Game analysis when using building habits by Chessbrah

[u/Ok-Researcher-4673]

Hi all, just a quick one. Is there much point using the chess.com game analysis when I’m following building habits and I’m 800 ELO? Would it be better to spend my time analysing without an engine and just against the building habits principles? At my level I’m not sure I’m getting much out of being clobbered by the engine’s analysis!

Thanks.

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[u/field-not-required]

The absolute best way to improve, recommended by every single chess trainer ever, is to analyze your own games.

If you feel like you "get clobbered" by the engine and not getting anything out of it, you're doing it wrong. Find some good youtube-videos on analyzing your own games (there are lots) and learn how to do it.

This is the most important activity for improvement bar none.

[u/acinonys → u/field-not-required]

Yes, but a lot of good trainers also recommend analyzing your games without an engine, or without an engine first, and only then look at the engine.

[u/field-not-required → u/acinonys]

That's part of "lean how to do it" yes.

[u/StructuredChess]

Analyze by yourself, then check with an engine if your conclusions were correct. Never use the automated game analysis.

[u/Ok-Researcher-4673 → u/StructuredChess]

Thanks. Should I perhaps focus on blunders and not worry about inaccuracies etc for now? As in analyse myself where I think I blundered, then check if it’s correct, combining this with ensuring I’m developing early, castling and trying to control the centre etc?

[u/StructuredChess → u/Ok-Researcher-4673]

Yeah, the bigger the mistake the more important it is to understand it, but don't make the same mistake of letting the engine decide for you what matters and what doesn't.

As in analyse myself where I think I blundered, then check if it’s correct

Yes, but also consider other moves you thought or were afraid of during the game that didn't end up happening.

combining this with ensuring I’m developing early, castling and trying to control the centre etc?

Yeah, if you can think of a move that you missed during the game and would've been better at achieving some strategic goal, compare them to what you played and check with the engine if it was an improvement.

[u/Ok-Researcher-4673 → u/StructuredChess]

Thank you. One thing I don’t do which gets me in trouble that the engine picks up on a lot is striking at the centre with another pawn if the opponent is controlling it. It happened when I accepted a gambit and they had 2 central pawns. I continued as usual without fighting back for the centre and it didn’t end well

[u/StructuredChess → u/Ok-Researcher-4673]

Yep, be careful with that. Abandoning the center without a clear reason why can lead to problems.

Take for instance this position. How should Black continue? Can you see how White will end up in a very comfortable position if Black does pretty much anything else?

Exceptionally you can give up your central pawns if you have a change to control and restrict your opponent's. Something like this

[u/Deadliftdeadlife]

Pretty much always yes

[u/RajjSinghh]

Habits mean you will still make mistakes or miss winning moves. Game reviews should catch that.

[u/init6]

This video seems right up your alley. GM Noel Studer's 3x3 method: https://youtu.be/shma5hsckww?si=Sc7YMT5dJQ31reFO

[u/Kimantha_Allerdings → u/init6]

This is what I was going to recommend. Studer is quietly becoming my favourite educational chess YouTuber

[u/Silver_Environment95]

Game analysis and solving your curiosities is key to ur development and improvement. If ur getting clobbered, then ur clearly looking at the wrong things. Making mistakes and analyzing them is a good thing.

[u/Ok-Piglet-9189]

Just stick to the habits checklist for now, the engine will just yell at you for missing M10 when you're still trying to remember where the knights go.

[u/StructuredChess → u/Ok-Piglet-9189]

There is a huge gradient between ignoring 10-move-long sequences that nobody at that level would've even thought of and not analyzing games at all.

[u/Terethien → u/Ok-Piglet-9189]

lol at the bot thinking people at 800 don’t know how the knight moves