Build your own Workflow #2

Russell Sherwood Sunday, October 3, 2021

Last time we left of with our Version 3 Workflow.

1. Get move to be played

2. Consult Opening Materials

3. Analyse move

3.1 Analyse move with Engine

4. Blunder Check

5. Make Move

Now let's look to start to improve this! The first improvement we can make is based on wanting to not repeat all the analysis, every time we come to a position. To do this we now add two new steps: Consult Our Game Notes & Add to our Game Notes. The purpose of this is to keep records of what we notice in a position, our plans, and any general thoughts we have about the position.

This gives us our V4

1. Get move to be played

2. Consult Opening Materials

3. Consult our Notes

4. Analyse move

4.1 Analyse move with Engine

5. Blunder Check

6. Make Move

7. Update our Notes

Not too bad but plenty still left to do. One advantage that OTB players have is that when playing a game in “real time” they retain a memory of how a position came about, which has many benefits but the one of most interest for us, is that we can have a clue of what the other players’ plans are. We can mimic this effect by playing a some of the last few moves of the game.

Our next improvement to consider is related to our opponent. When we play a game of chess it is not in isolation but in a partnership with our opponent. Therefore, we should consider our opponent's move, not just our own – what it what we expected, if it is not what is trying to achieve.

Adding these two steps in, we reach our V5

1. Get move to be played

2. Consult Opening Materials

3. Consult our Notes

4. Play through last few moves

5. Analyse Opponents Move

5.1 Move as expected

5.2 Move not as expected

6. Analyse move

6.1 Analyse move with Engine

7. Blunder Check

8. Make Move

9. Update our Notes

We are now reaching a point where we will start of refine and subdivide our steps. We will add one more refinement this time, though. Different analysis approaches are necessary at different stages of the game: What works well in one phase may not in another. Traditionally this would be thought of in 3 phases: Opening, Middle game and Endgame, but we can break this down a little more into Early Middle game and Late Middle game.

We can also consider the twin concept of Pivotal Moves and transitions. These moves are the ones which make major decisions about the direction of the game and are often pivotal to its outcome. These moves need additional thought and effort. The transition factor is if these moves move us from one of our phases to another.

Adding these in, we now have our V6 Workflow

1. Get move to be played

2. Consult Opening Materials

3. Consult our Notes

4. Play through last few moves

5. Analyse Opponents Move

5.1 Move as expected

5.2 Move not as expected

6. Pivotal/Transitional Move?

7. Analyse move

7.1 Opening

7.1.1 Analyse move with Engine