Skip to main content

WHAT IS TECHNICAL EVALUATION?

I've just come across an interesting remark made by a supposedly non-competitive chess player in that you will need "need the tools of developed judgement, understanding and advanced thinking skills" to come up with possibilities to save yourself when you are in trouble in a game. 

This is under the scope of Technical Evaluation. Highly interesting because I am still trying to fathom the author's intent in the previous statement, as he has often renounced the importance of having the technical knowledge but rather the need of maintaining the right emotional balance to solve problems on the chessboard. What I find issue here is that much of the emotional stress that is generated is often in the player not having found the solution to his problem at hand in the first place. This can be address through good preparation in the realm of analysis of the players own games by discovering his faults and actively correcting them.

After following the TV series "House", I've come to realise that the gruff and eccentric Doctor is purely a man with a good logical deductic set of thinking skills to arrive at his diagnosis. In the panel of doctors with him, most of them will have the knowledge he has but what distinguishes is his cool, calculating ability to remove the possibilities one by one till he zeroes in on the cause of  the problem. He will investigate even domestic living patterns of the patient to sieve out behaviours which may cause an ailment. So the detective in the Doctor often solves the mystery rather than just having tons of medical knowledge. But then, its still the knowledge required to eliminate the right possibilites.

Developed judgement comes in chess through the huge amount of analysis of games where the object is to find the correct solution to any problem in the position at hand. What matters is the thinking process of selecting the right set of moves played and responses by the opponent to arrive at a plausible outcome. The thing that separates the amateur from the master in this regard is the EVALUATION of the final position when all tactical possibilities are exhausted. The master is able to use his vast databank of outcomes he has experienced from analysing similar positions to know what would be the outcome of his position after analysis is done. As to the ADVANCED THINKING SKILLS, it is nothing more than the derivation of moves based on a move-selection algorithm which all top-players will have developed. Perhaps the reader can refer to Charles Hertan's move selection process outlined in the chapter " The Hertan Hierarchy" in the book The Chess Instructor 2009, a book I have persuaded my learned friend across the Causeway to read but to no success. Perhaps I have better luck with you, dear enlightened readers, to try.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

HOW TO PARK AND GET TO TAMPINES HUB THIS NSI

To get to Tampines Hub the best way from the Central and West, take the PIE and exit at 3B and drive towards  Tampines Ave 2. You can go via Tampines Ave 7 and join Tampines Ave 4, then turn right at the junction of Ave 5. There is less traffic on this route than if you are to come from the Simei Exit and up Tampines Ave 5. The  EW(2) line station  is also quite close. DT32 is not ready yet. As for parking, there is an open car park just after the Hub. Drive past the Hub, turn round the corner and you'll see the entrance on the Ave 5 curve. This is a coupon parking carpark and open-air (60cts 1/2 hr) and has about 200+ lots. The other place to park is across from the Tampines Hub at Block 858-864 which is open to public 7am to 7pm coupon parking. You can enter this carpark from St 83 Block 864 and navigate towards Block 859. If you go round till you see a green sign on your left, the road leads to the Drop Off and North Plaza Carpark entrance.  Proceed straight in to...

PETER LONG (1961 - 2025)

  My first encounter with Peter was in the 1983 Parkway Master's tournament where he was a player. Having lost a game against his compatriot Eddy Kwan, he was upset and wanted someone to accompany him to a meal. For the whole hour he was ranting all about his missed opportunities till the food came. That was one episode which made him realise that he could be better off as a trainer rather than a player. The next time we met, he was beamingly showing off his proteges, the Kumpulan Remaja (or National Junior)squads which comprises several of Malaysia's then top juniors. They played a few matches and swept away most of our crop. That was when his coaching endeavours truly paid off. For years he was corresponding and commenting on the local scene (both in Singapore and Malaysia) as a columnist for the New Straits Times. Emcompassing a sharp and sometimes barbed style of writing, he was controversial at times and soon realised that journalism was not for him. Which again led him to...

THOMSON CC - UPDATE

 Yes I have received word that the Club can open at the CC once it is officially reopened sometime between June-July 2025. I am once again calling out to volunteers who are interested in help in opening the Club on Fridays. This will allow the Tanglin CC facility to stay open. If not I shall have to surrender it which is a great pity. So if you are interested please drop me a line at johnwongfk63@gmail.com. We can work out a roster system so that you need to appear every Friday.