A player gives up some material (for instance, trading a rook for a knight) in order to achieve positional gain, future material gain, or checkmate. Many of the most beautiful games in chess involve some form of sacrifice.
8. zwischenzug
Another German term referring to an "in-between move". While most moves/tactics seem to follow a logical and forseen pattern, one overlooked check or attack inserted in the middle of the move sequence can produce unexpected results.
9. underpromotion
It seems common sense to immediately grab a new queen when a pawn is promoted, but in certain cases, it's actually more useful to promote to a B, N, or R. As an example, some endgames may result in a stalemate if a queen is chosen, yet a win if a rook is chosen instead.
10. forced/forcing move
I find a lot of students have trouble with this concept, because they assume only a limited number of moves are possible for their opponent, even if there are many. In order to reduce the number of possibilities, a check, strong attack, or important capture is essential to stimulate your opponent to follow certain lines. Forcing moves are extremely crucial for many tactics and imbalance involving initiative.
11. imbalance
According to Jeremy Silman, an imbalance is a "difference in position". From the very start of the game, there is an imbalance in tempo(time), since white moves first. Other imbalances include knights vs. bishops, pawn structure, centre/space, development, etc. The use of imbalances helps dictate a player's strategy. Visit the following website for some practice: http://jeremysilman.com/chess_instrctn_trnmnt/072102_ch_ins_tour.html
12. gambit
A gambit is a sacrifice in the opening. Often one player will give up a pawn or two in order to get a lead in development, central pawn structure, superior activity of pieces, etc. Some famous gambits include the Queen's Gambit, King's Gambit, Evan's Gambit, Smith-Morra Gambit, among many others.
13. counterplay/counterattack/countertrap
The attacking player does not always win the game. The reason for this is counterplay. Even though a player may be defending for some time, he/she must always be on the lookout for other sources of play and attack. A common example is the overextended attack, in which one player uses all his/her forces to produce an attack, and if it doesn't work, the player is left with all sorts of targets/holes for the previously defending player to start firing at.
14. battery
“Many hands make light work.” - John Heywood
The same concept applies to pieces. When pieces work well together, they are more effective in both attack and defense. A battery is a great example: either rooks & queen working along the same file/rank (usually file), or bishop & queen working along the same diagonal.
15. hypermodern
In the past, players such as Steinitz and Tarrasch wrote books based on "classical theory", often focusing on play directly in the centre of the board, and strict rules about avoiding weaknesses and placing pieces. More recently (1920s), players such as Reti and Nimzowitsch started a hypermodern movement, which encouraged more creative play, including central control from the flanks and gambits. Today, both views are considered correct, and it's a matter of style to determine what balance is appropriate for the individual player. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermodernism_(chess)
16. passive
"receptive to outside impressions or influences"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passive
Pretty much, your position is influenced largely by your opponent, and thus you have lost the initiative. Passive positions can result from lack of planning, lack of experience (especially in chess strategy), fear, discomfort in the opening, a failed attack, ...
And now for the pronounciation everyone seems to have trouble with...
Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz was the first official world chess champion, having held the title in the late 19th century. He was one of the first advocates for a positional style of play, and battled the old school of thinking in what was known as the "Ink War". While most have heard his name, it's amusing to hear the different versions of pronounciation people try! The correct version is vil'helm shtī'nits (http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0846626.html)
Wow, this post took a long time! Hope it's informative for everyone - I'll be out for the rest of the day, so that's all folks!
1. initiative
Initiative is a dynamic imbalance that can be thought of as control. A player can obtain control through superior pawn structure, space, lead in development, etc. Obtaining such control is very important, because it provides the foundation for implementing our own ideas and plans, rather than responding to those of our opponent.
2. deflection/decoy
Deflection and decoy are very similar tactics involving the concept of distraction. In deflection, one piece is distracted from defending another piece or square. In decoy, the distracted piece becomes the target of another tactic, such as a fork or mating attack. Deflections and decoys often involve sacrifices.
3. zugzwang
"Zugzwang" is a German word meaning "compulsion to move". In other words, a player must make a move, but has no good options. This usually results in an unpreventable material gain or checkmate. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zugzwang)
4. en passant
Please refer to: http://chess.about.com/od/rulesofchess/ss/Specialrules_3.htm
5. perpetual
A perpetual is an ongoing repetition, much like an infinite loop in computer programming. Since a chess game cannot go on forever, rules have been set to produce an immediate draw if a position repeats three times in the same game.
6. stalemate
A stalemate is another type of draw, very similar to a checkmate, except lacking the check. A stalemate can be called if 1) one player has no legal moves, 2) it is said player's turn to move, and 3) the king is not in check.
7. sacrifice
A good sacrifice, often used in tactics, is like an investment. A player gives up some material (for instance, trading a rook for a knight) in order to achieve positional gain, future material gain, or checkmate. Many of the most beautiful games in chess involve some form of sacrifice.
8. zwischenzug
Another German term referring to an "in-between move". While most moves/tactics seem to follow a logical and forseen pattern, one overlooked check or attack inserted in the middle of the move sequence can produce unexpected results.
9. underpromotion
It seems common sense to immediately grab a new queen when a pawn is promoted, but in certain cases, it's actually more useful to promote to a B, N, or R. As an example, some endgames may result in a stalemate if a queen is chosen, yet a win if a rook is chosen instead.
10. forced/forcing move
I find a lot of students have trouble with this concept, because they assume only a limited number of moves are possible for their opponent, even if there are many. In order to reduce the number of possibilities, a check, strong attack, or important capture is essential to stimulate your opponent to follow certain lines. Forcing moves are extremely crucial for many tactics and imbalance involving initiative.
11. imbalance
According to Jeremy Silman, an imbalance is a "difference in position". From the very start of the game, there is an imbalance in tempo(time), since white moves first. Other imbalances include knights vs. bishops, pawn structure, centre/space, development, etc. The use of imbalances helps dictate a player's strategy. Visit the following website for some practice: http://jeremysilman.com/chess_instrctn_trnmnt/072102_ch_ins_tour.html
12. gambit
A gambit is a sacrifice in the opening. Often one player will give up a pawn or two in order to get a lead in development, central pawn structure, superior activity of pieces, etc. Some famous gambits include the Queen's Gambit, King's Gambit, Evan's Gambit, Smith-Morra Gambit, among many others.
13. counterplay/counterattack/countertrap
The attacking player does not always win the game. The reason for this is counterplay. Even though a player may be defending for some time, he/she must always be on the lookout for other sources of play and attack. A common example is the overextended attack, in which one player uses all his/her forces to produce an attack, and if it doesn't work, the player is left with all sorts of targets/holes for the previously defending player to start firing at.
14. battery
“Many hands make light work.” - John Heywood
The same concept applies to pieces. When pieces work well together, they are more effective in both attack and defense. A battery is a great example: either rooks & queen working along the same file/rank (usually file), or bishop & queen working along the same diagonal.
15. hypermodern
In the past, players such as Steinitz and Tarrasch wrote books based on "classical theory", often focusing on play directly in the centre of the board, and strict rules about avoiding weaknesses and placing pieces. More recently (1920s), players such as Reti and Nimzowitsch started a hypermodern movement, which encouraged more creative play, including central control from the flanks and gambits. Today, both views are considered correct, and it's a matter of style to determine what balance is appropriate for the individual player. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermodernism_(chess)
16. passive
"receptive to outside impressions or influences"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passive
Pretty much, your position is influenced largely by your opponent, and thus you have lost the initiative. Passive positions can result from lack of planning, lack of experience (especially in chess strategy), fear, discomfort in the opening, a failed attack, ...
And now for the pronounciation everyone seems to have trouble with...
Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz was the first official world chess champion, having held the title in the late 19th century. He was one of the first advocates for a positional style of play, and battled the old school of thinking in what was known as the "Ink War". While most have heard his name, it's amusing to hear the different versions of pronounciation people try! The correct version is vil'helm shtī'nits (http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0846626.html)
Wow, this post took a long time! Hope it's informative for everyone - I'll be out for the rest of the day, so that's all folks!
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