We're genetically wired to conserve energy and calculation is mentally taxing (energy-consuming). So it's normal to want to avoid it, but if we can become aware of when we're being lazy, we can try to resist it.
and people look for the other brain trainings like reading books, scroll social media to get some knowledge, play video games, watch some podcast, play online brain training games and there is easy things to engage with not need a much effort yeah also some are play chess but necesarry doesnt play a quality game as just playing without much planning and calculation, just moves the pieces with no reason what do you think?
I know myself, as I play mostly 10|0 rapid there is not much time to calculate every move ir at all so I play mostly on my intuition, and calculate at critical moments, otherwise just blunderchecks. 1944 in rapid right now
Alexander Kotov was correct you can play better chess just by brute force calculating all the forcing move lines. Modern day chess engines are a testament to his theories. However Nimzowitsch was also correct about systems because it helps human player play instinctively and not have to waste time calculating every move.
Andras, how did you become such an effective chess communicator? There are a lot of coaches out there but your way of teaching chess is phenomenally good! You emphasize key points really well especially with your body language. Thanks for this awesome content!
Thanks Paul for the kind comment (sorry for missing it) 2 keys: Lots of experience (almost 2 decades) and also I thrive to improve myself along my students. Learning is eternal!
I don't speak English very well and I saw this video three time, one for reading comments, one for listening trying understand the words and one for see the moves. Lol. Thanks for this video
Just last Saturday I was teaching about how to plan and part of that was using calculation. I told my students that one of the easiest ways to loosen up your imagination is to use one of two things: just think of where you would move your own pieces for some moves with the other side only responding to captures and checks and the other is to use Capablanca's idea of just mentally picking up pieces and setting them on the squares where they are needed (particularly useful on a more open board endgame). These are very effective ways to free a player from the my-move_your-move_my-move_your-move thing where a lot of rational limits kick in and hinder imagination.
17:57 that "oopsie" is the reason my calculating process is really hard. There are always things missing. I find that although I calculate a lot, my calculations are inefficient because I'm missing pieces of the puzzle. The deeper I go, the more chances I'm missing something and it's kind of frustrating
As usual, spectacular video. In the comments I see people asking how to practice calculation. What I personally like to do is spectate live games at classical time controls. You can try to work out lines while the game is going on. This has several advantages: 1) Unlike puzzles, you don't know if there is a tactic or not 2) there's not a rush to get the calculations done in a few seconds, but there still a bit of time pressure in that someone will move 3) You can be a lot more cold-blooded, as you don't have any skin in the game Another thing that helps is that I realize I like to calculate. It's fun! Working out a study correctly is quite enjoyable. If you find that you enjoy calculating, you become less inclined to turn to the computer for an immediate answer. I'd rather do it myself that watch it get done.
I've been doing something like this with any matches I can find between Ginger GM and John Bartholomew, those 2 have an awesome combination of attacking and positional chess that really gives you a well rounded display, because they each push the other to think more like them
Az egyik legjobb sakkvideó! Mindenki a csodát keresi, megnyitásokat tanul, megnéz 600 leckét, de a fejlődés elmarad... Te pedig kristálytisztán rámutatsz a helyes ösvényre. Persze valahol fura, hogy ezzel felnyitottad az emberek szemét (az enyémet is beleértve). De az emberi természet már csak ilyen: aki nem versenyszerűen sakkozik, az minden csodaszert kipróbál, minden követ megmozgat, csak gondolkodni ne kelljen. :)
Your content is “top notch.” Your videos always make me go “Wow,” this is such “high level” “legendary” stuff. As appreciation for your content, I purchased all your courses on Chessable, and haven’t been disappointed. Love the new thumbnails. They are almost as awesome as your videos. Thank you, for all you do!
Your thought process starting at 16:17 and then visualizing getting rid of the Knight on e4 takes absolutely great skills 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. Congratulations man!!!
This reminded me of a POV video by an extreme athlete :D. Very educational! Most other people just tell you which candidate moves you should look for (checks, captures, threats). Nice to see the actual thought process by a professional line for line. I'd love to see more of this. Maybe even with example positions for different levels (if that is not too much to ask for)?
I realized surpriisingly that calculating is hard, but evaluate the future position is even harder at least for me,because it requires to be sure who is better and why and this is the most difficult thing for me especially when material is equal or if you are material down.
It would be great to get a list of ways to improve calculation. In Pulgar and Toth's Chessable course, Master Your Chess Pt. 1, the blurb about the book says visualization and calculation are NOT improved by doing tactical puzzles, and I didn't see in the course what the suggested method was (I was disappointed with that fact.) My only thoughts to improve on calculation (and I'd love other ideas or corrections) are: 1. Play longer time format games and calculating diligently. 2. A course like Visualise on Chessable 3. Courses like Knight Fork Trainer, Moves Ahead, and Survive and Thrive on Chessable. 4. I don’t see why tactic puzzles wouldn’t improve on calculation…I’d love to here from Andres on why not. Wonderful content, as usual, thank you.
OK, I was ELO 1100 few months ago. now I am 1600, beating many 1700 guys. Few months and a rapid difference in my game. And the only difference - calculation. I did not do that before properly, now I am trying to be way more conscious and tactical about it. If someone thinks the calculation is important, it is an underestimation. Big thank you for sharing your insight Andras :)
@@skylarmimikyu7844 Hi, I started to learn how to play - found 2 openings which suits me and I can force them to my oponent most of the times - London for white, Indian deffence for black and I play only these so I get better and better in the upcoming lines. And I try to analyze the games if I have time at least a bit. And watching guys like John Bartholomew (quick tutorials, important tactics) and Agadmator (for fun, but you will get much from the explanations) and sometimes I play chess puzzles (now ranked 2300 :)) that helps with the calculation, you need to think in a way "if I play this, he can play this and this and I can reply with this and this..." And then I play at least 1-3 times per day. Sometimes blitz or bullet just to force myself to get used to fast playing and not making many mistakes. And then I am at my best in rapid - I have solid and very quick openings, I can calculete the middle game and I am able to play fast and quite ok and precise in the end game if needed. Now 1700 in rapid. It is just a skill. At least until 2000-2500 I would say. Then also genetics play a role.
Great video. Just what i needed. Being a 1800s otb rated player, it is clear to me that my positional knowledge is greater than that of my peers at my level, but, oddly enough, my calculation level is below them. I know what i need to work on to break 2000. Thanks, Coach Andras! The best channel on the YT! 💯
This video is really an eye opener for me. Thanks coach. I am also one of those lazy guys who don’t want to calculate and rely on other things to beat your opponent. Just because of not calculating the next 2-3 moves from my opponents , I have lost several games in the past. And this video exactly points out what I should do differently to improve in my calculation skills.
Mate I just discovered your channel, what an eye opener. I could calculate that d5, Ne5, Bxc4, Nxc4, Qa4+ etc but my assessment was wrong, I was thinking ‘oh I have doubled pawns on f file, and isolated on d file, I don’t like it’ The assessment of the position is something I’m lacking still. Great video
I can't believe I only recently convinced myself to look at your channel, Mr. Toth. This is priceless material for an adult improver such as me. Thank you so much.
"You must play the future, not the present!" Fabulous. Thank you, Coach Andras. This is really hard to improve... What books, exercises, resources you recommend to train calculation (beginner/intermediate)? Thank you.
@@Galadrew They certainly have helped me greatly. However, what they don't exercise is the ability to calculate where there are no tactics (or the tactics are inherent but you assume your opponent will see them), and then to visualize and evaluate the resulting position. I don't really know how to practice that. I just try to ask myself: What are the dynamics of the resulting position? "Oh, I see that I'm left with an IQP but pieces are too easily traded down. Maybe not." Or, "Oh, this is great, I'm left with a space advantage and my opponent will find it hard to create meaningful threats."
@@marcofrey2903 try going over master games, but hide the next move. try guessing what the next move will be. of course, unless you're already very high rated, you won't be correct most of the time, but its still a good way to practice
What an amazing video .. the best video I have watched in my life on chess that actually addresses me .. thanks Roth .. be proud u have actually ignited a 36 yr old guy interst who might actually teach his son this method over a cup of tea and he might be happy forever
Andras Toth ftw. After his "understanding your openings" series, I started playing the nimzo Indian in casual games and crushing people rated 1900 on lichess. When I'm 2000, I'm going to try and buy him something haha
This is just amazing content. Thank you very much. Apart from making me realise how much hard mental hard work is needed for good chess I also realise how much Blitz games are hurting me. Although good fun I just play off instinct. So thanks again :)
Thank you for this amazing video. I remember myself when i figured out that I should use also the opponents time to my benefit, it really improved my game but after watching this video i know my calculations are still too lazy. I'm not putting in my best effort so I guess I have to play fewer games and concentrate on the quality over quantity.
This is great advice thank you! The follow up question is, how to best practice this type calculation+evaluation? I know many players who practice tactics tactics tactics (including myself), but often (at least at the 1400-1800~ level) this seems to training more pattern recognition (great for blitz!) instead of the practicing of imagination and evaluation of candidate moves for more positional advantages (tactic exercise seem to almost always be forcing lines, and so little evaluation necessary, as the found line is either a completely winning solution or not)
Simply work with Mark Dvoretsky's books on that particular aspect, or Jacob Aagaard's, or Romain Edouard's. They all offer you focused training exercises on calculation, among other topics.
‘Forcing yourself to think’ …..that’s the key…..forcing yourself to do physical exercise……same thing. It’s about overcoming the inertia of laziness….good advice…maybe start with a 2 or 3 move evaluation and when your comfortable extend it. I suppose at some point you will find it easier to go in deeper. Good video Andras. Thank you.
I played a 15:10 game today in the kings Indian where white allowed me to kick a knight with b4 and i absolutely crushed his position. Everything collapsed. 85.9 percent accurate and said i played like an 1850 on analysis. Thanks for improving my game. Much appreciated.
Excellent video. Game three is saved by black by Knight to A6 preventing the follow-up queen check but then losing the game by being down a piece. Good example of a winning game by having more active pieces with a pawn gambit.
Many amateur players cannot judge the nature of the position they get after calculation. I think a major ability in chess is assessing whether the position where you end up is good or bad for you. Maybe you are calculating correctly and in the end you think the position is not favorable for you and you give up on that line.
Thank you for this! I tried being disciplined and doing my calculations in a recent game and I discovered an overworked defender. It allowed me to obtain a material advantage.
Just came across this channel the other day and subscribed! Excellent content with awesome explanations - I really profit a lot from it! Thanks a lot Andras =)
Great video! I have a question about how we evaluate the final position of the calculation. Do you recommend we try to assign a numeric value? Or should it be an intuitive "good/ok/bad"?
Awesome video! I feel exposed because I've been trapped in diagnostic assessement for years, but I never had a name to put to the concept. This year one of my resolutions is to get better at calculation although it takes effort (nobody sad it was easy 😊)
you are funny on your opening statement, I laughed. Calculations, wow. Shows me how far away I am. May Jesus bless me with the sight in my mind. Thank you for your video. Great.
Amazing video, that relly touches on the main problem in my (and i would assume many other's) chess: the problem isn't that i CAN'T, it's that i often DON'T :p That being said, i think you need fairly good visualization skills to actually calculate properly, and i'm not exactly sure how to get there sometimes... do i solve puzzles? practice blindfold? play more long games? If you need ideas on future videos, any pointers in how to improve visualization would be greatly appreciated :) Anyway, you are by far and away the most instructive guy on YT when it comes to chess improvement imo, great stuff!
Thanks Sherlock! 😂 Great video, great attitude...really enjoing your thinking. The 51% 49% rule about favouring your line but looking for the best defense is great. Same with reacting to the future not the present. Chess has so many philosophical & practical applications, amazing ❤
Fun fact: if you disable the calculation part in an engine like AlphaZero so that it always takes the first move it thinks is the best, it goes down from a vastly superhuman to a moderately strong amateur level.
Hi Andras, I would love to see a video where you order tactic books according to their level of difficulty as it is always a question which one to buy next.
I've witnessed a few videos on chess calculations but they mostly explained how to calculate what you can already do. This is a damn good resource with great pointers and, if nothing else, will encourage me to actually use time in a productive fashion. With any luck, I can get my rating from double figures to triple figures! ...I mean I jest but I am never going to be great at chess. I am content with being barely capable and watching miracles happen in others' games. To some extent, you do also have to accept some people just can't calculate 10 moves without missing things :(
Great video! I've done the "this doesn't work" and have given up on a move many games. Thanks for the "deep calculation". I plan on working on this part of my game.
Awesome video, thanks! I’m always struck when watching Magnus’s banter blitz videos how quick and deep he’ll go with lines. Even after his opponent plays something other than he expected he’ll continue and finish his calculation for the other move, I suppose as an exercise for himself.
Maybe this is a dumb question but I am going to ask it anyway: I find it easy to place my knights in the opening and to maintain them relatively throughout the game. I find it difficult to find an optimal square for the bishops and to keep the bishops because I find that I am forced to trade one or both... How do you find the best squares for the bishops and try keep them throughout the game or at least the later middlegame?
bishops aren't usually too useful early mid-game so it's much better to have them in your territory (still develop them though) until you actually have the chance to use them (late mid or endgame)
@@vinzcastro9304 One strategy I heard about was to connect the rooks and then keep the bishops on one's own back rank until late into the game. Something else I was thinking about was to not try open the game up too early but to keep it closed and expend all the energy of the knights, then open it up with the exchange of pawns. I am just wondering if this is artificial and does not serve the greater good of ones game.
@@moonman4481 the problem I have with fianchetto is it creates a beacon around the bishop, like please come and invade this space. Then if traded it weakens the area. If I place both bishops on back rank after connecting rooks there is more fluidity and no empty pawn structure to deal with.
This is an absolutely superb video, Andras. Calculation and how to properly think through the moves is a topic that I'm constantly trying to get better at. Thank you for the great help!
You 're right in my case i dont calculate at all!I mean i dont calculate I dont evaluate i dont take time to find candidate move I just paly a move using my feeling of the position thats it
What happens if you try this and keep blundering over and over? The idea of calculation seems to be a good idea but I try to do this and always overlook something and then the game falls apart. What then?
this is illuminating, thank you. what is the best way to practice these skills? currently i only really focus on lichess puzzles, but i feel something more intensive is required.
I would say put the Lichess puzzle on a real board, get a notebook, calculate, write down your solution (with all the possible variations) and only then move the pieces. Maybe even better to take puzzles from a good tactics book hard enough for your level. Puzzles selected for their instructive value by a good teacher/player/writer can have more/different value than random generated puzzles. For random puzzles I think chesstempo standard might be better than Lichess. After a while your rating there gets stable so the puzzles get hard.
@@KeepChessSimple solid advice, thank you. i might start working through forcing chess moves or perfect your chess using the notebook method you suggested. as for online tactics, i remember being a bit buzzed off by chesstempo's revamp, and i'm trying to push for 3000 on lichess so i'll just stick to that in my spare time for now.
This is a great and timely video as I would like to improve my calculation. One particular thing I find is that there is seldom any advice on is how to find the best candidate moves in the first place? I'm about 2k and I struggle with consistently finding good candidate moves. I often waste so much time calculating lines that begin with a move that wasn't particularly good in the first place. Any ideas about how to overall get better at finding better candidate moves? I expect it is something that just develops naturally as you learn more about the game. But if that is true, it seems then your ability to calculate is limited by your ability to find good candidate moves until you get better/more knowledgeable in other aspects of the game. Would appreciate any feedback on this.
Most inspirational chess content on RU-vid. This is almost like free coaching. Where can I donate? (edit: ah found it, donated some! You should put the link in the video description) Looking forward to the follow-up videos. Maybe something about the thinking process and/or how to practice this visualization?
The thing about this is that, at my level, 60% of the time my opponent plays a different move than what I've calculated, and I'm left thinking on my feet again. Like for example, in that d5 position, what if the knight goes to a5? That's a move I see my opponents playing, but you didn't calculate that whatsoever.
You must at least attempt to find your opponent’s best moves. Of course, if you still miss it, then you have blundered and it shows you are still learning.
Means two things, either they played a better move, so you need (Ed) to look further or it’s garbage in which case you are happy . There should be no middle ground really.
