Thanks, Nick, insightful post. I really relate to this one, and have slowly been coming to the same realisation myself! I think maybe it’s something that is particularly common for adult improvers. Strong players that learned the game in childhood automatically think in variations - they calculate lines and make evaluations instinctively. I think this is one of the hardest things for those of us in later life, but is really necessary to understand.
I started OTB in my mid fifties, and it has taken about 100 games over a couple of years to learn some of the hard lessons. I’ve got way too many books and courses, mostly way above my level, and my improvement has been hard won. What ultimately worked for me is the simple stuff, repeated until it becomes subconscious. ABC sounds simple enough to implement easily - it’s almost no mental overhead to remember it, and the results should speak for themselves, I’ll give it a go. Thanks!
I think regular "calculation training" helps train the ABC instinct. My definition of calculation training here is solving tactical puzzles (on a physical board) that are difficult enough to take around 5-10 minutes to solve, but where you're successfully solving more than 50% of puzzles.
The trick of course is finding a good selection of such puzzles. I prefer using books but it can take a bit of trial and error to find a book at the right level.
Great post! Always Be Comparing seems like a great way to force yourself to consider other move options. Since the mind often fixates on one idea and gets stuck on it.
I really enjoyed reading this — it’s both helpful and thought-provoking. The idea of Always Be Comparing is excellent and something I’ll certainly try to apply. That said, I wonder if for much lower-rated players like myself, Always Be Comparing might come after a more basic rule: Always Blunder Check. Most of my games are lost to simple one- or two-move blunders that could have been avoided with a quick check before moving. Once that habit is consistent, I think your ABC rule becomes a powerful next step for me.
Looking for hanging pieces is a critical thing for players at all levels. I'm a big proponent of making your own rules since we might want to focus on our biggest weaknesses. Wishing you luck and thanks for reading!
Thanks, Nick, insightful post. I really relate to this one, and have slowly been coming to the same realisation myself! I think maybe it’s something that is particularly common for adult improvers. Strong players that learned the game in childhood automatically think in variations - they calculate lines and make evaluations instinctively. I think this is one of the hardest things for those of us in later life, but is really necessary to understand.
I started OTB in my mid fifties, and it has taken about 100 games over a couple of years to learn some of the hard lessons. I’ve got way too many books and courses, mostly way above my level, and my improvement has been hard won. What ultimately worked for me is the simple stuff, repeated until it becomes subconscious. ABC sounds simple enough to implement easily - it’s almost no mental overhead to remember it, and the results should speak for themselves, I’ll give it a go. Thanks!
Appreciate it Mark, wishing you luck! Reducing the cognitive load while still playing well is really the focus of my writing. Hope it works for you!
I think regular "calculation training" helps train the ABC instinct. My definition of calculation training here is solving tactical puzzles (on a physical board) that are difficult enough to take around 5-10 minutes to solve, but where you're successfully solving more than 50% of puzzles.
The trick of course is finding a good selection of such puzzles. I prefer using books but it can take a bit of trial and error to find a book at the right level.
A challenge indeed. Step 5 or 6 would be that level for me... hard puzzles that I might get 40-60% of the time after a 15 minute think.
Great post! Always Be Comparing seems like a great way to force yourself to consider other move options. Since the mind often fixates on one idea and gets stuck on it.
Thanks! That's been my experience
I really enjoyed reading this — it’s both helpful and thought-provoking. The idea of Always Be Comparing is excellent and something I’ll certainly try to apply. That said, I wonder if for much lower-rated players like myself, Always Be Comparing might come after a more basic rule: Always Blunder Check. Most of my games are lost to simple one- or two-move blunders that could have been avoided with a quick check before moving. Once that habit is consistent, I think your ABC rule becomes a powerful next step for me.
Looking for hanging pieces is a critical thing for players at all levels. I'm a big proponent of making your own rules since we might want to focus on our biggest weaknesses. Wishing you luck and thanks for reading!