Thoughts on Game Analysis

Some people think there is a 'correct' way to analyse chess games. This golden method seems unknown to most; perhaps it is a secret that the elite keep from us average Joe's.

Except it's not. There are lots of great resources that help us understand how to analyse our chess games. Some great examples include GM Noël Studer's Next Level Chess programme (which is the first place I ever learned an actual method for this), and Nate Solomon's OBIT System, which I discovered via his blog post HERE.

No matter what resource you follow, or what method you use, there is commonality within each approach. The main thing is that you do analyse and that you ask questions. As long as you are doing this, no matter the level of your understanding in the relative scale of chess, you will learn and improve your game.

For me, the trick is to keep it simple. I mean, chess is a complicated topic - there is no escaping that. When I analyse, I try to focus on the things that seem most important to me to learn from. Otherwise, I very quickly get overloaded with the intricate understanding of every single tree in the deep, dark forest that you could wander into.

Engines, often, also make it worse. How many times have you played a move, only for the engine to say it is wrong, and then show you 5 top lines where nothing really makes sense? Our human brains understood our idea. Maybe this means our idea is better! I try to step back, looking at the overall plan the engine is trying to enact. Only then can the limited processor in my skull make sense of it. It is completely valid for us to make our own decisions, and often I cast off the top engine move in favour of something that may have a worse evaluation, but the plan or idea is something I can get my head around.

But chess is a concrete and logical game, right? You can't survive on plans and ideas without exact move orders, right? Tell that to Paul Morphy. He would still crush you blindfold today without ever having used an engine to improve his play. Why else do chess principles exist?

Here are some things to consider when you review your games:

When did you deviate from your opening repertoire? If you went wrong, review the line and try and remember the right moves next time. If they deviated first, ask if you need to add a line to your repertoire. It is also worth noting if they played an mistake, and how to punish that mistake in future.

What critical moments are there to learn from the game? I usually identify 4 or 5 moments where I will spend time to investigate different moves, plans and ideas, first myself and then with an engine.

Why did we make mistakes we made? I don't mean brushing it off with 'oh, I dropped a piece'. I mean asking why you dropped that piece, or why you made an assumption, or went for a particular plan that didn't work. Maybe you're not taking time to look at your opponents moves and plans. Maybe you are trying to dogmatically follow an idea you learned from one game, but the position is slightly different so it doesn't work. Maybe you are miscalculating. Maybe you were thinking emotionally rather than logically, or playing impulsively, or too fast. There are so many reasons we get things wrong. The trick is to be honest and detailed about 'why' we make mistakes.

What are the main lessons we can take from this game? These are general lessons, things to focus on in training and to try and keep in mind as we play in the future. You might need to learn a particular pawn structure better, or understand middle game planning, or practice a certain endgame - whatever it may be, it is often easier to improve when we are focused on concepts rather than move-by-move memorisation. Although that, to some extent depending on your level, may also be something to work on.

I kind of wish I had written this before I made my latest video showing my analysis process - it may have helped it to be more focused and coherent, though I still think it's decent, so please do check it out and let me know what you think. Please also consider a like, or subscribe to the channel.

Happy analysing everyone!

Cheers, Anthony (TattooKnight)