A Systematic Method of Thinking in Chess

For Slow Time Controls and Correspondence
(distilled from the writings of C.J.S.Purdy, J.Silman and D.Heisman)

(I: Its my turn to move.)

1. My Move - What are ALL the moves I have?

a) Is there an obvious move?
b) Is there anything better, or can I with advantage make any other move first?
c) Look at ALL violent moves (check, capture, threat)
d) Look at EVERY possible move, their maybe a quiet move that is a win

2. How has his last move changed the position?

a) Opponent threats?
b) Opponent objectives?

3. Reconnaissance (Look and Evaluate)

a) King position/safety (exposed, flight squares, pawn wall)
b) Material (two bishops, bishops of same/opposite colour, pawn majorities etc.)
c) Weaknesses and Strengths (weak pawns, weak squares, confined pieces, cramped game, piece activity)
d) Development (tempo, re-think swaps, unnecessary pawn moves)
e) Where could either side breakthrough?

4. Are there any Combinations (a.k.a. Tactics) on?

(look at violent moves (check, capture, threat), check reverse move order)

a) Geometrical (lines, forks, pin, skewer, double attack, discovered attack, loose pieces, removing the guard)
b) Nets (confined pieces, back rank, overworked (double function) pieces)
c) Jump moves (imagine checks/captures if 'some' piece/pawn was not there)
d) Pawn promotions
e) End game - Zugzwang, Stalemate, Passed Pawns, Go To Sleep move

Remember: Follow *all* forced sequences to the end, don't 'analyse' yourself out of a combination!

5. If not satisfied that the answer to 4 is yes, what is my best plan?

a) Use the information from (3) Reconnaissance to formulate a plan
(weak pawns/squares, open files, loose pieces, king position, cramped game, build pressure in the centre or wing, back rank, pawn structure)
b) Exploit opponent weakness(es), remove opponents strength(s)
c) Remove own weakness(es), establish own strength(s)
d) Development (avoid unnecessary pawn move, move pieces once in opening, knights before bishops, rooks on open/½ open files)
e) Think about pawn structure and what the end game might be like if most of the pices were gone (pawn islands, doubled pawns, passed pawns etc.)

6. Re-check (1) My Moves

II: I'm about to move.

1. Visualise the move if made

a) Write the move down before touching the piece! (Which is now not allowed according to FIDE, so do it mentally at least)
b) Correspondence Chess - make the moves on a board (of course) - try each line systematically - especially try forcing moves, but also EVERY move no matter how silly - why not? you have time.

2. Does this leave me vulnerable to any combination (or blunder)?

III: It is my opponent's move, what to do while he is thinking.

1. Make a general reconnaissance (3 above)

2. Look for possible combinations