Re:Poll: How Many Moves Ahead Do You Plan? - 2007/02/05 12:46
What a funny question!!! Planning usually does not involve looking ahead. A plan is for instance: my opponnent looks better than me, so let's play quietly and go into defence and look for a counter, maybe he will make a mistake. That's a plan. looking moves ahead is not a plan, that is only calculating moves. the more moves you try to look ahead the more paranoid you become, and it is very tiring, all the time calculating(if i do this, he does this and then I do this and then he does .....) stop that!!!!
Also among chessplayers, you have calculators(like accountants) and planners(dreamers).
So, Scooter, what are you? a planner or a calculator? Well?
Re:Poll: How Many Moves Ahead Do You Plan? - 2007/02/05 12:51
Well, I'm not really sure, after all, I just started playing about two weeks ago now. But, I don't think I could ever see my self as a 'calculator' compared to a 'dreamer'. But there again, when I play I'm always doing as you say 'calculating'(if i do this, he does this and then I do this and then he does .....).
So, Aleksander, what do you suggest to take the place of calculating? Planning I suppose, but, would you elaborate?
Re:Poll: How Many Moves Ahead Do You Plan? - 2007/02/05 13:31
Scooter, In chess like in real life you need both, planning(long viewing distance) and calculating(short viewing distance). But planning always should come first. Let me explain:
- In real life a plan could be. Going to the shop to buy food.(that is your masterplan) But how to get there? by foot, the weatherforecast said there might be a storm coming, so maybe better by car, but near the shop are no parkingpossibilities, what to do then? (so now you are calculating and calculating and calculating....)Stop that!!!
My advice is just take the car, go to the shop and only start calculating when you see a problem. When you want to pass that slow truck in front of you, you need to calculate If it is save to do it or when there really are no parkingpossibilities in front of the shop then you start calculating, what to do with your car(I'm sure you'll solve that problem!).
- In chess a plan could be: today I'm not going to try a mating attack, but play quietly and try to snatch away that isolated pawn he has on the left wing. Then in the endgame I'll be a pawn up and that's enough to win the game.(that is your masterplan).
But look he has all his pieces concentrated towards my king(a storm coming up) so I have to do some calculating if I will be safe in case he attacks my king. During the whole chessgame you need to be alert to all kinds of attacks and tricks of your opponnent. Like crossing the street, you always have to be carefull not to be run over by a truck(short view).
To sum it all up: You need calculating to check if you are safe and to check if your opponent made a mistake(What!!! he left his pawn uprotected, let's grab it before he protects it).
But If you are able to plan and calculate at the same time you'll always win from chessplayers who are only calculating.
I hope that I was able to explain a liitle bit to you, the difference between planning(long term) and calculating(short term) and which comes first.
Also the more you get to know about chess, the more similarities with real life you'll find, calculating and planning are only two aspects, there are many more 'secrets' in chess.
Re:Poll: How Many Moves Ahead Do You Plan? - 2007/02/05 14:54
Okay, Scooter and Dame. But what do you want to know more about? There are so many things in Chess to know about but which you cannot find in books.
For instance in a game played by Scooter I noticed that on the first move, one pawn was moved(1.f4) on the second move another pawn (2.b4) on the other end of the board was played. Was that a wise move??? From a military point of view, very questionable.
I'll explain. Chess is very much like a wargame(if you like it or not). As soon if you push one pawn ahead, usually your opponent will react to it, because you are trying to occupy some space or build an outpost on his side of the board. (like the American settlers occupying Indian land). What you then get is a battle around that outpost. One side is trying to strengthen that outpost by bringing more men and equipment to it(more pieces around the outpost) and the other side is trying to attack the outpost and the surrounding men. That was the 1.f4-move.
Then another outpost is put forward(the 2.b4-move) but far away from the first outpost, suddenly both outpost are under attack and all the men and material(chesspieces) are to be divided over two outposts.
Furhtermore every advance to the front will cause a weakening of the back. So if you have two outpost, then you will have two weak backposts. Which is also dangerous.
It is possible to wage war in such a way but it is difficult and not suited for beginners.
That is why even chessmasters always start with one outpost, one front and strengthen that to the maximum before they start a second outpost somewhere else.
The underlying principle here is: Stick to one battlefront, strengthen it to the maximum before continuing somewhere else. (Milk one cow to the maximum before continuing to the next cow).
This is only one example what chessmasters know and helps them in playing chess.
When applying this principle a chessmaster knows within a second, what his next move will be, without having to calculate anything!!! That's easy for him.
Whereas non-chessmasters, try to calculate everything. Much to tiresome. Just apply those rules and only calculate when you see an immediate danger or attack.
So, milk one battlefront to the maximum before continuing to another.
Now you know about planning, calculating and milking. Who said chess was difficult?
Re:Poll: How Many Moves Ahead Do You Plan? - 2007/02/05 15:00 Aleksander you make it sound so easy (although both in chess and in warfare it absolutely makes sense) - still... to apply...
Thankyou Aleksander that was a clear insight though and certainly a method to keep in front of our eyes
Re:Poll: How Many Moves Ahead Do You Plan? - 2007/02/05 16:09I appreciate your willingness to share all your chess knowledge. It is thankfully excepted. You have a great way of describing things so they are easily understood. And as Dame said, you do make it sound very easy.
Re:Poll: How Many Moves Ahead Do You Plan? - 2007/02/05 20:20
Scooter and Dame, sorry, that I was absent several days. But I've been busy.
What you always have to remember that in chess (like in real life) you always have to think about all things at the same time before you make a move.
You always need a plan(what am I going to do in general), always calculate(Does my opponent has a trick where he can win a piece, or can I cross the road without being run over by a car). You always have to think about milking something to the maximum before proceeding to the next position(Strenghtening your postion to the maximum, also called 'developing moves', is there still something in the bottle for me, is there still a trick I can use in this position or are there no more possibilities for me and I have to continue to another position.
Many people tend to concentrate on only one thing, most popular is calculating and forget about the other aspects of chess like endgame, middlegame, strategy etc. etc. etc.
If you want to be a successfull chessplayer you must be able to think of all these things before making a move.
I think that in real life this is also true. People who concentrate on only one thing are usually not very happy in life. You need several things at the same time(friends, family, work, money, CHESS!!! etc. etc.)
Re:Poll: How Many Moves Ahead Do You Plan? - 2007/02/05 20:57People who concentrate on only one thing are usually not very happy in life. You need several things at the same time...
I completely agree, Aleksander for 100%.
So, that's it hey? Transfer real-life situations into your game?
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Aleksander you make it sound so easy (although both in chess and in warfare it absolutely makes sense) - still... to apply...
