Chess Planysis

"They must be ready and willing to put conceptions, laws and valuations to the proof, again and again, diligently and cheerfully, from a sheer joy of the law and from veneration of fact."
- Emmauel Lasker

Axiom

All chess games should be drawn. White should never get enough of an advantage to win and black should always have enough resources not to lose. Therefore, what each side tries to do is lead the other astray so that a draw doesn't occur.


1. Theory

A chess position offers possibilities and the role of the chessplayer is to find the best way to make these materialize.

1.1 Position

Each position comes with ideas which are a blend of tactical and strategic possibilities. Tactical ideas are those which require an immediate, focussed response (eg a mating attack, capturing a piece). Strategic ideas do not require an immediate, focussed response (eg gaining control of certain squares, improving pawn structure). One can tactically generate a strategic possibility (eg threat of a double attack helps to gain control of a file) or strategically generate a tactical possibility (control of the center permits an attack on the castled king) and generally, success in either will result in an advantage.

1.2 Implementation

Each idea is realized through a series of moves which may be determined through an organizational tree of candidate choices for each side. These moves should not be chosen randomly, but should keep the initial idea in mind. One should also be open to new ideas that may be generated as one progresses through the tree. A possible approach may be to mark out the most desirable path and then look at the opponent's refutations along the way. This should be seen as an invigorating process of discovery rather than a confusing and laborious exercise.


2. Practise

Here we first look at ideas in terms of tactical and strategic themes. Then we examine methods of calculation to actually execute them. Unlike the usual approach to learning chess (study tactics, then graduate to strategic), its practice is in reverse. In playing chess, we need to have a global plan or vision which is attempted by the strategic placement of pieces from which the tactical fireworks can launched. Hence, we first introduce the idea of vision, after which we look at strategic then tactical ideas that are pursuable from a position. Finally, we consider a methodology of calculation through which it may all actually happen.

2.1 Vision

Chess may be 99% calculation, but that final 1% gives the game its spirit! If everything could be calculated, every possible chess game would have been played by fast computers and the results stored - there would no longer be a need to 'play' chess because one could just 'look up' what to do in a given position. This has not happened because of the exponential increase in possibilities with each move: even a computer finds this sort of problem 'hard'. Therefore, though chess may be theoretically finite, practically we may never experience it that way.

So what is needed is vision to guide and give purpose to the technical calculations. This vision should permeate the entire game, be flexible with circumstance, yet steadfast in its purpose. Thus chess necessitates creativity and a game becomes a work of art.

How to develop vision when planylizing? There is a saying, 'When envision, do as the visionaries do'. Therefore, the first way is to study the great games that were preferably annotated by the players themselves: that way, one can see not only the action, but also the motivation! The second is to trust one's intuition and not discard an idea until it is definitely refuted by honest calculation and not by impatience, frustration or bigotry. The third is to seek past the horizon your calculations have erected: be inspired, be imaginative and look beyond the edge!

2.2 Ideas generation from Position

In order to use ideas, one needs to be aware of them. The opportunities can appear in any part of the game. There are many illustrations of ideas, both tactical and strategic, in action below. It is interesting to note that while the execution of an idea is indeed effective, its 'threat' may prove to be even more potent!

Strategic themes:

  • controlling the center
  • pawn structure
  • weak pawns
  • passed pawns
  • king position
  • space
  • open lines
  • pieces

Tactical themes:

  • backrank weakness
  • deflection
  • decoy
  • clearance
  • discovered attack
  • opening the diagonal
  • the long diagonal
  • xray, double attack
  • using, closing diagonals, lines, ranks
  • pins and skewers
  • rook on 7th or 2nd rank
  • sacrifice on h7,h6,g7,g6,f7,f6
  • attack against kingside
  • hunting the king
  • annihilation of defensive piece
  • king in the middle
  • march with the king
  • opposite side castling
  • counterattack
  • defense
  • attack with pawns
  • pawn breakthrough
  • pawn hunt
  • advantage in development
  • positional pawn, exchange, piece, queen sacrifice
  • penetration
  • activation of pieces
  • intermediate move
  • weakness of the isolated pawn
  • isolated pawn attack
  • isolated pawn breakthrough by d5
  • hanging, backward, passed pawns
  • phalanx
  • rook, knight, bishop, queen manoeuvre
  • capturing the queen
  • piece on a bad square
  • knight on edge of board
  • knight on d6,e6,d3,e3
  • opposite colored bishops
  • pair of bishops
  • strong knight vs bad bishop
  • exchange of a piece
  • avoiding exchanges
  • liquidation
  • breakthrough in the center
  • blowing up the center
  • hedgehog, blowing up with d5
  • minority attack
  • stonewall
  • blockade
  • weak square
  • perpetual check
  • prophylaxis
  • space advantage
  • double rook sacrifice
  • points of intersection
  • obstacle
  • entombment

2.3 Calculating to Implement

Once the idea is clear, it is possible to figure out how to realize it with calculations that actually have a purpose. An organized approach to calculating by generating 'trees' will also inspire awareness to new ideas that may appear along the process.

Tree generation considerations:

  • Force
  • Counting Out
  • Choice
  • Monkey Wrenches
  • Oversights
  • Rechecking

3. References

3.1 Books

Soltis - The Inner Game of Chess
an outstanding work by an excellent writer discussing the inner workings of calculation in chess

Polgar - Chess Middlegames/Endgames
a massive collection of tactical problems

Reshevsky - The Art of Positional Play
a definitive dissertation on the principles of stratigic play

3.2 Websites

GoldToken
a great place to play correspondence chess

FreeChess
a great place to play realtime chess

Basic Chess Openings
an excellent source for chess openings with explanations


4. Other thoughts

DdV

What I was wondering about: when you start planning a move, what basic process do you go through? Mine is something like: 1) having a general glance over the board for things that immediatly catch my eye 2) checking own kins safety, 3) checking opponent's king safety 4)checking own major and minor pieces safety 5) doing the same for the opponent's pieces 6) using that information to look for tactics and tactical threats 7) checking for positional improvements.

sintubin

The main difference in analysis skill between an expert and a standard level is the inductive reasoning capability, as opposed to deductive reasoning. Induction requires an idea (eureka) or vision, normally based on experience and insight. Computer programs are the best in deductive (calculation in the limit), but totally lack vision. What makes a grandmaster is the ability to 'see' beyond his calculation horizon, of course combined with a more than average calculation capability.

pradtf

Fixation is not stability. When you see that things can happen a certain way, look for how they can happen another way. Above all do not get attached to the way you want things. Better still, do not want.

Ideas should not be generated purely through conscious calculations. That would be similar to writing a novel by stringing together words that come to mind. Learn to trust your instincts: it's probably who you are!

Openings are not a quick and easy path to victory. They can, however, get you to positions that are sound and have potential. Therefore, ask not what your opening can do for you; ask what you can do with your opening!

It's all backwards! First must be the vision. This will guide you into the right position. From that position, the tactics can flow. We learn chess in reverse, but must play this way.

Every move has potential strengths and potential weaknesses. The plot is thickened when one player encourages the other to use a strength just so the first can capitalize on the weakness that is invariably produced. This can happen to a depth of many layers the unravelment of which is like the peeling of an onion with its inevitable and pungent revelation.

When you have blundered, either salvage the situation as best you can or resign. Don't keep telling yourself and everyone else that you have blundered thus glorifying this obstinate observation of the obvious.

To play chess, you must not only look at the pieces, but also the board.

Creating a threat does not mean you have to execute it. The threat's very presence will fester in the mind of the opponent hindering discovery of the strongest moves.

Working out combinations is composed of ten parts, one of which is observation, while the other nine are patience.