Chess Thought Process

Question 1

What are the nine steps?

Answer 1

1 Record
2 Sanity
3 Last Move Changes
4 Threats
5 Tactical Themes (unprotected / semi-protected / other)
6 Identify Candidates
Forcing moves (check / checkmate / capture / threat )
Non-forcing positional moves
7 Evaluate candidates (MHM)
8 Choose / look for better
9 Play!

Question 2

What is the first step?

Answer 2

1 Record

Record your move and the clock time left

Question 3

After 1 Record what is the 2nd step

Answer 3

2 Sanity Checks

• Is that move legal?
• Am I in check? - limits my thought process!
• Can I mate him with any forced sequence of checks?

Question 4

After 2 Sanity what is the 3rd step

Answer 4

3 Last Move Changes

How my opponent’s move has changed the situation:
* What does that move do?
* How does it change the position?
* What can he do now that he could not do before?
* How did his move meet the threats I made last move?

Question 5

After 3 Last Move Changes what is the 4th step

Answer 5

4 Opponent Threats

• A threat is a move that allows one to do something constructive next move if not stopped
• Note that threats that he had which were already on the board on the previous move should either have been addressed by my previous reply or “passed along” to this move, so in the latter case I must not forget them!
• New threats? - Suppose it was his turn again – what would he do?”

Question 6

After 4 Opponent Threats what is the 5th step

Answer 6

5 Tactical Themes (unprotected / semi-protected / other)

What are the unprotected pieces?
What are the semi-protected pieces?
What other tactical themes at play - checks / checkmate / back rank / lack of squares / alignment etc

Question 7

After 5 Tactical Themes what is the 6th step

Answer 7

6 Identify Candidates
Forcing moves (check / checkmate / capture / threat )
Non-forcing positional moves

Once I have determined all of my opponent’s threats and other alterations to the position it is time to select candidate moves
* Respond to killer moves first these considerations will help
o identify and deal with any “killer move” from opponent
o any candidate move (for my upcoming move) that allows his threat to be executed is likely bad and has to be dismissed
* static evaluation of the current position
o material, positional considerations: king safety, pawn structure, piece activity, potential endgame plusses, etc.
o if you are playing a slow game you often have the ongoing static evaluation in mind as you play and do not have to do it consciously during every move, but the knowledge should still be there.
o one’s static evaluation “sets the bar” for your dynamic evaluation – you are trying to find a move that leaves you at least as good (theoretically exactly as good) as your static evaluation.
o It means that if you feel your position is a little better, then you should be able to find a best move that leaves you a little better, no more, no less
* Identify unprotected / semi-protected / any tactical themes
* Identify candidate moves
o 1. meet my opponent’s threats (as discussed above);
o 2. carry out my threats if unstopped, such as winning material or checkmating (not likely if I am only slightly ahead);
o 3. create new threats, but only if in doing so they either:
o Cannot be met; or
o Otherwise improve my position when being met.
o improves (increases the activity of) my pieces; and/or
o achieves a positional goal, such as weakening my opponent’s pawn structure or trading an isolated or doubled pawn for an opponent’s pawn.

Question 8

After 6 Identify Candidates what is the 7th step

Answer 8

7 Evaluate candidates (MHM)

• I need to find a Principal Variation of at least 3 ply (half-moves) that will get me safely to the next move.
• For each candidate move I begin by looking at my opponent’s likely (and most dangerous) replies
  o I am at least looking for a sequence “my move – his move – my move (or more, if forced or necessary)” (MHM) which retains that slight advantage
  o How do I know how good a move is? Well, I assume best play and then, after I look at all forcing sequences, (using deductive logic to determine what is forced and what is not), I eventually reach a position of quiescence (no more checks, captures, or threats – see my recent Novice Nook on Analysis and Evaluation). At that point I use the same techniques I mentioned earlier to evaluate the potential position and figure out who is better, by how much, and why. But all I really need for comparison with the other moves is the “Who and by how much.”

Question 9

After 7 Evaluate candidates (MHM) what is the 8th step

Answer 9

8 Final Check

Suppose I find a move that I like? Do I play it?

• No! - Unless I am in severe time trouble, which I am not in this situation.
  o If you see a good move, look for a better one!!
  o Your goal is to find the best move, not just any acceptable one. How can you do that unless you consider all the reasonable moves?

Question 10

After 8 Final Check what is the 9th step

Answer 10

9 Play your move

Play your move, press the clock and record your move