Gyllenstierna's Blog
Always Expect the Unexpected
Have you noticed that a bad move will frequently be answered with another bad move, foregoing the ch…
Why Calculation is Bad for You
We often use pairs of opposites when we talk about personality traits - kind or mean, generous or gr…
This is not a Kitten
Don't judge a book by the cover.
The Perfect Play Syndrome
Is striving for Perfect Play fruitless?
Can Chess be Solved?
I use to follow the Quora chess space to catch up on what people ask about chess. Questions about so…
Two Overly Aggressive Players 2.0
This is an alternative version of the previous post.
Two Overly Aggressive Players
In real life, I'm a rather peaceful and gentle person, but I bring none of that to the chess board. …
Another Double Delusion
The Double Delusion is probably the most intriguing example of chess psychology. How can both player…
Fear and Greed
Fear and greed are probably the most common causes for making bad decisions in chess. Both emotions …
Don't Procrastinate!
Procrastination is when we postpone things that need to be done for no good reason. That's very diff…
SWOT Analysis in Chess
Last time, in the Kodak post, we saw that business and chess have things i common. There are competi…
When to make a Change of Plans
Abandoning a plan that didn't work out is much harder than we think, no matter if we're running a bu…
Ten Mistakes
What are the ten most common mistakes in chess (or life, fishing, dating or whatever)?
Missed Opportunities
This is a casual correspondence game played under OTB rules, so no books, databases or chess engines…
Multi-Purpose Moves
We have all seen them - those power moves awarded with double exclamation marks in game annotations.…
You've Got to Have a Plan
We hear that all the time, but is it really true? And what is a plan anyway?
What's Your Style in Chess?
Style is a combination of your chess personality traits and your self image as a chess player.