Annotated Game #320: Look at the pieces

This next first-round tournament game shows me as White getting a nice position with a small advantage out of a Colle System opening. I remembered the correct general idea, which was to chase and exchange Black's bishop, then develop with c2-c4, Nc3 and Qb3. I am a little slow at getting out the light-squared bishop to d3, by which point it would have been better to fianchetto it for both defense and pressure on the long diagonal. The rest of the game, while being either close to even on the engine evaluation, or with a small Black plus, is in practical terms dominated by Black's better-placed and more-active pieces. The final Black knight maneuver is particularly instructive in that regard, as I fail to get my pieces out of their own way, and its fork threats prove decisive. Look at the pieces and their placement, and you'll see the full story of the game.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Expert"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D04"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "68"] [GameId "2218878855508067"] {[%evp 0,68,26,26,26,20,22,12,35,-12,47,33,38,43,69,65,106,56,66,67,66,72,72,51,51,46,44,30,50,51,56,55,53,23,14,6,12,-10,-2,0,5,-11,-23,-1,-2,-14,21,26,25,-10,6,-37,-23,-23,-55,-103,-97,-134,-138,-138,-159,-154,-148,-145,-128,-241,-168,-200,-96,-601,-684]} 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 Bf5 {versus the Colle System, this typically heads towards a classical Slav Defense setup.} 4. Nh4 {an independent Colle line, rather than transposing to a Slow Slav with c2-c4. The point is to immediately harass the bishop.} e6 5. Nxf5 {otherwise what's the point of having moved the knight?} exf5 6. c4 {the correct follow-up, grabbing space and challenging in the center.} c6 {now we have the Slav structure, but instead of a strong e-pawn there is a doubled f-pawn for Black. Since White is not weak down the half-open e-file, this is fine for me.} 7. Nc3 Bd6 8. Qb3 {again the correct follow-up, taking advantage of the (now permanent) absence of the Black light-square bishop on the queenside to pressure b7 and d5.} Qd7 9. cxd5 {it is important to exchange in the center to continue development and give Black an isolated queen pawn.} cxd5 10. Bd2 {continuing to mobilize the pieces and clearing c1 for a rook.} (10. Bb5 Nc6 {gives White nothing.}) (10. Nxd5 $4 Nxd5 11. Qxd5 Bb4+ $19) 10... Be7 {now necessary to protect the d-pawn, as White's last eliminated the discovered attack tactic in the above variation.} 11. Rc1 {not bad in itself, but the kingside should get fully developed first, and the bishop belongs on d3 ideally.} (11. Bd3 $14) (11. g4 $5 {is the funky engine line.} fxg4 {diverting this pawn cedes control of the e4 square to White, and after} 12. Bg2 {now the d-pawn cannot be saved} O-O 13. Nxd5 $16 {White's dominant central presence and passed d-pawn give White a significant plus, according to the engine.}) 11... O-O 12. Bd3 $11 (12. g3 $5 {followed by Bg2 and kingside castling is preferred by the engine. This would offer better defense for the king combined with pressure on the long diagonal.}) 12... Nc6 13. O-O Rad8 14. a3 {taking away b4 from the Nc6, before doing anything else.} Bd6 {now the bishop is nicely centralized and Black's pieces are pointing towards a rather bare White kingside.} 15. Ne2 {a prudent defensive shift.} Ne4 {while a good move, I moved too hastily - perhaps even a little panicked - to eliminate the knight.} 16. Bxe4 (16. Be1) (16. Rc2) 16... fxe4 {now the advanced e-pawn is still a threat and should have been immediately addressed in a similar fashion.} 17. Ng3 $6 {while this blocks the diagonal for the Bd6, it still leaves Black in a favorable position.} (17. f3 $5) (17. Qxd5 $4 {would fail to another discovered attack with check after} Bxh2+) 17... Bb8 $15 {as before, the bishop retreats so that d5 is now protected again.} 18. Qd1 {also a defensive shift, the queen not having much prospect for queenside counterplay.} Rfe8 19. f4 {the engine agrees this is necessary. If for some reason the pawn is not captured en passant, it will nicely block the diagonal.} exf3 20. Rxf3 $6 {here I significantly overcomplicated the situation and picked the wrong recapture, burning too much time in the process.} (20. Qxf3 $11 {is natural, best and consistent with my previous shift of the queen.}) 20... Bxg3 $15 {Black decides to eliminate the defending knight.} 21. Rxg3 {while the number of potential attackers has decreased, I still have too many pieces essentially not playing, while Black has an easier game and the initiative.} Re4 22. Qh5 {reasonably looking for some active counterplay, although I over-estimated its potential.} (22. h3 $5) 22... Rde8 23. Rf1 {activating this rook, at least.} g6 {kicking the queen and strengthening the g-file defense.} 24. Qh6 {by now I was getting low on time, so picked the simplest continuation.} (24. h4 $5 {I considered and was definitely better. The correct idea would be to then play the queen to g5 or h6 and threaten a further h-pawn advance.}) 24... f5 25. Rf4 $6 {under pressure on both the board and time, I make a serious error.} (25. h4 $11) 25... Rxf4 $17 26. Qxf4 Nd8 {recognizing the need to bring the knight into action on the kingside.} 27. Qf2 $6 {I understood that White's pieces were awkwardly placed and would be under threat, but this was not the way to deal with it.} (27. Rf3 Nf7 28. Rf1 $15 {is an awkward but necessary retreat.}) 27... Nf7 28. h4 $2 {the final error - played too late.} Nd6 $19 {now the slowly repositioning knight becomes dominant, after I fail to get out of its way in time.} 29. Rf3 Ne4 30. Qe2 Qa4 {threatening to penetrate on the queenside. Combined with the Black rook entering the action, I do not have enough of a defense.} 31. Bb4 Rc8 32. h5 {a desperate attempt at distraction.} Rc2 33. Qe1 Qc6 {now the back-rank skewer of Q+K is a major threat.} 34. Kh2 {here I didn't notice until too late that the fork on g5 would occur after a check on c7, but it was a lost position anyway.} Qc7+ 0-1

Book completed: The Inner Game of Tennis

 

As a sport / game / complex skill, concepts of learning and a high level of mental performance in chess strongly resemble that of other similar individual practices, such as martial arts (The Kung Fu of Chess) and tennis (see the Chess vs. Tennis series). Tennis is an especially relevant comparison, being an individual competitive sport with similar Elo-based ratings/rankings and where mental visualization and toughness are primary determining factors in the game's outcome, especially at the professional level.

The Inner Game of Tennis is a classic in the genre of sports performance, being one of the original works that is still very relevant; a 50th anniversary edition recently came out to mark the first publication in 1975. The author, Tim Gallwey, slightly updated the text for it, and there is a new introduction as well by Bill Gates. While the book specifically addresses tennis performance in some parts, including descriptions of how to focus on strokes and ball visualization, it also provides a broader perspective and methodology for the mental-based ("inner game") skills necessary for competitive success. It is also philosophical in nature, not being afraid to ask the why questions regarding individual competition and motivation for play, which are the same for improving chessplayers.

The central focus of the book is distinguishing between "Self 1" and Self 2" - essentially referring to the conscious ego and the unconscious or intuitive mind - and how they interact in competitive performance. I found a strong parallel to the concepts of the split "System 1" and "System 2" modes of thinking popularized in the 2011 book by Daniel Kahneman Thinking Fast and Slow, as well as discussion of "being in the zone" which corresponds to the state defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience from 1990. All of these related concepts and observations, which are not new and are fundamental to the human experience, also touch on the phenomenon of mindfulness, which is an ancient practice of self-awareness and mental focus, not just a contemporary wellness movement.

While the entire book is a worthwhile, thoughtful (and thought-provoking) read, I'll highlight a few particular parts which generated personally relevant insights.

• Quieting Self 1 / Trusting Self 2: these two chapters demonstrate the core premise, which is that we need to reduce the amount of distracting self-talk and internal judgment during a game, in favor of focusing on the task at hand in the moment. For chessplayers, this is a major factor in being able to play consistently and not think unhelpfully about things like rating differences (which can lead to fear and loathing), future imagined tournament standing, or past mistakes and "should have dones" in game. While our intuitive "Self 2" may not always have the best answer, removing negative or distracting "Self 1" interference in our decision-making at the board is always useful.
• Attempting to follow by rote "expert" instructions and principles is a "Self 1" function as well. Although well-meaning, having a player attempt to execute long checklists for thinking processes on each move, or relying on general opening principles without understanding specific positions, are examples of how this does not function well in practice. The book usefully highlights the difference between book or academic knowledge and experiential knowledge; the former may be correct, but the latter is essentially an integrated, intuitive understanding and application of the correct principles at the correct time. This is why there is no substitute for playing reasonably frequently, while at the same time analyzing your own games to understand what is happening in them.
• The overall "why?" question regarding competition and pursuit of a competitive skill is very important to understand on a meta level, and in fact will be the determining factor of the quality of your experience at it. Many people work to become good, even great at a sport but then lose the joy of actually playing and competing at it, and end up quitting. This happens in chess all the time, of course, at all levels. In my own pursuit, I feel I need to pay more attention to the joy and personal interest aspects, while giving less weight to external (or more correctly imagined external) factors/judgements on performance. As the author points out, once you abandon your fear of negative outcomes, it can become a powerful freeing agent that allows you to unleash your full capabilities. Many chessplayers, including myself, have experienced this phenomenon when we recognize our game is objectively lost on the board, but we still have real chances to keep fighting - at which point we maximize our focus and ability to squeeze every last possibility to draw (or even win) out of the position in front of us. (Wouldn't it be better to be able to focus and be free like that before we're in that position, though? That is what I would like to tap into more.)

Annotated Game #319: Going for an imbalanced win versus the KID

This final-round tournament game displayed my weak understanding of an only partially-remembered line against the King's Indian Defense (KID); hopefully I have rectified that for the future. However, my opponent was evidently unfamilar as well with the position, failing to spot the early-appearing hole in my camp. Despite missing the best move, he continued to put the pressure on my position correctly, using the initiative, but apparently over-estimated his chances in a sequence ending in a dynamic material imbalance (rook and two pawns vs. the two bishops for me). Visually, Black's preponderance on the kingside looks threatening, but it is White that has the most attacking chances in an open game. Eventually I am able to fully activate my pieces - the key to victory in most situations - and exploit Black's weaknesses across-the-board, leading to a nice forced win.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Class B"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "A48"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "65"] [GameId "2202563857469532"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. Be2 O-O 5. O-O d6 {the KID pawn formation, which was not a surprise, given the opening sequence.} 6. b4 $5 {while a relative rarity, this actually scores well in the database, more so than the more popular lines.} (6. c4 {is the standard move for White's setup here, controlling d5.}) 6... Nbd7 {evidently preparing Black's next move.} (6... c5 $5 {interestingly is the most played in the database, although White's last move was specifically designed to inhibit the c-pawn's advance.} 7. bxc5 dxc5 8. c3 $11 {White should avoid shattering his pawn structure by capturing on c5.}) (6... a5 $5 7. b5 {again White should avoid trading a more centralized pawn for a wing pawn.}) (6... e5 {immediately is also possible, after which White faces a strategic choice to capture, develop with Bb2, or advance the c-pawn.}) 7. Nbd2 $6 {this is actually something of a blunder in this unfamiliar position for me, although the knight should eventually go here. The problem is that the b-pawn is unprotected and now the c3 square is too.} (7. Bb2 {covers the c3 square and develops the bishop.}) (7. c4 $5) 7... e5 {this lets me off the hook.} (7... Nd5 $1 $17 {forks the b-pawn and c3. The engine assesses it's best just to jettison the pawn for development after} 8. Bb2 (8. a3 Nc3 9. Qe1 e5 10. Bb2 exd4 11. exd4 Nxe2+ 12. Qxe2 Nb6 $17 {and Black's two bishops are doing very nicely.}) 8... Nxb4) 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Bb2 $11 (9. e4 $5 {would fight more directly for the center, as well as physically block Black's e-pawn from advancing further.}) 9... Qe7 10. a4 Rd8 11. Ba3 {this is more of a cheap threat than an actual plan.} Nd5 12. Ne4 $6 {while I was not ignorant of the latent threat posed by the Rd8 against my queen, I did not fully take it into account in my calculations.} (12. Qe1 {this looks awkward but holds everything together. The b-pawn is not in fact hanging, since} Nxb4 13. c3 e4 14. cxb4 exf3 15. Nxf3 {is equal.}) 12... N7f6 {now I have to worry about ...Nxe3. This at least spurs me to find the best move in the position.} 13. b5 Qe8 14. Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Qe1 $11 {by this point I can admit my mistake, having escaped any major consequences. Also, with the piece trades the position is less cluttered.} Bg4 16. e4 {now this is less favorable, since the Nd5 has a good square to go to in response.} (16. c4 e4 17. Nd4 $11) 16... Nf4 17. h3 {here I felt under pressure and was still mostly focused on relieving it. This is the correct way to go about it, and I also felt that Black might over-estimate his chances by sacrificing on h3, which is what he does.} Nxh3+ $2 18. gxh3 Bxh3 19. Kh2 Bxf1 20. Qxf1 $16 {material on a "points" basis is balanced, or perhaps with a slight bonus for Black, as he has a rook and two pawns for the two pieces. However, with the two bishops and attacking possibilities on the g- and h-files for White, both I and the engine prefer this.} Qe6 21. Qg2 {this is the engine's third choice.} (21. Qh3 {interestingly, the engine assesses allowing a queen trade is better for White.} Qxh3+ 22. Kxh3 {with Bb2, Bd3 and Kg2/Rh1 piece deployments as ideas. One sample line:} h5 23. Bd3 Kg7 24. Bb2 Re8 25. a5 $18 {and White's two bishops have a great deal of scope and maneuverability, compared with Black's rooks.}) (21. Bd3 {is the engine's second choice, sealing off the d-file and inhibiting Black's counterplay.}) 21... h6 $6 {this just gives White a target after} 22. Bc1 Kg7 23. Qg3 Rh8 24. Bb2 {correctly redeploying the bishop after some thought. I decided targeting e5 again would be more profitable.} Rae8 $6 {now I have to figure out how to make progress against other targets in Black's camp. Black with the text move made the strategic decision to have both rooks on the kingside, which at least visually enhances his attacking chances, but leaves the queenside under-defended.} 25. Ra3 {I was trying to figure out how to activate the rook here, since it was not playing in the game yet. Here the intention is to go to the c-file and target the undefended pawn. The engine approves of this, although assesses repositioning the knight is even better.} (25. Nd2 $1 {following the "when in doubt, improve your worst piece" rule. This supports either Bc4 or Nc4-e3 ideas, while leaving the rook multiple options.}) 25... g5 $2 {again with an over-aggressive move. Here my opponent apparently missed} (25... c6 {would proactively address the c-pawn weakness, although Black still has major problems.}) 26. Nh4 $18 {now I get to significantly improve my knight after all, due to the pin on the g-pawn. Now I felt that after it reached f5, Black could not survive.} Reg8 27. Nf5+ {a relatively long think here for me. I ultimately decided to play this now, based on the expectation that the king would go to f8, which is the only reason my opponent would have played the previous move.} (27. Rc3 {was the other (also good) option.}) 27... Kf8 {this accelerates Black's loss by cutting off any kingside escape routes.} (27... Kh7 $18 {and Black is losing, but at least not getting mated soon.}) 28. Rc3 c6 {it is now too late for this idea.} 29. bxc6 bxc6 30. Ba3+ Ke8 {now I invested some time in finding the best way to finish off the game, spotting the tactic relatively early.} 31. Rxc6 $1 Qd7 (31... Qxc6 {is still theoretically best but lost after} 32. Bb5 Qxb5 33. axb5 {and White's queen comes over for the kill.}) 32. Rxf6 {here I decided not to make things complicated and win simply.} Qd2 33. Qxe5+ 1-0

Annotated Game #318: At least I saw it afterwards

In this next tournament game I get a surprise second Black pairing in a row, but get into a comfortable Exchange Caro-Kann and equalize easily. I play solidly and am able to take advantage of a middlegame blunder from my opponent, but then shortly afterwards blunder back due to complacency and rushing my thinking process; at least I saw my opponent's winning tactic, unfortunately only after I had actually played my move. After that, my opponent plays carefully in a queen endgame to score the point. Despite the dual blunders, there are some useful points from analysis regarding Black's middlegame play, including the fact that the e-pawn break and/or queenside pawn expansion could have been played earlier, that I will take on board for future games.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class C"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B13"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "105"] [GameId "2203894030975059"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 g6 7. Qc2 Nh5 {White's previous move prevents Black's intended ...Bf5, so this retaliates by kicking the bishop off of its strongest diagonal.} 8. Be3 Qc7 (8... Bg7 {is slightly more principled, deferring placement of the queen for now.}) 9. Nf3 Bg7 $11 {Black has fully equalized out of the opening.} 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. O-O Nf4 {leaving the knight on the rim is not good in the long run, so Black uses control of f4 to seek an exchange for a White bishop.} 12. Bxf4 Qxf4 13. Rae1 e6 {not bad, but committal in the center. Given that I play the ...e5 break in a few moves, I could have used the tempo for something else.} (13... a6 {prepares for an immediate ...b5, starting the queenside pawns rolling.}) (13... Qd6 {is a flexible retreat.}) (13... e5 $5 {would provoke some immediate exchanges.}) 14. g3 Qc7 15. h4 {secures g5} Bd7 (15... e5 $5) 16. Kg2 Rae8 {now I decide to push for the ...e5 break, but with additional support, ignoring White's h-pawn. I correctly decide it cannot do any actual damage.} 17. h5 e5 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Rxe5 20. hxg6 fxg6 {both pawn recaptures work here. During the game, I thought it would be easier to defend the h-file with a pawn on h7 blocking it.} 21. Nf3 Rxe1 {straightforwardly trading down to reduce the potential threats from White's pieces.} 22. Rxe1 Bc6 {not losing, but unnnecessarily passive, given that the d-pawn is under no immediate threat.} (22... Bg4) 23. Nd4 Bxd4 $6 {a trade that benefits White. I was concerned about a fork on e6, but the threat is easily resolved.} (23... Qf7 $11) 24. cxd4 $14 Qg7 $6 {this essentially prompts White to play the best move in the position.} 25. Re5 $16 a6 $2 26. Qe2 $6 (26. Bxa6 $1 {I spotted this only after moving the a-pawn. The deflection tactic gives White a winning position.}) 26... Qf6 27. Qe3 (27. Re6 {would be more to the point.}) 27... Rf7 $2 {this would allow the Bxa6 idea again immediately, with a rook fork on e6.} 28. Re6 Qg7 29. Bxa6 $18 {delayed, but still very effective.} Bd7 {now my opponent misses the only good continuation for White.} 30. Re5 (30. Bxb7 Bxe6 31. Qxe6 Kh8 32. b4 $18 {and the engine gives the win to White's pawns, with d5 also hanging.}) 30... bxa6 $19 {suddenly I am winning after the blunder.} 31. Kg1 Bc6 {under pressure, I start playing passively again, not seeing a good alternative.} (31... Qf6 $5 {there's no reason to be so materialistic over d5, including for tactical reasons.} 32. Rxd5 Re7 $19) 32. Re6 Rc7 $4 {this hands the game back to my opponent, thanks to the queen fork I saw...after I played the move.} 33. Rxc6 $1 Rxc6 34. Qe8+ Qf8 35. Qxc6 $18 Qf3 {now I resist as best I can in the queen ending, but both kings have similar safety levels, while White has the initiative and extra material. Credit goes to my opponent for carefully playing it out for the win.} 36. Qe8+ Kg7 37. Qe7+ Kg8 38. Qe6+ Kg7 39. Qe5+ Kg8 40. Qe3 Qf7 41. Kg2 Qb7 42. Qe8+ Kg7 43. Qe5+ Kg8 44. b3 Kf7 45. Kh3 Qc8+ 46. g4 Qd8 47. g5 {after this the net closes around Black. The fundamental problem is that the K+P ending is lost for me, so all White has to do is force a queen trade.} Qc8+ 48. Kg3 Qd7 49. Qe2 Kg8 (49... Qc6 $5 {would have prolonged things, but I was now short of time as well.}) 50. Qxa6 {now it's really over.} Qc7+ 51. Kg2 Qf4 52. Qe6+ Kf8 53. Qf6+ 1-0

Video completed: Basic Pawn Structures in 60 Minutes by IM Andrew Martin

I recently completed what is the first on my "Back to Basics" list, a ChessBase video by IM Andrew Martin entitled "Basic Pawn Structures in 60 Minutes" - it would be hard to find a more fundmental aspect of chess than that. As Martin commonly does, he uses illustrative full master games as the basis for his explanations of key principles, while also providing some light commentary on the overall progress of the game as it goes along. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the not too basic approach taken in the commentary, starting with the trade-offs involved with doubled pawns. Essentially, piece activity and the potential to liquidate doubled pawns are the strategic keys for the player who has them, and conversely what the other player has to keep in mind when playing against them. The pair of illustrative games that Martin presents contain an example of where this does not work out for the player with the doubled pawns, in the case of an Exchange Ruy Lopez (Spanish), and then one in an interesting sideline of the Exchange Queen's Gambit Declined where the doubled pawns win. In the first, White's plan is all about first inflicting the doubled pawns - the whole point of the variation - and then heading as rapidly as possible for an endgame with an advantage, which Black simply allows to happen. In the second game, Black (Kramnik) deliberately provokes White in order to gain the two bishops and good piece activity in exchange for his doubled f-pawns.

The second pair of games from Martin looks at "weak" and "strong" isolated pawns, which can be a dynamic concept over the course of a game. The positional trade-offs are highlighted and, similarly to doubled pawns, there is a dynamic balance between enhanced piece activity and a structural pawn weakness. The side with the isolated pawn wants to avoid trade-offs, maximize piece activity, and use its mobility to advance and cramp the opponent. The other side aims for the reverse, to blockade the pawn and trade off pieces until it becomes a liability. The first illustrative game, with Anna Muzychuk as White, shows her playing boldly to aggressively defend against Black's activity in a Sicilian Four Knights, after which his isolated pawn weaknesses become fatal. The second game, with Boris Spassky as White, shows him masterfully winning a Queen's Gambit Accepted where he deliberately accepts an isolated pawn in the opening in exchange for an attacking position where the tactical threats outweigh his pawn structure deficiencies; he then dissolves the weakness by sacrificing the isolated pawn to good effect.

Following that, Martin uses individual games to review concepts with backward (an O'Kelly Sicilian where the pawn is "dissolved" early), hanging (White inflicts them on Black in a QGD, but Black handles it actively and well), blocked (a Czech Benoni, where the central blockage requires patience and a correctly-timed pawn lever from either side) and tripled pawns (which are just horrible). Overall, this is not an in-depth study of each pawn formation, but rather a swift and pointed treatment of core topics, which is the main idea behind the "60 Minutes" series of videos.

In terms of the product's editorial quality, while the audio and video are clear, Martin makes more than the usual number of minor verbal slips, for example confusing references to doubled vs. isolated pawns multiple times; however, his overall points are still understandable. These "verbal typos" are unfortunately a general characteristic of ChessBase video products, which always seem to be "one take, no edits" regardless of how many times a presenter has to correct themselves (or misses a needed correction) in even a short segment which could have been done in a retake. And with modern editing tools, this really should not be a major issue to deal with. The video was originally available on release as a free download, which is when I grabbed it, and for me it was worth the time for watching.

"Back to Basics" series

As part of my middlegame (and probably endgame) studies focus before the next tournament, I am commencing a "back to basics" approach. This involves looking systematically at some resources in my chess library, most of which I have not completed before, that are at the foundational level. It's often easy to overlook, under-study or simply ignore these "beginner" types of lessons, once a player reaches an intermediate level and there are shinier objects to draw your attention. However - and especially for a self-taught chessplayer like myself - foundational reviews can help fill in any gaps left by non-systematic training methods, as well as productively reinforce commonly seen concepts and techniques. 

While the much-talked about "beginner's mind" approach to learning skills is certainly helpful, a more attractive parallel concept for me is the martial arts one of practicing, polishing and deepening the mastery level of the fundamental forms of a style. This is less sexy than learning more complex and flashy sequences, but ensures that the practitioner has a deep, intuitive feeling for the art, building a strong foundation before (and even after) more advanced techniques are learned. (See also "The Kung Fu of Chess" and "The Kung Fu of Chess II")

As I complete various things, I'll post separately and also add them to a list in this post, which will be maintained in the sidebar for reference.

Basic Pawn Structures in 60 Minutes by IM Andrew Martin

The Golden Rules of Chess Strategy by GM Mihail Marin

Every Pawn Structure Explained by GM Johan Hellsten 

Article - "What I Learned from Playing LoneWolf League Season #37: Reflections from an International Master's debut" by IM "Fins"

Thanks to the Perpetual Chess Link-Fest I recently found and read the new Lichess blog from IM "Fins" (actually John Bartholomew) about "What I Learned from Playing LoneWolf League Season #37". The blog summarizes lessons from the Lichess 30 30 tournament league season, which he covers in epic narrative form (29 hours of video) offering in-depth commentary. The blog itself offers six boiled-down summary lessons, which are well worth reviewing in-depth at the above link.

I'd like to highlight in particular his Lesson #2, which hones in on the criticality of the thinking process, something which has been a recurring topic here. He offers a three-step summation (quoted):

1. What was the point of my opponent’s last move?
   • Before anything else, I try to identify what my opponent is up to. If I were my opponent, why would I have just played that move?
2. What options should I consider in reply?
   • I like immediately listing at least 1-2 possibilities. I still let my mind wander freely, but having a couple candidate moves gives me a useful roadmap for calculation and evaluation. Unless my reply is forced, this is almost always the most time-consuming stage.
3. I’m ready to play a move. Is my move safe?
   • Also known as a “blunder check.” I take a good look around to make sure I’m not missing anything, and only THEN do I execute my move.

#1 and #3 are well-formulated and I think #1 in particular is absolutely necessary to understand on every move. This is closely related to asking "what did my opponent's move change about the position?" and internally articulating that in an explicit manner. #3 is of course also critical and we immediately can see the results when we miss an important move possibility for our opponent; applying #1 consistently will also help avoid that. #2 I think needs more unpacking for those of us below International Master level, as we normally will not have a big "chunk" library of typical moves/plans in different position-types that "suggest themselves". This is something that I intend to invest time in for my middlegame study.

IM Bartholomew's other summary lessons are similarly well-articulated, and I particularly agree with his #6 on classical chess, so will encourage interested improving players to go see them in full.

Annotated Game #317: Free tempos matter

In this second-round tournament game, both my opponent and I know the Classical Caro-Kann main line out until move 17, which is where the game really starts. Unlike my main White opening and queen pawn defenses, which I've been retooling lately, I feel very solid about the Caro-Kann and it's never a source of anxiety or the internal feeling of "I don't really know this" whenever White plays 1. e4 against me.

That said, the middlegame transition could have gotten me in trouble again, as I deliberately unbalance the position while transitioning into a multi-piece endgame. The key moment on move 23 is worth studying, as White could have come out of the sequence with a significant plus, giving himself some key free tempos in the position if he had avoided going for the "automatic recapture" of my knight in the corner. This is one of those mastery concepts - perhaps worth its own post at some point - that Class players often fail to practice, or are ignorant of. It strikes me as similar to the rush to resolve pawn or piece tensions in a position with exchanges, rather than having the patience to wait and improve one's position first.

While I commit other instructive errors along the way, the last one - forcing a transition to a lost K+P endgame - is important for the strategic principle, namely that one has to be certain of the outcome when that choice is made. Although I have an extra pawn, White would be able to snarf up all my pawns first - if he had found the winning idea. Luckily we were both low on time and he decided to go for a move repetition. 

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Class B"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "B19"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "110"] [GameId "2203894030975058"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nf6 {known as the Campora Variation. Here it leads back to the main line with ...Nd7, since neither White nor Black decides to deviate from the usual main line Classical plan.} 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Nbd7 12. O-O-O Be7 13. Ne4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Nf6 15. Qe2 Qd5 {I had a relatively long think here to remember the correct idea. The centralized queen effectively neutralizes White's initiative.} 16. Kb1 Qe4 17. Qxe4 Nxe4 18. Be3 O-O (18... f5 $5 {I also considered this, but thought it weakened the squares around the king too much. The engines aren't impressed either, although it's a little more often played in the database.}) 19. Ne5 Rfd8 {activating the rook and indicating Black will reserve the other one for queenside use.} 20. g4 {I had a long think here, although I had thought this was likely to be played, as a thematic move by White.} Bg5 $6 {I decided to go for the imbalanced endgame, although the engine disagrees with this choice.} (20... Rac8 {was my other main choice, preparing ...b5 or ...c5, and is of course more solid.}) 21. f4 Bxf4 $2 {this turns out to be a major error, although my opponent fails to take full advantage of it.} (21... Be7 $14) 22. Bxf4 Nf2 {the (flawed) point of the sequence.} 23. Rhf1 $6 {after this my maneuver is justified.} (23. Rdg1 $1 {deliberately gains some tempi and White does not needlessly rush for the standard recapture.} Nxh1 24. Be3 $18 {protecting the d-pawn, as Black's knight is still trapped. White's more active pieces and kingside pawns are much more threatening than Black's bottled-up rooks.}) 23... Nxd1 $11 24. Rxd1 c5 {undermining the e5 outpost is not a bad idea, although there was a more direct route.} (24... f6 {I preferred not to do this because of} 25. Ng6 {but after} e5 $1 {exploiting the pin on the d-pawn} 26. Be3 exd4 27. Bf4 {White cannot recapture due to the pin again, with ...c5 a threat} c5 $11 {Black's material compensates for White's piece activity.}) 25. c3 Rd5 $6 {this does not help Black much.} (25... f6 {was my second choice, again I preferred to have the knight not go to g6. I had considered that it would be annoying but locked away, which is in fact the case.}) 26. Kc2 $16 Rad8 $6 {doubling rooks was of course the idea behind the previous move, but this still leaves White positionally in charge.} (26... cxd4 $5 $14 {would open more lines in the vicinity of White's king.}) 27. Nf3 f6 $6 {right idea, but played too late.} 28. Rd2 $5 (28. c4 $18 {was my main concern and the engine assesses White is simply winning after it.} R5d7 29. Re1 {here's the main problem for Black.} Kf7 {would have been the plan, but the engine shows White winning after} 30. dxc5 Rc8 31. b4 {and Black has no good answer to the looming mass of White pawns moving forward on the queenside.}) 28... cxd4 $1 $14 {the best and only real option.} 29. Rxd4 Rxd4 30. cxd4 Kf7 $11 {both my king and rook are active and I have no real weaknesses. White has everything covered on his side as well, so it is now a very even game.} 31. b4 b5 {here I correctly figured that White could not make any real progress.} 32. Kc3 a6 33. Nd2 Rd5 34. Nb3 e5 35. dxe5 fxe5 {still even, although I'm fine with having the only passed pawn in the position.} 36. Bd2 Rd6 37. Nc5 Rc6 {I did not have a lot of time by this point, but this obvious move was still adequate.} (37... Rd4 $5 $11 {is a little more active, but not really threatening anything after say} 38. g5 hxg5 39. Bxg5 Rc4+ 40. Kb3) 38. Kd3 a5 {hitting the Nc5's support.} (38... Rd6+ $5) 39. Kc3 (39. Ke4 $5 {would pose more problems for Black.} axb4 40. Bxb4 {and Black loses the e-pawn - with compensation, which however would have been a lot more stressful.} Rd6 41. Kxe5 Rd1 $11 {and the active rook can get behind the g-pawn.}) 39... Ke7 (39... a4 $11 {I also considered.}) 40. g5 hxg5 41. Bxg5+ Kd6 42. Be3 Kd5 $2 {here I miscalculated the resulting K+P ending.} (42... a4 43. Kd3 Kd5 $11) (42... axb4+ 43. Kxb4 Kd5 $11) 43. bxa5 $18 {White is now winning after the following sequence.} Rxc5+ 44. Bxc5 Kxc5 45. a6 Kb6 46. a7 Kxa7 47. Kd3 $1 {the only winning move. I knew I was in trouble now, despite having an extra pawn, but was determined to make the best race of it.} Kb6 48. Ke4 b4 49. Kxe5 Ka5 50. Kd4 Kb5 51. Kd5 Ka4 52. Kc4 Ka5 {my opponent could not find the winning idea, however, so we ended up repeating moves.} 53. Kc5 Ka4 54. Kc4 Ka5 55. Kc5 Ka4 {there are multiple ways for White to win, but the most straightforward is after Kb6, forcing the Black king forward and then both pawns come off the board, with White's king closer to the kingside and his advanced h-pawn.} 1/2-1/2

Annotated Game #316: It's not the opening that's the problem

In this next first-round tournament game, I finally get the chance to play my first genuine Colle-Zukertort in a tournament (as White). Although I mess up the opening slightly, I still get a solidly even game out of it and transition into what should be a similarly even endgame. However, I fail to understand the needs of the position until it is too late and my opponent has too many active pieces and an effective bind on me.

This and some other recent results have served to validate my opening repertoire - although the new (or renewed) openings may still be a bit wobbly - and point out that my main weakness is still the middlegame transition and effective planning, while identifying my opponent's resources. I probably will still do some opening work for fun before the next tournament, but I've decided to sink a big chunk of time into middlegame study, along with a bit of endgame learning thrown in. It's not the opening that's the problem.

[Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Expert"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [ECO "D05"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "88"] [GameId "2201353605181548"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. b3 Nc6 6. Bb2 Qc7 {this is a bit early to deploy the queen.} 7. O-O (7. c4 {scores very well in the database, although from a small sample. White should be comfortable playing with hanging pawns after} cxd4 8. exd4 Qa5+ 9. Nbd2 dxc4 10. bxc4) (7. a3 {is the standard Colle-Zukertort reaction to a Qc7/Nc6 combination, preventing ...Nb4.}) 7... Bd6 8. a3 (8. dxc5 {this idea can be played now or later, but I miss my chance.} Bxc5 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. c4 {and Black has to be careful about Bxf6 ideas.}) 8... Bd7 9. Nbd2 {White now has the standard Colle-Zukertort formation.} e5 $6 {I believed this was premature - and it is, but not for the reasons I thought.} 10. dxe5 {here I valued the general idea of attempting to open lines to Black's king, over more concrete considerations.} (10. dxc5 $1 {I looked at this, but did not fully calculate or appreciate White's strengths after the coming pawn fork on e4, so did not consider the idea further.} Bxc5 (10... e4 $2 11. cxd6 $18 {and White is simply a piece up.}) 11. c4 {this establishes a "kill chain" in the center (c4xd5xc6xd7) that offsets Black's pawn fork on e4, thanks to Black's king remaining on e8.} e4 12. cxd5 exf3 13. dxc6 fxg2 (13... Bxc6 $2 14. Nxf3 $18) 14. cxd7+ Qxd7 15. Re1 {and Black does not have sufficient attacking compensation for the material after} Qxd3 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Qh5 $1 $16 {with his own g-pawn blocking the path to White's king, while the Bc5 is hanging.}) 10... Nxe5 $11 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. Bxe5 Qxe5 13. Nf3 {obvious but a little hasty. Either of the central pawn breaks on c4 or e4 are better, to get rid of Black's dominating d-pawn.} (13. c4 O-O 14. Nf3 $11 {followed by cxd5 and Black's central pawn is eliminated.}) (13. e4 $5 {exploiting the Q+K lineup on the e-file.} O-O (13... dxe4 14. Nxe4 $11 {and Black cannot take twice on e4 because of the subsequent Re1 pin.}) (13... d4 $2 {looks aggressive, but gives White the initiative after} 14. f4 Qe7 15. Qf3 Bc6 16. Rae1 $16) 14. Re1 $11) 13... Qc7 $11 14. Qe2 {developing the queen to a useful square, while connecting the rooks. It was not essential to play it immediately, though.} (14. c4) (14. Re1) 14... O-O 15. c4 {I finally get this idea in.} dxc4 16. Bxc4 {the position is now very even.} Bc6 17. h3 {a prudent move, creating luft and taking away the g4 square from the knight.} Rad8 18. Rfd1 Ne4 {eyeing the fork on c3. I anticipated this being a problem, but I let it become worse than necessary.} 19. Rac1 (19. Qc2 {might be a simpler way to cover the c3 square and remove the fork threat.}) 19... Rxd1+ 20. Qxd1 Rd8 21. Qc2 Qd6 {the position is still equal, but now I have trouble finding a coherent and useful plan.} 22. a4 {played to restrict ...b5} (22. Be2 $11 {would anticipate ...b5 and then ask Black what he could do that is useful. The answer would be not much.}) (22. b4 $5 {is a complicated engine line that has a lot of activity with the pawn sacrfice but not much in the way of results in the end.} cxb4 23. axb4 Qxb4 24. Ne5 Rd2 (24... Nd6 25. Nxc6 bxc6 26. Ba6 $11) 25. Bxf7+) 22... h6 23. Qb2 {long think here, the idea was to improve the knight's position to e5.} Nd2 {Black short-circuits the idea, not unexpectedly.} 24. Nxd2 Qxd2 25. Qxd2 {Another long think here, now under time pressure. Removing the queens is the surest way to equality, although I mishandle the follow-up.} Rxd2 26. f3 {this doesn't lose in itself, but is the start of increasing problems for me, based on wrong ideas about the position.} (26. Kf1 {may be simplest.}) (26. Bf1 $5 b6 27. b4 Bxa4 28. bxc5 Rc2 29. Rxc2 Bxc2 $11) (26. Bb5 Bxb5 27. axb5 {followed by Rxc5 or Ra1 and capturing on a7 would neutralize any Black winning ideas.}) 26... Kf8 27. Kf1 $6 {now this attempt at centralization is less useful, because the king is tied to the defense of the g-pawn.} Ke7 28. e4 $6 $17 {now things start getting difficult.} (28. Re1 {with the idea of Re2 is the only good idea now.}) 28... f6 29. Be2 Kd6 {Black's edge in activity is now clear, although it is not yet decisive.} 30. Ke1 $2 {unfortunately this just forces Black to play the best move with} (30. h4 $15) 30... Rb2 31. Rc3 Bd7 {by this point I am likely strategically lost, given the difference in activity of the rooks and kings, with the Black bishop now about to get in on the action.} 32. g4 g5 33. Rd3+ Ke7 $19 34. Bd1 {desperation, hoping that my opponent's rook would get trapped on the kingside.} Rh2 35. Kf1 Rxh3 $6 {Black is still winning after this, but at least has more ways to go wrong now.} 36. Kg2 Rh4 $17 (36... Bxg4 $1 $19) 37. Kg3 $2 {impatient, under time pressure.} (37. Rc3 $5 {would at least make Black work for it.}) 37... h5 $19 {now Black is comfortably winning again.} 38. Rd5 hxg4 39. fxg4 Rh1 40. Rd3 Bc6 41. Bf3 Rb1 42. Rc3 Kd6 43. Rd3+ Ke5 44. Rd8 {unfortunately I noticed too late that the Bc6 with a backwards bishop move covers e8, so this is useless; I had hoped to check from behind.} Rxb3 0-1

Video completed: How I Won A Tournament | 2025 Vigevano Open Recap by IM Kostya Kavutskiy

One of the more insightful (and enjoyable) study methods for chess is to go over master games that contain annotations by the players involved. This combination gives a unique explanatory power into master-level thinking processes, as well as good points to consider about all aspects of a chess game. In the past this sort of product was limited to "My Best Games" types of collections - which are still a thing after the advent of video, including greats like Viktor Kortchnoi - but now individual video game or tournament recaps are a great (and usually free) tool for the improving player, as well as similar retrospectives done in blog format.

An excellent recent example of the video recap genre is How I Won A Tournament | 2025 Vigevano Open Recap by IM Kostya Kavutskiy (seen smiling on the left in the above pic). He goes over each of his seven games, focusing on the chess in a digestible way, with good if relatively basic production values; simple things like having break points for each game on the video progress bar are a nice touch. Like the other Chess Dojo program "senseis", Kostya is an active tournament player still looking to advance his own game competitively. I stopped my own membership a while back, due to a lack of time to seriously follow the program's requirements, but I believe it remains an excellent option for anyone who wants to focus on chess improvement and does not have a lot of other life responsibilities or distractions.

The games in the video are varied and Kostya gives excellent background on the positional assessments, calculations and practical tournament considerations that went into his decision-making. His masterful yet humble approach to the commentary means both his chess and explanations are very relatable, including for Class players. Rather than provide a detailed summary of the content, I think it's just better to point interested chessplayers to the above link to the video, to see more for themselves.