Chess move by move

I know I have recommended playing through tons of games of Masters and GrandMasters quickly- with the reason that your brain will notice patterns and themes that happen occur in good Chess play. I still believe that this is a helpful tip.

However, I would like to add another that is “contrary” to that one: slow down when you play through other people’s games (well, even your own recorded games). Thing is, there are some things that require time for the brain to process. So taking an addition 3 seconds or 5 seconds per move may make the difference between whether you benefit from playing through a game or not. During this time, you just want to see what has changed with that move. Can you see what the player is trying to do? Was there anything better? You may spend a minute or so. If it is so interesting, you may not even complete the whole game… you will focus on the position that is of interest to you.

Slowing down may also benefit you during your own games by preventing you from making rush moves.

So, there is a tip: Take time to go through a recorded game. The extra time may save you a game in the future…