Up to 600 ELO

When I first started last year my ELO began at 800. This was far higher than I was, and I wound up down to 100, which is as far as you can drop on chess.com. From 100 I began studying and learning from those that are my friends on the website. Over a thousand games of all sorts.

I believe puzzles have had a great effect on my play. Normally I use the Custom area and work on one type of theme for extended periods of time. Doing this for at least fifteen minutes before playing my first bought of the day has shown to have a significant affect on my play. Not doing so before the first bought has also shown significant affects.

I find I’m good for two to three games before requiring a break. A break could mean working on my current novel, or taking a short walk. But my accuracy drops significantly after the third game of a single sitting.

I’ve begun working on the memorization of my games. The method I am using is from Pythagoras, really. He taught his students to wake each day and walk through the events of the previous day. The walk through should move from one notable event to the next, using as much description as memory allows, and to list the events in the order that they occured. So if you have already listed lunch and you remember a call from the foreman at ten, you have to let it go from the listing. Do better tomorrow.

I’m going through each game, working through the stages and positions, looking for the notable moments, and then each break I attempt to list those moments in order for each game. Maybe some day I’ll get my memory strong enough to memorize the move by move play, but I have learned that starting at a challenging level of practice is much better, and more potent than starting at one that is out of my reach completely.

Speaking of out of reach completely — I have also added playing one game against Stockfish. Last year I was being slaughtered in embarrassingly short games. I made it to 26 moves the other day.

Below is the analysis for the game that brought me up to 600 ELO

Game Analysis: Opponent vs. ghefley

Overview

• Event: Live Chess
• Site: Chess.com
• Date: 2024.06.27
• Players: Opponent (White) vs. ghefley (Black)
• Result: 0-1 (ghefley won by checkmate)
• ECO: B07 (Pirc Defense, Czech Defense)
• White Elo: 571
• Black Elo: 600

Opening

Pirc Defense (B07): This opening allows for a flexible pawn structure and a solid but slightly passive setup for Black. It can lead to complex and rich middlegame positions.

1. e4 d6: Standard Pirc move order.
2. d4 Nf6: Black attacks the e4 pawn, developing the knight.
3. Nc3 c6: Preparing ...d5 or sometimes ...b5 and ...Bb7.
4. Nf3 Nfd7: The knight move is less common but prepares e5 and challenges White’s center indirectly.
5. Bc4 f6: Black solidifies the kingside, preparing a pawn thrust with ...e5.
6. O-O d5: Challenging White’s center directly.

Middlegame

Transition and Tactical Play: 7. exd5 cxd5: Opening the center. 8. Bxd5 Nb6: Attacking the bishop, gaining tempo. 9. Qe1 Nxd5: Exchanging pieces, Black aims for a more active queen. 10. Nxd5 Qxd5: Simplifying the position.

Key Tactical Moment: 11. b3 Bg4: Pinning the knight on f3. 12. c4 Qf5: Targeting the f3 knight, pressuring the c2 square. 13. Qe3 Nc6: Developing a piece with tempo. 14. d5 Nb4: Attacking the exposed bishop. 15. Ba3 Nc2: Forcing the exchange. 16. Nd4 Nxd4: Removing White's central pawn. 17. d6 O-O-O: Completing development and preparing to put pressure on d6.

Preparation and Counter-Attack: 18. dxe7 Bxe7: Recapturing the pawn. 19. Bxe7 Rhe8: Doubling rooks, preparing tactics against the exposed king. 20. Rae1 Nf3+: Initiating a tactical combination.

Endgame

Critical Tactics and Execution: 21. gxf3 Bh3: A decisive move, utilizing a pin and exposing the White king. 22. Qe4 Qg5+: Forcing the queen exchange. 23. Qg4+ Bxg4: Trading queens, maintaining material advantage. 24. fxg4 Qxg4+: Winning material and simplifying the position. 25. Kh1 Rd7: Preparing the final assault. 26. f3 Qh3: Targeting the weak f3 pawn and exposing the king. 27. Bb4 Re5: Ensuring the king's safety and preparing a mating net. 28. Rxe5 Qxf1#: Checkmate.

Detailed Observations

1. Move 9 to 11: Black's Nb6 and Qf5 were pivotal in pressuring White's position and preparing the way for tactical opportunities.
2. Move 17: Castling queenside was critical for Black to bring the rook into play quickly and create threats against White's exposed pawns.
3. Move 20: The knight sacrifice with Nf3+ was the tactical highlight of the game, leading to a winning position.
4. Move 21 to 23: Black’s precise execution of the tactical sequence leading to the forced queen trade.
5. Final Sequence: The combination of Qh3 and Re5 showcased the power of coordinated pieces leading to a checkmate.

Key Points Summary

• Strategic Errors: White's premature opening of the center without adequate development.
• Tactical Themes: Exploiting pins, knight sacrifices (Nf3+), and checkmate patterns.
• Overall Assessment: Black demonstrated superior tactical awareness, effectively exploiting weaknesses in White’s position and executing a precise mating combination.

Ending Summary

The game between Opponent and ghefley was a testament to the power of tactical awareness and precise execution. Black capitalized on White's weaknesses, particularly the exposed king and poorly coordinated pieces, leading to a well-deserved victory by checkmate. The critical moments involved Black's knight sacrifice and the subsequent combination leading to the final checkmate.