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
Hey there, I completely understand the frustration you're feeling with calculations and the "oopsie" moments that make them inefficient. Chess calculations can indeed be tricky, but here’s what I think can help you streamline the process: Use a Systematic Approach: Start with candidate moves, consider threats, and focus on the most forcing lines. This will keep your calculations organized. Practice Visualization: Missing pieces of the puzzle often comes from incomplete visualization. Try solving puzzles without moving the pieces physically or work on blindfold chess. Checklists Are Key: Ask yourself: “What is the opponent threatening?” and “What changes after this move?” Simple questions like these help minimize oversights. Focus on Quality, Not Quantity: Instead of calculating everything, identify and follow critical lines deeply. Tactical puzzles and studies can sharpen this. Stay Composed: It’s easy to get frustrated, but staying calm allows your mind to work more effectively. Maybe try some mindfulness techniques before or during play. Remember, it’s a journey, and every step forward in accuracy will build confidence. You’ve got this!
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
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.
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.
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!
Great video, one big take-away is the phrase "play in the future, not the present". You'll notice when GM's go through their thought process while streaming games, they ALWAYS are calculating lines based on potential responses of their candidate moves, focusing on what they would do on each potential response and how decent the position is after each line (as well as pinpointing moves that could be devestating for either side within those lines). After doing all that quickly, they always confidently play the selected move knowing immediately what to do with any response from the opponent. It's not easy, but the more times you do this, the better you train your brain to see the lines like they do.
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 thought process starting at 16:17 and then visualizing getting rid of the Knight on e4 takes absolutely great skills 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. Congratulations man!!!
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
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)?
Azt hiszem ez az egy gondolat : " a jövőt játszam ne pedig a jelent " mindent megvátoztat. 🧠 Kevés az ilyen jó tanár YT .-on inkább tartalom gyártók a sakk területén ,ezt elfogultság nélkül gondolom. Amit csinálsz az abszolút Top tier 🥇🏆♟♟♟ Köszönöm András ! 🙏
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.
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!
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.
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
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! 💯
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.
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.
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.
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
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 :)
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.
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.
"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
It helps to play long games. Like 1-3 day move games online, and then set up a physical board. Before you process your move, you can then move the pieces physically to calculate five moves ahead and then reset the physical board and try again. I found this helps me .
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.
He's brilliant.. and also reminds me why I like Nelson at "Chess Vibes", because Nelson is like the everyman chess version of 'CRYPTOS R US' (the 'I am George, we are all George' guy) channel.
‘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.
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 =)
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
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.
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.
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 ❤
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!
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
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.
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.
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"?
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
The main thing I don't really get after watching this ... Do you always calculate to great depth? If no, how do determine when you should put effort into calculating at great depth?
Its the toughest part indeed. The more experienced you are, the more likely your judgement calls on when to calculate and when to rely on intuition will be correct.
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 :(
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.
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 😊)
Thank you these were some good examples. I calculate decently. My main problem is calculating the wrong continuation/on the wrong squares. How to identify where to calculate?
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?
If the blunders you’re referring to are piece blunders where it’s obvious that you just hung a piece, then that’s an easy fix. If it’s more a positional blunder , that type of understanding comes with time, practice, and exposure to more positional chess.
I realise now how lazy my calculation is. Wonderful explanation of the merits of making yourself calculate more.
Same, this is why I hate puzzles
what is your elo fide ?
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
Hey there,
I completely understand the frustration you're feeling with calculations and the "oopsie" moments that make them inefficient. Chess calculations can indeed be tricky, but here’s what I think can help you streamline the process:
Use a Systematic Approach: Start with candidate moves, consider threats, and focus on the most forcing lines. This will keep your calculations organized.
Practice Visualization: Missing pieces of the puzzle often comes from incomplete visualization. Try solving puzzles without moving the pieces physically or work on blindfold chess.
Checklists Are Key: Ask yourself: “What is the opponent threatening?” and “What changes after this move?” Simple questions like these help minimize oversights.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity: Instead of calculating everything, identify and follow critical lines deeply. Tactical puzzles and studies can sharpen this.
Stay Composed: It’s easy to get frustrated, but staying calm allows your mind to work more effectively. Maybe try some mindfulness techniques before or during play.
Remember, it’s a journey, and every step forward in accuracy will build confidence. You’ve got this!
Calculating variations is like lifting weights for your brain, hard! That's why people don't do 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?
@@yokoso2386you're right and I'm definitely that guy you're talking about 😭😭
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
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.
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.
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!
Great video, one big take-away is the phrase "play in the future, not the present". You'll notice when GM's go through their thought process while streaming games, they ALWAYS are calculating lines based on potential responses of their candidate moves, focusing on what they would do on each potential response and how decent the position is after each line (as well as pinpointing moves that could be devestating for either side within those lines). After doing all that quickly, they always confidently play the selected move knowing immediately what to do with any response from the opponent. It's not easy, but the more times you do this, the better you train your brain to see the lines like they do.
Well said!!
That was a great lesson. Thank you Coach!
@@abirbhavchakrawarty4356 the pleasure was mine !
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. :)
KOszonom a kedves szavakat!
Great comment. Openings is mostly this is what he told. Little memory and 3,4 moves deep look into the future.
Ur vids are really entertaining and helpful!!! I hope you continute uploading because this is brilliant
Thanks, working on it!
Your thought process starting at 16:17 and then visualizing getting rid of the Knight on e4 takes absolutely great skills 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. Congratulations man!!!
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.
Ooh, this is really good
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
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)?
Notice at 22:28, Qxe6 looks scary but is met with the cheeky Qxf3!, if anybody was wondering. Very nice game.
+1
i gotta say coach, your videos are fantastic. i learned a lot from them. thank you very much.
Thanks man!
Azt hiszem ez az egy gondolat : " a jövőt játszam ne pedig a jelent " mindent megvátoztat. 🧠
Kevés az ilyen jó tanár YT .-on inkább tartalom gyártók a sakk területén ,ezt elfogultság nélkül gondolom. Amit csinálsz az abszolút Top tier 🥇🏆♟♟♟
Köszönöm András ! 🙏
Koszonom a kedves szavakat!
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.
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!
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.
Not sure how much computers show this. Stockfish on your phone can beat a supercomputer running Fritz from the early 2000s.
@@SoughYes, because calculation includes evaluation. And Stockfish is a far superior calculator and evaluator bc of more recent compsci advancements
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
Thanks man, glad you like the content!
Your content is gold. This video really changed my mindset about calculation. Let's play the future. Thank you
One of the best videos I came across this year.
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 :)
hi can you teell how you came all the way here
@@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! 💯
Did your rating rise?
@@b.1565 yes!
YOU ARE THE ABSOLUTE BEST TEACHER ON TH-cam!.
good explanation , i can only calculate 1 move as of the moment and then after playing it i realize its a blunder
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.
Thanks. Visualisation is a mighty issue, and frankly, other than some focused calculating exercisers, I have not much else to recommend.
@@ChessCoachAndras Are tactic puzzles focused calculation exercises?
@@ChessCoachAndras how did you get better at calculating?
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.
Welcome onboard kind sir! Enjoy the channel ! I recommend binge watching the whole Amateur's mind series!
@@ChessCoachAndras you are amazing mr. Toth
Amateur's Mind- best series on YT! Thanks Andras!
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.
Loving the videos on calculation, it's certainly a weak point for me, your advice is excellent as always!
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
Exactly what I needed!
Thanks Toth!!!!!
My Pleasure!
@@ChessCoachAndras Are you going to do any more opening videos??
Hope the love spreads!!!
Can we analyze some of my games on lichess sometime?
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 :)
Excellent lecture on calculation, loved it. Thank you!
the pleasure is mine!
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.
First video I watch from your channel, and I learned a lot! So cool.
HOla senor, welcome to the channel! Glad you like the content!
Again, I think this is one of you best videos; and I have watched quite a few.
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.
"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.
Puzzles are readily available in lichess, going through a bunch of puzzles every day will make you a better calculator.
@@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
András, you are great! You stated the obvious, BUT It was really what I needed to take it seriously and put more effort into it. Thx!
It helps to play long games. Like 1-3 day move games online, and then set up a physical board. Before you process your move, you can then move the pieces physically to calculate five moves ahead and then reset the physical board and try again.
I found this helps me .
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.
This is such a great video. Probably the best chess coaching video for adult improvers I've seen.
Thanks ROd, plenty more of these on the channel!:)
Checks, captures threats. Is a really good thought process. It's helping me a lot.
He's brilliant.. and also reminds me why I like Nelson at "Chess Vibes", because Nelson is like the everyman chess version of 'CRYPTOS R US' (the 'I am George, we are all George' guy) channel.
Cheers!
one of the best chess videos on youtube imo
Thanks a lot, I like this one too!:)
‘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.
This legit opened my eyes. Literally.
Fantastic video Coach. Appreciate the work and professionalism you put in to TH-cam.
Arguably the best chess improvement video on youtube. I felt like you were talking to me :D. Are there resources/books to develop and test this skill.
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 =)
Welcome on board Chris, feel free to spread the love!
I have calculated that Andras is one of the best online coaches for improving players
that is true but you also need to be able to see candidate moves
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
Thanks a lot for watching!
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.
A lot of thanks for making and sharing your video!!
The pleasure is mine!
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.
I'm watching this for the 2nd time and learning even more. I like the part about assessing the now and then, calculating the future.
That's one of the best chess videos I've seen. Also, I'm guilty as charged. Living in the present. Its a very tough habit to break.
Thanks very much for the kind words!
"you don't play the present, you play the future" is actually a great quote.
Omg , you explain really, really, I mean really, well. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing great knowledge to us. ❤
Wow the calculations in the last game was so beautiful
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 ❤
This video is actually helpful. Good work.
Thanks, generally the idea is to make helpful videos!😉
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!
This is the best chess video I have seen
Truly game changing!
Glad you think so!
I've just discovered this channel and i think it's very good!
Thank you and welcome on board!
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
Thanks mate, glad to hear about your success.
Btw looking to upgrade my Camry to a new one if you are short of ideas 😉❤️
@@ChessCoachAndras how do you feel about Porsches?
World class coach needs a world class car.
@@joeperry1188 Nahh, I am a modest guy and a new Camry has been a dream of mine for very long
WHAT A PHENOMENAL VIDEO 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
On several occasions I heard Ben Johnson (PerpetualChess) praise your teacher's qualities.
Well, he was absolutely right !!!
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.
Try fianchetto
@@moonman4481 fianchetto your kingside bishop so you can castle earlier, double fianchetto is not recommended, too passive
@@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.
"You need to calculate your guts out"
- Andras Toth
(T-shirt suggestion.)
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.
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"?
Should be decisively better/better/slightly better/equal/slightly worse/worse/lost
man this is what i need, i am desperate to go beyond 1600 and i realize how lazy my calculation is. hopefully I can improve it
Very good advices and examples, thanks. Greetings from Germany
Thanks Holger, Grus Gott !
this channel will get many viewers soon, i can feel it
Thanks, I do hope so!
Yeah, they're missing something big, that makes us ahead a lil bit lol just kiddin
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.
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.
I just wonna say thank you for making this amazing content it has helped me so much love from greece
Really helpful thanks. I had an OTB game this season where I just did not go deep enough. I am trying to try harder!!!
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!
Thanks for explaining this. Calculation skills is the one thing that I believe holds me back.
Nice pfp!
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.
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.
The main thing I don't really get after watching this ... Do you always calculate to great depth? If no, how do determine when you should put effort into calculating at great depth?
Its the toughest part indeed. The more experienced you are, the more likely your judgement calls on when to calculate and when to rely on intuition will be correct.
@@ChessCoachAndras So then the recommendation would be to just calculate everything as much as possible? or what exactly?
ur a game changer sir.. i hope u reach more heights on TH-cam
Working on it, but its proving very VERY difficult!
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 :(
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.
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 😊)
So it seems like there is implied advise to play longer time formats so we have TIME to calculate...?
Thanks for all the great content Andras, it’s given with lots of enthusiasm and always of a high standard. It’s greatly appreciated.
Thank you these were some good examples. I calculate decently. My main problem is calculating the wrong continuation/on the wrong squares. How to identify where to calculate?
I love your sound analysis on the positions, which is based on logical & deep calculation. 😊👍
very very nice! first time i've seen your video here on youtube, so i just subscribed...koszi nagyon!
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?
If the blunders you’re referring to are piece blunders where it’s obvious that you just hung a piece, then that’s an easy fix. If it’s more a positional blunder , that type of understanding comes with time, practice, and exposure to more positional chess.
Another Amateurs mind video? Couldn't click fast enough. Always a treat with these.