The Thematic and Dynamic Chess Method
Before we sit down at the chess table we should have an overall view of what we intend to do with the specific openings--the repertoire-- we intend to play. These openings preset the theme--the overall idea of the game, or a specific part of the game--brought to life by ideas, strategies, endgames and so forth. Chess is a tree, the opening is the trunk, the middle game themes are the branches, and those branches themselves branch out to strategies, tactics and endgames. The flowers and fruits of our tree of chess are our sweet victories. Throughout the game we encounter patterns that tell our practiced I what to play and the techniques we need to use. When we discuss "technique" we are talking about a spin without the top, technique is the way we do things. It is neither strategy nor tactic, nonetheless it is important to study although most chess players tend to neglect it. In addition to the studies mentioned above there is another dimension to chess that most people fail to grasp. It is the final secret of chess mastery--"Dynamic Chess." This is not a subject for the faint hearted. Once you have gained knowledge of everything else, once you have honed your tactical skills, you must learn to challenge your opponent with your every move. In this field of chess we study gambits and sacrifices and the tactical possibilities arising from them. We give up whole pieces in order to seize the initiative and gain control of the chessboard so that our opponent becomes our puppet who is forced to do as we tell him, a sort of Manchurian Candidate of chess. If you are faint of heart and if your rating is below 1500 do not enter this sanctum sancturum until you are ready for it. A chess master once wrote that if you have a solid position and there"s no way you can be attacked you should just sit on your hands and do nothing, let you enemy come to you. This is a solid way of playing, especially if you are good at defending. But what if the clock is running out and your opponent moves faster than you. Or what if your opponent is a strong attacker and knows how to make mince meat of a mere mortal such as yourself? In practical chess you need an active, dynamic way to attack our opponent and do unto him before he does it to us! This method of attack is Dynamic Chess in which we realize that chess is a gambling game just like any other gambling game and we must put up or shut up. Money talks and bologna walks. Give until it hurts--him--is our motto! Keep in mind Shelley"s admonition,"If a man"s reach is not greater than his grasp, then what is Heaven for?" ÷The theory that technique in chess is derived from pattern recognition was also put forth by Australian psychiatrist Professor Stewart Einfeld from the University of New South Wales, himself a competitive chess player."Intuition in chess masters may be linked to pattern recognition, something honed by years of practice. They"ve seen this pattern many times, so it may seem intuitive because they can immediately say the required move is going to be "A" or "B" and you may think it"s intuitive because it"s so quick," he said. International Grandmaster Murray Chandler agrees: "Chess analysis is a mixture of calculation of individual moves and pattern recognition. Inexperienced players use perhaps 95% calculation and 5% pattern recognition. For master strength players, the figure is more like 40% calculation and 60% pattern recognition. Logically, therefore, learning to recognize more key patterns could help dramatically improve your chess strength." Recent scientific research into the brain of Susan Polgar--the world"s first female chess grandmaster--confirms the view of the importance of pattern recognition. Click here for a most interesting video detailing this research.
There appears to be a misunderstanding about thematic and positonal play. Many players believe that once an idea is conceived that idea becomes the be all and end all of the game. For example, the Back Rank Mate is a common theme in chess. Very often our opponent fails to provide breathing space for his King by lifting one of the Pawns standing in front of the King. This is the so-called "Luft" move which I÷ call "Ventillation." And so elaborate plans are laid to open up a file so that a Rook, or perhaps the Queen, could be brought down to deliver mate. During the course of this complex maneuvering our opponent gets religion and fearing the wrath of God he makes the ventillation move. Now the entire theme of play changes. Perhaps in the course of trying to open the file and attack our opponent"s defense against this process, our opponent develops a weak pawn or leaves a piece hanging or whatever. It is now our job to go after this new weakness. The point÷ is that in the process of play, the basic themes change often, the chessboard becomes a kaleidoscope of ideas, themes, positions that all must be dealt with if we want to win. A chess game is not a fixed set up that is to be analyzed once and then throughout the game that analysis is to be followed. Chess is dynamic, constantly changing and it changes move by move, like a conversation. We must pay attention to this move by move conversation, understand it and analyze it constantly, always being willing to change our plans based on the position as it is now not as it was last move or several moves ago. This is why the study of themes and positions are so important. We must be able to understand what it is our opponent is saying. If our opponent talks above our heads, introduces themes that we are not familiar with, we will quickly get into trouble and lose the game.
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