Chess Scotland Noticeboard

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

I have hesitated to start this thread off but here goes.

For a start the purpose is not to fault any one involved in this years event - rather it is to encourage a continuation of a discussion we started in Italy about what exta should/could be done to help the juniors perform better - especially the younger inexperienced ones.

Looking at the data over the last four years and one finds that in 3 of the years the younger players (that is U12/10) have under performed compared to the older players. The older players achieve around the 40% mark whereas the younger ones are at around 30%. The figure for the young ones this year was 27%, higher than 2008, but was actually probably a bit deceptive because these sections were weakened at the bottom end by the presence of quite a significant number of local filler players (also in U14) who were not so strong.

Anyway my main point is the difference in performance between the older and younger groups relative to their peers. Why might that be?

One thought is the lack of experience of playing such long time control conditions, with time to prepare for your opponent. Certainly this aspect of playing at such events came as big surprise to me when Jonny played his first event. I think these conditions really expose any lack of technique or chess knowledge - which can be different from raw playing ability. Whatever level one is playing at you need to have the theoretical knowledge in the bank for that grade.

Perhaps we need to think in future of running an intensive weekend training camp for the players in the squad. This could be done in such a way as to allow players to practice for example preparing for a specific opponent. Also it would be a good chance for coaches to get to know the players.

admin · Site Admin Joined: 09 Jan 2007 Posts: 1386

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Yes this certainly helps but there is still a big step up from the weekend adult events to the 1 game a day events. When Jonny went to his first event he had been playing in minors, as had most of the players in this years squad, for quite a while and yet he, and they, still found it a big step up.

Indeed there was little or no information or training provided prior to the event 2 years ago to educate either him or me as to what to expect and how to prepare for it.

SteveHilton · King Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 443 Location: Greenock

One thing you should not do before a match that is supposed to last 6-7 hours is to prepare just before the game. What you should do is relax before the game either by a good sleep the night before or a good walk before the game. Preparing for a chess game can add up to 2-3 hours and make you feel very tired before the game. I did that before Halkidiki last year and have regretted it ever since

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Steve,
I think you are partially correct - there is a balance to be struck but as you only know your next victim in the hours before the game that is the only time you can prep. for them. I think however such prep. should be revising material already studied and understood, rather than attempting to learn new tricks and lines. This comes back to players doing the appropriate work in the six months before the event.

I suspect also there is a balance to be struck there as well between learning new stuff in those months and consolidating ones existing knowledge.

Angus McDonald · King Joined: 08 Apr 2009 Posts: 162

Definitely something in what Stephen says here although it's only natural to want to prepare for your next opponent. France got a 1st place, a 2nd place 2 3rds and a 10th out of their squad of 17. I've heard they had 7 coaches with them!. I think having so many coaches takes the onus of preparation away from the players it also confirms that coaching can improve performance. It may be that our opponents are just better prepared because they have better financial support whilst Scotland have to do things on a shoe string budget. My answer is to do all possibleto get the funding our sport/game/pastime deserves. At present our juniors and others are being let down not by the organisers/parents/coaches or anyone involved but by lack of funding. imho

Alex McFarlane · King Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Posts: 413

You MUST prepare for your opponent and this is best done the morning before the game when you are still fresh. When a coach is present it is normal for the coach to study the opponent's games and to prepare the player for what to expect from the opponent in terms of openings. The player must also be reminded that the opponent may not play the same moves as they did in the previous game so it is always important to expect the unexpected.

At the Glorney Cup it is extremely probable that the English team won the event due to the preparation received from Andrew Martin in terms of knowing what the opposition was likely to do. Of course, as has been said already, you need to know the openings first - you cannot learn properly an hour or two before the game. This last session should really be focussed revision.

SteveHilton · King Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 443 Location: Greenock

Alex,
I am not disagreeing with you about preparation, just the timing. It is important would you agree to arrive at the board as fresh as possible.
If you prepare for a game right up to the start of the game, then I will guarantee you you will not be fresh when you arrive at the board. Of course there are circumstances when this is impossible. I experienced this at the Olympiad fr the blind in Crete

Daniel Rocks · Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:11 am Post subject:

Paul Denham · Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject:

IMHO Daniel's posting is probably the best posting on this noticeboard this year Exclamation

and elaborates on what I would expect to be the soundest approach for intermediate players in between rounds in tournaments.

Paul

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

Rocks,
It seems to me that it was what you were prep.'ing that was wrong. As I said previous prep. can not, and shouldn't be a case of learning or creating your repertoire. Rather its about revising your own repertoire given the knowledge you now now have on your opponent.

Also its a mistake to suggest that prep. is simply a case of learning long lines - it should also surely include a revision of general concepts of a system. Sure, your opponent may have a plan B that avoids what you expected but so what.

Obviously its imperative that you find what works for you and if you have put in the work before hand then why not sun bathe and turn red before the game? Wink

Alan Tate · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 377 Location: Edinburgh

Alan Tate · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 377 Location: Edinburgh

Daniel Rocks · Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:56 pm Post subject:

Mike Scott · King Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 676 Location: Edinburgh

I would agree we should be aiming higher but as a first step if we could identify why our younger players under perfrom compared to the older players then perhaps there is something we could do to help their preperation to fairly quickly boost the younger players initial performance.

Perhaps the point you made that for most this was their first event whereas the other young players from other other countries are getting more experience at an earlier age??

I agree with you regarding making tough demands on players wishing to represent their country.