QUESTION ONE: IS …e5 FOR BLACK GOOD IN THE SICILIAN?

Mr. Iyer (from India) asks:

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 is 4...e5 a right move by Black?

Silman replies:

Dear Mr. Iyer,

In the Sicilian, ...e7-e5 is possible in many lines, but it's important you understand the pros and cons of such a move. In general Black enjoys the main line Sicilian not only because he gets a half-open c-file for his Rook, but also because he has an extra center pawn. This turns out to be quite useful since Black can play both …d7-d6 and …e7-e6, thus gaining control over key squares on c5, d5, e5, and f5. Such a “small center” (pawns on d6 and e6) keeps White on his toes because Black can dynamically lash out at any moment with …e6-e5 (making sure to time it just right!) or …d6-d5 (claiming central space).

The problem with an early …e7-e5 (a move that have become quite popular since it leaves Black with active pieces in exchange for some structural deformities) is that it creates a gaping hole on d5. If Black can keep this weakness under control, then the e5-pawn might prove worthwhile since it keeps White's pieces off of d4 and f4 and gains a bit of central space.

Here are two examples, one showing a happy Black scenario, and the other showing a nightmare (from Black's perspective).

BLACK IS KING OF THE POSITION

This position is very nice for Black. He has firm control over the d5-square, has queenside space, active pieces, a safe King, and can advance his d-pawn to d5 at any time (blasting open the d-file for the d8-Rook and the a8-h1 diagonal for the b7-Bishop).

Compare this with the next diagram.

BLACK'S WORST NIGHTMARE!

White can rule the d5-square forever, AND create a winning minor situation (crushing Knight versus bad Bishop) by 1.Bg5! Be7 2.Bxf6 Bxf5 3.Nd5. Note how White exchanged  off all the defenders of d5, leaving himself with absolute ownership.

QUESTION TWO: HOW DOES A PLAYER IMPROVE HIS CALCULATION SKILLS?

Mr. Snead asks:

I am an 18-year old player with a rating of about 2100. I believe my positional knowledge is by far my strongest area but calculation my weakest. I have tried to improve by the method suggested in your HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS (playing a master game and finding their moves for yourself) but I find it unbearable. I do go through a lot of combination and tactics books but I wondered if you had any suggestions for improving my calculation and visualization. Would having a position set up, looking at it, taking it down, and then trying to recreate it from memory help? How about looking at the notation for the first 10 moves or so of a master game and then trying to recreate the position on a board? How about putting square names on note cards and knowing what color they are and on what file/diagonal?  Thank you so much.
 

Silman replies:

Dear Mr. Snead,

I've always felt that most chess skills were easily learnable, if you put some time into it. Openings can be memorized, positional concepts can be lifted from one of the many books on the subject, and basic endgames can be absorbed with minimal effort. The one area that requires more than mere study to master is calculation. Of course it helps to know all the basic mating and tactical patterns. But even then, if you can't calculate very well, you'll never turn into a human Fritz.

Even at the grandmaster level we have vastly different “calculation IQs.” Some people just have a gift in this area, with players like Alekhine, Tal, Kasparov, Shirov and Morozevich standing out as brute force monsters. Others – even the great Botvinnik – made up for their tactical calculation defects in other areas.

Kotov's classic THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER gives a lot of advice about calculation, but though gains can be made, some natural ability is required to excel in this area.

Oddly, I don't think calculation has much to do with memory (and remembering a position has more to do with pattern recognition than memory). Nor does the ability to call out all the squares of the board give any great benefits (though all good players can easily do this). It's a fact that as you improve in an all around understanding of the game, your calculation will also grow faster and more comprehensive (due to increased powers of pattern recognition, which really is the “magic pill” of chess). But that doesn't mean it will be better than, or even equal to, others of your rating. This is why I repeat Kotov's advice to look over annotated games, write down your calculations and impressions in a notebook, and then deeply go over them afterwards (trying to figure out where and why your variations were lacking).

Again, calculation improvement (beyond the normal growth in this area that increased chess understanding naturally brings) IS possible, but it takes extremely hard work. And that's something few have the time or inclination to do. Don't let this depress you! You can still become an extremely strong player by honing other chess skills. The great Hungarian grandmaster Portisch used to complain that even an untitled master could calculate better than he could. Nevertheless (despite only having a normal grandmaster's ability to calculate), his amazing understanding of position and his wonderful opening preparation lifted him to the world's top ten.

QUESTION THREE: ANYTHING BETTER THAN BASIC CHESS ENDINGS?

Mr. Yussman asks:

I use a 1941 edition of Fine's BASIC CHESS ENDINGS for nuance on this  topic. Is there anything else you would recommend? Just curious.

Silman replies:

Dear Mr. Yussman,

I actually discussed improvement-oriented books, including endgame books, in an old reader's question that you can see HERE.

Here are the endgame books I mentioned in that article:

THE ENDINGS IN MODERN THEORY AND PRACTICE by Griffiths

ENDGAME  STRATEGY by Shereshevsky

TECHNIQUE FOR THE TOURNAMENT PLAYER by Dvoretsky & Yusupov

THE  SURVIVAL GUIDE TO ROOK ENDINGS by Emms

THE  FINAL COUNTDOWN by Hajenius & Van Riemsdijk

FUNDAMENTAL  CHESS ENDINGS by Mueller & Lamprecht

DVORETSKY'S  ENDGAME MANUAL by Dvoretsky

GRANDMASTER  SECRETS/ENDINGS by Soltis

Note the absence of BASIC CHESS ENDINGS. I left it out because, even though it was a wonderful bit of work in its day, it was/is boring and didn't suit the needs of lower rated players (who usually got overwhelmed by the sheer mass of information it offered).

A far better “everything under the sun” endgame book is FUNDAMENTAL  CHESS ENDINGS. However, it's still depressing overkill to the players who just wish to get by with “must-know” endgame knowledge. Actually, I think that all the excellent books on this list are too advanced for most players, and I feel that a truly instructive AND accessible endgame book hasn't yet been written for the average tournament warrior. I'm trying to mend this lack in the literature by writing such a book. Expect it to be out before the end of 2004.