Ceteris paribus

 Robert stated:

"If the patterns (principles/”rules”/whatever) are NOT embedded in LTM, then it is highly likely that we will NOT “SEE” the available options."

This is the core conclusion of this blog. It might not be immediately obvious what this means for our training. The following diagram makes this perfectly clear:

Diagram 1. Black to move

r3r1k1/1p3pp1/p5N1/P1p3n1/6b1/2N1P1B1/1PQ2PKP/R4R2 b - - 0 22

Pal Benko vs. Wolfram Hartmann (1984)

I hesitated between Bh3+ and Bf3+. I thought it was equal, ceteris paribus. Admittedly, it was 6:00 am this morning and I just woke up. But that are the perfect moments to show you what has been absorbed and what not! What a grandmaster has absorbed doesn't disappear when he is drunk or sleep-drowsy.

As long as these two moves look the same at first glance, I haven't absorbed the patterns. And that has dire consequences! What you haven't absorbed, you can't SEE during calculation.

Diagram 2 is from my game yesterday. I tried to calculate the bishop sacrifice Bxh7+, but I couldn't work it out until the end, so I played Rg3 instead. That is still winning of course, but that is not the point. The point is you can't SEE what you haven't absorbed. You cannot calculate what you can't SEE.  And we talk about very simple things here, as shown in diagram 1.

Diagram 2. White to move

r1b2rk1/ppqn1ppp/1n2p3/2ppP3/5P2/1P1BPR2/PBPN2PP/R2Q2K1 w - - 1 13 

It took me another 14 moves to win the game.