wrote in message
...
On 29 nov, 12:49, David Richerby
wrote:
KDP wrote:
i've always enjoyed playing chess, even though i was never really
good at it. i bought some books and read posts here and articles
about strategy, and now it seems to being paying off in the sense
that i'm now winning more than i lose.

Excellent. Given your remarks, I'd say that the road to improvement
is the simple trio of tactics, tactics and tactics.

Its true enough, but the fly in the ointment is the relationship between
study and subsequent performance.

To put the issue a few other ways; you can't learn to ride a bike at a
seminar!

If you are reliant on other people to point out and cue you to tactical
possibilities, whether that is from annotated games, or computer analysis,
how does this help you see those for yourself when you are actually playing?

There is value in doing these things, but a relative value compared with (1)
finding the right Motif yourself, and (2) calculating how to bring about the
required effect.

One other means of investigation is to use 'Russian method' which is to look
at chess positions along various themes, for example, knight-forks, so that
you get to see them for yourself - these collections often start with one or
two moves, then progress to 8 move sequences.

Suddenly you realise you are contemplating 8 move sequences of pieces to
bring about /the/ knight fork which decides the game. Study of other pieces
and themes follow the same procedure, with Bishops/Pins, Rooks/Batteries,
&c.

In addition, the situation of opponent's pieces often suggest the /theme/ or
motif you should look for - eg, weak control of dark squares, King/Queen on
same diagonal being suggestive of pin or skewer, but first a threat of a
Knight-fork removes or distracts opponents pieces to allow the pin/skewer to
take place - and now you are engaged in seeing Combinative Tactical Motives.

A book with that title is from M. Blokh - there is corresponding software
version [CT Art / Convekta]

This is a very respectable way to improve your chess - and stands comparison
with other methods. Essentially, these are exercises in pattern recognition,
within which tactical operations can then take place. The great point being
if you don't see the pattern in real time when you are playing a game, only
a small increment to your play is possible by cramming information by other
means.

Sometimes 'cramming' gives you a momentary boost in chess performance, but
this a limited increase in scope, since the amount of stuff you can remember
is not nearly so efficient as encouraging the amount of stuff you can
perceive when playing.

Cordially, Phil Innes

My guess is that,
if you run some of your games through a computer, you'll find that in
every single game, either you or your opponent missed a tactical
chance to win material -- and it's *much* easier to play good
strategic chess when you're a piece or even a pawn up! :-)

Somebody one one of these groups mentioned the tactics server at

http://www.snufflenose.com/ats/

and I rather like it. (Thanks, whoever you are!)

Another good place to look for advice is Dan Heisman's _Novice Nook_
column at

http://www.chesscafe.com/archives/ar...#Novice%20Nook

It's well worth reading, even if you don't class yourself as a novice.

Dave.

--
David Richerby Aluminium Umbrella (TM): it's
like anwww.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ umbrella that's really
light!

Two other links to sites that contain chess lesosns are
http://www.chesstactics.org/
and http://chessteacher.110mb.com/