Quote:
Originally Posted by Dynasty
Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual is too much for Allen right now.
I am not sure, in fact I don't think that any book is too complicated for an intelligent person. I'd rather know how it works exactly than getting an approximation that is simplified for beginners. The goal is to emulate an expert chess algorithm after all.
Take the pawn endgame from the second game for instance. Dvoretsky shows a rule for this "machine". The pawns build a box and if that box touches the first rank, the pawns win on their own. Similar to the "Quadratregel" for the pawn vs. K race. Can it get any easier than this?
Btw, I wanted to add something about the thought process and intuition. In chess the correct solution is sometimes counterintuitive as it was in this specific endgame. If the human has the task to "watch" both pawns, he would intuitively assume a position in the middle of both pawns. This is our way of optimizing things. If either pawn can run, we need equal distance to both of them, so it takes us identical effort to do the job. The problem is that this works for exactly one move and then we must spoil this construction.
This is zugzwang in chess or the link between time and space. We know zugzwang from backgammon too. Imagine you constructed a perfect prime, but your opponent still has many pieces in his backfield. You cannot improve, he can and so you must destroy your own perfect structure.
I think the mistake in the second game was very instructive. It also brings up the subject of how to lose a tempo. Knights cannot lose a tempo, pawns can lose a tempo on their first move. All other pieces can lose tempi. The king for instance does it with triangulation.
Ok, I got carried away too much. Allen, just remember that you must read Dvoretsky. Regardless how good you are, it
will make you better!