Temposchlucker

 A close inspection of my last post revealed that I probably mix up two things. The plan of a tactic is revealed by its last scenario. The main study task is twofold: discover all scenarios in the chain of the logical narrative discover all the effects of each scenario I mix this up with my observations of the games at the Tata Chess tournament.. Essentially that works the same, but the end of the scenario-chain is not the gain of wood, but an assessment of the resulting position. Which I called the plan. Back to tactics. The last post was about the first point, discovering all scenarios, and especially the last scenario. But during my training I discovered that point two is a problem too, seeing all the ins and outs of a single scenario. Let me give an example. Black to move 5rk1/p3ppbp/1q1pb1p1/1N3r2/2PB1Qn1/1P4P1/P3PPBP/R4RK1 b - - 0 1 Parligras, Mircea vs. Nielsen, Peter Heine This is a problem of my database, and Chessable presents it to be on a spaced repetition basis. I thin...

 When I look at the videos of the Tata Steel chess tournament that is currently playing, I notice that I need the plan in order to work out the tactics. Without a plan, I am stuck in trial and error. geometry => conceptual geometry => scenario => plan => think backwards   Black to move 6k1/Q5b1/1B2q3/1P2p3/4Pn2/2Np2p1/P5PN/7K b - - 0 1 Alexander Grischuk vs Fabiano Caruana (not from the tournament!) 42. ... Qh6 43. Bg1 scenario 1 threaten mate in 1. Binding the white bishop 43. ... Qh3 44. Qf2 scenario 2 threaten mate in 1. Luring the pawn away, Binding the white queen 44. ... Qxh2+ 45 Bxh2 scenario 3 Luring away the overloaded bishop 45, ,,, gxf2 scenario 4 promoting the pawn The plan combines the 4 scenarios. When you discover the plan, you reached a higher level. From there, you can work backwards and debug your combination. The goal is to get a sense of how to combine scenarios to a plan. You figure it out. I know it!

 I like my views holistic. Because that helps to reduce vagueness. If any author wants me to play an active move, than a holistic view helps me to reason what he might be talking about. In order to build up a holistic view, I realized that I must start at the beginning. Sorry for the kings on the board. But the best program for arrows on the board (Lucas chess) doesn't allow for positions without kings. What is specific for the endgame? there is an extra attacker on the board (the pawn) there is an extra target on the board (the promotion square, the 4th sitting duck) there is a special line of attack (LoA) This terminology gives new meaning to the term "activity". Piece activity can now be measured in terms of influence on these three points of application. This gives rise to the possible scenarios: to attack the pawn to clear or block the LoA It introduces the battle for promotion. The past two weeks I did a lot of research in order to decide how to approach the endgame...

  That was another great tournament! I played some wonderful games. In simplified terms: In one game, I was outplayed by a 12-year-old kid with a rating of about 1500. He eventually finished second in my group. In the remaining 8 games, I was winning at some point. Yet the final result of those remaining 8 games is meager: 1 win, 1 loss, and the rest draws. Over the past year, I have focused primarily on my opening repertoire and positional play. I haven't lost any more points due to my openings or positional play. I still see many opportunities for improvement in those areas, but they are clearly not a priority anymore. You can compare me to a soccer team without finishers. I play excellently, but I don't score. These are the two 'finishers' that are missing: tactics (combinations) endgame strategy I played a draw against a woman, who is the partner of an International Master. She showed the game to him. He said I played excellently, but that I had botched the endgame....

 I have inventorized my last 50 games. About 25% had a  rook ending in them. I am very bad at it. So I managed to draw won endings, and to lose drawn endings. I have no feeling whatsoever for rook endings. I solved my opening problems, I solved most middlegame problems, but in the ending I feel lost. I have a lot of endgame knowledge acquired over the years, like theoretical rook endings, but I fail to connect the dots. I never have encountered a Philidor or Luceena in my life. To summarize: I simply cannot concoct a plan for the ending. Screwing up a won ending is of course a luxury problem. Since I'm almost retired, it is high time to fix this problem. My Chessable course of choice is Conceptual Rook Endgames of GM Jacob Aagaard. He makes a bit the impression of a muddled thinker, but the subject of his course seems to be right on the money. Since I'm the one who is confused, I might well project my own shortcomings on him. But if that is the case, I'll iron that out. He...

  The components of a combination are glued together by tempo moves. What are we talking about? White to move r2qrk2/pb2nnpQ/1p2B2p/8/3P3N/P1P5/5PPP/R1B3K1 w - - 0 1 Tal, M. vs. Myagmarsuren, L. Backward thinking: What is it that we want? We want to give mate with Ng6# What prevents that? The knight on e7 How can we lure away Ne7? By giving a check with Qh8 What prevents that? The knight on f7 How can we lure away that knight? With Bxh6 threatening mate (the tempo move) Why can't pawn g7 take Bh6? Pawn g7 is pinned and prevents Qxf7 mate Forward thinking: 1. Bxh6 threatening mate in one (tempo move) 1. ... Nxh6 giving up the defense of h8 2. Qh8+ (tempo move) 2. ... Nhg8 3. Qxg8+ (with tempo) 3. ... Nxg8 giving up the defense of g6 4. Ng6# You see a mix of ordinary tactical themes (pin, luring, overload, mate in 1) which are combined with subtle tempo moves. The only thread that holds the combination together is the logical narrative.

 System 2 is mainly babbling from memory. "Capablanca said this, so I must try to do that" It is logic in the parroting style without true understanding. On the other side, there are the well-known patterns. We must guide our attention towards their point of contact, where the logic and the patterns meet, in order to glue the logic to the patterns, creating new patterns that can be absorbed along the way. What does that look like? White to move rq3rk1/b1p2pp1/p1n4p/5N2/2b1PpP1/5Q1P/PBB2P2/3RK2R w K - 0 1 The first pattern is a double attack with 1. Qc3 to the mating square g7 and the loose piece Bc4. How can black prevent the mate? There are two main ways black can try. 1. ...f6 blocks the long diagonal. But now it enables white to take the bishop 2.Qxc4+ with check. 1. ... Qb4 pins the white queen to the king. Where are the patterns? It are just the well known tactical patterns double attack, mate in one, pin, providing a tempo. Where is the logic? In the narrative.  The nar...