C-CAW and S.P.R.O.U.T.

(UPDATE: I have reconstructed this acronym and written about it in a new blog entry.)

Many chess beginners or novices (including me!) wonder: "What should I think about before each move?" Plenty of good advice exists (I tried several internet searches), but the problem, at least for me, is that the answers are all over the place. Some are highly complex, quoting historical grandmasters with lists of 20-something considerations. Others are shorter but still difficult to remember.

I thought: "Surely, by now, someone would have come up with a simple acronym or other mnemonic to help us remember", but I couldn't find one. So I decided to create my own. Admittedly, the following is unpolished (I'm still a novice myself!), but it has already helped me remember several important points as I play chess.

My process: First, I copied and pasted many items from the advice I mentioned above. I ignored the items I didn't understand or that I might only apply to higher-level players. When/if I get to that point, hopefully I won't need a device like an acronym to remember what to consider. Second, I reworded each point several times, looking for letters that would stick out as something I could use in an acronym. This was the hardest part: turning simple lists of advice into acronyms. But here's what I came up with:

C-CAW
(Clock, Check, Attack, Weaknesses)

I will remember this acronym by picturing a crow standing near the board and uttering its cry (which is "c-caw" in U.S. English).

The first C, for Clock, obviously only applies in timed games, and simply means to be aware of the clock: how much time remains for each player and how well you're using your time.

The second C is for Checks. Is anyone in check? Can either player check on the next move or soon thereafter? If so, are these serious (forcing) checks that will be difficult to defend or weak one-move threats with many easy defenses? How will I respond if my opponent checks me? How will my opponent respond if I check?

The A is for Attacks. It's the same as the previous paragraph, except substitute "attack" for "check", and any piece for the king. Which pieces are under threat or could be soon? How will each player respond to such threats?

The W is for Weaknesses (but also Imbalances, which didn't fit into the acronym). To remember the various types of weaknesses and imbalances, I came up with a separate acronym:

S.P.R.O.U.T.
(Structure, Pins, Royal, Open, Unguarded, and Trapped)

Structure: Be aware of pawn structure: chains, majorities, doubled, isolated, islands, backward pawns, passed pawns, etc.

Pins: Which pieces are pinned, hard or soft? Which pins pose a threat to either player, and which will be easiest to unpin or attack?

Royal: How safe/vulnerable is each king?

Open: Note the open files and diagonals -- for rooks, bishops, and queens.

Unguarded: Which pieces are unprotected, or will become so after subsequent moves, or have defenders that can be easily removed? And not only pieces, but *squares*. Are there squares that are undefended or will become so?

Trapped: Which pieces are trapped/inactive? If my own, how can I free/activate them? If my opponent's, how can I take advantage of her trapped/inactive pieces?

As I said, I know it's not perfect, but I haven't seen anything better. C-CAW is short enough for me to remember on every move: Clock, Checks, Attacks, Weaknesses. Though S.P.R.O.U.T. is a bit longer, it's still simple enough to run through the checklist in a few seconds.