"Tobi Usher" wrote in message ...
"SilverStarPub" wrote

...use your time when you're not 'on the clock.' ( Your opponent's time is
running.)

Do you do a piece count?
Do you find out what your opponent could be up to?
Does it matter if you have the better or worse position?
Do you goof off? :-)

Comments?

Kotov (in "Think like a Grandmaster") recommended that you use your own time
for concrete calculation and your opponent's time for general strategic
planning. However, 10 different players will probably come up with 10
different answers to this question.

Tobi

That's what I do basically. I think of things I want to do like
"double my rooks", "get to that outpost", basic positional stuff.
While on my own time, it's usually more calculation of lines for each
of the moves I'm considering.

Sometimes on the opponents time, I consider, not too deeply, crazy
tactics if I think they're possibly there. Things like "what happens
if I sac my queen here" or just considering places for my pieces that
are out of the ordinary -- things that 99% of the time don't lead to
anything so you don't want to waste your own clock on them. If they
look promising, I'll go deeper, either on my own time or on his time.
But, what I consider first off to be crazy moves and good moves is
more a matter of intuition. Probably the things I consider on my own
time are things better players just dismiss out of hand.

Sometimes on his time, I just rest my brain, walk away from the board.