Blog Overhaul

I got bored with the previous scheme, so I decided to create a different layout and different colours. That's all I have to say this time/

Sun Tzu Agrees

I just came across a Sun Tzu quote that seems to support my previous post about the importance of learning strategy before tactics. I know he was talking about war, and I am speaking of chess, but the two are closely tied, and kings used to play chess to prepare their minds for war. The message is clear, don't be flashy, just make sure you get the job done.

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. -Sun Tzu

Opening Inaccuracies

Throughout my learning process, I have always been drawn to the study of opening variations. Many people would argue that the study of the opening in chess development is destructive to your game, proposing the question, "What do you do when your opening knowledge runs out?". I will answer this question with another belief contrary to modern chess development theory. The answer is simple; study the strategic principles which govern all chess positions. Learn about support points, how to limit enemy counterplay, how to use space to your advantage, ect. Don't listen to the guys that say you have to slave over a tactics book looking for pins, forks, discoveries and skewers, because then you are missing what chess is all about. If you know how to launch a vicious kingside attack but put no pieces on the queenside just because you don't know strategic principles, your opponent will just calmly tuck his king away with a queenside castle. The point I want to make is that if you know strategy, your pieces will be in the right spots and you will always have a plan once your opening knowledge runs out. And as an added bonus, it will be difficult for your opponent to exploit your Maroczy Bind when you've shoved a knight on d5.

So I have been browsing through opening databases for the better part of two years now (notice how I say browsing; you don't have to memorize lines 20 moves deep if you only run into them once in a while), and I began my chess learning by reading Yasser Seirawan's book Winning Chess Strategy (Strategies perhaps??). According to myself, I am well positioned for chess growth. I also reccommend playing a healthy amount of internet blitz chess (?!-more controversy) and whenever you lose quickly out of an opening, go look up the correct line. You may be surprised at how much this deepens your knowledge.

Well, it looks like I think that I have all the tools to play strong chess, but what happens when one of those tools fails? What if you loose your way because of a distraction or just plain forgetfulness? I have already shown you my hideous opening against Dalia Kagramanov (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 e6?) and I have made a few others in the dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 O-O 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.O-O-O Rc8 11.Bb3 Nc4 12.Bxc4 Rxc4 13.Bh6?- in view of 13... Nxe4! (sorry for the long line)). When something lioke this happens, just fall back on strategic principles. Don't try to blow the opponent off of the board with tactics, because odds are the tactics won't work because your opponent will likely be more developped. In the opening, just take your time, you'll have plenty of time for the rest of the game.

A Break Ahead

Well it looks like there will not be any chess tournaments for me to enter in the next few months. I may not be posting frequently here in the next while because of that but if I feel the desire to share my thoughts on an opening or look at one of my games I suppose I will. The Corus chess tournament is coming up, and I expect it to be a thriller. I do not remember there being so many players in Group A under 2700 though, and I am curious to know why Levon Aronian is not going to be attending. I expect Magnus Carlsen to win this tournament, but Anand and Kramnik cannot be counted out. Well, only time will tell, and I will be following the tournament closely.