About hanging pieces...
In my opinion, it is a matter of chessboard awareness.
I mean : looking where all the pieces are and analysing their activities.
The thought process is important too.
What is the goal of my opponent's last move ? (in the case it is not a check or a capture) Is he able to check, to capture or to put a threat (a terrible fork for example)
And before moving the piece : is the move safe ?
If you detect no check no capture and no dangerous threat, may be that your move is not the best one, but there is a high probability that it is not the worse !
Being aware of the unprotected pieces (or with bad protection) is important too. Look at that point during your opponent reflexion. (included the uncontrolled squares too).
Puzzles are one of the good trainings : analysing the position looking for the weaknesses. Repeating a lot of exercices help you to memorise these principles. Again and again
Train with non rated games against partners or Maia for example. Asking all these points from the very first move until the last one. The most difficult thing would be to systematize all that stuff during all the game.
Playing classical games (at least 30+0) allow your brain to be ready during faster games. Not sure you'll see a real improvement (+100 rate !) but i think you will be more confident.
I recommend classical for improving yourself to spot traps and sacrifices if you are stuck in the 1200-1300 range, classical helped me improve a lot!
ok.
Classical is definitely recommended. I play classical OTB once a week.
@MrCalderon I've had "My 60 Memorable Games" for a while, but I've never really understood how to study it. It sounds stupid, I know, but I've never understood the concept of studying master games. Some say, "Try to guess the moves." Others say, "Analyze the position and see why he played the move." But these methods seem slow and I am very impatient. I'm trying to work on my patience, but that's a slow process too. Can you enlighten me on the subject of studying master games?
@MrCalderon and where is the rest?
I scrolled to my current level and there is nothing. you lack
2200-2400
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2400-2600
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2600-2800
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2800-3000
please advice me how to reach 2500 at least.
@Feniks714 Worry about 2400 first, then we'll talk. Good that you like to think big but don't get ahead of yourself.
Can you answer my question?
@RJblue said in #35:
> @MrCalderon I've had "My 60 Memorable Games" for a while, but I've never really understood how to study it. It sounds stupid, I know, but I've never understood the concept of studying master games. Some say, "Try to guess the moves." Others say, "Analyze the position and see why he played the move." But these methods seem slow and I am very impatient. I'm trying to work on my patience, but that's a slow process too. Can you enlighten me on the subject of studying master games?
i think unfortunately, you really do just have to slow down and really analyze the position as though you were playing it yourself. otherwise your "chess brain" doesn't really get engaged. there's no quick and easy path that allows you to just skim through games and absorb information.
with analyzing master games, i guess the goal is to see where you and the masters diverge in terms of playing. it's easy to just read through the moves and be like "mhm very nice very solid", but if you sit there and think about what you would've played there, you can really start seeing what sort of misconceptions you have ("but i thought closing the position here was bad!"/"why wouldn't you just put the queen there?"/etc) and applying them to your own play.
@RJblue It takes as long as it takes. I've spent 2 to 3 hours on one game alone analyzing the variations. Then I had to review the game 5 or 6 times later to fully grasp it.
It's either that or stay a patzer. There is no teleport machine to mastery.
Think of something else (like reading, biking etc.) you're good at and how much time you spend on it.
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