Zibbit,

It was interesting watching you work on the CTS. Talking though is going to slow down your solving speed.

I agree that having to solve so fast on the CTS is kind of counterproductive (you made a good point about that).

That was inspirational.

I liked that..nice..=)

Wasn't sure if anyone would find that interesting. Not sure how instructive it is. But please tell me what you like and what you would like improved. Perhaps in this kind of video I should take more time for each problem and try to outline how I find the solution (if I find it).

And about being rewarded for REALLY fast solutions, yes I think that must be counterproductive. Unless the goal is to train oneself to spot the most likely one move killer in the position. It's often easy to see that say a move like Nxf7 is most likely to be the solution in a position if it's a tactical puzzle. However that's not really practical because we don't know WHEN we are playing that there SHOULD be a tactic in the position so we really must calculate some moves ahead and see the continuation till the end. I therefore really much like a recent book I think by Rey Cheng where he puts 6 exercises on each page and in some cases there is a tactical opportunity but in some cases you just have to play a positional move or simply just a logical move. Another point is that in such position you will under no circumstances be pressed to make a move within 10-15 seconds in a tournament game in a middlegame/tactical position. For instance on the CTS if you see Nxf7 and make it in like 2 seconds and get max credit, you cannot claim to have calculated exactly till the end just reacting on a feeling because it is a tactical puzzle. Could you imagine doing that in a game? Your opponent makes a move and within 2-3 seconds you bash out Nxf7 and THEN calculate everything? No you calculate first and then make your move....so why practise the opposite?

Please tell me what kind of videos you would like to see in the future. I will finish analysing my games from the Reykjavik City Championships that have just finished and post those videos but I am open to many topics, openings/middlegames/endings etc.

[quote="Zibbit"]Wasn't sure if anyone would find that interesting. Not sure how instructive it is. But please tell me what you like and what you would like improved. Perhaps in this kind of video I should take more time for each problem and try to outline how I find the solution (if I find it).[/quote]


I really enjoyed it. I do the CTS problems and haven't broken 1400 yet. It was good to see how quickly you evaluated each problem and came up with the correct solution time after time, while explaining it. I'd like to see a Chess Tempo video. They have a setting where there isn't a time limit. The problems seem more difficult and realistic, and you move the pieces by dragging them. One thing about Chess Tempo problems, the adage of "when you see a good move look for a better move" applies. For example, if you see you can capture the queen and don't look any further, you have a good chance of failing the problem because there might be a more subtle mate to be found.

I really enjoy game analysis videos. Although an opening or endgame video would be really cool.

Just to let you know, I really enjoyed this video and I hope you make more of these on a regular basis. I think a lot of people enjoyed them, not just me considering how may have watched it so far.

Thanks!

Haha the 'Am I losing my mind' bit was really funny :)
Great video!

Yeah was quoting Ross from Friends in my moment of insanity :-)

My CTS rating jumped up after watching that video. It reached 1399, one short of 1400, and then decreased to the low 1380s. It doesn't seem like watching that video should help that much, but chess is very psychological. I'll watch the second one this evening.

this video was great! It really pointed out the flaws in my thinking. I always just look for the first move and figure it out along the way, unlike u. I was so caught up with the rating. Ill try now to see the whole variation before I move anything

No reflection on the vid. This method of learning tactics is nutty.

Zibbit/Pobble would be very interested in your (and others) ideas about chess tactics training. What do you see as the limitations of CTS and Chess Tempo for learning chess tactics?

some live blitz please

love videos like that, my favorite is the one where you mated with a bishop & knight vs. variance LOL.