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The 4 Questions Strong Players Ask on Every Move (That You Probably Skip)

The article is a nice breakdown of the thinking involved. I liked that. I’m not sure if that translates into a realistic way to play games though.

Most such players began playing chess as children, through play based learning and high volume exposure. The advice here is to kind of stretch explicit learning principles over something that most strong players first learned implicitly, before they could get a drivers license.

Checklists add to working memory. This article describes a cognitively taxing process. I wouldn’t manage it in a live game. Perhaps internalizing the sequence step by step, not all at once?. (Eg start with question 4, then question 2, then 3, then 1, but wait for automaticity.) So it doesn’t feel like I’m checking an airplane for departure, so to speak.

The “mistake log” described at the end would be a headache and motivation killer for me personally.

However if this process resonates for you then go for it.

The article is a nice breakdown of the thinking involved. I liked that. I’m not sure if that translates into a realistic way to play games though. Most such players began playing chess as children, through play based learning and high volume exposure. The advice here is to kind of stretch explicit learning principles over something that most strong players first learned implicitly, before they could get a drivers license. Checklists add to working memory. This article describes a cognitively taxing process. I wouldn’t manage it in a live game. Perhaps internalizing the sequence step by step, not all at once?. (Eg start with question 4, then question 2, then 3, then 1, but wait for automaticity.) So it doesn’t feel like I’m checking an airplane for departure, so to speak. The “mistake log” described at the end would be a headache and motivation killer for me personally. However if this process resonates for you then go for it.

To me the problem is remembering to use the checklist (this one, or any other) throughout the entire game.

It goes something like this: Let's say we are playing a reasonably slow rated online game, for example, 25 + 10. The first 4 moves are almost automatic, those you know by heart, so no thinking process here. Then the opponent plays a sideline move and now you activate the checklist, which works for about two or three moves.

Suddenly, the position becomes pretty sharp, it would seem there could be some tactics, but you have to be careful. The pressure rises, the heart rate goes up, the intuition overtakes the conscious thinking process and the checklist flies out of the window, never to be seen again.

To me the problem is remembering to use the checklist (this one, or any other) throughout the entire game. It goes something like this: Let's say we are playing a reasonably slow rated online game, for example, 25 + 10. The first 4 moves are almost automatic, those you know by heart, so no thinking process here. Then the opponent plays a sideline move and now you activate the checklist, which works for about two or three moves. Suddenly, the position becomes pretty sharp, it would seem there could be some tactics, but you have to be careful. The pressure rises, the heart rate goes up, the intuition overtakes the conscious thinking process and the checklist flies out of the window, never to be seen again.

@hydrofinz said:

To me the problem is remembering to use the checklist (this one, or any other) throughout the entire game.

It goes something like this: Let's say we are playing a reasonably slow rated online game, for example, 25 + 10. The first 4 moves are almost automatic, those you know by heart, so no thinking process here. Then the opponent plays a sideline move and now you activate the checklist, which works for about two or three moves.

Suddenly, the position becomes pretty sharp, it would seem there could be some tactics, but you have to be careful. The pressure rises, the heart rate goes up, the intuition overtakes the conscious thinking process and the checklist flies out of the window, never to be seen again.

I recognize your problem with using the checklist. This worked for me: Asking after every move of my opponent "What does he want with this move?" or the short version "What??". This question reminds me of the other 3 questions. And the question makes me sharp (I think).

@hydrofinz said: > To me the problem is remembering to use the checklist (this one, or any other) throughout the entire game. > > It goes something like this: Let's say we are playing a reasonably slow rated online game, for example, 25 + 10. The first 4 moves are almost automatic, those you know by heart, so no thinking process here. Then the opponent plays a sideline move and now you activate the checklist, which works for about two or three moves. > > Suddenly, the position becomes pretty sharp, it would seem there could be some tactics, but you have to be careful. The pressure rises, the heart rate goes up, the intuition overtakes the conscious thinking process and the checklist flies out of the window, never to be seen again. I recognize your problem with using the checklist. This worked for me: Asking after every move of my opponent "What does he want with this move?" or the short version "What??". This question reminds me of the other 3 questions. And the question makes me sharp (I think).

@Duusker said:

I recognize your problem with using the checklist. This worked for me: Asking after every move of my opponent "What does he want with this move?" or the short version "What??". This question reminds me of the other 3 questions. And the question makes me sharp (I think).

This is close to what I do.

I choose my candidate move, then I simply ask myself, before moving, what I think their response will be. That’s all.

Predicting their next move requires that I do basically all of the things that are on these various checklists but it’s only one thing to remember to do, If It looks like their move could be bad for me I might reevaluate my choice. And I always pick something, to get in the habit, even if it’s just “develop their knight - Nf6”.

Less tax on working memory but functionally the same outcome.

@Duusker said: > > I recognize your problem with using the checklist. This worked for me: Asking after every move of my opponent "What does he want with this move?" or the short version "What??". This question reminds me of the other 3 questions. And the question makes me sharp (I think). This is close to what I do. I choose my candidate move, then I simply ask myself, before moving, what I think their response will be. That’s all. Predicting their next move requires that I do basically all of the things that are on these various checklists but it’s only *one* thing to remember to do, If It looks like their move could be bad for me I might reevaluate my choice. And I always pick something, to get in the habit, even if it’s just “develop their knight - Nf6”. Less tax on working memory but functionally the same outcome.

Created a simple python app that implements this system to create a database of your blunder categories. Github link here

Created a simple python app that implements this system to create a database of your blunder categories. Github [link here](https://github.com/mohantyk/chess-blunders)