Woody Wood Pusher: Hey <JFQ>
<so- in under 15 minutes playing time- I just destroyed it. I just assaulted his Kingside and smashed him like a bug.>
Looks like the little blighter got what was coming to him then!
haha
I'm sorry I was so derisive of LCP <JFQ>, I didn't mean that it should always be an easy ride to beat it. Like any engine, it will pick off a tactical oversight against anybody in the middlegame.
I just meant that as a training tool, I don't think it is helpful, and thankfully I can see you understood what I meant.
I'm glad you gave it the kicking it deserved and have retired after asserting your true dominance over it (kinda reminds me of Fischer -Spassky, what was Bobby's record going into that match? hehe)
From what you have described of your training regimen I think you can expect rapid improvement to your game. Playing 2 or 3 full length games a week should be plenty to guarantee good progress, especially with all the other off the board training you are doing.
I think if you fill in the time you spent playing against an engine with a puzzle solving session, that would be good to.
One way to build up good pattern recognition is to solve A LOT of very simple one, two and three move puzzles.
These puzzles will not flex the limits of your calculating ability, but they will ingrain positions into your memory so that you don't have to think anymore about them and they become second nature.
And of course, extra endgame study is always beneficial as well.
I'm glad you have resolved not to waste anymore time with LCP, because there are so many better ways to spend chess training time.
One thing I would be willing to place a big bet on though, is that if you come back to LCP in 6 months from now, you will be able to crush it every time.
Seriously, the more you learn about chess, the more the pure ignorance of simple devices like that will become clear. Really they play terrible chess, but just have these tactical crutches to rest on, and there are many ways to kick those out of the way which will become second nature to you with only a few more months experience I am sure!
I think you are at a very exciting point in your chess development <JFQ>. Sometimes progress can seem slow, but eventually there is always a break through point reached, and judging from your games and the amount of work you are putting in, I think you will be pleasantly surprised how fast you improve in the near future.
What I mean is, it takes time to go from consciously knowing about things like pawn structure, initiative, tactical threats, key squares and general strategy etc to actually having all those ideas just sink in and become second nature.
It takes different amounts of time and practice for these ideas to be fully digested by different people, and the learning process never does stop for us amateurs really, but the one thing you can count on is that if you keep motivated and keep working, you will become a very accomplished player indeed, of that I am certain!
Just don't be surprised if when you challenge me to a game in six months time I happen to be 'very busy'.
HAHAHA
Thanks <JFQ>!
Kibitzing
