The Chess Dog Journal

Expecting The Unexpected

One of the fascinating aspects of chess is how it provides many surprises even though there are no secrets.  Yes, every position tells a story, and if you are listening to the board, it will tell you all you need to know.  Yet even in seemingly simple positions, we find ourselves surprised when a great unexpected move is played.  Here are three instructive examples of winning surprises.

This first position comes from a blitz game I played just last night.  White has proudly just played Ne2 forking my queen and rook.  But white’s glee quickly turned to despair when I responded with Rd3!  Suddenly, it is clear that white is lost.  The lesson in this position is that when you are looking at a position where pieces are tightly grouped with poor scope (white’s queen, rook, and knight) and there are lots of tactical interconnections (pawn on the 7th rank, queen threatening the rook, king stuck on 8th rank, white queen overloaded with duties) there is often an opportunity to find a disruptive and winning move.

The second position comes from the 1966 World Championship match between Petrosian and Spassky.  In game ten, when this position occurred it wasn’t obvious that white was about to win two rooks for a minor piece.  Then came Bxf7+.  Black responded with the predictable Rxf7, and then came the stunning reply Qh8+!  This position teaches us to look closely at the relationships of squares and how they can be exploited.  Because of their irregular (not straight) movement patterns, this is often a blind spot for player when it comes to knights.  Because he saw the connection between f7, h8, and g5, Petrosian was able to see the possibility of drawing the king to the critical h8 square.

The final position is well know and comes from a 1965 game between Mikenas and Bronstein.  White’s position appears quite solid.  However, the veil of illusion is pierced by Bronstein’s move: Rxa3!  Now, it is clear that white’s pieces are over taxed and that he has a fatal back rank weakness.

In all of these examples, there is a common thread.  There is a lot of dynamic tension and many piece and square interrelationships.  There is also at least one key piece with constrained movement.  This seems to be a recurring theme in many positions: when you have complexity and constraints in a position, you also have opportunity for great tactics.  Be aware of this whether you are attacking or defending.

Chess Tactics 101, Lesson # 4: TRIZ and Chess

I always enjoy finding connections between different aspects of life.  Recently, the position below presented an interesting example of this.  Try and find the fastest path to victory and then read on to see how this position links back to my work life.

[Note: To try your answer, click on the piece you want to move, then click on the square you want to move it to.  The solution will appear after you pick the correct move or after three incorrect tries.]

In my work life, I am immersed in innovation.  When I saw this problem, it immediately made me think of an innovation methodology named TRIZ (a Russian acronym that translates as Theory of Inventive Problem Solving).  TRIZ contains many tools for finding innovative solutions to problems, among these are the TRIZ Inventive Principles.  Without getting into the details of TRIZ, I saw that one of the TRIZ Inventive Principles contained the key to finding the best solution to this problem.  In particular, Inventive Principle number 13 is “Inversion”.  The idea of inversion is that when the obvious way to do something doesn’t work, the solution can be found sometimes by inverting your approach.

In the problem above, most players would jump to grabbing the 2nd rank to begin their attack.  While this works because white is already in trouble, the best path is to turn around your thinking and grab the g file as a clearing maneuver to allow the queen to enter the fray.

We have all seen positions where we have a choice of tactical plans to execute our strategy.  Sometimes, the tactical plan seems to just stop short of achieving the goal.  In these cases, it is worth asking if there is a way to invert your thinking.  In the problem, it involved flipping between rank and file thinking.  In another position you may find that a move order inversion can change the dynamics of the position.

I think this concept has broad application in practical chess.  What variations on this theme have you seen?

Don’t Stop Playing Until The Game Is Done

“It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” – Yogi Berra

Admit it.  We’ve all been there.  After a carefully executed opening and tense middle game, you reach a position that is easily won.  You breathe a sigh of relief and embark confidently on the road to certain victory.  But, something happens on the way to the win.  Your brain takes a holiday, you make an absurd move, and there it is—in a moment you have blundered away the game only to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

I was chatting to my friend, Mark Kaprielian, about this syndrome the other day as he recounted a situation from a game of his.  I understood the issue all too well having been on both sides of this sort of turning of the tide.  Here are two examples from recent play where I was the beneficiary of winning games I really didn’t deserve to win.

In the first example, I had the black pieces and had just played Qxd4.  In this position, white is clearly better because of black’s poor development and lack of piece coordination.  White should go on to win.  A simple move like 1. Qc6! looks very strong for white.  But, white zoned out and played 1. Kh1 to break the pin on the rook, completely ignoring his own back rank weakness.  Needless to say after 1. … Qa1+, white simply resigned as mate is unstoppable.

In the second example, I actually had a winning advantage myself with the black pieces, but that foolishly cut my rook off from the queenside allowing a white pawn to sail in for a queen.  Now, my situation is dire.  But, white obligingly played 1. Qc7 with the idea of crushing my f-pawn.  Play white’s move on the board to see what happened.  Yup, suddenly I was back in the game playing a many pawn vs. rook ending.  This turn of events so demoralized white, that he didn’t realize that he could still salvage a draw in the final position after 17. Kf4.

So, what lessons should we take from situations like this?

1. Never put your brain on automatic pilot. Play every move like the outcome is still uncertain.


2. Don’t become so enamored of your position that you stop considering your opponent’s ability to find counter play.


3. Always, play the whole board. Don’t become so focused on one aspect of the position that you miss the big picture.


4. When you make a blunder, don’t let it get to you. Take a deep breath; clear your head; and look at the game afresh. You may miss a chance to salvage a half point or better if you fold too early.

My 2010 Chess Training Plan

I’ve now decided on my basic study plan for 2010.  Since my plan in 2009 fell prey to the business demands of this past year, I’ve tried to build my plan with an eye toward being sustainable in what promises to be a very demanding year in the business sphere.  So, here’s what I’ve settled on.

Problem Solving – 15 minutes a day – This is pretty simple, but I think quite important.  Solving problems helps keep you tactically sharp.  Broad exposure to many tactical themes will improve your likelihood of recognizing pivotal opportunities over the board as well.  Problems should be worked without a board.

Opening Study – 30 minutes per week – I’ve never spent time studying openings in the past, but I know that I won’t achieve my personal goals if I don’t pay attention to this.  So, while I don’t think it is necessary at this time to learn any one opening in great depth, I think I need to review the key openings that I tend to see in tournament play so that when I see them over the board, I have an idea of the general themes and plans that are available, rather than working them out OTB as I usually do.

End Game Study – 30 minutes per week – I think my endgame play is pretty good for a player at my level.  But I think to take the next step, I need to be stronger.  My plan is focus on pawn endings and rook endings at first.

Other General Study – 30 minutes per week – Basically, this equates to general review of strategic theme and middle game plans.

Grandmaster Game Analysis – 2 games a week, 30 minutes per game – Learning from the best is a great tool.  There are lots of great players to learn from.  Some of my personal favorites are Tal, Fischer, and Kasparov.

My Game Analysis – 1 game a week, 30 minutes – It’s also important to step back and critically look at your play.  By examining my own games, I will get a better understanding of what I must do to improve.

ICC Practice Games – Ad hoc – Since I find it hard to get out to the local chess club (Metrowest Chess Club) with my current work schedule, on-line play will be the tool I can leverage to practice what I am learning.

This training plan totals just under five hours per week plus time spent practicing on-line.  While it may not sound like much, it is big step up from last year.  I will also review how well I am sticking to this plan every 60 days and make adjustments as needed.

As I work my plan, I will post progress updates and some of the analysis I do.  I hope to hear your feedback on the way.

Chess Tactics 101, Lesson # 3: Dancing the Two Step

I just opened the latest edition of Chess Life, and always the first things I looked at were the problems that accompany GM Soltis’ Chess to Enjoy article.  I found the last problem particularly interesting because of its instructive value.  First, have a look at the problem.

What I really like about this problem is that the thought process to arrive at the solution is very useful.  When I first looked at this position, several key tactical features of the position jumped out: the nearly trapped white queen, the Bf5 attack that is parried by e4, the possible exchange on h3, the possibility of a discovered attack with Nf3+ if a white piece is place on the a1-h8 diagonal.  However, the solution lies in the theme of deflection.

Nf3 isn’t possible immediately because f3 is seemingly well protected.  But by connecting some of the tactical features of the position, Gligoric draws the defenders of f3 away one at a time in a two step dance.

The powerful lesson of this problem is to remember that tactical plans often have multiple steps.  When you look at an interesting square (f3 in this case) consider if there are ways to provoke weakness in the square, and don’t stop looking if it can’t be done in a single step.  If the first step has improved the situation, maybe another step will finish the job.

Back To School

As the year winds down, I am already thinking about next year’s tournament schedule.  Which event to try and get out to?  But, before I get too far down that track, there is a more basic question looming.  How to prepare?

This past year, I found I had very little time to study and hone my game.  Since my goal is drive improvement in my game, that seems like a pretty important issue to address.  So, I am thinking of building a two tier study plan.  This plan should be built around a core of study activities that assume minimal time investment.  Let’s say three hours per week.  Then, I should have a standing list of secondary activities for weeks when I can fit in more.

A few years ago, I asked Larry Christiansen (yes, the GM) what were his recommendations for a 10 hour per week study plan.  Here is what he recommended to me.

1. Join the Internet Chess Club and spend an hour there every other day either playing 10 minute or 15 minute games. Even better would be to observe one of the top level games (ICC frequently offers coverage of major international events) and gain insight on not only how top players actually play, but how the strong kibitzers explain and suggest moves and plans. (4-6 hours per week)
2. Review high level annotated quality games by Grandmasters with a real chess set for half hour per game. Alekhine, Botvinnik, Keres, Fischer, Tal, Kasparov, Shirov all wrote good books on their own careers and are worth studying. (2 hours per week)
3. For ideas in certain openings, such as what to do versus certain lines in the Sicilian, go to Chesslab.com or Chessbase online and do a search for instance of what Shirov, Kasparov, Anand etc. plays as White against 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 (or 2...d6) and then play through those games quickly to get a feel for it. Keep a paper notebook next to you to jot down ideas and take very brief notes—the act of writing it down helps you remember. (2 hours per week)
4. Explore the various excellent sites such as Chesscafe.com, TWIC, and Fianchetto.com for news, opening and endgame articles etc. Find some endgame studies and review them for their entertainment value. Constantly work on basic tactics to stay sharp. Do 5-10 tactical puzzles per day—f around 15 minutes per day to stay sharp.
5. One training technique that should help you analyze during a game is to develop some blindfold skill. You might just try playing as far as possible until the fog sets in. You should be able to slowly increase the number of moves you can follow a game blindfold until you are fairly comfortable. This will improve your OTB analytical ability.

So, what should my plan include?  What have you found works for you?

We’re Back

Thanksgiving is over. The turkey carcass is in the pot rendering broth.  The pumpkin pie is already just a fond memory.  This is my time to start reflecting on the past year and begin planning for the coming one.

I am not happy with what’s happened to The Chess Dog Journal.  Too many things just got in the way during the course of the year.  I think 2009 has been a challenging year for many reasons, and I see that I am not alone in my struggle as some of my chess blogging friends, Harvey & Dave, have also had significant disruptions in their blogging.  But, I am determined to get The Chess Dog Journal back on track, and more importantly, put myself back on the path to better chess.

I’m adjusting some priorities, and shuffling some commitments to make the time needed to focus on my chess endeavors more regularly.  (Finishing up my house renovation project this month is going to help a lot too!)

Thanks to all of you for being patient.  I hope to hear from you regularly too as we resume our journey on the road to chess truth together here on The Chess Dog Journal.

Speed Chess: Hors d Oeuvre or Junk Food

Since I don’t get the chance to play over the board as often as I would like, I fill the void with internet chess.  But, it’s not the same.  For starters, instead of the deliberate pace of a rated tournament game, I find I play lots of speed chess.  Is this a good thing?  Is speed chess good or bad for your game?

I have heard lots of differing opinions on this subject.  Some of my friends just don’t like speed chess at all and won’t play it.  Others love the fast action of blitz.  Yet even among those who enjoy it, there is a school of thought that says speed chess can ruin your regular game.  Proponents of this position feel that blitz encourages sloppy play and that it’s easy to slip into an unstable style of rushed play that can result in disaster at a tournament.  I think there is some truth in these arguments.

However, I don’t think speed chess is bad for one’s game.  Back in the days when I carried a candidate master ranking, my primary study tool was playing tons of blitz.  I would give time odds to my opponents in order to force myself to work harder (3 minutes vs 5 against players with an OTB rating close to mine, and 1 vs 5 against players rated more than 200 points lower).

A couple years ago, I was talking with Larry Christiansen about what I could do to start getting back to my game.  One of Larry’s suggestions was that I play a little blitz every day.

Here is my list of suggestions to help your speed chess games work to improve your tournament play.

Play the game, not the clock
It’s better to work on finding good moves under time pressure than it is to just move to avoid having your flag fall.  Yes, you may lose a few more blitz games in the short run, but in the long run both your blitz and standard game will benefit.

Look for the big combination
There are usually plenty of sub-optimal moves played on both sides of the board during a blitz game.  This represents a great opportunity to hone your tactical ability.  Don’t waste it.  Use every game as a training exercise.

Don’t play junk lines
A friend of mine loves to play questionable lines that he’s memorized when he plays blitz.  He figures he can suck people into traps.  Unfortunately, this practice won’t help your regular game.  With a slower time control, your opponent is less likely to make a hasty and unwise choice.  Also, it’s always seemed to me that he rarely gets any real advantage by playing the off lines since his opponents, not knowing the “book” response, are just as likely to play a move he hadn’t prepared.

Try out your new ideas
While you don’t want to play junk lines, blitz games are a great venue to try out ideas that you are working on for your regular game.  After you have tested your idea a few times via blitz, you begin to get a feel for the nuances of the ensuing variations.

Don’t take it too seriously
Remember, nobody plays their peak game at blitz speed.  Don’t spend countless hours trying to analyze your blitz games to death.  Do think about any key positions and how you might have improved your approach.  Do try and look for patterns in your play that might suggest an area in your game that needs some attention.  Once you have extracted these quick lessons, move on and play another game.

What do you think?  Is speed chess the bane of serious chess or is it a useful tool?

Here is a recent blitz game I played, presented without annotations.  My opponent played inaccurately in the opening allowing me to create connected passed pawns.  After some play to defuse any counterplay, I begin to drive the win home at move 35.  Consistent with my second point above, I had calculated all the variations (rook doesn’t take pawn, check from d1 is blocked with Rf3, through to the concluding mate) before playing 35. b3.

Whoops! Is it my move?

Well, thanks to reader Smitty for pointing out my transgression.  It has been over a month since my last post.  Once again, I have been distracted by work issues.  My boss is pleased to know I haven’t been as focused on my game as I would like.  He feels when my game suffers, the business benefits.  Any way, if you’re curious about what I have been up to, you can read about my two week European innovation tour on my other blog, Innovating To Win.

Yes, I do have another blog.  I have been blogging there for over two years.  When I first started, I also found it hard to get into a rhythm and would occasional go weeks without posting.  But eventually, I did find my stride and now I post there an average of twice a week.  Innovating To Win is now very widely read and a highly respected blog on innovation.

So, I guess I am going through similar teething pains.  I will try to be more regular about posting.  Frankly, I enjoy it because of the interactions it engenders—whether it is with folks like Smitty, whose comments are ever welcome, or through the occasional emails or tweets (I am @jamestodhunter on Twitter) that I receive.  Don’t be shy now.  Join the conversation.  It is what motivates a lot of bloggers.

Although I haven’t been diligent with my blogging, I have been true to my initial goal which is to continue to work on my game.  I feel my play is already sharper than it was six months ago.  There is still a long way to go before I will be satisfied with the progress, but every journey consists of steps, and mine is underway.

Next month, I am planning to play in a Tuesday night club tournament (barring any work emergencies).  It should be lots of fun.  If you play at the Metrowest Chess Club, I’ll see you there.

Chess Tactics 101, Lesson # 2

When thinking through tactical ideas it is always important to consider how to use the lines of influence that each piece to coordinate their interaction.  Here we see a fascinating example of piece coordination at work.

In this position, it appears as though white is losing his light squared bishop.  However, Darga has a tremendous resource to call upon, and it is soon clear that it is actually black who is lost.

Note how white’s pieces mesh together beautifully to finish the game.