Long slow process

I have just about completed one opening for White, only 7 or so more to go.

Post Cycle Update

I have actually been really busy since completing the Cycles. My focus has been solidifying my opening repertoire and creating my "playbook" so to speak. At first it seemed overwhelming, with so many lines and sub-variations then it dawned on me, it was sitting there the whole time in full view.
The single most important thing that I noticed while studying the various lines and inputting moves is the common thread all the time tested openings share. It doesn't matter whether I'm looking at King's Gambit lines or Nimzo-Indian lines it is all the same. The thread you ask? Piece activity/development with a plan, plain and simple. Increase your piece activity while making moves to limit your opponents. I have yet to see an opening that helps the opponent develop.

The moves are what they are because they have to be, a response to maintaining a balance. Give and take.

There comes a point when I'm inputting the moves where I have to truncate the lines. Realistically unless I'm playing a particularly sharp line where the theory is so well known that move 10 is the starting point (for example certain variations in the Sicilian Dragon) what’s the point of taking something out to move 25? At my level of play my opponents will most certainly deviate long before then, so why waste time. My plan at the moment is to memorize lines up to the point where all of my pieces are developed, learn the relevant themes involved of each opening concerned and try to steer the game down paths where I have some sort of strategic clue. To do this I will have to play through the games of the greats plain and simple. It all comes back to the pattern recognition. Openings are patterns to get you through the mine field, and middle game planning involves the strategic patterns. Knowledge of past master games is the way to learn what constitutes an advantage and how to capitalize on said advantage. Endgames are where you bring home the bacon. An advantage is useless if you can't capitalize on it.
I plan on absorbing/studying some endgame technique while playing through the master games.

"Mission Accomplished", and who turned on the light?

Late last night kind of by accident I decided to go ahead and tackle the final Cycle which was the "final review" of all 1,000 problems. If I had given it any real thought I would have waited until sometime today when I was rested and relaxed before attempting the final lap. But the real test of whether you know something or not is how well you perform while being exhausted.
Since I'm recovering from a wonderful summer cold and was already sleep deprived, last night at the time seemed like a good idea.

I am really happy with the results. It took me less than 3 hours to cover all 1,000 problems. What I am even more pleased with is the pattern recognition. It seems as if I have increased my own little stock pile of mating patterns that I can call up at a glance, which is really nice. During the review I noticed my focus was on the proximity and classification of my pieces in relationship to the enemy king and not trying to recall the exact answer. I would see a familiar set-up and then I would check the correct move order. Basically I would identify the possible theme(s) available and then go from there. All in all it was pretty easy, no muss, and no fuss just clean efficient regicide.

I wasn’t sure what to expect until I had completed the final cycle. I didn’t know if I would have to relearn/resolve the problems from scratch or if I would just remember the answers. Finding out that I was primarily recalling typical patterns is nice to know.

So now seeing the benefit of just learning simple mating patterns is making me realize how important pattern training really is to becoming a better player. Of course developing calculation muscle is equally important along with a host of other ideas and I don’t plan to neglect those either. But until now I had never really thought of chess in this particular light.

Whether it is the opening, middlegame, endgame, or even particular strategies it is the patterns that we know and understand that influence our decision making. I really think up to this point I have seriously neglected the importance of keeping things simple.

I couldn’t see the forest for all of the trees.

I plan on changing that.

Totals
Cycle 1-Completed. Points Reached 1838/1842=99.78%
Cycle 2-Completed. Points reached 2052/2052=100%
Cycle 3-Completed. Points Reached 3624/3648=99.34%
Cycle 4-Completed. Points Reached 3640/3660=99.45%
Cycle 5-Completed. Points Reached 3582/3600=99.50%
Cycle 6-Completed. Points Reached 3582/3600=99.50%
Cycle 7-Completed. Points Reached 4404/4428=99.46%
Cycle 8-Completed. Points Reached 5355/5400=99.17%
Cycle 9-Completed. Points Reached 5364/5400=99.33%
Cycle 10-Completed. Points Reached 5346/5400=99.00%
Cycle 11-Completed. 988 problems correct out of 1000=98.80%

7,000 down-0 remaining
141 Days down 0 to go

Cycle 9 Complete

Couldn't help myself, got on a roll and just went with it.
Getting ready to do the same thing to Cycle 10.
Then the final review all 1000 problems of the course material. Just to see how well I remember what I have hopefully learned.

I cannot wait to "graduate" from the Cycles/Circles and this particular part of the tactical training.
Roughly I figure up to this point I have completed at least 9,000+ tactical exercises with another 1,600 yet to go. This of course includes the 3,500 or so that I did with CT-Art until I could no longer stand the percentage of error filled problems that are inherent to the program and I decided to switch course material.
It doesn't include the number problems that I revisited or practiced over and over again until I had the pattern etched into my memory.

Cycle 10- 0 Down 600 to go.

Totals
Cycle 1-Completed. Points Reached 1838/1842=99.78%
Cycle 2-Completed. Points reached 2052/2052=100%
Cycle 3-Completed. Points Reached 3624/3648=99.34%
Cycle 4-Completed. Points Reached 3640/3660=99.45%
Cycle 5-Completed. Points Reached 3582/3600=99.50%
Cycle 6-Completed. Points Reached 3582/3600=99.50%
Cycle 7-Completed. Points Reached 4404/4428=99.46%
Cycle 8-Completed. Points Reached 5355/5400=99.17%
Cycle 9-Completed. Points Reached 5364/5400=99.33%
5,400 down-1,600 remaining
126 Days down 15 to go

Cycle 8 Complete

Running a little bit behind on this cycle, probably would have finished sooner if it hadn't been for Mousetrapper's latest find.

The Chess Tactics Server

Which is the equivalent of electronic crack. So be warned all who dare enter.

Hopefully I will get a good jump on this next set of problems over this long holiday weekend.
I want to get started on my next project which is entering moves into the Chess Position Trainer. That is going to take a serious amount of effort, but it will be well worth it.

Welcome our new group of Knights. Zeon, Silver Dragon, Dread Pirate Josh, and Ed G.

Cycle 9- 0 Down 600 to go.

Totals
Cycle 1-Completed. Points Reached 1838/1842=99.78%
Cycle 2-Completed. Points reached 2052/2052=100%
Cycle 3-Completed. Points Reached 3624/3648=99.34%
Cycle 4-Completed. Points Reached 3640/3660=99.45%
Cycle 5-Completed. Points Reached 3582/3600=99.50%
Cycle 6-Completed. Points Reached 3582/3600=99.50%
Cycle 7-Completed. Points Reached 4404/4428=99.46%
Cycle 8-Completed. Points Reached 5355/5400=99.17%
4,800 down-2,200 remaining
112 Days down 29 to go