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Is it possible to coach regularly and remain a successful player at the same time?

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · 14d

Is it possible to coach and play at a relatively high level at the same time.

I don't think it is, though some have (more or less) succeded.

The reasons are explained in my post - gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/coaching-a...

Coaching and Playing

Engine's Search (and Discovery) of Harmony

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · 22d

Continuing the theme of engines, they seem to have become capable of finding harmony in unexpected places.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/engines-se...

Several years ago I spent time analysing the Chebanenko Slav for my Chessable course on the subject.

Smooth Transition, or How to Avoid Crash Landings

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Sep 27

Using engines you prepare on 3800-rated level, but when preparation ends and you start to play yourself you are experiencing a crash landing.

I talk about this problem and what to do about it in my latest Substack:

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/smooth-tra...

We all analyse our openings with engines.

The usual method of play against the IQP is known: blockade the pawn first, then attack it if you can.

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Sep 22

You play against an IQP. What do you do?

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/exchanging...

Exchanging the IQP

Kasparov's Suicide Against Deep Blue - Why?

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Sep 22

I have heard all those stories, but I didn't want to get into them in the post, trying to keep it chess-related.

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Sep 14

Why did Kasparov commit suicide in the last game of his match against Deep Blue?

It just made no sense. I explain why.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/kasparovs-...

Some days ago I saw that famous photo of Kasparov holding his head in desperation after Deep Blue executed the move on the board:

If the subject of this email was confusing, don't worry, I'll explain immediately.

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Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Sep 7

The Lion and the Pirate. Who won and why?

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/the-lion-a...

The Lion and the Pirate

The best players are always looking for "the best" and "easiest" way to keep it solid with Black.

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Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Aug 30

How much are you willing to suffer for an "easy" draw?

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/easy-draw

Easy Draw?

It is always a question that is both intriguing and perhaps a bit frightening: how talented am I?

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Aug 26

How do you measure talent?

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/measure-of...

Measure of Talent

There is one undeniable truth when it comes to rook endgames: everybody goes wrong in them.

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Aug 21

In rook endgames, the only thing that is guaranteed are mistakes.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/rook-endga...

Rook Endgames Gone Wrong

Why do some players reach the absolute top while others, perhaps no less talented, fail to do so?

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Aug 9

If a child (or his/her parents) wants to become an elite player, this is what (s)he should do:

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/the-secret...

The Secret of Stardom

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Aug 9

That's a very good question! It's like the chicken and the egg, and I don't know the answer!

A lot has been written about why chess is useful and which abilities it develops.

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Aug 4

Chess develops logical thinking, but it also develops something that I call parallel thinking.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/parallel-t...

Parallel Thinking

An Atypical g4 in the Najdorf

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Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jul 27

The Najdorf and the move g4 for White are closely linked. So when you see that a move like g4 is atypical in the Najdorf, you pay attention.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/an-atypica...

You must be wondering how a g4 move in the Najdorf can be atypical, but there are some cases when it is.

Maroczy Structures, or How Deep Preparation Goes

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jul 19

Positions that were considered lost in the past are nowadays considered draws.

Chess understanding evolves constantly, but I have no idea whether future computers will change our understanding dramatically. It's has gone pretty deep already.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/maroczy-st...

Chess advances in every way.

Kasparov and the Nimzo-Indian

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Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jul 16

Some openings are just unlucky.

Like the Nimzo-Indian for Kasparov.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/kasparov-a...

For me personally the Nimzo-Indian is an ideal opening.

How to Approach Openings With Black

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jul 6

"... if Black doesn't want to have to defend carefully during the first part of the game, he must give White something: more space, healthier pawn structure, the bishop pair - or simply a pawn!" - Larsen

How to approach openings with the Black pieces - gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/how-to-app...

This email is inspired by a quote by Bent Larsen from the book “How To Open A Chess Game.” I don't have the book, nor have I read it, so the information I give here was sent to me by a reader of this ...

Two Shocking Moves in the Sicilian Defence

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jun 30

Just when you thought the beginning of the chess game has been thoroughly examined and nothing new can be invented, you get something like this:

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/two-shocki...

I have been playing and following chess all my life and I have seen quite a lot.

Grandmaster Understanding

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Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jun 22

Grandmasters should understand chess, right? Like, how certain positions are played, which pieces should be exchanged, which should be left on the board etc.

Well...

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/grandmaste...

We usually know what grandmaster understanding means - a blend of knowledge of common plans, structures and ideas with the personal intuition of the title-holder.

An Instructive Rook Endgame

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jun 15

Nobody really understands rook endgames.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/an-instruc...

The following rook endgame, and the way the players handled it, is very interesting.

I read somewhere that one of the secrets to Korchnoi's longetivity at the top was his constant desire to learn something new.

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Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jun 7

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought her back.

The above was certainly true for Korchnoi. I tried to emulate his curiosity when it comes to openings.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/curiosity

Curiosity

Botvinnik's name is usually not associated with dynamic play, but in fact he was the first player who discovered the dynamic possibilities in the positions with an isolated queen's pawn (IQP).

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jun 2

Botvinnik and AlphaZero, do they have anything in common?

More than you'd have imagined.

Check out my latest Substack to see what I mean:

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/botvinnik-...

Botvinnik and AlphaZero

How Do You Evaluate a Position?

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Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · Jun 2

Good old endgame books should be preferable to engines.

Alex Colovic @gmalexcolovic.bsky.social · May 25

How do you evaluate a position when you have no clue what is going on?

There is just one thing to do in such situations.

gmalexcolovic.substack.com/p/how-do-you...

Most of the times evaluating a position is not that difficult.