How to improve your calculation!

by Davide Nastasio
4/26/2018 – Excellent calculation is one of the secrets of champions. We often calculate for 10-20 minutes, even landing in time-trouble, only to discover our time was essentially wasted. In this DVD, the actual thinking process one should follow is clearly explained, even proven through the analysis of many examples from real games. If you want to learn how to think through a position effienctly, and make sound decisions at the board, reviewer DAVIDE NASTASIO says, give IM Robert Ris a chance and, after five hours of intensive training, the board will never look the same!

This DVD emphasizes the importance of training your calculation skills. Dutch IM Robert Ris made a selection of training material which he uses in lessons with students ranging from 1400 to 2400.

Calculation training by Robert Ris

A review

Over the years I continue to hear the word "talent" to describe a player who is good. However, I'm constantly looking for ways to quantify how good someone is, based on something more tangible. I'm inspired, ironically, by reading about the French Revolution. It seems neither the king nor the revolutionaries were able to rule or even play chess — no matter how much talent they had — once their heads were cut off.

DVD cover

This observation brings us to the next: If the magical "talent" resides in the head of a person, then we know it must be related to something they do with their brains. Finally, we arrive at the idea of chess training — because no champion became such without training very hard. There is the famous myth that Capablanca didn't work on his chess when, in fact, he left his university studies in order to focus solely on the game. Or that Alekhine, in order to beat Capablanca in the world championship, had to work really hard on training too!

Let's not neglect to mention other "legendary talents" who were working on chess all day long; we all know their names: Tal (often studying 50 to 60 games a day!), Fischer studying all day and playing blitz all night, Kasparov whose intensity on training amazed Polgar, etc. Practically none of the champions we all consider the best, actually sat down on the sofa watching TV, letting the innate talent do the job for him. They were training hard all day. Some had coaches. They played chess all the time. I guess it's not a surprise to see their brains devote neurons, and creating synaptic connections especially dedicated to chess. 

Many factors which make us good in chess are related to memory, visualization, passion for the game. However, the main factor — once we have learned the basic tactics and common checkmate patterns — is of king's importance for winning games, and this factor is called "calculation."

Robert Ris, an outstanding coach, has been involved in creating DVDs for teaching basic, and fundamental tasks to amateurs and club players, particularly interesting were the one entitled mating guide. 

FT coversThis DVD, as stated by Ris in the beginning, is aimed to answer the following fundamental questions:

  • How do the pieces work together?
  • How should I spend my time over the board?
  • Which lines should I calculate? Which are not important?
  • What are effective calculation training methods?
  • How do we choose the right candidate move(s)?

The DVD has been divided into three parts:

  1. Forcing moves
  2. Method of elimination
  3. Imagination

These three parts are followed by a testing section and three databases.
One database of games (64 games) from which comes the following interesting game:

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 Re8 9.Qf3 Bd6 10.Bf4 Bxf4 11.Qxf4 d6 12.Rae1 Nd7 13.Qe3 Nc5 14.f4 a5 15.e5 Nxd3 16.cxd3 c5 17.Ne4 Bb7 18.Qg3 Bxe4 19.Rxe4 dxe5 20.fxe5 Qd5 21.b3 a4 22.bxa4 Qxa2 23.Rc4 Re7 24.Qg5 Re6 25.Qf4 f6 26.Rxc5 Rxa4 27.Qf5 g6 28.Qh3 c6 29.exf6 Rxf6 30.Rxf6 Qa1+ 31.Rf1 Qd4+ 32.Kh1 Qxc5 The decisive difference in this position is the placement of the kings - safe (White) vs. sorry (Black). 33.d4! This little pawn move really turns the screws on Black since neither rook nor queen can take on d4. Furthermore White now is threatening the queen shift Qh3-b3+-xa4! The immediate 33.Qe6+ Kg7 34.Rf7+ Kh6 35.Qh3+ Qh5 36.Qe3+ Qg5! would lead to nothing for White since 36...g5? 37.Rf6+ Kg7 38.Qe7++- 37.Rxh7+?? Kxh7 38.Qxg5 fails to the back rank mate Ra1+ (here White's king turns out to be over-safe!). 33...Qf5?? This attempt to exploit White's back rank weakness fails on the spot, however, Black was very limited in his choice. After 33...Rxd4 the above mentioned checking series wins: 34.Qe6+ Kg7 35.Rf7+ Kh6 36.Qh3+ Qh5 36...Kg5 37.Qe3+ Kh5 38.Rxh7+ Kg4 39.h3+ Kf5 40.Rf7# 37.Qe3+ Qg5 and now 38.Qxd4! 38.Rxh7+?? Kxh7 39.Qxg5 Rd1# 38...Qc1+ 39.Qg1! while 33...Qxd4 allows 34.Qc8+ Kg7 35.Qf8# The only way for Black to continue the fight was 33...Qa3 , though after 34.Qe6+ Kg7 35.Qxc6 White clearly remains on top: Alternatively 35.Qf7+ Kh6 36.Qf4+ Kg7 37.Qe5+ Kh6 38.h3 35...Rxd4?? 36.Qf6+ 34.Qb3+ Kg7 35.Kg1!+- Cool! Qa5 36.Rf7+ Kh6 37.Qe3+ Qg5 38.Rxh7+ Kxh7 39.Qxg5 Rxd4 40.Qe7+ Kg8 41.Qe8+ Kh7 42.Qxc6 Rd1+ 43.Kf2 Kh6 44.h4 Rd2+ 45.Ke3 Ra2 46.g4 Ra7 47.h5 Rg7 48.Qf6 Rg8 49.Qf7 g5 50.Qe6+ Kh7 51.Qxg8+ Kxg8 52.Ke4 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Srbis,J2422Rambaldi,F25431–02016C47MITROPA Cup 2016 OPEN Section

Another database with calculation examples (fifteen — which are based on the video lectures), and one with calculation exercises (ten based on the test video clips).  Videos and tests are for a total of nearly five hours! Yes, you have an International Master working with you for five hours on your calculations! This is quite amazing if we think that just a few years ago the only possibility was to read a book, and now we can have someone explain step-by-step what to watch in a position, and how to calculate the different lines.

Let's begin with the forcing moves, what are the questions we should ask ourselves?
Look at checks, captures, and if it is possible to create new threats.

What about elimination? Two moves look both interesting, but how to choose the right one? The last part, dedicated to imagination, is designed to help the player to think outside the box. When one is not only reacting to the opponent's threats but actively generating ideas.

IM Ris says he uses the examples in this DVD for players who are rated from 1600 to 2200, from his practice as a coach, so the positions have been tested under a lot of different ratings.

During the DVD, Ris gives the viewer a thought-map of what he does when he is presented with a position. To internalize such thought-process means to gain rating points and time on the clock!

I give here some of the steps, but obviously one should watch the videos, with the positions prepared by Ris, because it will light up a lamp in our brains, and create memory associations which we will be able to use also in our games:

  • Check the material balance
  • Piece activity (and one needs to know his own active/inactive pieces, as well those of the opponent)
  • Opponent's threats (how dangerous are they?)
  • What are the weaknesses in our position?

While watching the videos I made some associations with other games I've seen. My reviews are written from an active tournament chess player point of view, and aimed at other chess players who truly want to improve. Hence I'd like to share a diagram, proposing a small exercise, and then show the entire game for those who want to check the goodness of their analysis. I annotated the game without an engine (as Caruana says: Engines can become crutches...while I want to walk and fall with my own legs!) mainly because in a tournament game, engines are not allowed, so all mistakes in the analysis are mine. 

 
What would you play as Black?

White just played 26.Na7 attacking the Rc8 and the Bd5, what would you play as Black?

Here the game:

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 g6 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.e4 d6 8.Be2 0-0 9.Nd2 Re8 I don't know this opening well, but for logic, using the central pawn structure as guide, we can assume Black will try to gain space on the queenside, while White, thanks to the missing Pe5, can castle on the kingside and prepare a Pf2-f4 push. Surely a monograph on this opening will delve more into the ideas and plans for both sides. 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.a4 a6 12.Kh1! Good move! White is already trying to avoid possible discovery checks, on the B6-G1 diagonal, once the castle will be weakened thanks to the Pf2-f4 push. This is the essence of prophylaxis, before launching an attack, one tries to avoid possible counter-attacks. Rb8 13.f4 c4 Another interesting idea from Black, he tries to attack the Pe4, freeing the square, C5, giving the Nd7 the chance to jump on it! However, in these cases often one needs to go slowly, and prepare such attack with a better grip on E5. How? Playing Qc7, and then Pc4. 14.e5 dxe5 15.Nxc4 b5 16.axb5 axb5 17.Nxe5 17.Nd6! Maybe it was better to remove Black's bishops pair, and gain a free passed pawn! Re7 18.Nxc8 Rxc8 19.Bxb5 And White is better. 17...b4 18.Nb5 18.Nc6!? Was this a good move? We have two top GMs of their period, I'm sure they both saw this. bxc3 19.Nxd8 cxb2 20.Bxb2 Rxb2 21.Bf3 Rxd8 Is White going to win thanks to the passed pawn? Or the activity of the three minor pieces will be enough to counter White's queen? 18...Nxe5 19.fxe5 Maybe this is the critical moment in which White made a wrong evaluation. White thought to have won the game because he had 2 central pawns, one definitely passed and supported by the Pe5. But White didn't think Black could take in E5, because of the skewer. Being the Re5 and Rb8 on the same diagonal, and White playing Bf4. One should stop here, place the position on a board, and evaluate if Black can play Rxe5 or not. Ljubojevic definitely answered the question, and saw a little farther than White... Rxe5 20.Bf4 Nxd5 21.Bc4= 21.Bxe5 Bxe5 22.Qb3 Be6 23.Rad1 Qh4 21...Be6 22.Bxe5 Bxe5 The board begins to be incandescent. The position is open, the two Black bishops can operate miracles when working together. Now, we begin to feel how the lack of the Pf2 has weakened White's castle. Plus the Black queen can go to H4, and threaten a checkmate, White doesn't have evident checkmate threats. 23.Qe2 This seems a good move. White is protecting the Bc4 while attacking the Be5. Qg5 24.Bxd5? Often, before I take an enemy piece, I ask myself if I'm improving the position and activity of my opponent. In this case the answer to such a question is a clear: YES! Bxd5 25.Ra5 Rc8 26.Na7 I think at this point in the game one can see or feel the difference between the placement of the two armies. White has 2 pieces defending the king, and two pieces out of the game on the queenside, not really clear what they are doing there. Maybe the horse is grazing some grass... instead the Black's pieces are all pointing toward entering the castle... the Rc8 is pointing at C1... The Bd5 and Qg5 are pointing at G2... the Be5 pointing at H2. The goal of the game is not gaining material... but to give checkmate, and this is what Black is pursuing. Qh4‼ It seems like Black blundered... did he leave the Be5 en prise? 27.Qxe5 Qf2 28.-- 28.Rxf2 Rc1+ 29.Qe1 Rxe1+ 30.Rf1 Rxf1# 28.Rg1 Qxg2+ 29.Rxg2 Rc1+ 30.Qe1 Rxe1# 0–1
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Bent Larsen-Ljubomir Ljubojevic-0–11975A69Milan2

Final Thoughts

I was amazed at the examples Ris found for the section forcing moves, because they have a lot of lines to calculate, and most of them continue to exercise the student on asking those questions we have outlined above. In this DVD one can truly see why Chess is important for the young. They are taught how to think systematically about a position, and I wish such thought-process would be taught in schools because it would surely help the students to have a better future.  

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Davide is a chess aficionado who regularly reviews books and DVDs.

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