More Effective Chess Instruction #3
In his celebrated work, "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences", noted psychologist Dr. Howard Gardner uses chess as an example of visual/spatial intelligence. Indeed, visual memory plays a crucial role in chess and often manifests itself in the form of pattern recognition. While no two situations may be identical, significant elements could be similar and help trigger a familiar pattern.
In this article, Ed Eusebi demonstrates how a game from a tournament was won by executing and repeating a particular sequence.
Pattern Recognition
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a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
Here is a position that arose in the final round of the 2002 U.S. Amateur Team East. Then IM Hikaru Nakamura is playing Black for the "Weera Family" team against Senior Master Shelby Getz of "Ham Samisch on Rye". Black is a pawn ahead in a rook and pawn ending. The winning technique requires applying "mathematical precision" to force the pawn through.
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Play continues with 4.Rf8+ Ke2 5.Rg8 Ra4+ 6.Ke5 Kf3
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Take a glance at the last three positions and review the move sequences that produced them. Through repetition of the same procedure Black has moved his king up and White's king back.