Chess develops analytical thinking. How deep can you go depends on your calculating skills and also your subconscious understanding of the relationship between squares, pieces and movement.
For example, look at the following position?
How far can you calculate? Or, can you, at the outset see what is the relationship between White's pieces and the Black Queen. This is the kind of depth you need to develop in your moves. It is actually very simple and a series of forced moves if you understand the relationship.
Run the flash player for the solution but pause for a while and think about the answer.
H. Rinck, El Ajedrez Americano, 1930
White to play and win
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Also see her personal blog at
Alas, even at the end of that sequence you have to remember how to mate with knight and bishop, which is far from trivial for an average club player.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously enjoy an understanding of the word simple I can only hope to imagine. :) but it is quite a interesting problem. I must admit I did have to turn to our friend Fritz about half way through solving it, I got the first part, but got stuck on the 2nd. Blessings, BB.
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