How to Analyze Chess Games

Analyzing chess games is one of the most important training methods, and analyzing your own games is an absolute must if you are trying to improve.

And still, most players on low levels, who want to improve, don’t do that or don’t do that properly. Analyzing games allows you to correct your mistakes. Now, logically, if you don’t correct your mistakes, you are probably going to repeat them. Any if you repeat the same mistakes, you are not likely to improve or increase your ELO. That makes looking at your own games in great detail and with great scrutiny a must. It’s the absolutely most important training method there is.

Chess study consists of two parts: gathering new information (learning, reading…), and correcting mistakes. In theory, you should combine both evenly. In practice, most people focus on learning and significantly neglect working on their weaknesses. Analyzing games makes it easier to spot the weaknesses in your play. Correcting them is, believe it or not, the easier part! Once you know what you are doing wrong, you can make sure not to do it! If a problem is more complex, such as not being able to spot weak squares, or not understanding your opponent’s threats, it will take longer, but it will be improved upon every time you play or study! Being aware of a problem does half the job already.

When it comes to analyzing GM games, the approach and the use is slightly different. That serves as the other part of chess learning – gathering new information. While analyzing games played by strong players, you will be able to get new ideas, reinforce your understanding of the opening, structure, attacking pattern, or whatever else was played. That way, you will have gained more experience without having had to risk a defeat yourself! You are basically playing a game every time you do a thorough analysis of a Gm game.

You are learning from their mistakes, you are gathering info on how they think, how they plan, what they are afraid of, how they plan an attack, how they defend. You are gathering info on all your future enemies for free! There is a countless base of games to learn from. Imagine if you spent 1 hour on each game played just in August 2019!? You would have 2500 strength!

#chess

[HangingPawns]

Chessbook allows you to import and practice your repertoire. It focuses on moves people actually play as well as your mistakes. Connect it to your lichess or chess com accounts to correct the biggest gaps in your repertoire!

[prabhukarthik]

Sometimes when I speak out loud during a game (online) I play little better. I always felt this is a great way to start off analysing chess games.

[Hurkmaniacs]

Like in some other of your excellent videos, you are telling people what they (we) don't want to hear: improvement requires very hard work. But you are absolutely right: if you really want to improve, you have to do things thoroughly. Thats why I myself am stuck at the same level for the past few years. Thank you for your work, and congratulations on your brave decision to gve up everything for chess.

[lc]

I had a very painful defeat today. I am so frustrated but I know that it is an opportunity to learn. I'm going to watch this video then try to analyse it when the tournament is finished.

[niqwalshensemble]

I like the ‘learn from your mistakes” feature on lichess, if you don’t have much time.

[potatoboy]

Very instructive as always; but those damn cicadas!

[freespirit]

That was one of the most instructive chess videos I have ever seen. Thank you very much! I shall certainly try your method!

[BMWE-hmuz]

13:50 h5 and h6 both give the bishop some breathing room on the h7 square. playing neither will lose the bishop so we can all agree one of those moves should be played.
The pros of h5 then are that it gains space on the kingside, though I dont think black looks like he is an position to play on that side of the board, with black intending c5 at some point, and white intending f4, its clear that black wants a queenside/ central attack, and white wants a kingside attack so is that space on the kingside even useful? it is only an advantage if it can be exploited.
The cons of h5 give black a relatively secure outpost for his knight on g5 always eyeing the f7 square. yes black can play f7-f6 to kick the knight away at some point, but then that creates a weakness on g7 and a weak pawn on a semi open file for white to take aim at.

h6 doesnt give away the g5 square and completely avoids any of the aforementioned complications. the knight cant land there, f7-f6 doesnt need to be played, the e pawn doesnt become a weakness. the pawn structure stays well intact

[hafeezk]

Thanks for this video. I've been analyzing my games, but only in a half-hearted way. Thank you for your example of thoroughness and total commitment. You've inspired me to analyze my games properly.

[outplayedyt]

Bro i found your channel about when you posted this video. You deserve so many more subs

[brasileirosim]

The kind of video I watch and think „well, I should do this, really” and decades past and I keep not analyzing seriously my games and keep doing the whole bunch of blunders against players that even don’t now what is a stalemate. Thanks for the video!

[maxng]

Hey! I have been watching your videos for some time now and you've given me great insight for my chess improvement. A 2 months ago, my rating peak online for blitz was 1686 only but i fell and plummeted pretty badly after a classical tournament representing my town. I went down to about 1500+. However, I've just reached a new peak yesterday!!! A new peak rating of 1701! I think your videos have greatly contributed to my growth chess-wise. Thanks so much

[seop]

Good video. And the sound was fine; so people who think otherwise might consider it useful training to focus. I had no problem myself. Everything was fine.

I found the endgame section overly strict regarding 100% certainty, since we are not computers, and no analysis is exhaustive, but the rest was useful. I also admire your focus on autonomous learning. It’s good to be a human first, as opposed to relying on a sophisticated engine prop, which can reduce autonomy and critical thinking for some. But it’s a nice tool post-analysis.

[tempo]

Yey thank you for the upload. Please upload more chess tips. We Love it.

[richhenry]

Great video and good luck with your journey. Ps, if you turned down the bass on your mic you would probably be easier to understand at lower volumes.

[syn]

Seems like a great video with depth.I should add on my watch later list.By the way a video which you cover the London system would be great.Keep up the hard work! :)

[michaelkoss]

FINALLY! A video that teaches us *how* to analyze. Most other videos just devolve into "here was the analysis I did". This video is priceless.

[looy]

One of the most instructive chess videos

[electricalkid]

Excellent video. Thanks VERY much. Very helpful, clear and structured.

[bladea]

You are awesome!! Thanks for quality info. Fan of your meditation series. Keep posting. Thank you.