How To Calculate Lines & Knowing When to Stop | Dojo Lessons

Great video, Kostya! I hadn't seen it before, but just came across it in the visualization guide on the Dojo. Really helpful. I got a lot out of this. Thank you!

Nice. The only channel giving anything practical and real. Keep up!

You are getting better and better each day! Every piece of advice all of you gave helped me a lot! Keep up the great content!

Important that "trusting your evaluation" isn't some nebulous thing, it's not like you just make a bunch of aggressive moves and say "surely I must have an attack there." (Sometimes we literally say this, but it should be based on an evaluation of the position, not just eyeballing your own pieces and praying that tactics will work out). Trusting your evaluation comes down to your ability to visualize future positions and identify the resources available to each side. In the case of this video, after White takes on e6 their evaluation isn't just "eh it's probably good," it's "I'm down a piece, but Black is way behind on development and their pieces are largely stuck behind each other. My piece activity is very high, and their King is now exposed and vulnerable. Based on my understanding of Chess, White should have more than enough compensation for the piece, and I believe is winning." When you evaluate, you don't necessarily calculate lines, but you do still need to objectively identify the features of the position. "My pieces look scary" is not an evaluation - a mistake I see many lower rated players make.

Love this type of video. Knowing when to stop calculating in different time controls etc is very useful

Very helpful video! I have an obsession with calculating the "best move" and making "sure" it works which usually makes me lose on time in rapid :P. After what you've shown in this video I feel much more confident about trusting my chess intuition. Thanks!

awesome video! I like this breakdown of calculating I found it very helpful! :)

Thank you so much for this.Subbed ! Please release more educational content

One thing that I've found extremely useful when it comes to calculating during puzzles as well as classical games is to get into the habit of calculating using coordinates as often as possible, even if it feels slower at first. This helps with keeping specific positions in mind and is far more effective than using arrows (especially since arrows can't be used otb!). Over time, this becomes easier, and it also helps with being able to record classical otb moves fasters with less mental overhead to maintain focus and reduce fatigue. Based on what I've seen from some otb opponents (including a candidate master!) being confused about where they are up to on their scoresheet, not everyone thinks with coordinates as often as they probably could. The additional benefit is being able to more easily follow along with commentary or post-game analysis from top level games, or even club level games.

Super example and explanation!

Great video, thanks!

Thanks for posting!

Thanks ChessDojo for the informational Middlegame lesson! Could you possibly make videos about "The Process Of Thinking" in a real classical time control game as that is a serious topic which most of us struggle with, it would also be very helpful for most of the players out there (including me). Thanks again for the quality content.

Tisdall would call the position after Nxf7 Bxf4+ Qxf4 a "stepping-stone" position. Also a valuable lesson in the value of changing move orders.

Great Video - I would love to See a series on the thinking process on tactics.

Kostya is so awesome. Maybe the best coach out there...

Really instructive, great video for me and my students thanks

Great video. Very practically instructional.

My first thought in the stem position was 1. Bxe6. My Knight on e5 is so strong it can never be taken for consequences, if Black takes back on e6 then Ng6 is killing and Black's pieces are getting in his way, when Black can't answer both threats of NXR and BXB, since the latter allows a rerouting with Nxf4 targeting e6, and Black's King will burn to a crisp. This sort of position feels like an analog of Tal-Larsen 1965: either you see what is possible and accept it as a rapid game where Black can go wrong, or you decline it and then train the position later on. Definitely this sort of thing can be troublesome in a classical length game though.

Great Kostya. I would love to hear more about how good players like you visualise. When you say you visualise the position after Rxe6 is that like something that resembles a real picture in your minds eye ? Or do you just "see" I dont feel like I ever see anything, and have just assumed it was a figure of speech. I can calculate by remembering where the pieces are, but am very interested in understanding what exactly other chessplayers (especially good players) mean when they say the visualise a position.