Takchess Chess Improvement

A Novice chessplayer works to get better at chess using an improvement program based upon the methods of Michael de la Maza and the teachings of Dan Heisman

Saturday, April 30, 2005

Level 10 again 1-110 96% on to Level 20

Level 10 20-110 90%overall

Friday, April 29, 2005

level 10 1-20 100%

Level 10 finished 80-110 overall 89%

Thursday, April 28, 2005

level 10 42-80 83%

description of "current " program

I am using Ct-art in the following fashion for my Circles. Starting at Level 10 doing a complete circle of level 10 until I hit 90% success. Once I complete 90% i'll move up a level. I think this will prove difficult but I believe that working through the problems I will eventually get it as others have before me I have been using the Practice screen not the test screen. I plan on doing at least 10 problems everyday more when I can. My initial intent is not to accelerate the program too much. Only increasing the problems in a day which naturally occurs from doing the same problem over and over again. (yes this will take a long time). I plan on doing the complete sets of all levels when I have completed them once.

Jim

Level 10 1-42 93%

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Day 31 Level 10 80-110 83%

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Level 10 35-79 86%

level 10 1-34 87%

Day 30: er..um..well

Of late I have tried to work with different books to improve my tactics. After mixed success and some decline in my tactical play, I've decide to just do Ct-art and problems from Lein's sharpen your tactics. Resetting my clock to Day 30 and restarting Level 10.

Saturday, April 09, 2005

This might be working ......

Beat a player at playchess.com rated 200 points above me. After being down for most of the game and harrassed most of the game. I did a rook sacrifice on a castled position with a followup knight check, queen check, queen check and mate.

The best part after running it thru Fritz is reading the comments such as "The pressure is too much White crumbles" Take that Fritz!! 8>)

(did 5 more chapter is htbydac)


[Event "Rated game, 20m + 5s"]
[Site "Main Playing Hall"]
[Date "2005.04.09"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Takchess"]
[Black "Argol"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "1373"]
[BlackElo "1579"]
[Annotator "Deep Fritz 8 (90s)"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[TimeControl "1200+5"]

{B90: Sicilian Najdorf: Unusual White 6th moves, 6 Be3 Ng4 and 6 Be3 e5} 1. e4
{[%emt 0:00:01]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} d6 {[%emt 0:00:03]
} 3. d4 {[%emt 0:00:07]} cxd4 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 4. Nxd4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Nf6 {
[%emt 0:00:01]} 5. Nc3 {[%emt 0:00:03]} a6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 6. h3 {
last book move [%emt 0:00:35]} Qc7 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 7. g4 {[%emt 0:00:15]} e6 {
[%emt 0:00:54]} 8. Bg5 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Be7 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 9. h4 {
[%emt 0:00:19]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 10. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:53]} (10. h5 h6 11.
Be3 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 e5 $17) 10... Nxg4 {[%emt 0:00:36]} 11. Qe2 {[%emt 0:00:31]}
(11. Bxe7 Nxe7 (11... Kxe7 $143 12. Qd2 $11) 12. Qd2 b5 $17) 11... f6 {
[%emt 0:01:31]} 12. Be3 {[%emt 0:00:47]} Nb4 {[%emt 0:02:17]} 13. O-O-O {
[%emt 0:00:17]} b5 {[%emt 0:01:01]} 14. Bh3 {[%emt 0:00:59]} Nxe3 {
[%emt 0:00:58]} 15. Qxe3 {[%emt 0:00:05]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:19]} 16. Bxc8 {
[%emt 0:00:44]} (16. a3 $142 {and White could well hope to play on} Nc6 17. Nd5
$14) 16... Rxc8 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 17. Rd2 $4 {[%emt 0:00:28]} (17. Ne1 Qc4 18.
Kb1 $15) 17... O-O {[%emt 0:01:04]} 18. h5 $4 {[%emt 0:00:30]} (18. a3 $142 {
and White hangs on} Nc6 19. Nd5 $15) 18... Qc4 {[%emt 0:00:45]} 19. b3 $4 {
but even a better move would not have saved the game [%emt 0:00:49]} (19. Kb1
f5 20. h6 g6 $19) 19... Qc6 {[%emt 0:00:36]} 20. Rg1 $4 {
the pressure is too much, White crumbles [%emt 0:00:47]} (20. Nd5 Nxd5 21. exd5
$19) 20... Bd8 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 21. Nh4 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Bb6 {[%emt 0:00:08]}
22. Rxg7+ $4 {the final mistake, not that it matters anymore. [%emt 0:00:07]} (
22. Qh6 Rc7 23. Nf5 $19) 22... Kxg7 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 23. Nf5+ {[%emt 0:00:28]}
(23. Qg3+ {is not much help} Kh8 24. h6 Rg8 $19) 23... Kh8 {[%emt 0:00:47]} 24.
Qh6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Rg8 {[%emt 0:00:23]} 25. Qxf6+ {
Argol abandonne (Lag: Av=1.93s, max=3.1s) [%emt 0:00:05]} (25. Qxf6+ Rg7 26.
Qxg7#)

Thursday, April 07, 2005

schedule

I have been doing some of the CT-art now on level 2 however I have decided to do the 7 circles with the book How to beat your Dad at Chess. This has 50 chapters each describing a different style of Mate. In working with it I think it would be extremely beneficial to learn these mating net. At the end of this return to CT-ART

schedule ( First Circle)

1-4 Done
5-9
10-13
14-17
18-21
22-25
26-29
30-33
34-37
38-41
42-45
46-50

Friday, April 01, 2005

day 39 Back on Track

Been running around with different program ideas reading tactic books and solving different problems every night. Decided to start Ct-Art. I am now at 70 problems in level 1. This is going to be tough....

Here is a general question about Ct-art. When I make a mistake, it shows me the Red and Blue squares . Next is gives me the simpler alternate problem on the right side of the screen. Upon solving that altenative problem I don't seem to be able to get into the original problem and solve it. Can I go back and solve the original problem?