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

Still Going...

Just a quick blurb, don't want anyone to think that I caught the sniffles. :)
Work has picked back up, plus I'm in the midst of trying to learn some new software that will hopefully make the design process a little easier. It cuts out a ton of the tedious functions that I used to do by hand. Plus anytime in the past someone made a change I’d have to restart from scratch, looks like that is quickly coming to an end.

Still slogging through the Cycles...

Cycle 7 Complete

The Mate-in-3 problems really aren't that hard, not that I would spot all of them in a blitz game or anything. But it does teach one to focus on the squares around the enemy King. Quite a few of them aren't a series of checks which I imagined they would be when I started. Lots of them contain waiting moves or the sealing off of key squares before the final checks are delivered.

Welcome our newest Knight Druss.

Cycle 8- 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%
4,200 down-2,800 remaining
98 Days down 43 to go

Cycle 6 Complete

Little over half way through the exercises, and well over the half way mark for the days/Mini-Cycles. I get my first taste of the Mate-in-3 problems this Cycle. It's going to be fun!

I did find a few errors in the Mate-in-Two problems. But unlike CT-Art, Chessbase will allow you to correct the errors in the database. Cool Stuff.

Cycle 7- 25 Down 575 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%
3,625 down-3,375 remaining
85 Days down 56 to go

Cycle 5 Complete

Cycle 5 Complete

Now to explain some of the cool things happening from doing these simple little mate exercises.

1) There are only so many patterns that occur in the mates-in-two. It really gives you a good way to practice learning how the pieces interact and support each other while constructing mating nets.
2) While working through the problems I was amazed to see how many examples where both sides are threatening mate. Neat to see top players going for each others throats only to see one move decide the outcome.
3) Time and time again while searching for the mating combinations I spotted variations that would force the second player to jettison decisive amounts of material just to stave off mate. There were tons of examples that even if the second player were given the luxury of moving first or I found a move that on closer examination turned out to be second best, they would still have to jettison decisive amounts of material to avoid the mate. It just goes to show how important it is for players to recognize mates and mate threats.

In conclusion I’m really starting to view these problems as just an extension of the inherent abilities of each piece. Let me rephrase that last sentence and hopefully make it less confusing. No longer do I have to search and waste time thinking about whether or not mate exists in a given position. I now know the answer. Just view the Mate-in-X problems as a form of "check" (of course not all mate threats start with check) that will force your opponent to respond accordingly. If they don't see the threat then it just makes the execution of your plan that much easier. (I’m not talking about playing “Wish” or “Hope” chess.) Because the longer I practice these simple little exercises the faster I begin to see them, and continue to learn ways to utilize just the threat of mate to my advantage.

Cycle 6- 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%
3,000 down-4,000 remaining
70 Days down 71 to go

Cycle 4 Complete

Can't wait to explain the cool things that are starting to happen from just doing these simple little mates.

Cycle 5- 0 Down 600 to go.
Points Reached 151/151=100%

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%
2,425 down-4,575 remaining
57 Days down 84 to go

Cycle 3 Complete

Cycle 4- 400 Down 200 to go.
Points Reached 2420/2440=99.18%

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%
2,200 down-4,800 remaining
54 Days down 87 to go

Finally the Weekend Arrives!

I haven't had much free time to post, but still chipping away at the exercises.

Cycle 3- 200 Down 400 to go.
Points Reached 1198/1222=98.04%
Totals
Cycle 1-Completed. Points Reached 1838/1842=99.78%
Cycle 2-Completed. Points reached 2052/2052=100%
1,400 down-5,600 remaining
36 Days down 105 to go

Ack!

Note to self, impulse movement is bad.
Cruising along nailing the problems, then I grab the wrong piece.
But I do seem to wake up after these incidents.

Cycle 3- 50 Down 550 to go. Points Reached 309/315=98.10%

Totals
Cycle 1-Completed. Points Reached 1838/1842=99.78%
Cycle 2-Completed. Points reached 2052/2052=100%
1,250 down-5,750 remaining
30 Days down 111 to go

Cycle 2 Complete

I figured I might as well smoke these problems too.
Officially out of the flatlands and starting the ascent.
Maybe a good rule of thumb for assigning a level of difficulty for Mate-in-X problems would be to count each move in the solution as a level.
For example a 1 move problem= Level 10, 2 moves=Level 20, etc.
Because the level 10 and 20 exercises from CT-Art were equally easy on the whole, but I will say that there are some of the CT-Art problems that are seriously mislabeled, even in the first two levels.
The only sad part to doing this means the material I'm using doesn't break Level 30.
On the other hand I plan on raising the difficulty for the next 1,000 problems. I may continue the three levels at a time approach. I just didn't want to try and skip over something that may appear easy or assume that I couldn't learn anything from the lower level mates. In fact it has been a really good exercise in seeing the pieces in action. What’s turning out to be a quick refresher course of sorts, but still educational. Well I say refresher but I haven’t hit the Mates-in-3, which is sure to be lots of fun for opening up new areas of thinking. All of the mates on the CD are from actual games Master strength and above. I'm sure the majority were resigned long before the final moves were played out, but none the less if GM's are walking into these kinds of patterns what harm can it do for players of lower levels to use them as study guides?

Anyway Cycle 3 starts tomorrow.

Cycle 3- 0 Down 600 to go.

Totals
Cycle 1-Completed. Points Reached 1838/1842=99.78%
Cycle 2-Completed. Points reached 2052/2052=100%
1,200 down-5,800 remaining
28 Days down 113 to go

Cycle 1 Complete

I went ahead and finished Cycle 1.
Probably spent more time today creating the 2-2-2 spread sheet than I did on the remaining problems total, I may go ahead and romp through the next Cycle too. Seeing how the material load is light.
Cycle 2 contains 86 Mate-in-One problems, and 14 Mate-in-Two problems.

Cycle 2- 0 Down 600 to go.

Totals
Cycle 1-Completed. Points Reached 1838/1842=99.78%
600 down-6,400 remaining
7 Days down 127 to go

Tweakage

During the weekend I may go ahead and squeeze in some more problems especially since these are just mates-in-one at the moment.
The main ingredient to the modified Circles Plan is scoring percentage coupled with volume and not just sheer repetition alone. I can't really see where doing more would hurt as long as I continue to maintain the required success rate. (Anything less than 90% equates to repeating that particular Cycles subject material.) If I start to falter, then of course I back off. As I move up to the harder problems I imagine I will just stick to what is required, no need to press. I'm in this for the long haul.
I am going to tweak the 2-2-2 plan even further by adding one more Cycle. But this additional Cycle will include a review of all 1,000 problems in one day. This will give me a good measuring stick to gauge my overall understanding and retention of the course material.
Also it will bring the number of problems completed to 7,000. This is my acknowledging nod/tribute towards what Michael de la Maza’s plan called for in its original inception.
Seems fitting, for without his initial inspiration there wouldn’t have been any Knights Errant. Plus what better way to end the exercises than by having a final exam?

Cycle 1- 150 problems completed. Points Reached 459/463=99%
150 down 450 to go in Cycle 1

Totals
150 down-6,850 remaining
6 Days down 135 to go

Cleaning out the cobwebs

I’m now a firm believer in doing some sort of tactical exercises every day.

Whether it is some sort of set program or just doing 20 problems a day I can see a difference in my performance even after just a few days back. Even tired as I am now after a long work day, I saw things faster than I did yesterday. It feels like some sort of fog has lifted from the chess board. It’s either that or hunger, off to dinner.

Cycle 1- 100 problems completed. Points Reached 228/232=98%
100 down 500 to go in Cycle 1

Totals
100 down-5,900 remaining
4 Days down 136 to go

Trying to create a checklist

I started out the day by reminding myself to really start taking my time. I found myself getting back into forming a loose checklist before I make the move. Then I said what the heck, I have never actually written down a checklist so now would be a good time to do so and get in the habit of using it.

At first I thought I could take a few liberties with the position such as not bothering to see if I was in check, and jumping ahead to focus only on the targeted King and his surrounding squares since the problems are just the Mate-In-One variety and the exercises are timed.

So I started out with this abbreviated checklist.
1) Which side has the move?
2) Look to see if any of my pieces are pinned to my King.
3) Find the targeted King.
4) Look at which squares are presently off limits, and which are possible escape squares.
If the King is immobilized then I know a simple check will be enough.
5) Look for pieces that can deliver check to both the King and the escape square(s).
6) After I find a piece or pieces that meet the above criteria, I then look to see if the piece can be captured if I play the move I'd like to play.
7) If it appears it can be captured make sure the defending piece isn't pinned, which would allow my “Candidate Move”.
8) If my “Candidate Move” is nullified move to the next piece.
9) If my “Candidate Move” is safe, check to make sure that it is legal, and then play it.

While my initial “Checklist” maybe ok for problem solving Mate-In-One exercises what is it going to do when I hit Mate-In-Two, Three, Four, etc? That lead me to thinking about what ultimately is the deciding factor. Which has to be what is my training going to do for me in game situations? Where there are no helpful guides or game indicators. That is when I realized all I had done for the most part with my first draft was create a situation that would cause me to use shortcuts in a position when I should be looking for ways to accurately find the best move for both sides. Shortcuts are good to know and sometimes a necessity. But they are not something that I want to have to rely on using with any regularity. Nor do I want to create a checklist that reinforces using them. Just focusing on one side all the time will cause me to overlook my opponent’s threats.

What I need to find or create is a good solid approach that will allow me to focus on what is relevant in any position. This further reinforces my belief in doing these simple little exercises. Because without a solid foundation understanding the basics how does a player expect to accurately and quickly assess positions? Anyone can find the occasional good move, but I want to be able to find them every time and quickly.

Anyway this is where I am at the moment, revising the checklist. But I’m sure once compiled it is something that will not remain static for any period of time. I’m curious to see what kind of list the other Knights use.

Cycle 1- 75 problems completed. Points Reached 228/232=98%
75 down 525 to go in Cycle 1

Totals
75 down-5,925 remaining
3 Days down 137 to go

Oh the Humanity

I missed a mate-in-one??
Serves me right for impulse answering.
I did get it right on the second attempt, lol.
49 out of 50 is 98%, but the database has its own scoring system.
So currently I'm running 152/156 for 97%
Time to take it slow, the word for each day should be accuracy.

Speaking of which "Cycle" should have read "Mini-cycle" yesterday.
There are 200 problems (100 Exercises X 2 Passes) in each "Mini-cycle".

Cycle 1- 50 problems completed. Points Reached 152/156=97%
50 down 550 to go in Cycle 1

Totals
50 down-5,950 remaining
2 Days down 138 to go

The Return of 2-2-2

It's been awhile since I have had the opportunity to work through the exercises with any regularity.
But there comes a time when one just has to push all the extra crap aside and just make time to do the things one enjoys. I love studying chess. In some form or another, I feel like it is something that helps me to relax. Even my wife has noticed a difference since I quit following my own program, and has encouraged me to restart the exercises! How cool is that?
So to gather any kind of feedback on whether the 2-2-2 plan was working I feel it necessary to restart the program and maintain it for the duration.
So without further delay... Welcome Back Mr. Pawnza!

Focus Material- "1000x Checkmate" by Ftacnik
Cycle 1- 25 problems completed. Points Reached 78/78=100%
25 down 175 to go in Cycle 1

Totals
25 down-5,975 remaining
1 Day down 139 to go

For those wondering the "Points Reached" stat is one that is generated by Chessbase. Right-click on a database, then select "Training" to gather the information.