Calculation question

Hi guys,

I know during calculation I am supposed to find the best move for my opponent, but I really struggle with finding a good move for my opponent without flipping the board, and seeing it from my perspective. Obviously I wouldn't be able to flip the board in a real OTB tourny and 1 day I would like to compete in 1, so I need to learn how to calculate for them from my position. Is that just an experience thing, and it gets easier to find the best moves for your opponent as you do it more? Does anyone have any suggestions in terms of improving ones calculation please?

Also, and I think I will answer this one myself, but just for clarification, at my current level, usually the best move I find for my opponent is not the move they make, maybe it is because they are finding a better move than me, or maybe it is because they are not playing very accurately, I assume I should still always try to find the best move for them because as I improve they will start finding the best moves in any given position, if that makes sense.

Thanks,
Jamie.

use a calculator

Helpful, thanks Shark.

@papalazarou you can use stockfish to analysis games

@papalazarou said in #1:
> Hi guys,

Hi!

> ...during calculation I am supposed to find the best move for my opponent,

No, you are not. Find the best move for yourself.

> but I really struggle with finding a good move for my opponent without flipping the board,

Just scan his possible responses.

>and seeing it from my perspective. Obviously I wouldn't be able to flip the board in a real OTB tourny

Indeed.

> and 1 day I would like to compete in 1, so I need to learn how to calculate for them from my position.

Imagine you sit on the other side of the board. Only pawns are difficult because they go in one direction, other pieces move exactly the same no matter from what side you look.

>Is that just an experience thing,

Of course

> and it gets easier to find the best moves for your opponent as you do it more?

Yep

> Does anyone have any suggestions in terms of improving ones calculation please?

Polgar Chess 5334 Problems - mate in 2 section. But be careful. My head is overheating after solving 5 of his puzzles and I am about 2100 on lichess puzzles. You should first do mates in 1 section.

> Also, and I think I will answer this one myself, but just for clarification, at my current level, usually the best move I find for my opponent is not the move they make, maybe it is because they are finding a better move than me, or maybe it is because they are not playing very accurately,

Usually those moves will be different.

>I assume I should still always try to find the best move for them because as I improve they will start finding the best moves in any given position, if that makes sense.

To find the best moves in any position you must be on master level.

> Thanks,
> Jamie.

welcome

#1 "Is that just an experience thing, ..."

Yes. With practice you get better.

When GM Ben Finegold was resident GM at the St. Louis club, and presenting, one of the helpers would always ask Finegold to flip the board to have the winning side on the bottom of the display. It was amusing to watch Finegold shake his head, but then go ahead and flip it. Finegold obviously knew that at some point people need to be able to see the position equally well regardless of which side is on the bottom, but at the same time he had empathy for those that were not at that point yet.

@pointlesswindows said in #5:

> No, you are not. Find the best move for yourself.

I always try and find the best move for myself, but I am talking about finding my opponents best reply, that's where I sometimes struggle. I think the reason I struggle to find the best reply to my best move is I used to be guilty of trying to make any old move for them, so I could get my plans to work, which is obviously ridiculous coz they are trying to stop my plans in the same way I am trying to stop theirs

> Imagine you sit on the other side of the board. Only pawns are difficult because they go in one direction, other pieces move exactly the same no matter from what side you look.

I had never thought about the fact that when calculating for my opponent, it's only really the pawns I need to be on his side of the board for. It's obvious, but I hadn't given it much thought. Thanks for this :)

> Polgar Chess 5334 Problems - mate in 2 section. But be careful. My head is overheating after solving 5 of his puzzles and I am about 2100 on lichess puzzles. You should first do mates in 1 section.

This is a great suggestion, and even better, I have found studies on that book on Lichess:

lichess.org/study/search?q=5334