CHAPTER 7

Chess improvement suggestions from a coach

Frequent problems faced and mistakes made by upcoming chess players

1. Failure to calculate variations correctly. This, in my view, will rate among the top of the practical problems faced by most chess players.

2. They are not paying sufficient attention to what the opponent is doing while they are playing chess. Basically, they are living in their own world. We should realise we are playing only half of the game. Our opponent has a significant influence on what happens on the board. We should learn to attach due importance to that fact.

3. Lack of knowledge and proper understanding of important chess principles. Players read and hear about chess principles, but are not emotionally involved with the essence of those principles and find it tough to implement them in their games. For many, chess principles are politically-correct things to say, and when it comes to the application in their games, personal convenience takes precedence. A healthy trust in chess principles and what they stand for is good for the upcoming chess player’s career. When they mature into a stronger chess players, they will know when the exceptions matter, and can confidently break the principles because of some concrete details in the position.

4. A player often faces situations where he can apply a wide choice of principles on the board. Sometimes, these principles complement each other; at other times, they are contradictory to each other. For example, we may have to play a quiet move to ensure our king safety in the middle of a difficult attacking position, which will look like a loss of time. But it needs to be done anyway. Without a proper understanding of the principles, things can get confusing. The timing of their application could become a severe issue for a player.

5. Incorrect evaluation of a position. Looking at a position, one player sees that he has an extra pawn and the advantage. But the other player sees that his pieces are more active; hence, he is better, despite being a pawn down. Some suggestions are: exposing ourselves to different kinds of positions, not falling prey to dogma, having a flexible mindset, clarity over priorities, etc. These suggestions can help us navigate this issue.

6. Some players have poor time management, both on and off the board. It has affected and continues to affect adversely the growth prospects of chess players across generations. We will consider the topic of time management in detail at a later stage. At the cost of making mistakes, we should force ourselves to play faster in a few tournaments, to overcome this issue before it develops into a strong habit.

7. Believing that the mistakes made are permanent and overcoming them is tough, no matter what we do in preparation at home. The mistakes we make in the initial stages of our chess career do not define us. They are instead an indication of the areas we need to work more on at home. We believe that we can unlearn negative traits in our thinking process, and replace them with a better version of ourselves.

8. One big mistake upcoming players make is to put too much emphasis on their opening preparation. They spend a lot of time learning and perfecting openings. Having a loophole-free opening repertoire is vital at higher levels, but not at the early stages of a chess player’s career. The priority should be to develop a healthy understanding of chess principles, and observe how strong players apply them appropriately across different openings.

9. For many, chess is not a priority, and they want to have fun playing chess and will be happy to make gradual progress in their playing skills. Others are very ambitious and want to make rapid progress in their chess journey. One should realise that a lot of work needs to be done regularly for this to happen. Many players struggle to overcome their laziness or the inability to work hard. Having high expectations without supporting effort will lead to frustrations and failed expectations at a later stage. It is better to have a schedule to give our chess sufficient time and make a habit of this.

10. A few players struggle with poor concentration, both during home preparation and while playing in tournament games. There could be multiple reasons for this: a lack of proper motivation to work, insufficient interest in upgrading their skills, a complacent attitude that their current skills are enough to get better results, and having too many priorities that compete for their attention in daily life.

11. Too much attention is bestowed on rating fluctuations and individual game results, rather than playing a good game by giving our best effort. Suppose we can shift our focus to enjoying everything about playing chess and practising chess. In that case, we will be able to do what is required to get good results and play good-quality chess.

12. Letting losses affect our confidence. Losing games can disappoint us, and make us sad. We should learn to get upset or disappointed in a manner that does not affect our confidence. Our losses happen because of the mistakes we make in our games. We should focus on knowing the kind of mistakes we make, and work on those areas to become a better version of ourselves. Tournament games are like the beta versions of ourselves. The mistakes we make are like the bugs in new software. By working on these issues, we overcome them and play better-quality chess.

13. Some players collapse under the pressures related to tournament play: increasing our rating, playing against higher- or lower-rated opponents, getting surprised in the opening, our poor form, a loss in the previous round, our poor results in personal encounters with our upcoming opponent, strong play from our opponent, etc., can upset our balance and put us under tremendous pressure. Cultivating a robust mental set-up helps a lot in our progress, just like making progress in our chess skills.

14. Some players predetermine the result of the game based on the opponent’s rating. Playing against lower-rated players can affect many players negatively. They are worried before and during the game, that they will lose many rating points and lose their credibility in others’ eyes if they lose the game. I always insist that the priorities of my students should be as simple as possible. Putting in a reasonable effort and playing a good game should be our priority during a tournament. If we can manage to do this consistently during a competition, we will have no reason to complain.

In this game, we can see young Pragg learning to believe in himself against strong opposition and holding his ground when things are getting not so easy.

Game 173 Level 4

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa 1782

Teimour Radjabov 2758

New In Chess Rapid Preliminaries 2021

21.b5!

A very strong idea that poses tough problems for Black to solve.

21...d4!

21...c4? 22.bxc6 ♕xc6 23.♕f3+-.

22.b6!

The point of the whole concept with ♕e2 and f4-f5; after 22.f6?! Black can now equalise in multiple ways, and this lets him off the hook.

22...♕xb6 23.♘e4 f6!?

Otherwise, White will play 24.f6 himself.

24.e6?

24.♕c4+! ♔h8 25.♕e6 (White is not afraid of the connected central black pawns and is banking on his initiative on the other side) 25...♕c7 26.exf6 (26.♘d6!? h6!) 26...gxf6! (26...♗xf6 27.♘xc5) 27.♖a6!. White’s pieces are becoming very dangerous, but Black can hope to hold the balance with a difficult move: 27...d3! 28.♖xc6 ♕d8 29.♘d2.

24...♕b5⇆ 25.♕a2 ♕d3

25...c4 26.♕a7 ♕xf5 27.♕xe7 ♕xe4 28.♖a7 is probably the easiest way to equalise, but Black probably became ambitious at this point.

26.♕a7 ♕xe4 27.♕xe7 ♕xf5 28.h4!?

White also has his ambitions intact, giving his king more places to hide when the white rook abandons his base rank.

28...♕g4

28...♕g6 29.♖a7; 28...h6=.

29.♖a7

29...h5!

Full credit to Radjabov for bringing out the best.

30.♖d7 ♖a8??

A costly blunder towards the very end. A couple of accurate moves, and the draw could have been signed:

A) 30...♕g6! 31.♕xc5 ♕e4 32.e7 ♖e8=;

B) 30...♕d1+! 31.♔g2 ♕g4 32.♖d8 ♖xd8 33.♕xd8+ ♔h7 34.e7 ♕e4+=.

31.♖d8+ ♖xd8 32.♕xd8+ ♔h7 33.e7+-

A good winning attempt by White in the opening, and full credit to Radjabov for finding his way among the various tempting continuations to equalise, only to throw it all away at the very end.

This is one reason why rapid games are more exciting for the audience, because the possibilities of mistakes are increased due to the shortage of time.

15. Lack of a proper work ethic, resulting in poor self-esteem. One of the defining features of strong chess players is that they are usually very sure of themselves. They believe that they are good players and are on the right path to getting there. For most of the others, self-doubt is a constant companion. Poor results, a rating slide, a wrong move, a bad game, negative criticism from people close to us, etc., can negatively impact us. A healthy work routine and proper learning can build our confidence over some time. Such confidence, gained through hard work, will not be shaken easily with a loss. We should learn to see losses as temporary setbacks, and not as defining moments in our careers.

16. Disliking certain parts of the game (defence, endings, main lines, etc.) and avoiding them in preparation and during the game. Avoiding some aspects of chess in our games and practice is another common issue with some upcoming players. We need to become universal players who can handle any position. Our training at home should cover all aspects of the game over time. We can have our short-term priorities and focus on specific areas only. When we have long gaps between tournaments, we should focus on areas that we have avoided in the past. Areas we avoid will become weaknesses over time.

17. Some players outsource their learning completely to external sources, like streamers, coaches, authors, etc. The central part of a player’s learning should happen by self-effort. Education from other sources can be in the form of motivation, inspiration, gaining essential knowledge, technicalities, etc., but this can’t be all. We should develop the ability to observe, analyse, contemplate, and evolve in the process. We should never think that whatever we need to know, our coach will teach us. We should not be a spectator to our training process. Instead, we should be an active participant.

18. Some players relax too much when they get good positions. Others give up easily without a fight in challenging situations during a game. A good position essentially means that, irrespective of how our opponent plays the rest of the game, we can win the game if we play good-quality chess. We should raise our alertness in good positions, as the game’s result is purely in our hands. Similarly, in challenging situations, we should put up maximum resistance instead of collapsing. Try to make it as difficult as possible for the opponent. If we end up losing the game despite our reasonable efforts, so be it. At least we can be proud of our resistance. Fighting back in challenging situations is a champion’s quality.

Game 174 Level 3

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa 2220

Torben Sörenson 2334

Bangkok 2015 (8)

Due to a lack of experience, both players made a few instructive mistakes in this ending. Pragg was 10 years old when playing this game.

45...♗d5??

45...♔xb2!. Black should have calculated this variation well and would have survived: 46.♘f4. It appears that White’s g-pawn will roll and there is nothing Black’s bishop can do to stop it. However, Black has his own counterplay on the queenside: 46...b4! 47.axb4 (47.a4 b3 48.g6 ♔c2=) 47...a4! (this is the point: the a-pawn gives saving chances to Black) 48.g6 a3 49.g7 a2 50.g8♕ a1♕.

46.♘e7! ♗f7

46...♗e6 47.♘xc6 ♔xb2 48.♘xa5 ♔xa3 49.♔f4+-. The white knight will give himself up for the b-pawn, and Black’s light-squared bishop cannot stop both passed pawns.

47.♘xc6

47.g6 was winning easily for White, e.g. 47...♗e6 48.♘xc6.

47...♔xb2

48.♘xa5?

The correct idea, but the incorrect move order! 48.♔e4! ♔xa3 49.d5 b4 (49...a4 50.d6+-) 50.♘xa5+-.

48...♔xa3 49.♔e4

An incorrect move order that gives Black a surprising counter-attacking idea.

49...♔b4??

And Black misses it!

49...♔a4! was correct, driving the knight away from the b-passer: 50.♘b7! b4 51.d5 ♗g6+! (51...♗e8 52.♔e5 ♔b5 53.♘d6++-) 52.♔e5 (52.♔d4 ♔b5 53.♘c5 ♗f7= or 53...♗c2=; 53...♔b6? 54.d6+-) 52...♔b5! (52...b3?? 53.♘c5+ ♔a3 54.♘xb3+-) 53.d6 b3 54.d7 b2 55.d8♕ b1♕.

50.♘b7 ♗g6+ 51.♔e5 ♔c3 52.d5 b4 53.♘a5 b3 54.♘xb3 1-0

19. Some players live with a constant feeling of missing something in their chess life. They feel that they are missing the one crucial piece in the puzzle, and that acquiring that missing piece will take them to the next level.

20. Some players expect great results within a short period of putting in a reasonable effort. It can happen for some, but the effort has to be consistent for most. Learning and improving is a long-term process, and it requires a particular commitment from the player.

The learning process

A player might feel that some areas of chess do not suit his natural style in his career’s early stages. Progress in chess also means the ability to work on, learn, improve, master, and even start liking such areas in chess.

Having worked with players from different generations and cultural backgrounds, I realised that the mere sharing of information only leads to knowledge accumulation. It does not translate into practical skill sets. A player not only needs to be taught about things, but also needs to be made to do those things correctly for effective learning. The coach or the player should provide space to make mistakes, gain experience, analyse, learn, correct mistakes, and acquire the skills eventually. It is a process.

Over the years, I have given numerous interesting positions to students varying in age, rating, experience, strength, etc. The outcome is always exciting and consistent. When players of different levels see the same position, they do not see the same things. An individual’s vision is heavily clouded by various factors, like their knowledge, experience, analytical skills, ambition level, current form, energy level, motivation to improve, time to think, etc.

I learned as a coach that a player needs to be taught to do things in a certain way, and if that does not work for him, he should be taught in other ways to do the same things. There are different ways to do something, and each player has his own sweet spot. A coach should help the player to try different ways to do things and, hopefully, find a way that works for him in the process.

Chess coaching involves effectively trying out different methods, techniques, approaches, and angles to drive home a given point until it makes sense to the individual. It is not only the coach’s responsibility to teach things to the player, but it is also the responsibility of every player to teach themselves things effectively. Every player has a duty to himself for what he learns and how he learns it.

Improvement happens only when learning happens. Learning occurs when both the pros and cons of an argument are shown. This is followed by a sincere effort to understand the issues involved, and question our biases and prejudices. Finally, we change ourselves and evolve due to the whole experience. Learning is an intensely personal experience.

Game 175 Level 3

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa 2509

Semen Lomasov 2490

Tarvisio 2017 (10)

21.♕b4

This is a safe continuation for White, but there was another ambitious and slightly risky variation possible as well: 21.♕xc7!. This move requires some good calculation to back it up: 21...♗xd3! (21...♖ac8? 22.♘b4+-) 22.♘xd5!. The key move behind 21.♕c7. Now:

A) 22...cxd5? 23.♖xd3 ♖ac8 24.♖a3 ♕xa3 25.♕xd8 ♕xe3 26.♕xf8+ ♔xf8 27.fxe3;

B) 22...♖ac8 23.♘b4 ♕a4 24.♕b7 ♗xe2 25.♖e1 ♕xb4 26.♖xe2 ♕a5 27.♗xc6 ♖b8 28.b4! ♕a3 29.♕c7 ♖bc8 30.♕xd7 ♖xd7 31.♗xd7 ♖c7 32.♗xb5;

C) 22...exd5! 23.♖xd3 ♖ac8. It appears that the white queen is trapped, but... 24.♖a3! (not quite so!) 24...♕xa3! 25.♕xd8! (another intermediate move for White!) 25...♕xe3! (the only way for Black to keep material parity) 26.♕xf8+ ♔xf8 27.fxe3 ♘f6 28.h3. White keeps an extra pawn, which does not mean his advantage is significant, as the pawns are doubled and the ♗g2 is quite hemmed in by the black pawn chain on c6 and d5.

21...♕b7 ½-½

Over the decades, I have seen many chess players fight a losing battle for chess improvement, get frustrated, quit chess, or move away from the game with disillusionment. To see this happen to so many is very sad. They are convinced they could have improved much faster and to a much higher level of strength than they eventually ended up with.

In this series of books, I hope to approach the learning process from a practical viewpoint. This can mean a few blanket statements, sweeping generalisations, and conclusions that go against tradition. I hope you, the reader, will indulge me in this. Please ignore what is not acceptable to you.

A good player should have the capability to learn the proper lessons from what is being taught or discussed: what is said, what is left unsaid, incorrectly said, and from the exaggerations. We should learn from all of it!

One of the problems I have faced repeatedly as a coach is that many (not ‘a few’) players have the understanding that ‘I realise I have to improve my chess playing skills to get better results, but the effort I am willing to invest is minimal.’ It is an ‘I have come to you, a good coach. I will pay your fees and attend the classes. Make me a strong chess player by working your magic on me’ kind of attitude. It does not work like that!

Most players and parents think that improvement in chess can happen quickly if a player learns openings and makes progress in calculation skills, endgame knowledge, positional understanding, attacking skills, etc. But what I have seen in my experience is that improvement is possible only when the player concerned is capable and interested in improving by putting in the required effort, time and energy. The learning ability of an individual is grossly neglected when discussing the topic of chess improvement.

In the following game, we see Pragg trying to get something in the endgame against Magnus Carlsen, who is a known specialist in the endgame area.

Game 176 Level 4

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa 1781

Magnus Carlsen 2881

New In Chess Rapid Preliminaries 2021 (13)

40...♔f5

This gives White a chance to justify his decision of not agreeing to a draw earlier.

40...♘e7! 41.♘b4 ♘f5+! 42.♔c4 ♘d6+ 43.♔d4 ♘f5+= was the simpler way, but not easy to find with less time on the clock.

41.♘b4!

While watching the game, I was very excited about this position, thinking that Pragg had a good chance to win the endgame. But Carlsen defended very well under pressure, proving amply why he is the best in the business.

41...♘xb4 42.♖xb4 ♖c8!

He played this instantly; a nice prophylactic move, and the only move as well. It shows the depth of his understanding and his strong nerves under pressure.

43.♖b6 e5+!

Creating his own passed pawn, which gives him sufficient counterplay.

44.fxe5 fxe5+ 45.♔d5 e4! 46.c6 e3!

Black plays accurately with a series of only moves.

A) If 46...♖d8+??, 47.♔c5 e3 48.c7 gains a crucial tempo and wins easily;

B) 46...♔f4?? 47.♔d6 e3 48.c7+-.

47.♖b1

47...e2!

This seems to blunder the e2-pawn, as Black’s king is too far away to support it, but Carlsen has everything under control.

47...♖d8+?? was tempting but bad: 48.♔c5 ♖d2 49.c7 ♖c2+ 50.♔b6 e2 51.♔b7+-.

48.♖e1

48.♔d6!? was another interesting attempt and one that would have been harder to defend against over the board with less time on the clock: 48...♖d8+ 49.♔c5 ♖d2 (49...♔e5!? 50.c7 ♖d5+ (50...♖d2 51.♔c6 ♖d6+! 52.♔b7 ♖d1=) 51.♔c6 ♖d6+ 52.♔b7 ♖d1=) 50.c7 ♔e5! (the only move to save the game) 51.♔c6 (51.♖c1?? ♖d1!-+) 51...♖d6+! 52.♔b7 ♖d1!= (first, it was important to drive the white king to the b-file, so that when White promotes his c-pawn, the ♖b1 move will come with check) 53.♖b3!? (53.♖b6 ♖c1) 53...e1♕ 54.c8♕ ♕e4+ 55.♔b8 ♖d6!= (55...♕f4 56.♕e8+ ♔f5+ 57.♔b7 ♕e4+ 58.♕xe4+ ♔xe4 59.♔xa6).

48...♖d8+! 49.♔c5 ♖d2

Black gets his rook behind White’s passed pawn and equalises just in time.

50.c7 ♖c2+ 51.♔b6

Threatening 52.♖xe2!.

51...♖b2+! 52.♔a7

52.♔xa6 ♖xa2+=.

52...♖c2 53.♔b7 ♖b2+ 54.♔c6 ♖c2+ 55.♔d6 ♖d2+ 56.♔e7 ♖c2 57.♔d7 ♖d2+ 58.♔c6 ♖c2+ 59.♔b6 ♖b2+ 60.♔a7 ♖c2 61.♖xe2 ♖xc7+ 62.♔xa6

This ending is simply equal, and Magnus earned the half point easily.

62...♖c3 63.♖h2 ♔f4 64.a4 ♔g3 65.♖h1 h5 66.h4 ♖b3 67.a5 ♖b2 68.♔a7 ♖b5 69.a6 ♖b2 70.♔a8 ♖b5 71.a7 ♖b2 72.♖c1 ♔xh4 73.♖c7 ♔g3 74.♖b7 ♖a2 75.♔b8 h4 76.♖g7+ ♔f3 77.a8♕+ ♖xa8+ 78.♔xa8 h3 79.♖h7 ♔g2 80.♖xh3 ♔xh3 ½-½

A very good battle by young Pragg and the World Champion. Pragg showed he was not overwhelmed by the reputation of his opponent and was willing to trust in his abilities.

Over the centuries, we have seen in the classroom that not everyone is good at learning everything in the most efficient manner, even though the same topics from the same book, simultaneously with the same explanations, are taught in a classroom. All students in the classroom are listening under the same conditions, but not all of them learn the things taught with the same efficiency. Some learn well, some learn averagely, and some learn poorly.

The students’ interest to learn the things taught, the learning ability of each student, the understanding capabilities, the concentration in the class, the energy levels of the students, etc., vary from individual to individual. This has a significant impact on how well each student learns. The same applies to chess learning as well.

So, the assumption that anyone can learn anything equally well is not correct in my view. Good learners have taught themselves how to learn well in their field of expertise. Unless this happens along with chess work, learning in chess will not occur at the expected level. Hence, improvement will also be at a level corresponding to the learning ability of the player concerned.

It takes a lot of commitment and effort from an individual to become a strong chess player. Unfortunately, I have seen on social media that there are some who encourage the ‘minimum effort – maximum gain’ philosophy towards chess learning. We cannot provide an excess of fertiliser, sunlight, water and pesticides, and make the plant grow into a tree in less than the usual time frame. Progress in chess can be accelerated only to the extent that a player is willing to invest in himself during the journey.

Finding an idea and its implementation

Spotting an exciting idea or a tricky concept in a position and its correct implementation is like two different tracks on which a train can run. The implementation of a theory involves paying attention to the move orders, checking the details thoroughly, and not making intuitive decisions. A player should not get carried away or overwhelmed once he finds an interesting idea that appears to be correct at first glance.

Usually, strong players find the right idea quickly, but take much longer to check the details. They do not want to miss any critical element, and consciously look for the refutation of their arguments. When they are convinced that they have not missed any detail in their analysis, their idea becomes a decision. Until then, the moves or the views are simply just that, and they are not final.

When we see an idea, it should not become a decision immediately. Paying conscious attention to details is essential. Significant decisions should be taken only at the right time, and not as soon as you see them.

Training versus actual tournament play

Training should always be more challenging than tournament play. Another school of thought says that training should simulate as close as possible the actual tournament situation.

I believe in the former school of thought.

If you see the YouTube video where Usain Bolt trains for his competitions, he ties stones to his legs, runs in sand, and pushes his body to its limits in training. But in actual competition, he does not tie stones to his legs nor runs in sand. When we train in more challenging circumstances, push ourselves to do difficult things, and get used to a new level of toughness, our capacity and capability to handle difficult situations increase.

In training, I usually push my students to go as deep as possible into the analysis. Over a period, this becomes the new normal. They will learn to do complex calculations and learn to analyse faster than others.

In the following game, a relatively unknown student of mine, Raahul, played powerfully from a tough opening situation. He came up with a creative attacking concept and almost made it work against a stronger opponent. Towards the very end, Raahul could not push himself harder to go all out for a win by finding some very hard-to- find resources over the board, and he settled for a draw.

Game 177 Level 4

Jaime Santos Latasa 2571

Raahul VS 2182

Cannes 2017

1.d4 f5 2.c4 ♘f6 3.♘c3 e6 4.♕c2 d5 5.♗f4 ♗d6 6.♗xd6 ♕xd6 7.♘f3

7.e3 c6.

7...c6 8.e3 0-0 9.♗d3 ♘bd7 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.♘b5 ♕b4+ 12.♔e2?! ♘b6 13.a3 ♕e7 14.♕c5 ♕d8 15.♖hc1 ♗d7 16.♕d6 ♘e4 17.♕e5

17.♕c7 ♕e8 18.♘d6 ♕e7! (18...♕h5 19.♔f1) 19.♘xb7 ♖ac8 20.♕e5 ♘c4 21.♗xc4 dxc4.

In relation to the pawn structure, White has made a favourable exchange of bishops, which would be a telling factor if the position was only static. However, there are more dynamic factors in the position. Black puts the relatively unsafe white king’s position in the centre to full use:

17...♘a4!

17...♘c4 18.♗xc4 dxc4 19.♘c7 (19.♖xc4 ♕b6 20.a4 ♘d6!∞) 19...♖c8 20.♘xe6+-.

18.♘c7 ♘xb2

18...♖c8 19.♘xe6+-.

19.♘xa8?!

White evaluates the position incorrectly and, perhaps looking for a non-existent advantage, takes it too far.

Correct was 19.♘xe6! ♗xe6 20.♕xe6+ ♔h8 21.♗xe4 (21.♘e5 ♘g5 22.♕d7 ♘xd3 23.♔xd3 ♕f6, with a complex position that looks more than fine for Black because of White’s king) 21...fxe4 22.♘e5 ♘d3 (22...♕f6 23.♕xf6 gxf6 24.♘d7 ♖f7 25.♘c5 b6 26.♘e6 ♘d3 27.♖c6) 23.♘f7+ ♖xf7 24.♕xf7 ♕b6 25.♖cb1 (25.♖c2 ♕b5 26.♔d1 ♕a5=) 25...♕a6 26.♔d2 ♕a5+ 27.♔e2 ♕a6. Black’s material deficit is compensated by the possibility of troubling White’s king. The game remains in balance.

19...♘xd3

19...♘xf2 20.♗xf5 (20.♗c2 ♘c4 21.♕c7) 20...♖xf5 21.♕c7.

20.♔xd3 ♕a5!

Directly creating a counterattack against the opponent’s king, rather than trying to regain any material.

20...♗b5+ 21.♔c2 ♗a4+ 22.♔b2+-.

21.♖c7

21.♘c7 f4!, with the idea of ...♖f5, is extremely dangerous. If instead 21...♗b5+ 22.♘xb5 ♕xb5+ 23.♔c2 ♖c8+ 24.♔d1 ♘xf2+ (24...♕f1+ 25.♘e1 ♘xf2+ 26.♔d2 ♘e4+ 27.♔d1=) 25.♔e1 ♖xc1+ 26.♔xf2 ♖xa1 27.♕b8+ ♔f7 28.♘e5+ ♔e7 29.♕c7+ ♔e8 30.♕c8+ ♔e7 31.♕c7+ is equal.

21...♕a6+!

Black goes for a direct approach, which should still be enough to win.

A) 21...♖xa8 22.a4 ♕a6+ 23.♔c2 ♖d8;

B) 21...♗b5+ 22.♔c2 ♗a4+?? 23.♔c1+–;

C) However, he had a much stronger move in the form of restricting the white king’s escape route with 21...♕a4!!. Black threatens to give mate with 22...♗b5, and this leads to a forced win, whatever White tries: 22.♔e2 (22.♖f1) 22...♗b5+ 23.♔e1 ♕a5+ 24.♔d1 ♘xf2+ 25.♔c2 ♗a4+ 26.♔b1 ♕b5+-+.

22.♔c2 ♗a4+!

22...♖xa8 23.♖b1! (23.♖c1 ♕xa3-+); 22...♕e2+ 23.♔b3 ♕d3+=.

23.♔b2 ♕b5+

23...♕e2+ 24.♔b1.

24.♔c1 ♕f1+

24...♖f6?? 25.♖c8+ ♔f7 26.♖b1+-.

25.♔b2 ♕xf2+ 26.♔b1 ♕f1+ 27.♔b2 ♕xg2+ 28.♔b1 ♕f1+ 29.♔b2 ♕e2+ 30.♔c1

30.♔b1 ♕d3+ 31.♔b2 ♕b3+ 32.♔c1 ♕xe3+-+.

30...♕xe3+ 31.♔b2 ♕f2+ 32.♔b1 ♕f1+ 33.♔b2 ♕g2+

33...♕e2+ 34.♔b1 and now:

A) 34...♕f1+ 35.♔b2 ♕g2+ 36.♔b1 ♔h8 37.♖a2 ♕f1+ 38.♔b2 ♕e2+ 39.♔b1 ♕d3+ 40.♔b2 ♖g8-+;

B) 34...♖f6 35.♖c8+ ♔f7 36.♕c7+ ♔g6 37.♘e5+ ♔h5 (37...♔h6? 38.♖a2 ♕e1+ 39.♕c1+) 38.♖a2 ♕d1+ 39.♕c1 ♕xd4!-+;

C) 34...♗d7 35.♖xd7 ♘c3+ 36.♔c1 ♕d1+ 37.♔b2 ♘a4+ 38.♔a2 ♕c2#.

34.♔b1

34...♔h8

A) Also good was 34...h6! 35.♖a2 ♕f1+ 36.♖c1 (36.♔b2 ♕e2+ 37.♔c1 ♕d1+ 38.♔b2 ♖f6-+) 36...♘c3+ 37.♔b2 ♕f2+ 38.♔xc3 ♕xa2 and Black wins;

B) 34...♖f6? 35.♖c8+ ♔f7 36.♕c7+ ♔g6 37.♘h4++-;

C) 34...♗d1? 35.♖a2!+-.

35.♖a2

A) 35.♘e1 ♘d2+ 36.♔c1 ♕g5 37.♕e2 ♘b3+-+;

B) 35.♘h4 ♘d2+ 36.♔c1 (36.♔a2 ♗b3+ 37.♔b2 ♘c4+) 36...♘b3+ 37.♔b1 ♕g1+-+.

35...♕f1+ 36.♔b2 ♖g8 ½-½

36...♕f2+ 37.♔b1 ♕f1+ 38.♔b2 ♕e2+ 39.♔b1 ♕d1+ 40.♔b2 ♖g8 was winning for Black, because of the threat of 41...♕b3+, followed by 42...♘c3. There are no threats for White, whereas Black will get back the material with dividends.

About the actual tournament situation, how should we think when we reach a difficult position? Should we try to go very deep to uncover all the subtleties, nuances and critical moves in the position, or should we do some customary analysis and intuitively perceive things?

There are no hard and fast rules here. However, we should consider the following things before deciding on this:

1. Time remaining on the clock.

2. Our current form.

3. The position on the board. Is it calculable or too complex? Are things forced, or are things not very forced?

4. The tournament situation and what we need from this game.

5. Our confidence, or lack of it, in our ability to calculate deeper.

6. Our training methods.

In the next game, Pragg’s opponent sacrificed an exchange right out of the opening. Pragg had the option to accept the sacrifice, but he had to calculate and evaluate the resulting positions well, or decline the exchange and play in a position that is easier to play for him.

Pragg chose the latter option. However, an argument could be made that an upcoming, evolving player should learn to trust his instincts and be willing to push himself out of his comfort zone and test his limits.

Game 178 Level 4

Eric de Haan 2304

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa 2515

Gibraltar 2018 (6)

In this position right out of the opening, White sacrificed an exchange and Pragg declined it. He felt that White gets good compensation, but a deeper look tells us otherwise:

18...♖xc3

The critical 18...♘xc3! should have been played. But many times, we need to calculate very deeply and accurately to justify such decisions: 19.♘d6 ♘e2+ 20.♔f1 (20.♔h1 ♖c1!-+) 20...♘c5! (this is a difficult move to spot) 21.dxc5 ♘d4! (leaving the second knight on a loose square just after sacrificing the other knight is practically too difficult) 22.♕c4 (22.♕d3 ♕a4! 23.b3 (23.♘xc8 ♖xc8 24.b3 ♘xb3 25.axb3 ♕xh4-+) 23...♘xb3!, exploiting the hanging nature of the ♗h4) 22...♕d7! (indirectly defending the ♘d4) 23.♘xc8 (23.♕xd4 ♖xc5 24.♗g3 ♖d5 25.♕b4 ♖d8 26.♘e4 ♖d1-+) 23...♖xc8 24.b4. It looks like White has stabilised without much damage, but now the next wave begins: 24...a5! 25.a3 ♘b5!! 26.a4 ♘d4-+.

19.♘xc3∞

Now the position was balanced but easy to play for Black.

Learning to use our resources efficiently and effectively

a) Individual inner qualities: talent, ability to learn, passion for the game, ability to work hard, endurance, commitment, fighting spirit, time management, hunger for knowing and growing, self-belief in challenging situations, ability to change ourselves as per the requirement, energy levels, ability to concentrate on the job at hand especially under demanding conditions, emotional stability, handling expectations and criticisms from people who matter more to us and from the rest, turning our shortcomings into our strengths, etc.

b) External resources, like the opportunity to train with effective coaches or players, access to books/databases/videos, parental support, financial situation, support from the school, a lack of the above, etc.

Chess is time-intensive

Excellence in chess involves time-intensive effort. There are no ways around this. It requires a degree of long-term commitment from the player, and a willingness to put in consistent effort over time. The ability to learn, the interest shown towards learning, improving, and getting more robust in the process, the hunger for knowledge, the fighting qualities at times of difficulty, good concentration, optimum time management skills, the ability to handle pressure, being self-reliant, a healthy self-esteem – all these and many such qualities will make the journey more purposeful and rewarding. Being reasonably ambitious with complete understanding and an acceptance that it involves a cost, that is, long-term gains over short-term pains, are some of the main qualities required of a player. These qualities, which can be cultivated with deliberate effort, make the learning process efficient.

When we take up playing chess seriously, we also bring our personality traits into the journey. They have a significant impact on how we play, learn, improve, practice, concentrate, etc. There will be some personality traits that will not let us learn effectively and will hamper our performance. Chess learning is effective only if we evolve into someone better along the way on these issues.

Knowing is not doing

We should be ready to change our nature for the better, and evolve throughout our association with chess. Long-term commitment is essential – the right attitude towards the learning process. Implementing what we learn from different sources is especially important – merely accumulating knowledge and what needs to be done and how, is not sufficient. Knowing we can sacrifice a pawn for rapid development is no use if we cannot decide over the board due to the factors that pull us back.

Improving our capabilities – the aim of preparation

There are many hidden resources in almost every position; we should improve our analytical abilities to bring out as many of these resources as possible. We should be ready to invest more time/energy/effort in every position than we generally would. Learning and acquiring these capabilities is the main aim of chess preparation.

Importance of training correctly

In my experience as a coach, I have come across many students who are very passionate about chess, highly ambitious, very hard-working, have a supportive family, and yet they still do not make much progress in their chess strength, and eventually end up with mediocre results. This leads to disillusionment, frustration, helplessness, and loss of confidence in themselves, apart from the monumental waste of time, effort, and energy. Why does this happen? Is studying chess sincerely and for many hours not good enough to be successful?

To understand this, we should go deeply into the underlying issues that hamper effective learning. When does actual learning happen? Learning happens only when we change within for the better. Learning happens when we focus on the process, rather than on the outcome. It is essential to go to the depth of an issue, rather than being satisfied with the explanation on the surface, and to search for what is beyond the obvious and visible to the naked eye. We should be a seeker of truth with single-minded devotion.

The right attitude towards the learning process is essential. Throughout our association with chess, we try to evolve for the better. Accumulating information and knowledge are not enough. The skill to implement what we learnt from different sources is essential.

Reasons for missing moves

1. Being complacent, not serious about analysing, but making a routine effort to analyse without commitment, not making a serious effort.

2. Being satisfied after seeing a few moves.

3. Not being alert enough.

4. A lack of interest in finding the truth.

5. Not concentrating enough due to tiredness, a distracted mind, and a lack of interest in learning and improving.

6. Lack of proper training. As a result, the player has not learnt to go deeply into the position and find the hidden, tough-to-find resources.

7. A lack of skills to handle the problems posed by the position.

The role of a coach

1. Setting goals based on students’ ability and work ethics.

2. Cultivate a passion for chess and towards learning through struggle.

3. Make the students aware that a lot needs to be understood, and that we should start now!

4. Remove the fear of bad results, or, put in other words, teach them how to handle losses and temporary setbacks.

5. Teach the student not to play to satisfy others’ expectations, but rather play for one’s love for the game.

6. Not to fear others’ criticisms when results are not favourable.

7. Teach the student that learning more and becoming more vital in the process is the only way to ensure good results in the long run.

8. Teach the student the value of hard work.

9. Knowing is not doing; mere accumulation of knowledge and information is not enough. Students should upgrade analytical skills as well.

10. We should also play for experimenting, learning and to get to know more about ourselves, and not just for good results.

11. Teach how to manage time, on and off the board, effectively.

12. Help the student to form a schedule to prepare at home.

13. Teach the student the importance of self-learning from books, analysing games, etc.

14. Teach the student how to concentrate better by overcoming distractions.

15. Prioritise learning over results.

16. Teach the student the importance of upgrading yourself continuously.

17. Do not judge students on a game-to-game or tournament-to-tournament basis.

18. Give students space to make mistakes and learn.

Coaching should not just be seen as a means of earning income. Teaching should not be restricted to sharing information with the kids. Teachers must inspire, motivate, explain, converse, share, learn, connect, and evolve with them. If a child gives his best effort, I consider him successful in that activity. We should share equally their painful moments and their joys along their journey.