Ramblings of the Subpatzer...
One of the strtengths of chess is that the truth of chess strength is evident.
Talk is nothing. I can call something the King's Indian Defense. I can blather on about ranks, files, and color complexes. I can claim an advantage by posessing the two Bishops. I can use terms like Philidor's or Lucena's position. But it only means I am literate, not strong.
I can own great equipment and have hundreds of chess books. That does not make me strong.
I can know great chess players. If I had breakfast with Carlson, lunch with Aronian, and dinner with Anand, it would not make me a strong chess player.
Only good moves matter.
So when I overlooked my Queen en-pris, it is not a problem with the French defense. It is a problem with me.
Caissa will not flatter me. Instead she flattens me.
And I have no one to blame but myself!
Kiss me Caissa!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Rolf Wetzell's Way
Rantings of the Subpatzer!
Before ROFL there was ROLF, Rolf Wetzell that is. He wrote Chessmaster at any age. I think it is one of the best books describing the evaporation of chess strength versus the aquiring of chess strength. He has a comprehensive study plan that makes sense.
It is really nothing new. Learn one opening and the resultant shots and strategic themes. Know the endings. Learn to manage your time. And most of all understand the ammount of work necessary to acchieve master level play. He spoke of memorizing openings in quints or 10 ply at a time.
So last night having finished scripting Larry Kaufman into Bookup, made a file just five moves deep and trained it. Even 5 moves is a lot to study. And it does not go far enough into what an opening is doing. Just the same it was a great practice.
Now I want to go deeply into particular lines. This would be more like Bent Larson who said that the way to get better in chess was to learn one thing really well, and then learn another thing really well.
An inch wide and a mile deep.
Kiss me Caissa!
Before ROFL there was ROLF, Rolf Wetzell that is. He wrote Chessmaster at any age. I think it is one of the best books describing the evaporation of chess strength versus the aquiring of chess strength. He has a comprehensive study plan that makes sense.
It is really nothing new. Learn one opening and the resultant shots and strategic themes. Know the endings. Learn to manage your time. And most of all understand the ammount of work necessary to acchieve master level play. He spoke of memorizing openings in quints or 10 ply at a time.
So last night having finished scripting Larry Kaufman into Bookup, made a file just five moves deep and trained it. Even 5 moves is a lot to study. And it does not go far enough into what an opening is doing. Just the same it was a great practice.
Now I want to go deeply into particular lines. This would be more like Bent Larson who said that the way to get better in chess was to learn one thing really well, and then learn another thing really well.
An inch wide and a mile deep.
Kiss me Caissa!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Chess is Just a Hobby
Ramblings of the Subpatzer...
Yesterday, I don't think I did any chess stuff. I didn't have time, and I didn't feel like it. I have days like that. Sometimes I have weeks and even months like that.
I read. I work on my music hobbies, clawhammer banjo, and fiddling. I warch TV, go camping or just take a nap.
There is much more to life than chess.
Not now Caissa!
Yesterday, I don't think I did any chess stuff. I didn't have time, and I didn't feel like it. I have days like that. Sometimes I have weeks and even months like that.
I read. I work on my music hobbies, clawhammer banjo, and fiddling. I warch TV, go camping or just take a nap.
There is much more to life than chess.
Not now Caissa!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Too Old to be a Jedi
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Collectorboy01 was better than me.
I should have lost, but was saved by the clock.
I must learn to use the force!
Kiss me Caissa.
Larry Kaufman's Repertoire
Rantings of the Subpatzer...
I imagine things about myself that are not true. I imagine that as an older player I should play solid end game openings. I imagine that I am an endgame guy. Ulf Andersson is my hero. But all this could be so much fiction and self deception. Part of my disease is to think of myself as an endgame guy but to spend most of my time messing around with opening choices.
I wish Cyrus Lakdawala would write a minimalist version of his ideas of solid play. Would it be like Purdy's 24hour repertoire?
For now I am working through the White side of Larry Kaufman's book.
The Kaufman Repertoire in Black and White.
When given the choice I am taking the least difficult path. In a way this is a step down from Larry's philosophy of riding the edge of opening preparation before the mountain of diminishing return sets in. But it is not all the way down to Purdy or Lakdawala's simple scripts.
It is the middle path padawan.
Something Larry Kaufman does really well is script out the opening plan within a small enough size to make preparation look doable.
Unfortunately for me, when picking, his second choice, coverage is even more minimal. This means that the book is simply a good starting place and my own studies must compliment the book. But this is true even for Avrukh.
I dream I am like Ulf Andersson, but I am more like Colonel Moreau.
Kiss me Caissa!
I imagine things about myself that are not true. I imagine that as an older player I should play solid end game openings. I imagine that I am an endgame guy. Ulf Andersson is my hero. But all this could be so much fiction and self deception. Part of my disease is to think of myself as an endgame guy but to spend most of my time messing around with opening choices.
I wish Cyrus Lakdawala would write a minimalist version of his ideas of solid play. Would it be like Purdy's 24hour repertoire?
For now I am working through the White side of Larry Kaufman's book.
The Kaufman Repertoire in Black and White.
When given the choice I am taking the least difficult path. In a way this is a step down from Larry's philosophy of riding the edge of opening preparation before the mountain of diminishing return sets in. But it is not all the way down to Purdy or Lakdawala's simple scripts.
It is the middle path padawan.
Something Larry Kaufman does really well is script out the opening plan within a small enough size to make preparation look doable.
Unfortunately for me, when picking, his second choice, coverage is even more minimal. This means that the book is simply a good starting place and my own studies must compliment the book. But this is true even for Avrukh.
I dream I am like Ulf Andersson, but I am more like Colonel Moreau.
Kiss me Caissa!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
An Inch Deep and a Mile Wide
More ramblings of the subpatzer...
I am supposed to learn and play just one opening and specialize for maximum effect. I am supposed to play a variety of openings to broaden my chess education. I should not play openings like the Colle because they are not sustainable in the long run. I should play main lines. But I should not play main lines that are above my chess understanding.
I should study tactics until I no longer fall for any two or three movers. I should study endgames in order to understand the power of the pieces. But it is not practical to study endgames that will practically never turn up in a game. I should understand the pawn structure and how that leads to correct piece placement and coordination. I should come up with the correct strategic plan.
With advice like this, is it any wonder that a casual adult hobbyist, has picked many flowers in the garden of chess. Who cares? The experts may be right, but I buy their books and dvds! Flowers for Caissa!
Right now I am scripting out Stuart Kaufman's latest repertoire book into Bookup. I have brought my % up to 91.2% in the Chess Tactics server. I have misplaced my 1001 beginning chess exercises again. My Reassess and Endgame Silman books are getting dusty.
Chess is a journey of self discovery.
Kiss me Caissa!
I am supposed to learn and play just one opening and specialize for maximum effect. I am supposed to play a variety of openings to broaden my chess education. I should not play openings like the Colle because they are not sustainable in the long run. I should play main lines. But I should not play main lines that are above my chess understanding.
I should study tactics until I no longer fall for any two or three movers. I should study endgames in order to understand the power of the pieces. But it is not practical to study endgames that will practically never turn up in a game. I should understand the pawn structure and how that leads to correct piece placement and coordination. I should come up with the correct strategic plan.
With advice like this, is it any wonder that a casual adult hobbyist, has picked many flowers in the garden of chess. Who cares? The experts may be right, but I buy their books and dvds! Flowers for Caissa!
Right now I am scripting out Stuart Kaufman's latest repertoire book into Bookup. I have brought my % up to 91.2% in the Chess Tactics server. I have misplaced my 1001 beginning chess exercises again. My Reassess and Endgame Silman books are getting dusty.
Chess is a journey of self discovery.
Kiss me Caissa!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
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