Training Game #16 with Turbo Eval

Today, it was time to take on the 2600 chess.com bot. This is the first bot with the title of grandmaster, so I knew it would be rather difficult. This is also the second time I have ever used Turbo Eval. As is the standard, I will first show the game and give some stats, then I will give some thoughts afterwards. Here is the game:

I didn't do as well as I had hoped in this game. I had an accuracy of only 81% with 5 inaccuracies, 3 mistakes, and 5 blunders. Below are some highlights of the game.

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On move 9, I made my first of several blunders. I played Qb3, with the intention of playing a3 and having my queen eye the weak b7 pawn. This was immediately punished by the computers b5, which takes advantage of the fact that my pawn on c4 is now pinned to my queen. Instead, I should have played a3 immediately, asking what black's bishop is doing, and gaining initiative.

On move 12, the computer played b4, which is a huge blunder, as it allows me to take the pawn with tempo on the queen, and when the pawn recaptures, I can trap his. . . . I unfortunately played Ra4, which gave away almost all of my advantage immediately. After 13...Qxb4, I should have played Nb5, trapping the queen. I however, relaxed at this point, and because I didn't check for tactics, I just played Ra4 with the hopes of shifting my pieces over to the queenside and advancing my pawns.

On move 28, we had traded queens, and I played Ra1, defending my knight on a4. Instead, I should have played Rb1 with the idea that I will get a bishop for the knight if my knight is taken. At this moment, I was feeling a little sad about my position. I had thought that I would come away with a victory not 10 moves ago, but at this point, it was so obviously draw-ish, that I just wasn't looking for tricks.

The only other worthy thing to mention would be the series of 5 blunders in a row by both me and the computer from moves 32-34. I was just not focusing as much as I should have, and I suppose the computer was trying to be nice for a moment.

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Lessons

First things first, I have to look at what the general schematic of the game is. In the opening, I tend to play well. That is, until around move 10, where I tend to make some mistakes. I have noticed this in many of my games. In the middlegame, I usually will keep about equal in my games, however, I will miss a chance here or there due to going on autopilot for a moment. Near the endgame, I will either create a decisive win or a slow and painful loss. The endgame follows suit. Below are some mini lessons that I will try to keep in mind.

1. I need to be more consistent about staying alert for chances. I oftentimes find myself just completely forgetting to check for tactics and threats.
2. I should work on my calculation. I struggle to get much farther than 3-4 moves, in a decently complicated position.
3. I need to work on finishing off a game. Winning a won game.

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How Do I Accomplish My Goals?

I can ramble on all day and night about what I should learn from this game and that. But, I should absolutely have some idea of how to improve in each of these aspects. Below are the ways that I plan to improve the aspects shown above.

1. To stay more alert for tactics and chances in my games, my thought would be to set a timer for 45 seconds or a minute and every time it goes off, look for checks, captures, and threats. This should get me in the habit of thinking about it, so that it will become easier, and I can do it faster, and I can do it more, and so on.
2. To work on my calculation, I will do what is recommended by many people: solve tactics puzzles. I will try to find the whole solution before I make the moves on the board, in order to help my ability broaden.
3. To work on winning the won game, I can take these tactics puzzles, set them up on the board, and finish the game off.

Performing 2-3 of these games per day should be enough to help me improve my game. Not to mention the practical application of the learning.

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Turbo Eval

It occurs to me that not everybody has read my last post, so in each of my posts, I will include this bit below to refresh or explain what Turbo Eval is.

• In the opening:

Focus and play what you know. Follow basic opening principles and lookout for tactics.

• In the middlegame:

Every move: Look for tactics and look for what you opponent is threatening. Do a blunder check before you move.
Every 2-4 moves: Analyze the positions features like pawns and certain squares and weaknesses. Think about what the opponent might want over the next few moves and how it might affect you. Do a quick evaluation based on king safety, material, and activity. Based on what you find, do your best to come up with 2-3 plans and look for the best one. Do a blunder check and play.

• In the endgame:

Use endgame principals and play slowly, just like you would in the opening.

Important Note: Turbo Eval is designed with the intention of making small plans throughout the game in order to improve and advance in positions. It would do the user a lot of good if they possess knowledge of common pawn structures and plans within openings. For those looking to expand their knowledge in this, I would recommend the book The Hidden Laws of Chess, by Nick Maatman, or finding some of the many studies and blogs to learn from. Youtube is also a great place to learn from.

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If you are interested in the idea of training to fight against the computer, consider joining The Club of Believers. As I have been posting these games, more people have joined, which is absolutely amazing. The more likely it is that we will uncover new ways to fight back against the computers.

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Thank you for reading, and enjoy the rest of your day!