Seeing the invisible
Robert said: "It's interesting that we can "SEE" the LoA on the surface, so to speak, while the tempi remain invisible."
I don't know whether it is possible to SEE the tempi before the mind's eye. If it is possible, and if a child prodigy is able to do that, it would explain a lot.
There are a lot (or maybe just a few) of sources from which extra tempi can arise. Two of them we have already found:
- B.A.D. (Barely Adequate Defended) pieces
- Multifunctional moves
These sources can already be seen before the mind's eye with some effort. What we must try is to get rid of the effort.
In the past I talked a lot about duplo moves, which are moves that attack two pieces with one move. I.e. fork, double attack, discovered attack, simultaneous attack, pin, skewer and X-ray attack. This generalisation was based on the pieces that are involved. It was an attempt to simplify matters.
Now I'm trying to base matters on tempi, it might be useful to change matters a bit.
Double attack
A double attack is an attack where two or more targets are attacked with one move, no matter how much attackers there are involved. It is a multi function move where the amount of tempi that the opponent needs to defend is greater than 1.
I'm inclined to say that BAD pieces and double attacks are the source of positive tempi. We cause trouble by demanding more defensive tempi than our opponent can deliver.
Negative tempi
I don't know beforehand whether it adds something to discriminate between positive and negative tempi. But I will find out. Negative tempi are tempi that looks as if they are there, but actually aren't. I have two sources in mind:
- Pin
- Overloaded piece
A pinned piece might look as if it protects a piece, but it doesn't. It cannot deliver the tempo that is needed for defense.
The same is true for an overloaded piece. It might look as if two or more pieces are protected, more in reality only one of the pieces is protected.
 |
| White to move |
r6k/pp4pp/2p1pr2/3p4/3P1P1R/2P1P2P/qP2Q3/6RK w - - 1 2
There are two B.A.D. (Barely Adequate Defended) pawns:
- g7
- h7
- 1.Qc2
- 1.Qd3
- 1.Qg2
- 1.Qg4
- 1.Qh5
Tempo speculated:
ReplyDelete"I don't know beforehand whether it adds something to discriminate between positive and negative tempi. [YES, IT DOES!] But I will find out. Negative tempi are tempi that looks as if they are there, but actually aren't."
Negative tempi can be "SEEn" as synonymous with the Function of a piece.
The <.b>Function constraint is harder to "SEE" than the PoPs and LoAs because the Function is something which the piece CANNOT do (negative), as opposed to something it CAN do (positive). It will ALWAYS be tempi that are constrained.
I didn't realize that until I read this post. Thanks!
As you will “SEE” when you read Dr. Edwards’ book, it is the same concept as “negative spaces” in drawing or when visualizing a sculpture or when laying music. There are positive forms and negative spaces. “SEEing” edges is an integral part of SEEing” negative spaces. Dr. Edwards uses the following to illustrate [pp. 112-113]:
“In drawing, negative spaces are real [just as they are in chess or sculpting or music (think “rests”!) The ultimate in bringing out negative spaces in music is John Cage’s 4’33”. Listen to it and you will grasp what is meant.]. They are not just “the empty parts.” The following analogy may help you SEE that. Imagine that you are watching a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Imagine that Bugs Bunny is running at top speed down a long hallway, at the end of which s a closed door. He smashes through the door, leaving a Bugs Bunny-shaped hole in the door. What is left of the door is negative space. Note that the door has an outside edge. This edge is the outside edge of the negative space (its format). The hole in the door is—was—the positive form (Bugs Bunny) now gone poof! The point of the analogy is that negative spaces in drawings [and chess positions and music] are just as solid, just as important as the positive forms. For the person just learning to draw [or play chess or music], they are perhaps more important, because negative spaces making drawing difficult things easy.”
On pg. 114, she elucidates the cognitive battle of perception. Paraphrasing somewhat: “The student has great difficulty reconciling his stored knowledge of what the object is “supposed to look like” with what he actually saw. Using negative spaces enables one to escape the mental crunch that occurs when perceptions don’t match conceptions.”
Since the edges of positive forms and negative spaces are shared, “SEEing” the negative spaces automatically bring focus on the positive forms. Anything that enables us to FOCUS is good!
Recall the optical illusion of the young woman and the old hag in a single picture. Which of the two figures you "SEE" is determined by what you "SEE" as positive form and negative space. It's easy to find this illusion online.
"Anonymous" is Robert Coble. Somehow I got signed out.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when I get the colors reversed in a comment. Apologies again for a deleted comment.
ReplyDeleteFEN: 5rk1/ppq3pp/8/2nRn2b/2P5/PP3NP1/1B3PB1/3Q2K1 b - - 0 30
FWIW, another situation that looks like a tit-for-tat but is not.
White’s previous move was 30. R(d2)xd5, ignoring (or miscalculating) the attacker/defender ratios on f3 [2:3] and e5 [2:1; that “imbalance” alone should have first triggered an evaluation of exchanges on e5], and that Black will have the right to move first to initiate an exchange sequence. He should have played 30. Bxe5, reducing the attacks on the f3-square by 1 (thereby making it “merely” B.A.D.), while simultaneously attacking the Black queen. Black can capture on f3 (removing the defender of e5) while simultaneously attacking the White queen “tit-for-tat”, but he is “behind the curve” because White captures first AND last: 30. Bxe5 Bxf3 31. Bxc7 Bxd1 2. Rxd1, netting a minor piece.
Perhaps he ASSUMED [“ASSUME” = make an ASS out of U and ME] that he was simply adding another attacker to e5 [1:3]. If so, why bother? He already had superiority on e5 [2:1].
It looks like another case of being unable to “SEE” the tempi battle involved. Or, being charitable, maybe he was under extreme time pressure.