Originally posted by synesisOh, great, now you're saying that I need average intelligence to learn the method. I don't stand a chance! 😉
But towards the end of the book the author simplifies the method down to a handful of rules-of-thumb, which I think anyone of average intelligence will have no problem learning and applying with a bit of practice.
I'm actually quite impressed with just how clear and simple the explanation and method are, considering the complexity of all the possible knight moves on a chess board.
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Originally posted by synesisYou intrigued me. I just bought it for £10 online. Counting knight moves has taken up way too much of my time in the past.
Quick! What's the minimum number of moves a knight on g6 needs to get to e4 ?
To answer this question, most chess players will simply start to mentally move their knight around, counting the moves, until it lands on the desired square. Let's say you counted 4 moves: e5-g4-f6-e4 That's one way to get there, and so is: f8-e6-g5-e4. But is there a shor hour or so). After that, you'll be counting knight moves like a pro! 🙂
[EDIT] Very good review, BTW.
D
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Originally posted by RagnorakGreat. I'm glad the review was useful to you. 🙂 But don't expect the method in this book to take the place of all ordinary knight move counting.
You intrigued me. I just bought it for £10 online. Counting knight moves has taken up way too much of my time in the past.
[EDIT] Very good review, BTW.
D
Applying Alexander's Technique will only tell you what the minimum number of moves a knight will need to get from a given square to another square (or certain groups of squares). It's still up to you to figure out what specific moves would make up the shortest route (assuming you're interested in that information), and if the situation on the board is such that more than the minimum number of moves will be required to reach the destination square (such as if the knight can't make a certain move on the shortest route because it will be captured).
Still, despite this, I think Alexander's Technique would make a useful addition to any player's arsenal. At least you won't have to worry about using the trial and error method to make sure you've really found the shortest path a knight could take to any given square. You'll know that the path must be at least 3 moves long, or 4 moves long, or whatever.
Originally posted by Mad RookIn my opinion, from a practical point of view, you'd probably be better off buying this book if you play closed games more often than not, as I see this really only applying when looking for ways to get to knight outposts.
...I'm wondering how often someone needs to count these knight moves from one square to another square. Any opinions about whether the method is used enough in games to warrant learning the method?
Originally posted by wittywonkaAs far as middlegames go, getting to knight outposts is one use of this technique. But I don't think it's by any means its only use. Ever wanted to get a knight from the queen-side to the king-side in time to stop or facilitate a king-side attack? Or how about getting a knight to a certain square in the endgame to stop a pawn from queening?
In my opinion, from a practical point of view, you'd probably be better off buying this book if you play closed games more often than not, as I see this really only applying when looking for ways to get to knight outposts.
Sometimes I'm just interested in getting a knight to a square one space away (ie. directly adjacent to the square the knight is on). The problem is that, depending on where it is on the board, that could take 2, 3, or 4 moves. Sometimes that kind of maneuver is worth it, sometimes not... and counting how long it will take can be critical in deciding whether to proceed.
Originally posted by diskamylMy initial impression as well. Then I realised that synesis wasn't pushing any store, and I also read through his past posts, which are generally very good.
oh please, this is so spam advertising.
It was a well written review. Do you not want informative posts in Only Chess?
D
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Originally posted by RagnorakFor the sake of full disclosure, I have no financial interest in the book or any distributor of it (or any other book or product, actually). "I'm just a satisfied customer," as they say. 🙂
My initial impression as well. Then I realised that synesis wasn't pushing any store
I read the book. I liked it... thought others would be interested in learning about it, especially considering that most people would have probably never have heard of this obscure (but quite useful) little book otherwise.
Originally posted by synesisYes and thanks for the post..it's interesting and what you say is also supported by other reviews of the same work...so I appreciated the post. What interested me most about the work was the possibility that the whole exercise may be good training for pattern recognition.
For the sake of full disclosure, I have no financial interest in the book or any distributor of it (or any other book or product, actually). "I'm just a satisfied customer," as they say. 🙂
I read the book. I liked it... thought others would be interested in learning about it, especially considering that most people would have probably never have heard of this obscure (but quite useful) little book otherwise.
Originally posted by wittywonkaI don't agree.
In my opinion, from a practical point of view, you'd probably be better off buying this book if you play closed games more often than not, as I see this really only applying when looking for ways to get to knight outposts.
What about when a knight has to guard an opponent's queening square? It'll be great to be able to just glance at the pieces and know that the pawn is 3 moves from queening, and your knight can get there in 3, or whatever.
I find myself counting number of knight moves on numerous occasions through pretty much all games.
D
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Originally posted by Mad Rooksomeone talkes about a brilliant, brilliant method for a whole page, only that he/she doesn't explain the method itself, just how brilliant it is, and says "here you can buy the method". and people start racing to buy it. this looks so typical you may encounter it in fairytales.
Spam advertising? What the heck are you talking about?
Originally posted by diskamylLook. I had several options.
someone talkes about a brilliant, brilliant method for a whole page, only that he/she doesn't explain the method itself, only how brilliant it is, and says "here you can buy the method". and people start racing to buy it. this looks so typical you may encounter it in fairytales.
1) - To do what I did: review the book and let everyone decide for themselves if the book was worth buying.
2) - I could have revealed the method, and then no one would buy the book, as the whole point of buying the book is to learn the method.
3) - I could have kept completely silent.
If I had chosen option 2, then the author's hard work would have been for nothing (granted, he probably wasn't making any money off this book to begin with, so I wouldn't have been "robbing" him of any profits he wouldn't have gotten anyway... but it still seems more than a bit unfair to me). Plus, it's not like this is an over-priced book. I got mine for about $7 at a bookstore, and I've seen it for about $5 (including shipping) on ebay. I think it's well worth it, considering that the method is useful and it works.
Alternatively, I could have also chosen option 3. I suppose that would have pleased the likes of diskamyl, but all the rest of the people here who are interested in learning new techniques would have never known that something like this method even existed.
I decided that leaving the book in obscurity was an unjust fate for something so useful, and revealing the method would have been unfair to the author. So I wrote a review that didn't reveal too much, but did explain what the method accomplished, why I thought it was useful, and that I was quite satisfied with it. Such a review might upset people who demand a free ride or complete silence, but I guess I can't please everyone.