Annotate first, engine second
In short
After a game, write your thoughts at three or four key moments before you open the engine: what you were planning, what you feared, what you missed. Then run the analysis and compare.
By the end you can
- Write short annotations at the critical moments
- Use the engine to check, not to think
The lesson
After a game, write your thoughts at three or four key moments before you open the engine: what you were planning, what you feared, what you missed. Then run the analysis and compare.
The engine shows WHAT was wrong; your notes show WHY. The why is what you can fix: “I didn’t look at his checks” or “I moved too fast when I was winning”.
Turn your biggest mistake into a puzzle in the app and repeat it until you solve it instantly.
Key points to remember
- Notes before engine
- Find the turning point
- Name the thinking error
- Turn mistakes into puzzles
Examples
Show the solution
28... Rxc1+ 29. Kxe2 Rxh1
Practise it
Solve puzzles on this idea: hanging piece puzzles, fork puzzles.
Homework
Annotate two games a week and bring them to the lesson.
More game analysis lessons
- Your first game review (Novice)
- Tracking your mistakes (Class E)
- Learning from model games (Class D)
- Critical moments in your games (Class C)
- Full annotation of a tournament game (Class B)
- The personal mistakes notebook (Class A)