Chess weather
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Finally the bad weather season seems to arrive, so it is time to start with the preparation for Tata.
Given the comments and emails on my previous post I have to conclude that it was totally incomprehensible again. That surprised me a bit, since I thought it was crystal clear. But the repetition afficionados want to read about repetitions so they create a need for repetitions where there isn't one while the fans of pattern recognition read pattern recognition in stead of concepts and miss the point totally in doing so. But don't worry, I can explain things quite well if I set myself to it. Yet that will have to wait a bit.
Ok, this is my training plan for the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2012: I will do the first CD of the Bangiev method. The first CD is full with tactics. Besides applying the B-method I intent to write down the narratives needed to solve the exercises. Thus catching two birds with one stone.
Why Bangiev? Well, the best answer is probably that we seem to share the same mental aberation. I understand what he is up to in a subconscious way. It simply feels more fitting than for instance Silmans thinking method or Heismans method or Seirawans Target Awareness or Nimzowitch' System. I don't forget to apply it over the board.
The B-method is closely related to my theory of invasion sqaures and Vukovic' focal points. It helps me to follow a consistent plan during a few moves. Which is a tremendous leap forward for my usual rather wandering approach.
Besides that I have gathered for about 40 hours of chess middlegame DVD's which I am going to see. I look forward to it.
So the overall approach is: building a database with tactical and middlegame concepts. Tally ho!!
Hi,
ReplyDeletei was looking at the B-method too for a while,.. i dont get it. Would be interesting if it works. I did not find any sucessful pupils of this method.
I imagine this will not be everybodies cup of tea. Most critics seem to have one thing in common, though. They philosophize about the method in stead of doing it.
ReplyDeleteI actually had dismissed the method already since I suspected it would take a year of exercise before I could evaluate if it actually works. But I had done the method for two weeks intensively already and I couldn't help that in my latest OTB game I applied the method and made moves that were totally different to what I would normally do. My opponent had not the slightest idea what I was up to and handed me the keys of his black squares without even noticing it.
The following win was so effortless that I decided to give the B-method another try. Since it doesn't interfere with my concepttraining it will not harm anyhow.
Hello Tempo,
ReplyDeleteI am the user Munich in Chesstempo.
I believe I found a method how to improve in Chess, and I can also explain why you didnt have any success in your ordeal with doing 100K of chesspuzzles.
I certainly improved with my method, but I wonder how little my concepts are copied. I very much recommend my last post in Munichs Diary in the chesstempo forum.
The "supertrick" you are probably looking for: I freed my short term memory by calculating a lot. When I play chess, I "see" what tactics are ALMOST on the board. This very much influences my positional play, also it influences what you call concepts. Because I dont calculate much anymore, my thoughts are much more about these concepts. Because the tactic I allready see instantly, like a red spot on the wall even BEFORE it is allready there. I believe I calculate much less than I used too. Still - I "see" much more tactics than ever before. One thing is different though and I cant explain this: If I watch high rated player games (2300++), I almost always see blunders they do during blitz. They really do. Yet, I cant achieve their rating. So there could be still s.th. that makes them such strong players - and it might not be tactics.
I guess, that they have more knowledge about typical plans. GM Smirnov gives free lessons on "breaking stereotypes" - I believe this is, what makes them strong. Nevertheless, my method of tactic training improved my skill obviously a lot. 100-200 rating points in 2-3 months - that is increadible a lot. If I had the time, I would continue to train like this. I very much believe that 500 points (or more) is possible for a A-rated player in 1 year (approx. 2 hours training time each day). Sounds exaggerated? Yes, it actually does. Nevertheless, I believe this is true. No coach needed.
regards,
Munich
Me Munich again: I wanted to give the reason why your 100k puzzle ordeal didnt help you much: The set of puzzles was to big, the repetition was spaced timely to far appart. Another difference: I did tag-themed sets. It helped me a lot finding the solution faster. If you know that the solution of a puzzle is a fork, the puzzle gets even easier. This is no disadvantage, though, because it does not matter if it was difficult for you to find the solution or if you had this hint as a help. At the end of the day, you learned the typical pattern within this tactic and stored it in your long term memory. You tried the tag-themed set, too. And you even noticed what I noticed, too: suddenly you and I saw much more forks. But after this positive approach you suddenly stopped. You said s.th. like "2 down 25 to go" or so. You should have continued. And while you continue doing new tags, you should repeat after a while the old tags, so you wont forget them.
ReplyDeleteI saw a lot of forks like you, too. And after continuing with other tags, I also saw after a while 5-movers within in 1 minute bullett. I was never good in bullett, but I noticed that stronger players often play 3min games or even faster games. And they can do so, because they see much of the tactics instantly. They dont need to calculate so much, they know the tactics are "there".
To follow The B-method is the best decision you have made untill now.
ReplyDelete@Munich,
ReplyDeleteI have to conclude you didn't comprehend the previous post either:)
@Caquieto,
Making the wrong decisions for 10 years in a row is an accomplishment in itself. Do you have experience with the B-method?
(written by Munich): Probably I did not comprehend some of your posts. Difficulty no. one could be: what is the "B-Method"? I was reading quite some posts of yours but could not find anything. You have a link for me, that helps to point my nose right onto the matter?
ReplyDeleteFor the coach thing - well, a coach is good if he knows what method is working. Some might know, but most probably dont. Many strong players write books for beginners and I read some of them. But I cant remember any book giving me advises how to really get better. The truth might be, stronger players do things unconciously right.
@Munich
ReplyDeleteAbout B-Method:
http://bangiev.de/
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Bangiev
As far as i know!!, there is only 1 master using the b-method and many others say: its nonsense.
I just dont get it
About trainer:
We would need a trainer who did help several adult player to improve their rating. The Question is: How do we find such a trainer? A good player is not automatically a good trainer, a good trainer for children is not necessary a good trainer for adults...
In speed my speed training, I try to solve the problem quickly - but allow unlimited time to study it, where I went wrong and how to fix it. I hope to retain something that will help me with other problems. Should these reusable neural connections be called a patterns or concepts? I do not believe it matters. Certainly, understanding is not enough. Fast effortless proficiency is what is needed!
ReplyDelete