Back to Blogging- CT-ART 5X5

I have been doing repetitive tactical training on and off since 2005 where I was a part of a group referred to as the Knights Errants . (now disbanded) This was a movement started by The Man of De La Maza and passed on Tony De La Maza's book Rapid Chess Improvement and his technique of doing 7 circles of the set of CT-ART problems. 

https://mandelamaza.blogspot.com// 

The only blogging member left standing is Temposchluker and frequent commenter Robert Coble. You might find his years of chasing the elusive chess improvement pot of goal interesting.  https://temposchlucker.blogspot.com/?m=1

As for me, I'm in a chatty mode and am starting blogging again. 

Here is my main source of tactical training . 

CT-ART is  an inexpensive  chess program available on PC desktop and android devices for chess tactic training. Chess Dojo review will give you a good view of it . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChOmOAZdTC0&t=26s .

This is based on the various books from Maxim Blokh 

Combinational Motifs 

The Art of Combination 

600 Combinations 

Practically all the problems in CT-Art are from the 1200 Combinational Motifs Verbatim. The latest version has an advanced section which are more involved study positions. I have not delved into them yet. I am not an advanced player. 

When solving a problem and you make a number of mistakes the program drops down a 5X5 Square of a simpler chess problem of the same theme. I found this to be exceedingly helpful. Most of these are found from the 960ish 5x5 problems in the hard to find book The Art of Combination.  I have been drilling on these problems on and off for a number of years. I have found that I take some time off maybe a year or two and return I seem to be  playing stronger and this is confirmed by my internet ratings. . 

The following are a Superset list of problems from the The Art of Combinations that I am studying. 

176,186!,

204, 211, 215, 222, 229, 235, 237, 244, 245, 247, 248, 249, 267, 280, 286, 288, 290, 291, 293, 294, 295, 299

300. 311.313. 336. 338. 351. 363. 371!, 372, 374, 375!, 380, 385, 389, 390!, 391, 397

411, 412, 420, 422, 426, 427, 420, 422, 426, 427, 430, 431, 441, 442, 447, 448, 449, 457!, 467, 469, 475, 492

507,526,534,535,539, 540,543, 545, 547, 559, 560, 576, 578!, 586, 588, 592

606, 607, 611, 612, 620, 621, 623, 625, 627, 628, 628, 638, 640. 643, 644!, 648, 649, 650, 651!, 652!, 653, 654, 655, 656, 658, 662, 669, 670, 671, 674, 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681!, 683, 685, 686, 687, 689,690, 693, 695, 698

700, 703, 706, 713,714!, 716, 718, 720, 723, 724,725,726!, 727, 731, 732, 733, 736,737, 738, 746, 752, 758! 764, 765, 767,769!, 770, 771, 772!, 773, 781, 797

801, 806, 811, 816, 828, 835, 837, 838, 842, 843, 844!, 845, 851, 852, 856, 858, 859!, 860, 865, 868, 896, 897,  899

900, 903, 906, 909, 910, 915!, 916!, 918, 920, 921, 924!, 927!, 928!, 931!, 932, 933, 934, 935, 936!, 937!, 938!, 940!, 941, 946, 947, 948!, 949, 950, 951, 953, 954, 955

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I look to further winnow these down. 

More to follow. 

First Winnow (approx 150)

176,186!,

204, 211,  229,  237,  245, 247, 248, 267, 280, 286, 288, 290, 291, 296, 293, 295, 

300, 313, 336, 363, 371, 372, 375!, 389, 390!, 391

411, 422, 436,427, 431, 442, 448, 449, 457!, 469,492

507,535,540, 543, 545, 547, 559, 576, 578!, 586, 587, 588, 592

606, 612, 621, 640, 643, 644!, 649, 650, 651!, 652!, 653, 654, 655, 656, 658, 662!, 671, 674, 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681!, 683, 685, 686, 687, 693, 698

705, 713, 714!, 716, 720, 723, 725, 726!, 727, 731, 737, 738,746, 752, 758! 764, 765, 767,769!, 770, 771, 772!, 773, 781, 797

801,  835, 838, 842, 843, 844!,   852, 856, 858, 859!, 865, 868, 896, 897

903, 906,  910, 915!, 916!, 918, 920,  924!, 927!, 928!, 931!, 932, 933, 934, 935, 936!, 937!, 938!, 940!, 941, 946, 947, 948!, 949, 950, 953, 954, 955

-----------------------------------

;;

Back AT 5X5 puzzles and perhaps blogging

 Back AT 5X5 puzzles and perhaps blogging 

It occurred to me, new Boylston Chess Club location is walking distance from my office

 

Some Footnotes of a Chess Position

 Feel free to lose interest in this post, I expect that it will be fairly simplistic. My intent  is to place over time  some things that I have learned in chess tactical training, books and play here. 

Chess is a visual game. 

It's helpful to know and see elementary patterns.

Seeing can occur on different levels.

 ie. If a rook attacks a queen you see it and you do things to avoid it's capture . This is L1 -level one thinking,  

L2- Level 2 thinking puts things in additional context of the position such as the rook attack is illusionary because it cant moved because it is pinned or defends a square that prevents checkmate. This is I am thinking as the footnotes of the position, 

L3- Level 3 thinking may show in the position the pin can be removed, can support a piece moving next to the opposing king or a the pinner can be deflected. 

From doing thousands of problems thousands of times I have come up with some pretty trivial observations that speed the solution. 

If you have a bishop pointing to an eighth rank square and a rook lined up with that square move heaven and earth to get the rook there. but Calculate first. 

----- More to be added slowly ----

The Art of Combination 5x5

 Quick Update. 

Now back to circling almost finished 5 circles on Blokh's Art of Combination 958 problems . These are the bare essentials of chess tactic positions . Feeling stronger. These are the 5 x5 puzzles that pop up if you are having issues in CT-Art to help. 

Roughly there are 2000 of them and in a time when I was motivated 4 years ago . I put them all in an Instagram account Takchess1 . Feel free to add the solutions as you view them. I would like to crowdsource this . 8) 

https://www.instagram.com/takchess1/

From a crappy Elephant Gambit Game where I dropped my queen

PGN TO ANALYZED GAME:

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "amase10"]
[Black "Jimtakchess"]
[Result "0-1"]
[TimeControl "1800"]

1.e4 {Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 7s/ply)} e5 2.Nf3
d5 3.h3 {? 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 Qc5 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 Nf6 7.Be3
+/= +0.75 (37 ply)} dxe4 {=/+ -0.64 (27 ply)} 4.Nxe5 Bd6 {?
4...Qe7 5.Nc4 Nc6 6.Ne3 Be6 7.d4 exd3 8.Bxd3 O-O-O =/+ -0.74
(26 ply)} 5.f4 {? 5.Nc4 Be6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Nxd6+ Qxd6 8.d3 Nc6
9.dxe4 = +0.27 (23 ply)} Qh4+ {-+ -4.60 (26 ply)} 6.Ke2 Qxf4
{? 6...Bxe5 7.fxe5 Nc6 8.d4 exd3+ 9.cxd3 Nd4+ 10.Kd2 -+ -4.45
(25 ply)} 7.d4 {-+ -2.57 (25 ply)} Be6 {? 7...exd3+ 8.Nxd3 Qh4
9.Qe1 Bg3 10.Qb4 Qh5+ 11.Kd2 Nf6 -+ -3.13 (26 ply)} 8.Bxf4 {+-
+8.37 (28 ply)} Nc6 9.d5 Bxe5 10.dxe6 Rd8 11.Nd2 {? 11.exf7+
Kxf7 12.Qc1 Bd6 13.Kf2 Nf6 14.Bc4+ Kg6 15.Qe3 +- +11.23 (23
ply)} Bxf4 {+/- +1.74 (27 ply)} 12.Ke1 {? 12.Nxe4 Rxd1
13.exf7+ Kxf7 14.Rxd1 Nf6 15.Kf3 Nxe4 +/- +1.81 (28 ply)}
Bxd2+ {+/= +0.87 (26 ply)} 13.Ke2 {? 13.Qxd2 Rxd2 14.exf7+
Kxf7 15.Kxd2 Nf6 16.Bc4+ Kg6 +/= +1.28 (27 ply)} e3 {? 13...f5
14.Kf2 f4 15.Qg4 Be3+ 16.Ke1 Bd2+ 17.Kf2 = 0.00 (29 ply)}
14.c3 {? 14.exf7+ Kxf7 15.c3 Nge7 16.g4 Ke8 17.Bg2 Bxc3
18.bxc3 +/- +1.75 (24 ply)} fxe6 {= +0.22 (29 ply)} 15.Qa4 {?
15.g4 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Rxd1 17.Rxd1 Ne5 18.Kxe3 Nf6 19.Bg2 = +0.19
(30 ply)} Nh6 {? 15...Nf6 16.Kf3 Nh5 17.Kg4 g6 18.h4 O-O 19.g3
Ne5+ 20.Kh3 =/+ -1.09 (28 ply)} 16.g4 {? 16.Kd1 Bxc3+ 17.Kc2
Be5 18.Rd1 O-O 19.Kb1 Nd4 20.Bd3 Rf2 +/= +0.72 (25 ply)} O-O
{-/+ -1.68 (26 ply)} 17.Rh2 Ne5 18.Qb3 {? 18.Rb1 a6 19.Qe4
Nhf7 20.Kd1 Ng5 21.Qh1 Ngf3 22.Kc2 Nxh2 =/+ -1.44 (25 ply)}
Kh8 {? 18...Nhf7 19.Kd1 Nf3 20.Rg2 Bxc3+ 21.Kc1 Be5 22.Bc4
N7g5 -/+ -2.43 (24 ply)} 19.Bg2 {? 19.Qxb7 Ng8 20.Qh1 Nd3
21.Kd1 Nf2+ 22.Rxf2 Rxf2 23.Kc2 =/+ -0.57 (27 ply)} Rf2+ {-+
-13.38 (32 ply)} 20.Kd1 Bxc3+ 21.Kc1 Nd3+ 22.Kb1 Rxb2+ 23.Qxb2
Bxb2 {24.Bf3 Bxa1 25.Kxa1 Nf2 26.Rg2 Nf7 27.Rg3 Rd2 28.g5 e2
-+ -11.20 (31 ply)} 0-1

Title

PGN TO ANALYZED GAME: [Event "Live Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2020.05.22"] [Round "-"] [White "Jimtakchess"] [Black "misulo"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1241"] [BlackElo "1246"] [TimeControl "1800"] [EndTime "10:40:27 PDT"] [Termination "Game drawn by repetition"] 1.e4 {Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 30s/ply)} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 {6...Nb8 was played in J Mieses vs H Daly, 1903 (0-1)} 7.f4 Ng6 {7...Bd6 was played in G Bishop vs V Havik, 2010 (0-1)} 8.e5 Ng8 9.d6 cxd6 10.exd6 Qb6 {? 10...Qf6 11.Qe2+ Qe6 12.Nb5 Qxe2+ 13.Bxe2 Rb8 14.Be3 b6 =/+ -0.98 (35 ply)} 11.Nb5 {+/= +0.54 (32 ply)} Bxd6 {? 11...Kd8 12.f5 Ne5 13.Bf4 f6 14.Qd2 Qc6 15.O-O-O b6 = 0.00 (33 ply)} 12.Qxd6 {+- +2.51 (28 ply) after 12.Nxd6+ Ke7 13.Nc4 Qc6 14.Qd3 d5 15.Qa3+ Kd7 16.Ne5+ } Qxd6 13.Nxd6+ Ke7 14.Nf5+ Kf6 15.Bd3 N8e7 16.Nd6 Nc6 {? 16...Ke6 17.Nb5 d5 18.f5+ Nxf5 19.O-O Nfe7 20.b3 f6 +- +2.88 (35 ply)} 17.f5 {better is 17.b3 b5 18.Bxb5 Rb8 19.Bb2+ Ke7 20.O-O-O Rxb5 21.Bxg7 +- +5.50 (30 ply)} Nge5 {+- +2.90 (33 ply)} 18.O-O {? 18.b3 Nxd3+ 19.cxd3 a5 20.O-O Ke7 21.Bf4 f6 22.Rae1+ Ne5 +- +3.14 (33 ply)} Nxd3 {? 18...Ke7 19.Nb5 f6 20.b3 Nxd3 21.cxd3 Rd8 22.Ba3+ d6 +/= +1.39 (35 ply)} 19.cxd3 {+- +3.37 (37 ply)} Ke5 {? 19...Ke7 20.Bf4 f6 21.Rae1+ Ne5 22.Nxc8+ Raxc8 23.d4 d6 +- +3.08 (35 ply)} 20.Bf4+ {+- +7.71 (31 ply) after 20.Nxf7+ Kd5 21.Nxh8 d6 22.Nf7 Ne5 23.Nxe5 dxe5 24.Bd2 } Kd4 21.Nb5+ Kc5 22.Bd6+ {? 22.Nc7 Rb8 23.Rfc1+ Kb6 24.Nd5+ Ka6 25.a4 b6 26.b4 Kb7 +- +7.80 (33 ply)} Kxb5 {-/+ -2.34 (30 ply)} 23.a4+ Kb6 {? 23...Ka6 24.b4 b5 25.Rfc1 Kb7 26.axb5 Nd4 27.Rc5 a6 -/+ -2.26 (28 ply)} 24.b4 {= -0.50 (35 ply)} a6 {? 24...a5 25.b5 Nb4 26.f6 Rg8 27.Rac1 Ka7 28.Rc7 Rb8 29.d4 =/+ -1.26 (33 ply)} 25.a5+ {? 25.Rab1 Nd8 26.b5 a5 27.Rfc1 Ka7 28.Rc7 f6 29.Bg3 Nf7 = 0.00 (39 ply)} Ka7 {? 25...Kb5 26.Rfc1 b6 27.axb6 Bb7 28.Rab1 Kxb6 29.d4 Rac8 -/+ -2.21 (34 ply)} 26.Bc5+ {? 26.f6 Rg8 27.fxg7 Rxg7 28.Bf8 Rg6 29.Bc5+ Kb8 30.Rxf7 =/+ -0.77 (32 ply)} Kb8 {? 26...b6 27.Bxb6+ Kb7 28.d4 d5 29.Rac1 Bd7 30.Rc5 Rac8 -/+ -2.16 (35 ply)} 27.Bd6+ {=/+ -0.87 (37 ply) after 27.f6 g6 28.Bd6+ Ka7 29.d4 b6 30.Rfd1 Bb7 31.d5 Nd8 } Ka7 28.Bc5+ {? 28.f6 Rg8 29.fxg7 Rxg7 30.Bf8 Rg6 31.Bc5+ Kb8 32.Rxf7 =/+ -0.77 (32 ply)} Kb8 {? 28...b6 29.Bxb6+ Kb7 30.d4 d5 31.Rac1 Bd7 32.Rc5 Rac8 -/+ -2.16 (35 ply)} 29.Bd6+ {=/+ -0.87 (37 ply) after 29.f6 g6 30.Bd6+ Ka7 31.d4 b6 32.Rfd1 Bb7 33.d5 Nd8 } Ka7 {30.f6 Rg8 31.fxg7 Rxg7 32.Bf8 Rg6 33.Bc5+ Kb8 34.Rxf7 =/+ -0.77 (32 ply)} 1/2-1/2

ltpgnboard.html?Init=&ApplyPgnMoveText=PGN TO ANALYZED GAME: [Event "Live Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2020.05.22"] [Round "-"] [White "Jimtakchess"] [Black "misulo"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1241"] [BlackElo "1246"] [TimeControl "1800"] [EndTime "10:40:27 PDT"] [Termination "Game drawn by repetition"] 1.e4 {Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 30s/ply)} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 {6...Nb8 was played in J Mieses vs H Daly, 1903 (0-1)} 7.f4 Ng6 {7...Bd6 was played in G Bishop vs V Havik, 2010 (0-1)} 8.e5 Ng8 9.d6 cxd6 10.exd6 Qb6 {? 10...Qf6 11.Qe2+ Qe6 12.Nb5 Qxe2+ 13.Bxe2 Rb8 14.Be3 b6 =/+ -0.98 (35 ply)} 11.Nb5 {+/= +0.54 (32 ply)} Bxd6 {? 11...Kd8 12.f5 Ne5 13.Bf4 f6 14.Qd2 Qc6 15.O-O-O b6 = 0.00 (33 ply)} 12.Qxd6 {+- +2.51 (28 ply) after 12.Nxd6+ Ke7 13.Nc4 Qc6 14.Qd3 d5 15.Qa3+ Kd7 16.Ne5+ } Qxd6 13.Nxd6+ Ke7 14.Nf5+ Kf6 15.Bd3 N8e7 16.Nd6 Nc6 {? 16...Ke6 17.Nb5 d5 18.f5+ Nxf5 19.O-O Nfe7 20.b3 f6 +- +2.88 (35 ply)} 17.f5 {better is 17.b3 b5 18.Bxb5 Rb8 19.Bb2+ Ke7 20.O-O-O Rxb5 21.Bxg7 +- +5.50 (30 ply)} Nge5 {+- +2.90 (33 ply)} 18.O-O {? 18.b3 Nxd3+ 19.cxd3 a5 20.O-O Ke7 21.Bf4 f6 22.Rae1+ Ne5 +- +3.14 (33 ply)} Nxd3 {? 18...Ke7 19.Nb5 f6 20.b3 Nxd3 21.cxd3 Rd8 22.Ba3+ d6 +/= +1.39 (35 ply)} 19.cxd3 {+- +3.37 (37 ply)} Ke5 {? 19...Ke7 20.Bf4 f6 21.Rae1+ Ne5 22.Nxc8+ Raxc8 23.d4 d6 +- +3.08 (35 ply)} 20.Bf4+ {+- +7.71 (31 ply) after 20.Nxf7+ Kd5 21.Nxh8 d6 22.Nf7 Ne5 23.Nxe5 dxe5 24.Bd2 } Kd4 21.Nb5+ Kc5 22.Bd6+ {? 22.Nc7 Rb8 23.Rfc1+ Kb6 24.Nd5+ Ka6 25.a4 b6 26.b4 Kb7 +- +7.80 (33 ply)} Kxb5 {-/+ -2.34 (30 ply)} 23.a4+ Kb6 {? 23...Ka6 24.b4 b5 25.Rfc1 Kb7 26.axb5 Nd4 27.Rc5 a6 -/+ -2.26 (28 ply)} 24.b4 {= -0.50 (35 ply)} a6 {? 24...a5 25.b5 Nb4 26.f6 Rg8 27.Rac1 Ka7 28.Rc7 Rb8 29.d4 =/+ -1.26 (33 ply)} 25.a5+ {? 25.Rab1 Nd8 26.b5 a5 27.Rfc1 Ka7 28.Rc7 f6 29.Bg3 Nf7 = 0.00 (39 ply)} Ka7 {? 25...Kb5 26.Rfc1 b6 27.axb6 Bb7 28.Rab1 Kxb6 29.d4 Rac8 -/+ -2.21 (34 ply)} 26.Bc5+ {? 26.f6 Rg8 27.fxg7 Rxg7 28.Bf8 Rg6 29.Bc5+ Kb8 30.Rxf7 =/+ -0.77 (32 ply)} Kb8 {? 26...b6 27.Bxb6+ Kb7 28.d4 d5 29.Rac1 Bd7 30.Rc5 Rac8 -/+ -2.16 (35 ply)} 27.Bd6+ {=/+ -0.87 (37 ply) after 27.f6 g6 28.Bd6+ Ka7 29.d4 b6 30.Rfd1 Bb7 31.d5 Nd8 } Ka7 28.Bc5+ {? 28.f6 Rg8 29.fxg7 Rxg7 30.Bf8 Rg6 31.Bc5+ Kb8 32.Rxf7 =/+ -0.77 (32 ply)} Kb8 {? 28...b6 29.Bxb6+ Kb7 30.d4 d5 31.Rac1 Bd7 32.Rc5 Rac8 -/+ -2.16 (35 ply)} 29.Bd6+ {=/+ -0.87 (37 ply) after 29.f6 g6 30.Bd6+ Ka7 31.d4 b6 32.Rfd1 Bb7 33.d5 Nd8 } Ka7 {30.f6 Rg8 31.fxg7 Rxg7 32.Bf8 Rg6 33.Bc5+ Kb8 34.Rxf7 =/+ -0.77 (32 ply)} 1/2-1/2&SetBGColor=EEEEEE&SetBorder=1&eval=AddText(%22<|td><td><div style=\'height:360px;overflow:auto\'><B>Title<|B><BR><BR>%22+GetHTMLMoveText(0,0,1))