How do I learn to calculate faster?
I think to study tactics
Sounds like you're not calculating slowly, you're calculating inefficiently.
For example, imagine someone trying random moves until something looks good. Sure they'll eventually find something good, but it will take a long time every move.
Maybe this has worked for you in the past because you have a lot of stamina.
Anyway, I would advise timed analysis. You can use tactic puzzles.
First give yourself something like 15 minutes per puzzle. If you solve it faster, that's fine, but never more than 15 minutes. Write down your analysis as you go. (This will help you see inefficiency more easily.) Write down a line, and end it with an evaluation like "black is 2 pawns up and winning" or "black is a piece up but it might be a draw" etc. (if you're doing this on chesstempo, don't make a single move until the end. Calculate everything from the starting position).
After each puzzle review what you've written down. Recall where you spent the most time calculating. Look for inefficiency like calculating the same lines over and over. Or stopping too early and switching to different lines over and over. Or calculating too deeply when it was no longer useful to keep calculating.
It goes something like:
1) Calculate a few short forcing moves like checks and captures 1 or 2 moves deep just to get a feel for things
2) Look at the position without calculating anything and form an evaluation like which side is better and why. Which pieces are the most active and most vulnerable.
3) Now calculate more deeply, but with the overall evaluation anchoring you. As an easy example you may see that white is lost unless his kingside attack works. So you wont waste time looking at non-attacking moves.
After 15 minutes feels comfortable, make the time limit 10 minutes per puzzle. After that becomes comfortable then do 5 minutes per puzzle. Remember to think about what you calculated and whether it could have been more efficient. When you solve something quickly, ask yourself why and notice the good things you did.
One thing you'll learn as the time starts to run out on a puzzle, is to just make your best guess. Don't think of it as a puzzle as your time gets low, pretend it's a real game. Find a reasonable move, calculate it, give your evaluation, and that's it.
---
Ok now for real games.
In a real game not every position is susceptible to calculation. In a puzzle, calculation takes your move quality from a grade of F to a grade of A... but in some positions calculation will only take it from an A- to an A. In such positions calculating a lot is a waste of time and energy. For example which rook should you move to d1? Or maybe you know your next two moves, but should you play Rfd1 first or Rac1 first? These are example of wasting time.
Similarly sometimes calculation can only take it from a C to a C+. Sometimes you just don't understand the position and calculation will not help even if you think for 1 hour. In these positions it's more important to try to understand the main idea, and then just make a move.
But then, of course, there are critical positions with lots of tactics. Your ultimate goal is to be able to differentiate between positions that require calculation and those that don't during a game. That way you'll use your time wisely. When you sense the difference between the best move and the 2nd best move is big, that's when it's time to spend many minutes calculating.
Also keep in mind a real game (like an OTB tournament game) will almost always have 1 or 2 critical positions per game. This tends to happen regardless of how much you're winning. When your opponent puts up the last defense, it will take calculation and time to break it down even if you have a forced mate. So saving your clock for those important thinks is part of your winning advantage.
Sounds like you're not calculating slowly, you're calculating inefficiently.
For example, imagine someone trying random moves until something looks good. Sure they'll eventually find something good, but it will take a long time every move.
Maybe this has worked for you in the past because you have a lot of stamina.
Anyway, I would advise timed analysis. You can use tactic puzzles.
First give yourself something like 15 minutes per puzzle. If you solve it faster, that's fine, but never more than 15 minutes. Write down your analysis as you go. (This will help you see inefficiency more easily.) Write down a line, and end it with an evaluation like "black is 2 pawns up and winning" or "black is a piece up but it might be a draw" etc. (if you're doing this on chesstempo, don't make a single move until the end. Calculate everything from the starting position).
After each puzzle review what you've written down. Recall where you spent the most time calculating. Look for inefficiency like calculating the same lines over and over. Or stopping too early and switching to different lines over and over. Or calculating too deeply when it was no longer useful to keep calculating.
It goes something like:
1) Calculate a few short forcing moves like checks and captures 1 or 2 moves deep just to get a feel for things
2) Look at the position without calculating anything and form an evaluation like which side is better and why. Which pieces are the most active and most vulnerable.
3) Now calculate more deeply, but with the overall evaluation anchoring you. As an easy example you may see that white is lost unless his kingside attack works. So you wont waste time looking at non-attacking moves.
After 15 minutes feels comfortable, make the time limit 10 minutes per puzzle. After that becomes comfortable then do 5 minutes per puzzle. Remember to think about what you calculated and whether it could have been more efficient. When you solve something quickly, ask yourself why and notice the good things you did.
One thing you'll learn as the time starts to run out on a puzzle, is to just make your best guess. Don't think of it as a puzzle as your time gets low, pretend it's a real game. Find a reasonable move, calculate it, give your evaluation, and that's it.
---
Ok now for real games.
In a real game not every position is susceptible to calculation. In a puzzle, calculation takes your move quality from a grade of F to a grade of A... but in some positions calculation will only take it from an A- to an A. In such positions calculating a lot is a waste of time and energy. For example which rook should you move to d1? Or maybe you know your next two moves, but should you play Rfd1 first or Rac1 first? These are example of wasting time.
Similarly sometimes calculation can only take it from a C to a C+. Sometimes you just don't understand the position and calculation will not help even if you think for 1 hour. In these positions it's more important to try to understand the main idea, and then just make a move.
But then, of course, there are critical positions with lots of tactics. Your ultimate goal is to be able to differentiate between positions that require calculation and those that don't during a game. That way you'll use your time wisely. When you sense the difference between the best move and the 2nd best move is big, that's when it's time to spend many minutes calculating.
Also keep in mind a real game (like an OTB tournament game) will almost always have 1 or 2 critical positions per game. This tends to happen regardless of how much you're winning. When your opponent puts up the last defense, it will take calculation and time to break it down even if you have a forced mate. So saving your clock for those important thinks is part of your winning advantage.
good advice thx
good advice by PreggoBasashi Thanks a lot
Always good to do puzzles or tactics also could help to see things quicker
1*)Get a tactical position( white is winning, black is winning, etc... )
1) Reed the puzzle( white is pawn up , black has an isolated pawn )
2)Try to solve the puzzle with your above ideas
2*)Get some more tactical positions and solve them too
**)Now you can solve puzzles instantly. It means you can calculate faster.