Keeping calculation at peak level
In short
Calculation strength declines quickly without training. Mix very hard tactical positions, endgame studies and blindfold calculation exercises into each week.
By the end you can
- Train very deep calculation
- Solve studies and hard puzzles regularly
The lesson
Calculation strength declines quickly without training. Mix very hard tactical positions, endgame studies and blindfold calculation exercises into each week.
Studies are especially valuable: they contain paradoxical ideas that engines find easily but humans must learn to see.
Key points to remember
- Weekly hard calculation
- Studies for paradoxical ideas
- Blindfold exercises
Examples
Show the solution
54... Kd7 55. a5 Kc8 56. Kc6 f4 57. a6 Kb8
Practise it
Solve puzzles on this idea: zugzwang puzzles, underpromotion puzzles.
Homework
Five very hard puzzles and one study each week.
More calculation lessons
- Calculating without moving the pieces (Class D)
- The art of defence (Class B)
- Calculating trees of variations (Class B)
- A calculation method for hard positions (Class A)
- Endgame studies for imagination (Class A)
- Calculation under pressure (Expert)