2014-06-13

Update

Andrew Greet from Quality Chess suggested a ”Positional Woodpecker”, and while visiting France in April and May I tried it out by solving the excersises in Positional and Strategic Play (Jacob Aagaard) three times each. Afterwards I made my life's best tournament in Sigeman & Co.
   Without beeing a statistician, I understand that it doesn't prove anything, and indeed there are several other explanations. One thing I like a lot with Sigeman & Co is that they use a long time control that is very seldom seen nowadays.
   But I enjoyed what I did and will continue experimenting. Compared to the normal Woodpecker you understand the solutions conceptually and thus remember most/all of them when it's time for the second loop.
   Actually I noticed that a Swedish trainer offers his students to visit him and work with the Woodpecker method. And he has himself improved while working with a loop of 2700 exercises. Maybe he is in for the competition!?

In France I met one person who had read my book, and has made his conclusion.
   ”You have convinced me that I am a mumie. And I prefer that!”

I understand him very well! One day I also want to me a mumie, but now I focus on the preparations for Visma Chess (June), XtraCon (September) and Køge (October). I hope I avoid being mated at the same way as in the Whitsun Grandmasters last week [see the diagram]. The game won a beauty prize, and as the loser I got a book - Calculation. I would rather have read it before the game!

Something I am really looking forward to is two interesting assignments as a coach. The first is coaching Guernsey in the Olympiad (August). Opponents: be aware!