The Key to Better Chess Understanding - The Amateur's Mind

In this insightful video, join me as I delve into the crucial concept of taking a step back in your chess position to perceive the bigger picture. As a chess coach of the internet, I emphasize the importance of avoiding hasty conclusions and instead adopting a strategic approach to chess thinking. Learn valuable techniques for evaluating positions, honing your chess instincts, and enhancing your overall chess gameplay. Whether you're a novice or an experienced player, mastering this skill is fundamental for chess improvement. Watch now and elevate your chess thinking with expert guidance.

[cenjpdq]

I am 2200 FIDE. Your videos seem to be aimed at around 1800 it seems to me.
I FIND ALL OF THEM HIGHLY VALUABLE AND INSTRUCTIVE.
You're an incredibly good coach, Andras. I can't yet understand why you're so underapreciated on YT.

[RoadChessMaster]

This is a very nice lesson. I think for amateur players like me this is very hard. But I am working on it. Currently 1700 FIDE and trying to become a Chess master

[thenapoleonlover]

i have a classic tournament today. 1st game 60min + 30 seconds. I will make sure to detach myself from the game if I'm unsure what to do. Also I listened to perpetual chess podcast interview with GM Noel Studer and he mentioned another crucial thing about moves where you make the move, press the clock and instantly see that it was a blunder. The worst kind, (what I call temporary blindness) which just hangs a piece or exchange. He said that before you make a move, write down on the game sheet your opponents time (which is legal) to detach yourself for a second from the game and just visualize in your head that you have already made the move and do a blunder check. These two things are what I'm struggling with most and its great I watched this video and that podcast... My positional and tactical abilities are much higher than my rating (currently 1450 OTB) but I cannot seem to get higher due to one move blunders and sometimes what you Andras defined as 'tempo of the game' that is a clever way to put it!

[todesque]

Fantastic video. Every chess podcast tells you “tactics” is the key to chess improvement. It’s not bad advice, but it’s only half the story, at best.

[stampdealer]

Wow, this is REALLY helpful and enlightening. It's like you cracked open my skull and peered directly into my brain. I definitely recognized myself in the errors and blunders demonstrated. Some very solid takeaways that I will put into practice immediately. Thank you very much!

[buddythompson]

Great video. If only I could train myself to sometimes stop and ask myself what's going on in a given position. I always play move-to-move, never asking even basic questions like "What is the purpose of my opponent's last move?" or "If I make this move, how is my opponent likely to respond?" I KNOW it's the primary reason I can't improve beyond my current level. I tell myslef before EVERY game that I need to do it. I've tried to give myself triggers (like once development is complete, or a trade is made, or the pawn structure changes, etc) to remind me to do so. But it all goes out the window once the game starts. I've been fighting this problem for at least 10 yrs. It's not something I can expect a coach to fix. I'm now contemplating engaging a sports psychiatrist.

[lukastux]

Another brilliance from Andras! We can't get this type of content anywhere else!

[thegametwok]

Of all of your videos I've watched, this is probably right up there with the recent study plan video as one of the best. For years, the majority of what I've been taught and told to do is look at things from just the next move and "don't hang anything." So when I play higher-level players, it feels like I'm not making progress because they start a combo and I realize it's too late to stop it, all i was doing was trying to not lose anything. Now I know I will start to take a moment to just see everything and ask myself what is going on and what's the plan. Thanks for all the great content!

[VictorDiaz-rtve]

The difference between dialectics and logic, process and causality is a theme that a lot of people have difficulties to understand.

[sambelld]

Such great advice. Coach Andras has a knack for understanding how amateurs think and then explaining to us what we can do about it.

[TikariChess]

This is a video I’m going to come back to again and again.

[whimsnickal]

I have (after your glowing review on this very channel) recently started going through the exercises in "Evaluate Like a GM". Taking a step back from the heat of battle and appraising a/my position from an objective perspective has helped my chess development so much, so thank you both for the recommendation *and* this video! Keep digging up that gold Andras, those who watch your content love it.

[rafaelsaliba]

great stuff as always. you make it look so easy

[sayan]

Very nice videos. Another way to put it will be to ask yourself what is the nature of the position? Static or dynamic? And whether we have time or not? If opponent doesnt have immediate threat then we have time otherwise dont.
Eg. Opponent needs 3 moves to consolidate his position. So we have 3moves time to create a threat to prevent consolidation. It may not be on the very next move.

[songbrothers]

Great video! Can’t wait for your ametuers mind course!

[cobeferraro]

Awesome video and just what I needed. Thanks Andras!

[michaelf]

I hope the model game you were referencing was the Polugaevsky - Tal game where he sacrificed the d pawn in order to play e5 next!

[chesst]

GREAT LESSON!! I realized that I think of this move or this move, without looking at the changes in the position in the last couple moves

[minoz]

Awesome video. The message is great, and I really like your no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is style.

[rpd]

Sweet! Thank you, this will help me & anyone improve. I will though, add imho, this is one important aspect to improving rather, than that this is the key element to improving (as we know tactical & positional understanding along with good calculation/analytical skills are all important in improving too). Best wishes ;-)