Temposchlucker

 We know the basic elements well. Confusion arises where the different ideas connect. This is what we need to learn. The logic to connect basic ideas. White to move 3r2k1/p3pp1p/1p4pB/4q3/2n1Q3/7P/PPR2PP1/6K1 w - - 0 23 #21. Keres, P. vs. Tal, M., Parnu 1971 (Analysis) White has the following choice: give a check (which is impossible) prevent blacks counter attack 23. ... Rd1# This prunes all alternatives for white beforehand. The funny thing is, that black's rook is factually overloaded: it must prevent the back rank (invasion Qa8 threatens) it must attack d1, thus limiting the possibilities for white White must prevent Rd1#, and try to distract the black rook with one move: 23.Rd2! Black cannot take the white rook with his knight since it has the duty to defend the black queen. The black queen cannot take the white queen because white threatens mate in 1 with Rxd8#. The black rook cannot take on d2 since it has to protect the back rank. This position gives a good idea what there ...

 This is the plan. Work on my logic reasoning I always complained that my logical reasoning didn't work in chess. Now I have identified the necessary pruning methods I have found a way to prevent my mind from being overwhelmed. So finally I'm ready to learn to apply my logic to the chess game. My dataset contains 1430 puzzles which I have memorized and partly absorbed. I will focus on these solely. I will not accept new puzzles. As long as it takes. Part of the set contains puzzles which lead after solving to a winning endgame. The typical endgame that I use to screw up. Being a piece or two pawns ahead. I'm going to use this selection of 200 solved puzzles to develop my endgame logic. I'm going to fiddle around with these winning endgames until I will be able to play them out against any engine or opposition. My weak point is to find the right plan. After my endgame planning is fixed Once my endgame planning is fixed, I intend to take up a new course on Chessable  Van...

  Positions like this are overwhelming. Hence I will try to decompose the several aspects. One at the time. Diagram 1.White to move r1b2rk1/1pq1bppp/p3pn2/3n2N1/3R4/2N1B1P1/PPQ1PPBP/R5K1 w - - 0 15  The move 1.Nxd5 (sacrificing the queen) can only be considered because the ensuing threat increases in force. You must threaten at least a check.You can only upgrade the force. You can'tm downgrade.

  Have a look at the following position: Diagram 1. White to move r1b2rk1/1pq1bppp/p3pn2/3n2N1/3R4/2N1B1P1/PPQ1PPBP/R5K1 w - - 0 15 #15. Ni H. vs. Adly, A., Shenzen 2011 Although you can't possibly know this yet, the decisive focal points of this position are: h7 [2:2} d8 [0:3] The first moves are: 15.Nxd5 Qxc2 The landscape has totally shifted now: There is no acceptable alternative for black. He simply loses his knight, and after Nxf6 he would lose by Qxh7#. Diagram 2. White to move White has given up his queen. And even the focal point h7 has ceased to exist. This means that white's logical reasoning is totally guided by the forcing moves alone now. The list of forcing moves has shortened to "CM" . Since white has sacrificed his queen, only a check or a mate in 1 threat can save him now. This pruning of the list of possible forcing moves is even more important than the pruning of the branches of the tree of analysis as a consequence. The list of forcing moves of b...

First insight: Tactics are about unbalancing barely balanced targets Tactical battle is about A:D-ratio (#ataackers vs. #defenders). Chess is a balanced game. Otherwise you would already be winning. From time to time, you will be able to tip the balance by changing the A:D-ratio by force The basic method is simple. You add attackers or you remove defenders.. The problem is that the opponent shouldn't be given the possibility to answer each attempt adequately with a countermeasure. The potential unbalance is not always easy to see  That is what we need to learn.   Second insight: CMCT can be used as pruning shears Robert pointed in  this direction. I had abandoned CCT long ago due to its many red herrings. I now realize that I tried to use it as a method to get a list of candidate moves. But that is the wrong way. I don't need a list of moves . I just need one or two potential targets .

 In an equal game. the tempi are in balance. The first step to a win is to get the initiative. You do something, and your opponent must react. This already points in the direction that there must be some targets in the position. No targets, no initiative. The creation of targets is another chapter where we need to talk about. But for now I want to focus on the mysterious tempi. Having the initiative alone is not enough. You need an extra tempo. If you look at tactical puzzles, then you notice that you can only convert a combination into a win, when you are able to gain an extra tempo along the way. That looks logical, because only when you get an extra tempo while your opponent does not, you can expect to execute the extra tempo and convert it into a gain of some sort. Whether that gain is enough to win the game is a totally different question. Little is known about the materialization of this extra tempo out of the blue. Logically it can't come out of the blue. How does this mecha...

 Currently I'm working my way through 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Beginners . That may sound  not as effective as it can be. After all, I'm no beginner anymore. And the problems in the course are relative easy and fast to solve: Mate in 1 Win a piece in 2 Mate in 2 Win a piece in 3 Defend your king Defend your pieces It are not the problems that causes me a loss in my average games. Since if I cannot solve the problem with System 1 immediately, I certainly can solve these problems with the aid of System 2 within a reasonable short time. So why bother? I can solve about 75% of the problems solely by working with System 1. That means that I can answer a barrage of questions  in no time. What IF then THAT. In 25% of the cases I need System 2 to kick in. Since it are relative simple questions, it doesn't take much time to answer, and the error percentage is quite low. Learning to solve these puzzles is probably not going to get me many rating points. In the previous...