The Chess Dog Journal

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.

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.

Food For Thought

A recent issue of Chess Life featured a story on food and snack choices and how good and bad choices can affect your play.  It struck me that this very theme came up when I was at Foxwoods.

After round 6, I went to lunch with a few of my friends.  Calvin Hori had made a brunch reservation at the David Burke Prime steakhouse.  So along with Calvin, Harvey Reed and Mark Kaprielian, I sat down to enjoy a very nice, if pricy, lunch.  While my friends all opted for the prix fixe menu, I opted to go ala carte because I didn’t want to have a sugar laden desert before the last round.  My dietary restraint didn’t keep me from losing my last round game.  But, I do wonder if the dessert hadn’t contributed to the headache that most certainly was a factor in the last round loss that cost Harvey a prize.

I don’t believe in diets, but I do strongly advocate good nutrition.  When I go to a multi-day tournament there are certain dos and don’ts I follow.

I do watch what I eat.  That doesn’t mean I eat light.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.  Each of is different in this regards.  I remember hearing Sherrill Milnes once say he was a full belly singer.  Well, I suppose I am would have to say I am a full belly player.  I like to have a big breakfast that will stick with me through the early round, and I don’t miss any meals if I can avoid it.  After all, deep chess thinking consumes a lot of energy.  So while I don’t worry about eating too much, I don’t over eat.  That uncomfortable, bloated feeling is not compatible with good game focus.

I also don’t indulge in foods that I haven’t had before.  No one wants to suffer through a bad case of indigestion (or worse) over the board. 

I also avoid foods that are made with a lot of sugar just before a game.  These can give you a good energy kick, but beware the crash when your blood sugar level drops.

Highly salted foods are another thing I avoid.  It is important to be well hydrated while you play.  High sodium foods can make god hydration more difficult.

Alcohol is the other banned substance before a game.  No beer with that pizza thank you.  That poor beverage choice will after your play in two ways.  Not only can the alcohol after your play directly, but it is also anti-hydrating.  If I want to have a beer after play is finished for the day, that’s okay, but not after 11:00 p.m.  I want to make sure all the effects of processing the libation are long past by morning.

And, no heavy meals late at night.  That big dinner just before turning in can impede your sleep.  I want to feel refreshed and ready to play when I get up.

During the game, I like to drink lots of water.  True, it can lead to a need for many nature breaks, but I find the benefits of good hydration are well worth it.  Besides which, when playing a long game the chance to get up, stretch, and walk around help to me in a good mental state for the game.

For snacks at the board, I like nuts-unsalted of course.  Lately, I have been partial to raw cashews.  They are lightly sweet, somewhat crunch, and quite satisfying.  I generally also bring some fruit (oranges & bananas for snaking in my room.

Of course, we all have different needs. So, my dos & don’t may not work for you.  But, I would suggest giving some thought to a good routine that supports your ability to play at your best.  What food dos and don’ts have you found that work for you?

Foxwoods: Round 1 First Notes

I managed to get to Foxwoods about 15 minutes before the first round began.  So, I quickly checked in, dropped my stuff off in the room, and ran down to the Grand Ballroom where the tournament area is set up.

My first game was against Kenneth Gurge of Massachusetts.  I played the black side of the Caro-Kann.  After getting the better of open, I carelessly lost my h7 pawn.  But, I was able to create some active counter play.  Eventually, I won back the pawn and an extra one for my trouble.  My extra pawn was not enough to win though.  We ended by in an opposite colored bishop ending where I had no way to make any progress.  I’ll post the game once I have analyzed it.

Several of my friends from the Metrowest Chess Club are here.  I haven’t counted them all, but I have seen at least 4 other Metrowest player here.

The open section looks very strong.  I haven’t had a chance to check out who is playing, but tonight saw Nakamura vs. Ivanov on board 1.

That Sinking Feeling

Sooner or later, we all experience it.  Your game is going well, and then your fortune turns on a single move.  You have made a blunder, and you know your game is going to go from bad to worse.

So, it went in my game last night.  In an interesting and roughly even game, my opponent made a move I had been expecting.  I felt confident because I had planned the response long in advance.  A simple knight move would nullify his threats.  But then, I made a move other than the one I had been planning to make.  It was a fatal mistake, a blunder.  I lost a pawn and was forced to exchange material moving into a lost endgame.

Why did I not execute my plan?  Was it temporary insanity?  Was it just an unfortunately lapse in attention?  I don’t know.  What I do know is that unmistakable feeling after making the move, before my opponent has even recognized the error, that feeling of inevitable doom descending upon the board.

I think my lesson from last night is when you get the urge to deviate from you plan, stop and check your rationale, and once you have done that do it again.

What have you found works to avoid that kind of mistake?

One Bad Move Deserves Another

I won my game last night.  I will have to do the post-mortem analysis and post that here.  It was an interesting reminder though of the importance of psychology in chess.  We’ve all heard expressions along the lines of, “One good turn deserves another.”  In think in chess, the expression should be: “One bad move deserves another.”

In last night’s game, we were headed towards a draw when my opponent made the mistake of underestimating my defensive resources.  He confidently slid his rook to a8 feeling that he was on his way to infiltrating my position.  However, my reply was a surprise for him.  I simply pulled my queen back to b7 where it attacked his rook.  On this new square, my queen now shared a common diagonal with his queen on f3 separated only by my rook on d5.  Suddenly he realized I had a second threat.  In the position, my rook now had the option of snagging a protected pawn with check and exposing his unprotected queen to attack by my queen.  I could see his expression change as he realized the mistake he had made by his hasty rook advance.

It was at this point that my opponent proceeded to fixate on the threat to his queen and become flustered.  In reality, his situation was not so grave as he thought.  His king could break the check by moving to f2 and protect his queen at the same time.  He would be down a pawn, but not without some compensation.

But instead of saving his rook, he compounded the mistake by sliding his bishop to e4 to block the illusory threat to his queen.  After the inevitable exchange sequence (Qxa8, Bxd5, Qxd5), he was down a full piece and headed toward a lost endgame.  Here is where chess psychology plays a role. 

When we make a bad move, it is easy to start believing that we are doomed and subsequently make a poor choice that makes our worst imaginings a reality.  It is important at that pivotal moment to step back, take a deep breath, and look at the board with fresh eyes.  Get up and walk away from the board if you have to.  You must break the negative psychology of the moment to see your opportunities to recover more clearly.  If my opponent had done this, I am certain he would have been much better off.

What do you think?  Does this resonate with your experience?