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I saw an article about calculating moves in chess. For Heroes, with a short timer, some of the ideas mentioned there are also applicable.
http://chesswood.ru/articles/raschet-variantov-aleksandr-kotov.html
Here is an excerpt from it:
Calculating variations is the process of reviewing your possible moves and the opponent's responses for the near future of the game. After all, when we consider a move, we evaluate both our own possible moves and find the opponent's response. We try to cover as many moves as possible and consider the largest number of responses to the supposed moves. The ability to calculate broadly, considering the largest number of possibilities, and at the same time, deeply – as many moves ahead as possible – largely determines the skill of a chess player.
An important circumstance is the clock. A strictly limited time is given for considering moves and variations, so you need to take care not only of the accuracy of the calculation but also of avoiding getting into time trouble. This further complicates the task of calculating variations, and we will not forget about this in our conversation.
Even strong chess players sometimes make inaccuracies and mistakes when calculating variations.
“I need to sacrifice,” thought the player playing white. “But where? I’ll try on h6. So, 1. Bxh6 gxh 2. Qxh6 Bxe5 3. Rxe5 Qg7 4. Qxe3 Bd5, and I get nothing for the piece.
Or maybe it’s better on g6? – the next thought flashed through his mind. – Then 1. Kxg6 Bxg3 2. hxg fxg 3. Rxe6 gxh 4. Rxf6+ Kxh7. There is no quality, the d4 pawn is weak, the black bishop is very strong. No, g6 is not good.
Let me look at the sacrifice on h6 again. Maybe I can find an improvement. So, 1. Bxh6 gxh 2. Qxh6 Bxe5. It doesn’t work. I need to look at the quality sacrifice again – 1. Kxg6 Bxg3 2. hxg fxg 3. Rxe6 gxh 4. Rxf6+ Kxh7. It doesn’t give anything.”
“Having ‘run’ several times through the variations with the moves 1. Kxg6 and 1. Bxh6, the master looked at the clock. ‘Goodness me! I’ve been thinking for almost half an hour. Time trouble is approaching.’ And immediately, without thinking for a minute, he made the move 1. Bc3, simply ‘strengthening’ the position. Then came 1… Kf4! 2. Qg4 h5! 3. Qf6 h4, and white was immediately forced to resign.
What mistakes did our chess player make when calculating variations in this position?
The first mistake. White began to calculate variations without first outlining the moves that they intended to consider. They did not define candidate moves for themselves. As a result, they missed the calculation of the move 1. Bc3. The correct start of mental calculation should always be determined by a clear listing of candidate moves: “I will calculate variations with the candidate moves 1. Bxh6, 1. Kxg6, and 1. Bc3.” And only after that should we proceed to the calculation.
The second mistake. White did not find enough determination after the first calculation of variations to firmly say to themselves: “All possibilities have been considered, I will choose the move…” As a rule, the losses from the brevity of the calculation are much less than the losses from indecision. Hesitation leads to time trouble and inglorious defeat.
The third mistake. White went over the same variations several times. This is a wasteful loss of time and effort.
Let’s formulate the correct order of calculating variations. Let’s apply this to the same position (see the diagram above). First, we determine the candidate moves that we will consider. There are three such moves: 1. Bxh6, 1. Kxg6, and 1. Bc3. Then, we go through all the variations once to the depth that our abilities allow and that the position itself requires. After calculating once, we stop and, overcoming the natural desire to calculate the possibilities again, we make a final decision about which move to make.
...
To better imagine the entire process of calculation, let’s imagine it in the form of a tree, where at the base is the move 1. Le1 that we choose, and the seven variations represent seven branches, branching further into small branches. We will call this scheme the “calculation tree.”
The rule of calculating variations that we formulated earlier can now be presented differently, using the “calculation tree.” When calculating variations, never “run” from one branch to another. “Run” through one – immediately go to the second. And so on until the end. Never return to an already explored branch!
“I need to sacrifice,” thought the player playing white. “But where? I’ll try on h6. So, 1. Bxh6 gxh 2. Qxh6 Bxe5 3. Rxe5 Qg7 4. Qxe3 Bd5, and I get nothing for the piece.
Or maybe it’s better on g6? – the next thought flashed through his mind. – Then 1. Kxg6 Bxg3 2. hxg fxg 3. Rxe6 gxh 4. Rxf6+ Kxh7. There is no quality, the d4 pawn is weak, the black bishop is very strong. No, g6 is not good.
Let me look at the sacrifice on h6 again. Maybe I can find an improvement. So, 1. Bxh6 gxh 2. Qxh6 Bxe5. It doesn’t work. I need to look at the quality sacrifice again – 1. Kxg6 Bxg3 2. hxg fxg 3. Rxe6 gxh 4. Rxf6+ Kxh7. It doesn’t give anything.”
“Having ‘run’ several times through the variations with the moves 1. Kxg6 and 1. Bxh6, the master looked at the clock. ‘Goodness me! I’ve been thinking for almost half an hour. Time trouble is approaching.’ And immediately, without thinking for a minute, he made the move 1. Bc3, simply ‘strengthening’ the position. Then came 1… Kf4! 2. Qg4 h5! 3. Qf6 h4, and white was immediately forced to resign.
What mistakes did our chess player make when calculating variations in this position?
The first mistake. White began to calculate variations without first outlining the moves that they intended to consider. They did not define candidate moves for themselves. As a result, they missed the calculation of the move 1. Bc3. The correct start of mental calculation should always be determined by a clear listing of candidate moves: “I will calculate variations with the candidate moves 1. Bxh6, 1. Kxg6, and 1. Bc3.” And only after that should we proceed to the calculation.
The second mistake. White did not find enough determination after the first calculation of variations to firmly say to themselves: “All possibilities have been considered, I will choose the move…” As a rule, the losses from the brevity of the calculation are much less than the losses from indecision. Hesitation leads to time trouble and inglorious defeat.
The third mistake. White went over the same variations several times. This is a wasteful loss of time and effort.
Let’s formulate the correct order of calculating variations. Let’s apply this to the same position (see the diagram above). First, we determine the candidate moves that we will consider. There are three such moves: 1. Bxh6, 1. Kxg6, and 1. Bc3. Then, we go through all the variations once to the depth that our abilities allow and that the position itself requires. After calculating once, we stop and, overcoming the natural desire to calculate the possibilities again, we make a final decision about which move to make.
...
To better imagine the entire process of calculation, let’s imagine it in the form of a tree, where at the base is the move 1. Le1 that we choose, and the seven variations represent seven branches, branching further into small branches. We will call this scheme the “calculation tree.”
The rule of calculating variations that we formulated earlier can now be presented differently, using the “calculation tree.” When calculating variations, never “run” from one branch to another. “Run” through one – immediately go to the second. And so on until the end. Never return to an already explored branch!
