Chess Calculation Secrets: Outcalculate Your Opponents

♟️ Find me on Lichess: cantosh

00:00 Introduction/Experts do not necessarily calculate deeper than amateurs
01:57 3 Golden Steps When Calculating in Chess
02:58 The First Position/Calculating 2 Short Lines Accurately
07:20 The Second Position/Calculating 3 Short Lines Accurately
09:34 The Third Position/Generating Several Candidate Moves
11:36 Homework Position

Layman thinks that their ability to calculate very deep lines separates a chess grandmaster. This is in fact not supported by scientific evidence. What chess masters are great at is spotting strong candidate moves effortlessly - using their pattern recognition - and the ability to calculate short lines accurately. Most calculation mistakes happen on the very first move in chess.

This video shows the fundamental thought processes in chess calculation by giving instructive positions that demand accurate calculation of short lines, which are 3-ply deep. But most importantly, we need to generate several candidate moves on the very first move, actively search for the best reply by the opponent, and set our goal properly from the initial position. All these concepts are covered in much greater depth in my recent Chessable course Fundamental Chess Calculation Skills:

[eschiedler]

Homework spoiler ahead: White rook is in an absolute pin. Black 1...Re5 2. Kc4 Qc6+ 3. Rc5 Rxc5+ black queen quards against check on d7. Black 1...Re5 2. c4 Re3 skewers Queen and King. Any other white move and black rook captures rook and black is up a whole rook.

[briandwi]

This is excellent advice. Simple to understand, but it takes practice to change one's previous bad habits!
Homework.
1. Rxb2+ Kxb2 and black just loses the rook.
1. Qb6+ Rb5 and black Queen must move.
1. R e5 pins the rook in an absolute pin. if c4 then
2. R e3 will take white Queen. So this line is good.
This seems the best. Yo could capture g2 with the rook but the rook pin looks the best.

[dimitrisk]

I really like that you seem to understand that most of us can't calculate long lines. Not because we are lazy, or don't want to, but because we just can't! Most masters can't understand this and think that everybody can calculate as they do, or somewhat close to it. They think why???, it is so easy, I can see 10+ moves deep, how someone else can't see clearly for 4 moves deep... impossible

[AaradhyaSharma-houm]

Homework - Re5!!, (if c4 then Re3 wins)Kc4, Qa6+, Kd4 Rxd5 and black wins the queen.

[surf]

One thing i have started doing is counting the ply for each candidate move/response. This helps ensure that I calculate opponent moves and makes it easier to keep track of where i am in the move tree. I always try to count until an even number so I know I have calculated an opponents reply

[greatdanelegend]

Homework: Re5. If Kc4, then Qc6+, deflecting the king (Bonus: if it goes to d4, then we take the rook on d5 with our rook and proceed to also win the queen). If c4 then Re3 pinning the queen to the king.

My other candidates were Re3 (queen just moves), Qb6+ (Rb5 blocks the check and attacks the queen), Rxb2+ (just hangs the rook).

[paulwu]

Wow what a nice video. I was thinking I can never become a good chess player because I can’t calculate too deep until I watch this video. So helpful, thank you!

[manuelfuentes]

1. ...Re5 pinning White's rook if 2.c4 Re3 if 2.Kd4 Qa3+ 3.Kd4 Qxd3+ loses the rook on d5
3.Kc5 loses queen on d3 since White's rook on d5 is pinned. 🎉

[outposter]

Re5 c4, Re3! getting the Q, if Re5 Kc4, Qc6+ picking up the R

[bluefin.]

I bought your course and I'll be starting it very soon. If it works like this video, I'm certain it will help me lot, because the video was great for my brain. I need the kind of correction in thinking that you're offering.

I found the same lines in the homework assignment as eschiedler.

[greatdanelegend]

In the first position, I saw the solution, but I thought that a2 didn't work because White might be able to sac the rook for the knight and then stop the a pawn with the king. Then come back to get the d pawn while Black can do nothing against White's connected passers. I'm not sure if it works or not but I saw this as a potential threat in the starting position

[ahmedgaafar]

I just purchased that course....man you are a gold mine.

[Pierre__]

Voilà! 😃Always a pleasure to learn calculation with you Can! Take care!

[DanielDollinger]

Thanks Can. Excellent video that is similar to your calculation course. I have about two weeks to go on your calculation course.

[basilisperis]

Thank you Can, i have your courses 😊 and you make good job!!! I wish to see one course on how to play the endgame with your instructive way!!

[natalyawoop]

Great video! I didn't even see the bishop could threaten the queen in position 3, it was only there to defend the knight in my mind.

[mizioblack]

i just found the channel and this instructif videos, i didnt play chess for 2 years, i forgot all that and when return to play, i play a lot of tactics and strategies but i feel frustated because i was good on finding a good move directely but now its very diffcult, but wth your videos remember me the foundamentals and all the important way of thinking in chess, another advice for those who read the comment look also when you openent made a move, if he take a weakness lke unprotecteded piece or a square that we can do some tactics or a weak square for an outpost etc etc or if he exchange a bishope and take a color of square weak that we can manuver and attack in this color easly etc, and do the same for you if you make move what can openent can do for you too, if its dificult to vsualze openent perspective turn the board and play in your head like if you are the openent, and with practice it will be so qicly to see all that,

so thanx a lot for this vdeos, and dont give up just practice tactics learn strateges from games and book lke kramnc move by move of strategies etc, and it wll be ok

sorry for my english too i hope that my comment is understandable hehe

+1 suscribe for ths fantastic channel . +1 le for ths cool master ❤

[doji-san]

The main skill I would like to learn is how to get my subconscious mind to "move" the pieces for me automatically to give me 2 to 3 lines maybe 3 moves deep for my "conscious" mind to evaluate. Once I acquire this skill I think i will hit 1500, but right now, when I look at the board, I have to "force" my subconscious just to see 1 move one line at a time!! lol

[ManojKumar-ylhx]

1... Re5 2.c4 Re3 wins queen or after 1. ..Re5 any other move wins the rook coz of the pin

[eschiedler]

Thanks for the calculation exercies. I missed all three!!! hah, oh well, back to the study board