7- Step Thought Process

By CEO National Master Evan Rabin 

Do you often blunder in chess? Are there times that you are stuck and have no clue what to do next? Would you like a scientific method that you can use to come up with the best move in any position? If your answer to any of these questions was “yes”, read on. Here are the seven steps of the Premier thought process:

1. Write down your opponent’s move. 

2. Ask yourself why your opponent went there. (Ask two related questions: “If my opponent had another move, what would it be?” and “What changed about this position?”)

3. Brainstorm and decide on 3-4+ viable candidate moves. 

4. Analyze each move further and decide what you think is likely the best move. Use Alexander Kotov’s tree method  and see which candidate move has the biggest return on investment.  (Process of elimination.)

5. As World Champion Emmanuel Lasker used to say, once you see the “best move”, see if you can find a better move. 

6. Do a blunder check, making sure you did not miss any tactics. Double check your work.

7. Finally, make the move! Don’t overthink it too much as instincts are key.