Varia

Endgame study

 41% of the games end with an endgame. If half of the endgames can have a better result, by means of studying endgames, then 20 % of the games will end with half a point extra. Draws will be wins and lost games will be draws. That equals to 10% of the games will be won extra. I don't know how 10% extra wins results in extra rating points, maybe a mathematician can tell us that. Wild guess: 70 extra rating points.

Mating patterns

I'm doing a course at Chessable about mating patterns I knew all 30 patterns already, and go trough the course for the first time real fast. An IM who does the same course, told that he didn't know 10 of the 30 patterns. The good news is, that after a very long break from serious tactical training, I still know the patterns. The bad news is, that apparently you don't need those patterns to become an International Master.

Positional patterns

There are tactical patterns and positional patterns. When I followed 100 blitz games of GM Henrik Danielsen, I could follow most of the tactics. But I couldn't follow his positional moves at all. I'm following a middlegame strategy course Mastering middlegame strategy from GM Johan Hellsten at Chessable in order to fill in that gap.

Calculation

I follow a calculation course Calculation: A Complete Guide for Tournament Players at Chessable from CM Azel Chua. He improved as an adult player with 528 points. There are many elements in his course that we have found too. After all, we know that we have to add logic and concepts to our training. We just have to figure out how. Which is what I'm doing.

Layers of calculation

• The lowest level of calculation are the pieces. Which is pure geometry. One piece can make a total difference. Apparently, my over the top tactical training regimen has provided me with piece patterns aplenty.
• The next level of patterns are the aura of the pieces. I exercise with mate patterns, so the aura's of the pieces manifest themselves as "the box" in which we want to kill the hostile king.
• The following level of abstraction is the way your pieces cooperate. One could say "technique". Pry the castle open. Prevent the king from skedaddling away into the blue. Chase the king into the box. Squeeze the box and kill the king.
• The next level is adding logic. When a piece is B.A.D. (Barely Adequate Defended), look for attacking its defenders. That kind of stuff. CM Chua uses the term "reciprocal thinking". In stead of stopping when a variation seems to lead to a dead end, you ask yourself "why is this not working" and "can I make it work".
• After that, the level of concepts follows. In an endgame it tells you that those 3 pawns against 2 can lead to an outside passer, and that these doubled pawns are strong enough to resist their counterpart end so on. It describes which system to use in a rook endgame for defense, Philidor, Kling and Horwitsch, Vencura, Back rank defense or Long side checks etc..

I focus on these extra layers when training.

His System or My System

I'm working out a simple system for the middlegame, which aims to be a guide for pawn moves and placing pieces in the pawn landscape. I use the sitting duck theory as a base. Furthermore I look for ways to deepen my knowledge of My System of Nimzowitsch. I intend to mix that with my own idea's. But that is a long term project.

So, I'm pretty busy.