This Player Doesnt Calculate. He Just Sees It

A fellow i know at the park chess tables is so good that he has the respect and deference of the entire crew, both in the long game and in the blitz.  Discussing with him some of his approach is the revelation he doesnt know how he calculates anything OTB.  He claims he just "sees" the right move.  When i asked him if he has ever written down a variation move by move he gave me an incredulous look and said "That's way too slow. I dont need to."  What do you think about t his Joe? Can some people not consciously calculate and yet come up with excellent moves all the time like this fellow in the park?

It's possible.

Depends who he is beating this way before it becomes really impressive

High level players say this about their chess. What's really happening is they are calculating subconciously, and/or subconciously recognizing patterns and situations from memory.

i met a cool hipster on the lower east side who shall remain nameless, he had just opened a new coffee shop on the lower east side in a funky artsy neighborhood, he set up a chess board and a clock near the front window and he offered a free coffee to anyone that could beat him.  I took him up on it and he beat me about seven times in a row.  the fellow as i got to know him told me he was a top tournament player in Milwaukee.  he was very vain and proud of his game and he did not realize when i wrote a game or two of ours down and took it to the guy in the park to help me analyze. (Not for free but not for a lot either.)  The guy in the park analyzed the game and showed me the secrets of geeting a far better position.  i went back to the coffee shop and beat the Milwaukean two in a row.  He was incredulous and in a rage. I told him about the guy in the park. he demanded to meet him.  I cleared it first whith the guy in the park, then i introduced them.  They got together in a show down.  the guy in the park beat him 12 games to one.  They were playing for five dollars a game.  Now the Milwaukean comes by when he feels like losing some money, just like everybody else who knows about the guy in the park.

Nice story, but with all due respect, I find it difficult to believe that you could suddenly beat a 'top tournament player' after being shown a couple of ideas by this guy in the park

The Idea was to Imitate Ivanov.

likhit what is the ivaniov reference? it happened Joe i swear it did! then he beat me mercilessly again.  It only happened one time.

Did he show you some sort of opening trap or something?That is the only way you could have beaten a guy who trashed you 12 times in a row so soon.

Sounds legit

A 975 player beating a "top tournament player" twice in a row after a small clue.... Hmmmm....

He's not "A" anymore, he's now at Expert level or maybe even CM

kaynight try posting on my thread again!  Sorry dude!

Watch Andreikin play blitz. The only explanation is that the gods tell him the moves.

yes rob its a funny story and i swear by my mother's grave its true. i could tell u the time place weather the day and the whole nine yards as well as where to find the guy in the park.  Im not booooo shheee ing!

No name on the coffee shop owner? That's too bad. As a long-time Milwaukee tournament player, I'm drawing a blank concerning any "cool hipster... top tournament players" from Milwaukee who may have relocated to Manhattan. Seeing as our top tournament players range from National Master to IM, that must have been one doozy of an analysis session.

well this was three years ago and the guys coffee shop went out of business and i havent seen him since and i moved away as well you see

Yep. I see.

I usually don't calculate much, I use intuition to play (exept in standard games) (BTW my real rating should be 1600 but the staff reset it.)

do you happen to know the name of this chess player who owns the coffe shop because I think I have played him before in starkbucks