Calculation is at the heart of practical chess. Every chess concept builds on proper calculation technique. Therefore, all chess players should continuosly train the fundamental techniques, concepts and patterns this course will present. The goal isn't only to teach you to calculate, but to give you the tools and insights to keep improving long after the final lesson.
The Techniques you will learn in this course:
- Brute Force Thinking:
- Learn the disciplined habit of always starting your analysis with the most forcing moves, examining every check and capture to its conclusion before considering anything quieter.
- Candidate Moves:
- Discover how to widen your search beyond the obvious, because the hardest part of finding the winning move is often simply considering it in the first place.
- Tactical Pattern Recognition:
- Build the foundation of tactical vision by absorbing the recurring patterns that let strong players spot combinations almost instantly.
- Quiet Moves:
- Train your eye to find the moves that are neither checks nor captures yet carry a deadly threat.
- Advanced Tactical Themes:
- Master the sophisticated ideas that hide inside combinations, including the Zwischenzug, interference, and blocking theme.
- Visualization:
- Develop the ability to hold a position clearly in your mind's eye and see it accurately several moves deep.
- Evaluation:
- Build a framework for knowing when to stop calculating and weigh a position on its merits.
- Finding Difficult Moves:
- Train yourself to find the counterintuitive shots that most players dismiss out of hand.
- Mental Agility:
- Cultivate the flexibility to stay open to unexpected resources rather than locking onto your first idea.
- Reciprocal Thinking:
- Learn the logical art of understanding why an idea fails and then changing the position to make it work.
- Spotting Your Opponent's Resources:
- Tackle one of the hardest skills of all: looking for your opponent's chances as hard as you look for your own.
International Master Kostya Kavutskiy was born in Kiev, Ukraine but grew up in Los Angeles, California and is now a renowned FIDE-coach and chess author. With a peak rating above 2400 and over 10 years of caoching experience he can break down and explain chess phenomenally.
Contents
Introduction
Brute Force Thinking Intro
Brute Force Thinking Puzzles Part 1
Brute Force Thinking Puzzles Part 2
Candidate Moves
Pattern Recognition Intro
Pattern Recognition Puzzles 1
Pattern Recognition Puzzles 2
Pattern Recognition Puzzles 3
Quiet Moves Puzzles 1
Quiet Move Puzzles 2
Quiet Moves Puzzles 3
Advanced Tactical Themes Puzzles Part 1
Advanced Tactical Themes Puzzles Part 2
Advanced Tactical Themes Puzzles Part 3
Advanced Tactical Themes Puzzles Part 4
Advanced Tactical Themes Puzzles Part 5
Advanced Tactical Themes Puzzles Part 6
Visualization Puzzles Part 1
Visualization Puzzles Part 2
Visualization Puzzles Part 3
Evaluation
Difficult Moves Puzzles Part 1
Difficult Moves Puzzles Part 2
Mental Agility 1
Mental Agility 2
Reciprocal Thinking Puzzles Part 1
Reciprocal Thinking Puzzles Part 2
Reciprocal Thinking Puzzles Part 3
Spotting your Opponent's Ressources
Outro
