How To Be An Effective Chess Calculator

Bobby Fischer, the ultimate chess calculator, said, “All that matters on the chessboard is good moves.”

Calculation is about finding the best moves on the board. Arguably, it is the most important skill in chess. 

Today, chess has been forever changed by the ubiquity of chess calculators. These tools have shown us a depth of analysis that is simply impossible for human players. These calculating machines are used by all grandmasters to analyze their games and improve their skills. 

In this article, we will explore how you can become a better chess calculator. By training this mental ability with the use of chess engines, analysis boards, and move evaluators, you can find more beautiful and brilliant moves in every game of chess. 

What is Chess Calculation?

Chess calculation refers to visualizing and analyzing a potential series of moves. By mentally “playing” a combination of moves, you explore how a position could lead to different outcomes. The ultimate goal is to determine the optimal move. 

In complex positions, you may only be able to think a few moves ahead. In familiar positions, grandmasters often calculate 15 or 16 moves. Beyond calculating the different variations, you need to rapidly evaluate which options are best. Good chess players never calculate every move because they know intuitively that some moves are pointless or bad. 

Strong calculation is precise, meaning you accurately visualize the series of moves, and deep, meaning you calculate many possible moves and variations. 

How Does it Differ From Other Chess Skills?

Unlike other chess skills, calculation is meant to be exact. You are visualizing the next moves to create a position that gives you the biggest advantage. Different skills, such as board awareness, positional knowledge, and handling psychological pressure, are more flexible, but when calculating, precision is essential. 

That said, calculation ties in with every other skill in chess. Usually, you will not be able to calculate until you win a piece or checkmate your opponent. Instead, you have to calculate to a position where you will have a slight advantage. This requires positional and strategic knowledge, as well as familiarity with common patterns in the game.

How Do Chess Calculators Work?

A chess calculator is any device or program designed to calculate chess moves. They are powered by chess engines or chess computers and are incredibly effective at calculating and evaluating an enormous number of variations and possible positions. 

Until recently, chess calculators worked solely by “playing” out every possible variation in the position and seeing which one was most likely to provide an advantage. Now, engines often utilize neural network technology, either on its own or in combination with the previous method. Neural net engines employ machine learning to learn how to play chess through "human" techniques like pattern recognition. 

These various forms of chess calculators are incredibly precise and can find the best move in a position with amazing accuracy. So much so that they are now better than the world’s strongest human players. 

How Do Engines Differ From Human Calculation?

Chess engines, especially traditional models, make moves that humans would never make. Because they are such strong calculators, they make moves that go against chess principles.

This is a position from a game between two engines. Black has just played cxb4. A human player would probably have tried to prevent Nc7, to stop White from trapping the Rook. The engine, however, has calculated that it would be better to follow Nc7 with Kxe5. This lets White take the rook but allows Black to create a significant threat against White’s uncastled king. 

Humans cannot play like this. As such, trying to mimic engine moves is not a great strategy. Instead, learn to develop calculation skills based on your own abilities using the engine as a helpful tool. 

Related: Why You Need an Electronic Chess Board

Tips to Become a Better Chess Calculator

Strong chess calculation involves a unique combination of mental skills and theoretical knowledge. Let's take a look at how you can develop this key skill using mental exercises, chess analysis tools, and training materials. 

Calculation Training 

Chess calculation is a skill that some people are naturally very good at. However, it is absolutely a learnable ability. Through practical calculation exercises and mental conditioning, you can develop as a chess calculator. 

Chess study technology is widely available and comes in many varieties. Win probability evaluators, position strength analyzers, blunder detection tools, opening advantage and accuracy calculators, and many more features are often combined in easy-to-use platforms. 

You can use these tools alongside traditional techniques to become better at chess calculation. This allows you to move beyond memorizing openings and recognizing familiar patterns. As a strong chess calculator, you will become a more creative player, finding combinations where others cannot. 

Puzzles

Puzzles are one of the most fundamental calculation exercises. A puzzle is a chess position in which there is one variation that will give you a win, advantage, or draw. The aim is to find the precise, correct series of moves.

Solving chess puzzles forces you to develop calculation skills. Because there is only one right answer, it encourages you to be exact, explore different options, and evaluate the best choice.

Online, there are enormous databases of puzzles. Some platforms offer specialized puzzle training courses and interfaces that utilize chess calculators, providing you with additional insights into why each move is sensible. This is an excellent way to master tactical evaluation using a chess engine output.

Game Analysis With an Engine

Reviewing your games with a focus on calculation is another way to improve. As we’ve seen, chess engines are significant in their calculation capabilities. Using analysis boards and chess calculators, you can explore different variations and challenge yourself to find the best.

Stockfish, one of the world's top chess engines, powers the game analysis on platforms like Chess.com. Through the Stockfish analysis results, you can see difficult-to-spot variations in your own games. You can also test yourself by trying to find one of the best engine moves in a position. 

These programs allow for real-time chess evaluation, which gives you immediate feedback on your calculation exercises. 

Studying Tactical Patterns

We often think of calculation as a purely mental exercise that happens in the moment. The truth is, it becomes a great deal easier when you are familiar with common tactical patterns. 

Most intermediate chess players will be familiar with tactical motifs like forks, skewers, pins, and discovered attacks. Advanced players understand the patterns and combinations that often lead to effective tactics. This comes down to spotting vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and possible future attacks in your opponent’s position. By studying games between strong players, solving tactical puzzles, and practicing longer combinations, you can rapidly find better tactics in a position. 

Positional Analysis Training 

Often, calculation is too focused on predicting future moves. Many players will calculate a variation far in advance and play a move, but realize they missed a key possible move. One way to avoid this is by focusing on understanding the position before you begin calculating variations. 

Jacob Aagaard, in his book Excelling at Chess Calculation, explains how calculation should first focus on understanding the threats, weaknesses, and potential improvements in a position. Many positions will require limited brute-force calculation if you can understand the position deeply.

Chess training that incorporates rapid and effective positional analysis is a key basis for becoming an exceptional chess calculator. 

Visualization and Blind Training

One of the key skills in chess calculation is visualization. This is one of the reasons why going over variations using a chess analysis tool is so helpful. It allows you to actually see how the moves would be played out, so you can begin to visualize different patterns.

For more advanced training, players practice visualizing through blind training. This means playing out moves mentally without, or with limited use of, the board. You can start by setting up a chessboard with a relatively familiar or straightforward position. Then, try to calculate the next few moves with your eyes closed. Confirm the moves were reasonable by playing them out on the board afterward. 

This is a key training method that allows you to mentally represent positions on the board. As you get more confident, you can practice with more complex positions and even play whole games.

Concentration Conditioning 

Calculation and decision-making in chess often come down to remaining focused. This sounds simple enough, but in plenty of professional sports and mental activities, concentration is a key training area. 

This may involve practicing with continuous puzzles for extended periods, taking notes on when concentration is broken, and learning to stay focused under time pressure. Psychological preparation is a crucial component of tournament training for elite players. 

Conclusion

Calculation is perhaps the most daunting skill to work on in chess. The mental concentration and skill required are certainly harder to develop than learning an opening. However, it is also the real joy of playing chess. By calculating accurately rather than trying to imitate theory or memorize moves, you can find beautiful new combinations and tactics.

Studying calculation is also easier now with the use of chess engines, analysis boards, and vast databases of puzzles and games. If you use these tools effectively and employ some of the techniques we looked at today, you will quickly become a more effective chess calculator.