Analyzing games has been pointed out by many as being one of the best ways to improve your chess. Those of you who do, what's your process? How much time do you take? Do you analyze both wins and losses?
Some methods I've seen are:
- Annotating your games move by move, noting your thought process
- Running through with an engine
- Looking for critical positions
- Playing variations and giving evaluations
- Analyzing with a stronger player
Just looking to see how different players approach the analysis process
@brokenciphers Here is the way people told me:
1. Analyze by yourself- focus on inaccuracies, mistkaes, blunders, good and excellent moves for both sides. Note positional and tactical plans, and include common opening variations and alternative moves compared to what was played
2. Analyze with Stockfish- figure out WHY the best moves are what they are and how its analysis compares to yours
3. Analyze with a stronger player- see if they have anything to add onto what you have written and correct any mistakes in the analysis
I think you guys have nailed a lot of the common advice. As a note, you will tend to remember mistakes and blunders that lead to a loss, moreso that mistake and blunders in a game that you won.
A few other notes:
- The engine analysis can be helpful, but don't rely on it blindly. They can be especially weak in the opening (especially if not using an opening book), and can sometimes over or under value a position. Generally, anything between maybe -0.6 and +0.6 could be anywhere in between, depending on the position. You'll often see that when a position consolidates, the valuation will suddenly shift. The engine is useful for exploring ideas and your own candidate moves, and obviously for identifying concrete tactics that have been missed.
- Look for tactical turning points – when did the initiative change and why, examine each exchange and define how it changes the structure and plans, what weaknesses appear in the position, etc.
- With your mistakes, there's two key things to address. The first is mechanical - what was the tactic or positional mistake that you made, and how should you have avoided it. The second is psychological - why did you miss seeing that tactic and how can you prevent that in the future.
- Look at ideas from BOTH sides and explain the reasoning behind them. Compare the opening moves to theory and development principles, focus on tactics and pawn structure in the middlegame, and focus on techniques and principles for the endgame. Think about how your moves capture/check/threaten, defend/retreat, improve your position, or make your opponent's position worse. Evaluate your position (using the markers) to asses piece/king safety, lines of attack, and weak points in your and your opponent's structure.
Yes you can always analyse a game no matter if you win or lose. It should work fine until you get to far 2200 FIDE, then you only analyse lost games.
Analyzing with a stronger player - yes why not. Of course some forum experts will tell you that it's better to use Stockfish and Endgame Manual instead. But my advice is to use your common sense.
I pay someone to analyze my games for me. then I take notes and screenshots of what they say.
@Robert_E_630 The whole point of analyzing games is to see where you went wrong and think about how your plans affected the game... I wouldn't go the same route... I would at least take a quick look yourself first
Click analysis---->learn from mistakes!
i just a student who dont nom how to play chess.
Here is some additional ideas how to do your analysis without the engine, initially.
First you browse through the game every 5moves where you just evaluate the position answering the following:
1) material and king safety
2) pawn structure, center control, which side controls open files/ diagonals
3) piece activity
4) direct threats
By going through 1-4 one will have a good sense who is better in this position. Once your evaluation is over then you jump 5 moves ahead where you evaluate the new position. You keep doing that until the end of the game.
Now that several positions are evaluated through the game, you can go through again and check where the position's evaluation changed from one side's favor to the other one. That behavior is indicative that a mistake or blunder occured in the last 5moves. At this point you can carefully review these 5moves for tactical motifs and positional plans.
This particular way of analysis will require to go through the game multiple times, starting get an idea of possible positional ideas and plans. After having done your analysis you cross checked it with an engine.
#1
"What's your process?" -- Identify the mistakes. Look at time used and time available. What other candidate moves did you consider? Why did you select the mistake?
"How much time do you take?" -- As long as the game itself
"Do you analyze both wins and losses?" -- Losses only
