Loved this blog post; thank you! King/piece safety is something that I also think about/struggle with in my games. (I'm a bit lower-rated than you are.) I appreciate your analogy to looking over your shoulder before changing lanes. An even stronger driving-related analogy for me is putting on my seat belt. I'm old enough to remember the time when wearing a seat belt was a new thing. It was an annoyance, and I (and everyone else) had to consciously think about buckling up before putting the car into Drive. Today, I wouldn't dream of driving without a seat belt -- just the thought makes me uncomfortable. Ah, to reach that level of "unconscious competence" regarding safety on the chessboard! I agree that it takes (1) practice, practice, practice until a full safety check becomes routine on every move, followed by (2) more practice, until that safety check becomes instinctive and reflexive. Thanks so much for sharing your chess growth so clearly and candidly!
Excellent! Thanks!
Excellent post Nick.
Hey, I love both of you Nick V.'s!!
Another great post. Some solid input that I hope to add to my thinking process in games. Thanks!
Loved this blog post; thank you! King/piece safety is something that I also think about/struggle with in my games. (I'm a bit lower-rated than you are.) I appreciate your analogy to looking over your shoulder before changing lanes. An even stronger driving-related analogy for me is putting on my seat belt. I'm old enough to remember the time when wearing a seat belt was a new thing. It was an annoyance, and I (and everyone else) had to consciously think about buckling up before putting the car into Drive. Today, I wouldn't dream of driving without a seat belt -- just the thought makes me uncomfortable. Ah, to reach that level of "unconscious competence" regarding safety on the chessboard! I agree that it takes (1) practice, practice, practice until a full safety check becomes routine on every move, followed by (2) more practice, until that safety check becomes instinctive and reflexive. Thanks so much for sharing your chess growth so clearly and candidly!
I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I enjoy writing but also very much want to figure out my chess. Best of luck!