Temposchlucker

All scenarios that win a tempo have two targets involved. Legend: T = Target D = Defender A = Attacker C = Capturing attacker PoP = Point of pressure Green = enemy Yellow = winning us Arrow = attack or defense Lightning = gained tempo The initiative group has two families, the captures and the double attacks. There are four scenarios of defense: Recapture with tempo (additional threat) Save target with tempo (desperado) Recapture with defending the other target Save one target and defend the other target in one move

While I did my daily exercises to memorize the tree of scenarios , I noticed something. The scenarios for a hanging piece are: Neutralize the counter attack before capture Defend against counter attack after capture A hanging piece has only a bare capture as scenario when it is a low rated problem. A higher rated problem always has a complication in the form of a counter attack that you have to neutralize. Be it for the capture, or after the capture of both. If you think about it, there is no reason why these two scenarios only would apply to a hanging piece. In fact, any combination, like for instance a trap (lack of space) or conquering a B.A.D. (Barely Adequate Defended) piece can be complicated by these two scenarios. The scenarios for a B.A.D. (Barely Adequate Defended) piece are: Remove defender Add attackers Cut off defenders Duplo attack it If you think about it, there is no reason why the scenarios add attacker and cut off defenders only would apply to a B....

In order to be able to make use of the tree of scenarios , it is absolutely necessary to learn the system by heart. Let's ponder a moment about why this is. Let's remember how it all began. It all started with the observation of how I lost tons of time while I was searching in trial and error mode for clues in a position. I attack a target, and sometimes it takes 3 minutes to realize that the target is defended, and that I can harass the defender. It was shown time and again, that it took ages to be aware of even the most basic chess logic. It became clear that I could never become better or faster when I continue to spill minutes in almost any position. The tree of scenarios is developed to help the mind to focus on basic chess logic in stead of dabbling around in mesmerization. The tree is of course rather personal, so it is a good idea to develop your own system, or to make at least some necessary adaptations for yourself. The 23 scenarios in the tree are very simple a...

Robert said: "Diagrams 2 and 3 did not map easily to the Tree of Scenarios. I could see the connections to different scenarios, but not easily map them to specific questions: B.A.D. – Add attackers with tempo PoP – Clear a blocked LoA with tempo Is of 2nd order Capture defender – Target can be saved with tempo? Can defender be recaptured with tempo? I’m not suggesting a rigid one-to-one correspondence is necessary or desirable, but in the initial stages of applying the Tree of Scenarios and seeking outside comments, it might be more helpful to show a direct connection (at least for those of us who have not been privy to all of your thought processes)."  I already expected to be asked to use more than 1000 words to explain the pictures ;) The pictures are compacted, and contain more than one idea. The two adjacent squares with T(arget) and D(efender) represent the idea that a target and a defender have a lot in common. A defender is a potential target with l...

Currently I'm experimenting with pictures as help to retain the scenarios. It retrieves the scenarios way faster than when I use words. The pictures are highly personalized, so they are probably useless to others. I just show them so you can get an idea what I'm experimenting with:  The picture above shows the scenarios for when a piece has lack of space: Pry the box open by removing the weakest defender Squeeze the box so the piece has less space +A add attacker -D  remove defender - - - - plug the hole in the box  so the piece can't skedaddle Chase the piece into the box LoA squeeze the piece out of the box into a line of attack The picture above shows the two methods to gain an extra tempo Red: duplo attack Green: exchange with additional threat T: Target D: Defender T = Target D = Defender +A (T)= add Attacker against Target +A (D)= add Attacker against Defender +D? = can opponent add defender? -D = deflect overworked defender X = exc...

Knowledge stage Solve puzzles Analyse feedback (diagnosis) Find a remedy Hang the new knowledge in a framework Make the framework coherent Optimize the framework for practical use Since Dec 3, 2016 I have been busy with the previous steps. Knowledge in itself is unusable. It must be reconstructed when needed, and that takes way too much time and mental energy. Now we have to transform the knowledge into a skill. We are entering terra incognita here. It is important to record every step of the process, while we find out what works and what doesn't. Skill stage Memorize the scenarios Use the scenarios while solving problems The tree of scenarios consist momentarily of 23 scenarios. I have put them into ANKI, together with 10 questions to unlock them. In order to be able to retrieve the knowledge right away, without the need to reconstruct the framework in the mind.

As you might remember, I'm on a mission at  Chess Tempo Blitz to get from 1700 to 2000 average. The past days I have set my current baseline at Chess Tempo: 1750. That's about the same average as a year ago, when I got an All Time High of 1806. Since Chess Tempo has no way to measure the average rating automatic, it is easier to take the All Time High, which differs about 50 rating points from the average. The next landmark then will be when the All Time High surpasses 1850. I have assimilated a lot of new knowledge the past year, and since I haven't made any progress ratingwise, it is proven that you don't become better at tactics by gaining knowledge, once you have reached a certain plateau. Which is what we expected. The coming time, I will work along two tracks: gaining new knowledge and put the acquired knowledge into practice. The latter I haven't tried the past year, for clarity.