Analysis, Calculation and Evaluation: the final conclusion!

What does it mean to analyze? What is calculate? How do we evaluate a position?

These are questions whose answers are not necessary for us to analyze, calculate, and evaluate. However, knowing what each word means can help us figure out which one is harder for us.

The difficulty in defining such actions is because one is not separate from the other. If not, let's see:

It is natural for us to observe a position for a few moments and to evaluate something as 'white is better because ...' or 'the position is equal because ...', 'black has decisive advantage because ...', etc.

It is natural that we observe a position for a few moments and calculate the Rxf7 move in the hope that, at the end of all forced moves, we have a definitive evaluation that will tell us whether the move is good or not.

It is natural that in a given position we try to find hidden resources by investigating a list of interesting moves and evaluating the final outcome of each of those moves.

We can see that the process of analysis and calculation are essentially the same thing. The difference is that the calculation investigates a single move and the analysis investigates several moves. And the evaluation process is at the end and at the beginning of each calculated move.

The glue that links the analysis and the calculation is the evaluation. For example, when we solve a study mate, we are more likely to analyze what we are calculating. When calculating an ordinary mate problem we have a more direct evaluation and look for the patterns already known. The calculation process is the most used by strong players because where they seek tactical and / or positional patterns. But the process of analysis is broader, we do not just look for the surface, we are interested in all the least interesting information: the process of solving a study mate is basically brute-force!

Beginners in chess tend to analyze more because they can only recognize (evaluate) a position when it presents itself objectively in front of itself. A master analyzes less and calculates more, since his interest is to check an already known assessment instead of creating new assessments (when theys search for opening novities that is analysis!). In essence the process is the same, since when analyzing we are processing moves in our mind and / or the board (in the process of home analysis it is allowed to move the pieces!) And when calculating we are processing moves in our mind as well.

That said, the beginning player must, through home analysis, create an arsenal of evaluations so that when playing he will have in his calculations greater objectivity. Without prior recognition of the positive and negative patterns, the calculation process during the the game becomes analysis and analysis requires time for the processing of moves and rationalization time (evaluation, judgment) on the final position.

The objective of analysis is create evaluation, the objective of calculation is check evaluation and the objective of evaluation is finish the analysis. The good news is analysis dont need be a personal process. If other guy analysis and show you the final results you can say: "oh, that's is right, black is better!". But our long run memory is not active in this way. By working alone in the analysis we can remember for a long time that evaluation.


I wait I'm dont talking shiiiit, that is my personal understanding, maybe someome can like it... Thanks for read me.