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Jan-02-15
 | | agb2002: Happy New Year to you and your family, Phil! |
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Jul-06-16
 | | Fusilli: Hola amigo! Como van los posibles planes de mudarse a la tierra del tio Sam? |
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Aug-19-16 | | Patriot: Hi <agb2002>! Just thought I would answer here... <That's very true. Still the problem is how to differentiate between the essential and the superfluous?> I think this depends on the time remaining on the clock. Clock time remaining determines if you should be using "blitz logic" or "slow logic". In blitz, I would only focus on "scary" moves where someone could lose a piece. Moves that are purely defensive don't really count as worth considering because that takes too much time. But in a slow game, a defensive move could minimize an edge and therefore perhaps it was better to play a simple developing move. For example, if white had a 0.4 pawn advantage and started an attack which is easily defended then the advantage could go down to 0.1 whereas developing a knight would maintain the 0.4 evaluation. Therefore purely defensive moves could be considered a refutation. |
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Aug-20-16
 | | agb2002: <Patriot: Hi <agb2002>! Just thought I would answer here...> Why not? You're more than welcome.
<<That's very true. Still the problem is how to differentiate between the essential and the superfluous?> I think this depends on the time remaining on the clock. Clock time remaining determines if you should be using "blitz logic" or "slow logic".> I'm far more interested in the "slow logic" than in "blitz logic". The basic rationale is that one should learn to walk before trying to run (I mean any time control, not only blitz). However, just 'walking' proves to be incredibly difficult. Another serious problem I have is that I tend to proceed in iterative ways (test and error) and this is not adequate in chess because one cannot take moves back. |
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Aug-20-16 | | Patriot: <agb2002> <I'm far more interested in the "slow logic" than in "blitz logic". The basic rationale is that one should learn to walk before trying to run (I mean any time control, not only blitz).> Absolutely! It's easier to adjust down--once you know how to analyze very well, you can trim that process in fast time controls. <Another serious problem I have is that I tend to proceed in iterative ways (test and error) and this is not adequate in chess because one cannot take moves back.> I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you mentioned taking moves back. By iterative I assume you mean methodical as in an algorithm, testing each try. But the moves you consider are not random moves--they are usually critical and those are the ones you want to look at. |
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Aug-21-16
 | | agb2002: <<Another serious problem I have is that I tend to proceed in iterative ways (test and error) and this is not adequate in chess because one cannot take moves back.> I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you mentioned taking moves back.> If I try to improve some details or features in the design of a machine, algorithm, data structure, etc. and the modification turns out to be a mistake I can undo it. However, we cannot take back a move in a real game. You don't need to be a doctor to suffer some kind of "professional deformation". <By iterative I assume you mean methodical as in an algorithm, testing each try.> Yep. And error control is usually an essential part of many iterative algorithms. As long as one can reduce it below the prescribed tolerance in the long or preferably not so long run everything is ok. In chess one should be accurate always and this makes an essential difference. |
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Aug-21-16 | | Patriot: <agb2002> How are you taking moves back? If you are thinking ahead you have to sometimes reverse course. <In chess one should be accurate always and this makes an essential difference.> I think accuracy is needed whenever you have competing main candidates. But if a line is simply winning you don't have to be totally accurate. |
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Aug-22-16
 | | agb2002: <Patriot: <agb2002> How are you taking moves back? If you are thinking ahead you have to sometimes reverse course.> I meant that when in a real game and in doubt if the chosen move eventually fails then it is not possible to go back and try any of the alternatives. <<In chess one should be accurate always and this makes an essential difference.> I think accuracy is needed whenever you have competing main candidates. But if a line is simply winning you don't have to be totally accurate.> Accuracy is important in every position, no matter whether one is about to start a combination, an attacking or defensive maneuver or a simplification to enter the endgame. For example, there can be some hidden details in that endgame which ruin the victory or even the draw. However, an essential factor is energy. I normally prefer the (apparently) easiest, simplest and less energy demanding path than the shorter, more complex but more accurate alternatives, tipically chosen by engines. |
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Aug-23-16 | | Patriot: <agb2002> <I meant that when in a real game and in doubt if the chosen move eventually fails then it is not possible to go back and try any of the alternatives.> Ok, so you are saying you try a move to see what happens. Since I am usually playing no more than G/15, if I see an interesting try I spend a moment looking it over and if it looks interesting I play it. <Accuracy is important in every position, no matter whether one is about to start a combination, an attacking or defensive maneuver or a simplification to enter the endgame. For example, there can be some hidden details in that endgame which ruin the victory or even the draw.> I disagree--accuracy is not important in every position. My Chess instructor (a master) teaches that all you need to do is prove a move is best (or even adequate) in a reasonable time. If a move is clearly best, it's a waste of time further proving it. <However, an essential factor is energy. I normally prefer the (apparently) easiest, simplest and less energy demanding path than the shorter, more complex but more accurate alternatives, tipically chosen by engines.> I agree 100%! Computers won't miss a detail and get mated but human players can, no matter how good they are. Play for the easy and obvious win and your opponent will probably resign. |
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Aug-24-16
 | | agb2002: <Patriot: ... Ok, so you are saying you try a move to see what happens.> I meant that competition chess game is kind of a sequence of one shot situations while in many other activities it is possible to redo something and to improve it someway to avoid trouble. <Since I am usually playing no more than G/15, if I see an interesting try I spend a moment looking it over and if it looks interesting I play it.> One of the useful aspects of shorter time controls is to experiment opening plans (so you try a move to see what happens) to gain some experience, perhaps very superficial but better than plain ignorance, a most familiar feeling to me. <<Accuracy is important in every position, no matter whether one is about to start a combination, an attacking or defensive maneuver or a simplification to enter the endgame. For example, there can be some hidden details in that endgame which ruin the victory or even the draw.> I disagree--accuracy is not important in every position. My Chess instructor (a master) teaches that all you need to do is prove a move is best (or even adequate) in a reasonable time. If a move is clearly best, it's a waste of time further proving it.> If a move is better or even adequate then it is more accurate than a number of others and therefore accuracy matters. Perhaps my concept of accuracy in this context is a bit loose. <Play for the easy and obvious win and your opponent will probably resign.> Not my little son, aka the phaser hitman. He will resist and strive and stand and struggle and try and try over again and will take advantage of even the tiniest chance, typically when I'm distracted serving myself another bunch of salad at dinner, to deliver a back rank mate or a crushing knight fork or the like, carefully prepared by me to reward his effort (but please don't ever tell him!). |
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Aug-24-16 | | Patriot: <agb2002> It sounds like your son is going to be one mean player! :-) |
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Aug-25-16
 | | agb2002: <Patriot: <agb2002> It sounds like your son is going to be one mean player! :-) > He started playing blitz tournaments for children last year and got a trophy in almost all of them. Not too bad. However, I'd prefer he doesn't pursue anything serious about chess, even if I knew he would become eligible for a sports scholarship in a top notch university. I suspect you would have a similar opinion. |
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Aug-25-16 | | Patriot: <agb2002> Wow, congrats to your son (and proud father)! That is great to hear! This is all a testament to his teacher...you! :-) It's tough to get far in Chess but if he makes expert or master, he could win real money in tournaments! I would encourage him to reach for his dream. |
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Aug-26-16
 | | agb2002: <Patriot: <agb2002> Wow, congrats to your son (and proud father)! That is great to hear!> Thanks a lot!
<This is all a testament to his teacher...you! :-) > The first time he won a tournament is particularly memorable to me: he managed to beat out the favorites (two children whose families emigrated from ex-soviet republics, another from China and a couple of nationals, all of them very aggressive players) with a perfect score. A curious anecdote happened in the fourth round. He was already playing at board #1 and his next opponent was a girl. I noticed that her granny sat down very close to their table but didn't give much importance and continued reading a newspaper. I noticed that the tournament arbiter announced the beginning of the round but read a few lines more and then had a look at my son. To my surprise both players were standing since the game was already over. I thought "well, it doesn't matter, this girl is probably a very good player because she reached board #1 and surely caught him in an opening trap". Then he came to me as if everything was ok and told me that he mated her in less than a dozen moves. I was perplexed. He then told me that the girl didn't even know the very basics and her granny was pointing out the moves but missed a relatively simple mate threat! <It's tough to get far in Chess but if he makes expert or master, he could win real money in tournaments!> In Spain you can get about 200€ if you win a local rapid tournament, not too bad for eight hours of work, but you need at least IM strength to have realistic chances. <I would encourage him to reach for his dream.> That's the point. He's too young to really know what his dream is. At the moment he just wants to play with other children. It is typical to see them fighting mercilessly on the board and seconds later after the game rushing to play soccer, hide-and-seek, etc. before the next round. |
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Aug-28-16 | | Patriot: <agb2002> <In Spain you can get about 200€ if you win a local rapid tournament, not too bad for eight hours of work, but you need at least IM strength to have realistic chances.> Not sure how that compares with U.S. dollars but here you can win in the thousands at tourneys across America. <That's the point. He's too young to really know what his dream is.> Yes, but I would go along with whatever current dream he has and let him have fun with it. |
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Aug-29-16
 | | agb2002: <you can win in the thousands at tourneys across America.> You had to take part in the bigger open tournaments to find such prizes here but then you must be a quite strong GM to have chances. <I would go along with whatever current dream he has and let him have fun with it.> I'm trying to introduce my children to as many activities as reasonable, including chess, airplane model construction, maths, robotics, soccer, gym workout, etc. Hope they eventually find the occupations and hobbies which really satisfy them so that they can enjoy a happy and productive life. That's probably best at the moment. |
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Aug-02-18 | | CHESSTTCAMPS: Great to see you again! Still working actively in applied mathematics, I presume? |
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Jan-09-19 | | jith1207: Hi, do you know what happened to the long term user User: dzechiel His page says there's no such user on record now. Perhaps he has asked the account to be removed? |
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Jan-09-19 | | jith1207: Sorry, it looks like the link in your bio is no longer working. He seems to be available, thankfully has just commented after a long time. |
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Sep-24-19 | | EIDorado: I see you posts in each puzzle. No wonder you see no significant improvement. |
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Apr-24-22
 | | Teyss: <agb2002> Following our discussion about demystifying Quotes of the day: "The player who plays best in a tournament never wins first. He finishes second behind the guy with the most luck." - Tartakower 😉 |
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Jan-16-23
 | | Teyss: Hi <agb2002> With a bit of delay, happy new year. Hope everything is fine. |
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Jan-17-23
 | | saffuna: <Calculo, luego existo> Calculo, luego fallo. |
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Jan-18-23
 | | agb2002: saffuna, observación profunda como ninguna. |
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Apr-20-23
 | | Teyss: <agb2002: I'm shocked: why did I waste more than six decades of my life playing with numbers when I am actually a super villain, the sadistic librarian?> LOL. Sadistic librarian: is it a cultural reference? I'm exposing the full depth of my ignorance here. |
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