Learn how to calculate accurately
In his new course “Calculation Step by Step, Vol. 1 – Foundations”, the Indian grandmaster and well-known chess author Surya Ganguly shows how to learn accurate calculation. The course is thematically divided into several chapters, each devoted to a specific technique of calculating variations. First, a brief look at the content:
Chapter 1: Forcing Moves
Most calculation errors occur early in a variation, when forced moves are not taken into account. In Fernández Garcia–Marino Bravo, play continued here with 19.Qf3 Qxa2. Who had overlooked something?
(The solutions to the exercises can be found below the article)
In this course GM Ganguly turns calculation into a trainable skill with a structured path for any level.
If one skill decides more games, it’s calculation. Openings fade, plans change - but seeing clearly, comparing lines, and choosing with confidence wins points. In this course GM Ganguly turns calculation into a trainable skill with a structured path for any level. You won’t just solve tactics; you’ll learn how to think: where to start, which branches to explore, when to stop, and how to keep a crystal-clear mental board under pressure.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Forcing moves
Chapter 2: Short Calculation
"Before going very deep, go broader." (Ganguly)
Ganguly demonstrates the technique of not diving straight into a concrete line, but first considering various tactical ideas right at the start of the variation. Otherwise, many a fine tactical resource remains hidden.
Bura-Paric, White to move!
Chapter 3: Visualisation
Ganguly has the reader calculate several complicated pawn endgames, which he considers an effective way to train this skill. I am particularly curious about Volume 2 of the course, Advanced Practice, because with more pieces on the board, visualisation is of course considerably more difficult.
In this two-volume course GM Ganguly turns calculation into a trainable skill with a structured path for any level.
If one skill decides more games, it’s calculation. Openings fade, plans change—but seeing clearly, comparing lines, and choosing with confidence wins points. In this two-volume course, GM Ganguly turns calculation into a trainable skill with a structured path for any level. You won’t just solve tactics; you’ll learn how to think: where to start, which branches to explore, when to stop, and how to keep a crystal-clear mental board under pressure.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Attack & Defence
Chapter 4: Elimimation
Often the natural move does not lead to the goal, and then elimination plays an important role. The final training position of this chapter is magnificent, but discussing it in a review would go too far.
Chapter 5: Comparison – connect the dots
Various tactical ideas against the black king are in the air. Why does nothing seem to work quite properly, and how can White, to move, finally set things in motion?
Of course, in a game situation one does not know which calculation technique is required at any given moment; often it is a mixture of several. But as the course title suggests, the focus here is first and foremost on the foundations, the basics.
How do you become good at calculation?
What sets Ganguly’s FritzTrainer apart from the many other courses and books devoted to calculation?
The Indian grandmaster speaks from trainer to student – and makes it clear that all positions are to be solved without moving the pieces, just as in a tournament game.
"How would you play in a tournament game?"
In this video course, GM Surya Ganguly joins IM Sagar Shah and drawing from his colossal experience, shares some uncommon endgame wisdom. The material mostly features positions with rook against rook and a pawn, and starts by covering the fundamentals.
The difference from a tournament game, however, is that in these training positions giving up is not an option. Ganguly repeatedly stresses his concept of trying again and again and searching for ideas until he has solved a position — even if it takes half an hour, an hour, or longer.
As a conscientious student, I naturally followed his instructions. And yes, in the end it does feel good when you crack a tough nut by your own efforts. I also tried Ganguly’s advice of revisiting an unsolved position blind in your head before going to sleep. But the “Krasenkow problem” turned out to be a nut that was simply too hard to crack:
Black to move and win. Incredibly difficult, but not long — you will find the solution in the chapter “Short Calculation”.
The work ethic that Ganguly demands of himself and his students may also say something about why India produces so many strong grandmasters. Along the way, Ganguly offers a few practical tips on how to integrate calculation training into everyday life: browsing social media while travelling? Use your phone for tactical exercises instead.
Conclusion
Surya Ganguly’s FritzTrainer “Calculation Step by Step, Vol. 1 – Foundations” is not a mere collection of training positions, but a guide to learning accurate calculation. The Indian grandmaster provides tools for training yourself:
"You are your own coach."
The course is demanding and aimed at ambitious club players. I greatly enjoyed working through it — not least because the Indian grandmaster approaches the material with great enthusiasm and, as a former Anand second, also has a story or two to tell.
Ganguly introduces conceptually fresh directions in several key lines – even in the most played main lines.
The Ragozin Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4) has become a cornerstone of modern chess theory. With 3.Nf3 gaining popularity as a way to avoid Nimzo-Indian setups and the challenges Black faces in the Queen’s Indian, the Ragozin offers a solid and dynamic alternative.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bf4
Solutions:
About the author
Surya Shekhar Ganguly is one of the most decorated Grandmasters that India has produced. His best achievements include winning the National Championship a record six consecutive times from 2003 to 2008, the Asian Continental Championship in 2009, and such monumental open events as the Fujairah International Open in 2012 and the Belt and Road Open in 2019. He has also represented India in as many as six Olympiads and clinched individual golds at the World Teams Championship twice, in 2010 and 2019. Moreover, he has worked in the team of seconds that assisted Vishy Anand to victory in three World Championship Matches, against Kramnik, Topalov, and Gelfand, in 2008, 2010, and 2012, respectively.
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