Saturday, July 14, 2018

Chess Study Plan


     I've decided to log my chess study. I had originally planned a more regimented study plan, but I've revised it upon taking into account my true dedication to improving at chess, instead of the idealized dedication I had previously envisioned.

     I'm reading IM Erik Kislik's excellent Applying Logic in Chess, from which I've gained new ideas about how to study chess and how to track my progress. Kislik talks about six elements of chess to work on, using both short-term and long-term study:

(1) Concrete knowledge (particular game positions)
(2) Pattern recognition (tactics)
(3) Calculation 
(4) Candidate Moves 
(5) Positional Understanding 
(6) Logic (reasons for moves)

     While he recommends sources such as chess software, books, expert advice (coaching if possible), and your own tournament games, I'm going to mainly rely on books and opening DVDs. I can't really afford coaching, so this will have to do for now, and I want to put off joining a chess club until I shore up some weaknesses in tactics, positional understanding, and openings.  Kislik recommends various books as well as CT-ART 5.0 (now available in 6.0), but I've heard the interface is a bear, so I'll stick to the many tactics books I already have and the free unlimited puzzles available on lichess.org, although my books cover a broader range of tactics, so I'll rely heavily on them.

     My new plan is to simply list the books and software I'm using and log the last three weeks of progress, this way I'll see how much work I'm putting into chess and how far along I'm moving with each book. Erik says that for the best improvement players should play tournament games, analyze those games deeply and also study more chess, and then repeat this cycle over and over. For now, I'm going to simply study a bunch of chess and hold off on playing tournament games. But eventually I will follow his advice, as the man seems to know what he's talking about.

     Below are the books, software, and online sources I'm using to improve my chess understanding. I haven't really put too much thought into it, nor curtailed it to optimize my learning, but nevertheless it's something. It's a bit of a mixed bag right now. Later I'll streamline it to account for the six elements Erik talks about.  This list doesn't include the books I've already read, which I might list and review as separate entries in the blog, but for this entry, it's just what I'm currently working on.


Book/Software

07/14/18 07/21/18 07/28/18










Python Strategy – Petrosian
(380 pages)


p. 31



The Soviet Chess Primer – Maizelis
(400 pages)


p. 60



Learn Chess Tactics – Nunn
(157 pages)


p. 25



Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games – Polgar
(1037 pages)


p. 126



Chess Endgames – Polgar
(782 pages)


p. 32



1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate – Reinfeld
(180 pages)


p. 12



Applying Logic in Chess – Kislik
(317 pages)


p. 93



Chess Strategy for Club Players – Grooten
(407 pages)


p. 34



Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation – Aagaard
(297 pages)


p. 20



Build Up Your Chess: The Fundamentals – Yusupov
(251 pages)


p. 44



How to Beat Your Dad at Chess – Chandler
(124 pages)


p. 80



The London System (DVD) – Simon Williams
(15 lessons)


3 lessons



lichess.org

1850 Puzzle Rating





Friday, June 8, 2018

Book 1: Chapter 3: Basic Opening Principles


       Chapter 3 of Build Up Your Chess: The Fundamentals covers some basic opening principles, specifically (1) rapid piece development, (2) center control, and (3) preventing your opponent from achieving 1 and 2 for himself. What I would have liked to see in the lesson were examples of how failure to follow the opening principles can lead to small advantages for the opposing player who does follow them. Instead, the examples were of poor moves leading to severe punishment. While this is, obviously, a common enough occurrence in chess, it fails to focus on following the opening principles more than it does on what happens when you don't. This same focus on the failure to follow the opening principles, versus implementing them, carries into the quiz puzzles.

       The quiz was 12 puzzles again, but this time it was worth 25 points. I managed 17 points partly because I was focusing on trying to develop my pieces, control the center, and prevent my opponent from doing either; instead, the puzzles were about punishing your opponent (who hadn't followed the opening principles) – but punishing him didn't necessarily involve following any of the opening principles. So, in a way, this chapter was more on tactics not taught than the opening principles. This isn't to say the lesson or the puzzles weren't instructive. They were. I learned quite a bit, but the lesson loses its focus from start to finish. At the very least, add a fourth principle: 4. Abandon opening principles if you can gain a material advantage or checkmate. That might just sound like common sense, but chess principles can be common sense. Had that been part of the stated lesson, I would have done better on the puzzles, I think.

       Two more minor objections. As there are fewer forcing moves in this chapter, as far as solutions go, it's harder to come up with Artur's preferred solutions. On one question in particular, 3-9 quiz puzzle, there was an opportunity to sacrifice a Bishop or a Knight for an eventual check on the King. I sacced the Bishop, preferring to save my Knight for the attack. Artur chose to sac the Knight, saving the Bishop to deliver the check instead of the Queen (as per my version). Anyway, the problem is that I saw no clear advantage to Artur's way, but he didn't mention my way, so I was left having to score myself 0 out of 3 points, when his way got 3 out of 3 points. Now, I'm not claiming my way is just as good, but how about partial points here like in other puzzles? Or, if it's clearly wrong, then why not mention it, as it does seem intuitive. Working through both solutions leaves me stumped as to why my way is inferior. Also, on some puzzles, it's impossible to predict Artur's line because he injects a significant mistake by the opponent. It's hard to predict or assume those mistakes sometimes. Nevertheless, I must rely on Artur's authority, so I'm scoring myself as he dictates. I have no problem with that. I think the benefit is that I'm still working through the solutions and posing questions to Artur when things don't seem to make sense. So even in disagreeing with him, you are doing exactly what he would hope you do: engage and think deeply about the moves. Thus, despite the dissonance, the chapter is beneficial.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Book 1: Chapter 2: Mating Motifs 2

       Chapter 2 in Build Up Your Chess: The Fundamentals covers six more mating motifs: Legal's mate, Damiano's mate, Greco's mate, Lolli's mate, Blackburne's mate, and Pillsbury's mate.  Things got real real fast in this chapter.  Some of the lesson puzzles proved more difficult than anything in Chapter 1.  I came up with blanks a few times. so I set up the positions on a board, stared blankly for fifteen minutes, and then checked the solutions.  Having spent considerable time on the lesson portion, I thought I would speed up the quiz portion by not using a board.  I was feeling overconfident after my perfect score on Quiz 1.  Not a good idea.  While reviewing my quiz, I realized that I was dropping points because I hadn't been rigorous.  I stopped after checking a few answers, determined to re-study the chapter and re-take the quiz in earnest.  This is why it has taken me almost four days to post this next entry.

       Well, Chapter 2 is just flat-out more difficult.  I could have studied some of those puzzles for days to no avail.  The quiz consisted of 12 puzzles again, but this time there were more 2-star and 3-star puzzles, for a total of 20 possible points.  I managed 14 points out of 20, which rates me as "good," according to Artur, but not "excellent" like last time.  You can lose points by choosing the less optimal lines or by mixing up the move order.  And, obviously, by failing to find any solution whatsoever.  Overall, this is a very good chapter.  I will review the puzzles which stumped me just to make sure I absorb the lessons.  I need to be "excellent" again, Artur!

      Side note: In the interview with Aargaard, Jacob bristled at the idea of telling students to repeat the material, as Artur does, because they had done poorly.  Jacob is all about positive reinforcement at all times.  I can't help but chuckle at such ideas, and I'm sure Yusupov felt the same way, but he of course gave very diplomatic answers.   Is it really old-fashioned to have high standards?  Is it really much-too-harsh to tell students they did poorly and need to repeat the lesson?  Aren't those standards incentives to work hard?  Of course they are.  By the way, I'll never ask real questions here.  It's all rhetorical stuff.  Real questions would require a humility I do not possess. 

Friday, June 1, 2018

Build Up, Boost, and Evolve Your Chess with Artur Yusupov!

     As you might have gleaned from the title, I have decided to study Artur Yusupov's series of award winning chess books.  For those unfamiliar with Artur Yusupov or his books, I will list the series in order of progression, with one notable exception I’ll mention afterwards:

1. Build Up Your Chess: The Fundamentals.
2. Boost Your Chess: The Fundamentals.
3. Chess Evolution: The Fundamentals.
4. Build Up Your Chess: Beyond the Basics.
5. Boost Your Chess: Beyond the Basics.
6. Chess Evolution: Beyond the Basics.
7. Build Up Your Chess: Mastery.
8. Boost Your Chess: Mastery.
9. Chess Evolution: Mastery.

The notable exception is Revision & Exam: The Fundamentals, which belongs fourth on the list. There is no “Revision & Exam” for the other levels, nor does Artur have any plans to write such books, but you can use this one extant version either as the 4th book, as originally intended, or as the 10th book, as final exam to the whole series.   As a matter of pedagogy, I'm not sure it matters much.

       Artur Yusupov, in the way of a little background info, was born in Russia in the 60's, moved to Germany in the 90's, and was rated 3rd in the world from 1986 to 1992.  He now mainly coaches, commentates, and authors chess literature.  From an interview he did with Jacob Aagaard, I learned that the original German titles of his books were "How to become 1500", "How to become 1800," and "How to become 2100," or something to that effect.  The point Aargaard made in bringing this up was that those estimates seem low given the level of difficulty of the books.  I'm not sure Aargaard also intended to mean the books will take you to higher levels, but he did recount a story in which one his students who read the entire series went from 1500 to almost 2300.  That's one example, of course, and the kid might be super talented, but it counts as a great testimonial.  I'm not expecting similar results, as I'm old, lazy, and fall asleep reading.  Sometimes I think it's why I read.  I have all the "Fundamental" books in hand, while the others are in the mail as I type this.  The one book I couldn't purchase was the elusive and currently expensive Build Up Your Chess: Mastery.  So, instead of shelling out $60-$90 on eBay, I pre-ordered the new revised edition from Amazon, which is expected out in August of this year.        

      Back to me.  As a perennial giver-upper, procrastinator, avid consumer, and chess fop, I have loads of chess books. By last count, I have slightly over 200 little beauties, all of which I’ve fondled but none of which I’ve impregnated.  I'm not sure that metaphor works, but you get the point.  Again, as a chess fop, I would very much like to be admired for my chess abilities, which we all know are correlated to one’s intelligence, so basically I want people to whisper audibly, “Wow, there goes that really smart guy,” as I saunter by at the chess club on my way to the bathroom. At fifty years of age, now, that’s my likely destination no matter where I am. So, this really smart guy wants the admiration owed to him.  I figured the best way to prove my innate genius was to build up, boost, and then evolve my chess.  This blog series will feature updates on my progress and thoughts on the efficacy of Artur's books. Don’t question my ability to judge the books.  I just dropped “efficacy” on you.  So, for all my avid readers – which would be zero at the moment – I will now give you the pertinent information needed to help you decide if this series of books is worth the coin or time.

       To help you judge if my experience could be your experience, I'll share a little autobiographical info.  I’m 50, male, rated 1900+ on lichess.org and 1600+ on chess.com in classical games, and I have no other ratings.  I’ve been playing chess on and off most of my life, and perhaps I’m decent at tactics and nothing else. I suspect I'm the perennial low-intermediate player who never improves.  We'll put that theory to the test.   Next, a quick summary of Artur's advice on how to study his books.

How to study the lesson diagrams:

1.  Set up each diagram on a board.
2.  Study each diagram for roughly 5-10 minutes without moving the pieces.  In other words, treat each diagram as a puzzle and calculate in your head only.
3.  If you can't solve the position in your head after 10 minutes or so, try again, but this time you can move the pieces. 
4.  Only after you've gone through the preceding steps, having solved the position or not, should you now read through the lesson for that diagram, making sure to play through the solutions.  Rinse and repeat for each diagram.
 
The emphasis is on you making a serious effort, thinking instead of just waiting to be told the solutions.  If you have any chess acumen or latent ability, this is how you activate it.  It's like in college: you read before the lesson so you will better understand the lesson, you come prepared with questions you've mulled over already so answers will be poignant.  There's nothing novel in this approach, but chess students -- like yours truly -- spend an entire lifetime taking short-cuts.  Artur is telling you that there are no short-cuts in chess.

How to study the quiz puzzles: 

It's pretty much the same as above except you will also write down the variations you come up with so that, at the end of the 12 quiz puzzles, you can compare your answers with the book solutions.  Knowing me, I'll probably not set up the quiz puzzles unless I'm stumped.  Yeah, okay, not the ideal way to go about it, but I'd rather save a little time here than get discouraged by the tediousness of setting up 25 puzzles (13 chapter puzzles and 12 quiz puzzles) for each chapter, especially when I can solve some puzzles on the page in less than a minute.  I will, though, set up all puzzles, lesson and quiz, that require at least two minutes of thought.  I hope that's not too egregious a short-cut. 


Chapter 1: Mating Motifs

       Chapter 1 in Build Up Your Chess: The Fundamentals covers six mating motifs: (1) mate along open lines (rook + queen or two rooks), (2) Anastasia's mate (queen + rook + knight), (3) Arabian mate (rook + knight), (4) the queen-bishop battery (esp. on the b1-h7 diagonal), (5) the queen-rook battery, and (6) Boden's mate (queen + bishop).  Each motif is supported by 2 or 3 diagrams (henceforth puzzles) with either black or white to move, clearly indicated by a black or white triangle.

       I followed Artur's study advice to a tee for the first six of thirteen lesson puzzles.  As the beginning lessons are relatively easy, which isn't to say they were easy, I found I could solve some puzzles without the board, so that's what I did for the final seven lesson puzzles.  Of course I may have short-changed myself in doing so, but I did manage a perfect 16 out of 16 points on the quiz, so I didn't feel too guilty.  Back to the point about the difficulty level.

     This series is not a 'Learn Chess' series.  You need to come in knowing the game, the nomenclature, and general tactics.  I found the first chapter challenging but not overwhelming.  There were maybe two lesson puzzles which I couldn't figure out and had to read the solutions for understanding.  This is as it should be, as the text should be slightly challenging to you always.  Artur rates each quiz puzzle by difficulty with stars, so a one-star puzzle is worth one point, a two-star puzzle is worth two points, and so on. The breakdown of the 12 quiz puzzles is one 3-stars, two 2-stars, and all the rest one-star. I think some of the lesson puzzles, as opposed to the quiz puzzles, are more difficult than three-stars, but I’m sure that was a pedagogical decision. Given my result on the quiz, I’d say it was a good decision, as it forced me to focus hard in trying to find the motif buried in the puzzle.  When I finally read the solutions, I got that "Ah, I see now" sensation, which usually means you've learned the lesson well.  So, after the first of 216 chapters (24 chapters x 9 books), I’m quite satisfied. Now let’s hope for a timely next entry….

....Yikes, did I just say 216 chapters?  At roughly 2 hours per chapter, that's a lot of damn studying.  Is it too soon to quit?  Let's really hope for a timely next entry.