[painstakingly recreated by Dave Regis]
News, Views and Gossip
This section of Chess Scene is intended to provide a forum for news
about Chess Clubs around the world, amateur events and the progress
of us merely mortal chess players towards immortal heights!
[…]
Gene Thompson’s Search For Great Chess, Part V
[…]
“In Part V of his series Gene Thompson explores an
interesting hypothesis on why amateurs ‘Force The Issue’. It’s one
of his best articles which certainly rings true with me. Is there a
moral? Well, perhaps it is: play for a positional advantage and the
tactics will look after themselves. “
Alex
Bellinger.
Hello from sunny Seattle!
Things are going well here; the Sonics are cleaning up in
the NBA playoffs, the Mariners have slipped a little, but are still
doing great, and my chess is coming along slowly but surely! Yeah,
it’s a little cocky placing my talent along side their’s, but what
the heck, it’s my article! 🙂
Today’s topic is … “Forcing The Issue.”
I am involved with an e-mail chess match with a gentleman
who wrote me in response to these articles. Among the many things
we have discussed (long chained monomers, Polymer chemistry, and
chess sets), the most disheartening issue was our failure to play
as well as we feel we should.
In his case, one of his regular opponents can beat him
despite having not studied chess at all. This opponent is an
intelligent individual, but so is my friend (he’s the Polymer
Chemist, not me!). My friend is studying the correct chess
literature: Nimzovitch, Evan’s and the like. But, he still finds it
difficult to hold his own! What could be his problem?!?
My case is similar. I’ve been studying good(?) books:
Yasser Seirawan’s series, and Mike Basman’s openings book. But, I
find it difficult, actually impossible, to beat programs I once
did. What is going on here?
Well, a couple of nights ago, it came to me. I had just
been beaten by CM3000 again, and was I in a nasty mood. My wife
asked if it was doing any good whining about the loss. No, but I
wanted to anyway. When I calmed down, I thought about how I played
the game. I didn’t. Once I got past the opening, I just started
moving pieces more or less randomly! I was looking for a position
that contained a tactical solution, but not really doing anything
to create one. The computer wasn’t forcing the issue, just beating
me with my own moves. Hmmm.
Here is my hypothesis: My friend and I are both afflicted
with the same problem, FTI – Forcing The Issue. We have spent so
much effort learning tactics from setup positions, that once we are
in a real game, we try to apply our lessons to positions that don’t
warrant it. Subconsciously, we believe that every position has some
stunning combination in it that will allow us to win. When we look
for it, if it’s not there (most often the case), we try to force
one, causing a lost game.
When I was in college, I loved to rockclimb. The school
was perfect for it. All the buildings were of rough-cut stone, so I
could practice anytime I wanted (well, almost). I got so used to
blowing through a few technical moves and finishing a “route,” that
when I got on real rock I was totally lost. The basics just weren’t
a part of my climbing. I could always (according to MY memory)
cruise through the crux (the hardest, most technical part of the
climb) but would usually blow it navigating the main route. I think
I’m seeing a connection here.
Studying tactics in setup positions is a VERY necessary
part of learning chess, but, knowing when to apply tactical
knowledge is, at this point in my education, to me even more
important. My friend’s opponent instinctively makes “better” moves
because my friend is making weaker moves, and so am I. Given a
setup position, he would most likely find the solution much faster
than his opponent. In a general position, we would both likely find
a combination that wasn’t there.
So, after all of this babble, what is the solution? Play
more chess, learn to read a position for tactical possibilities,
and let them happen (hopefully to your opponent). Easier said than
done, n’est-ce pas?
Have a good one & GO SONICS!!!!