The Post-Mortem: How to Analyze Your Games Without an Engine
World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik once said, "Chess cannot be taught. Chess can only be learned." The only way to learn is by analyzing your own games. Playing 1,000 blitz games without analysis will only ingrain your bad habits deeper. This guide teaches you the Human Method of analysis—the single most important activity for improvement.
1. The Golden Rule: Engine OFF
The biggest mistake modern players make is finishing a game and immediately clicking "Game Review" or turning on Stockfish.
Why this fails: The engine gives you the answer ("You missed Ne5"), but it doesn't tell you why you missed it. You nod, feel stupid, and forget it 10 minutes later.
The Fix: You must suffer through the analysis yourself first. Your brain only grows when it struggles to find the answer.
2. The 3-Step Analysis Process
Step 1: The Emotional Review (Immediate)
Right after the game (or the tournament round), write down a few notes while the memory is fresh:
- "I felt scared after he played ...Bg4."
- "I spent 15 minutes on move 12 because I couldn't calculate the sacrifice."
- "I thought I was winning here, but then I got confused."
These emotional markers are clues to your psychological weaknesses.
Step 2: Identifying "Critical Moments"
Play through the game on a board (or screen with engine off). Stop at the moments where the game changed direction.
- The Transition: When did the Opening end? Did you have a plan?
- The Crisis: Where did the tactical chaos start? Calculate the lines you didn't play.
- The Turning Point: Where did the advantage flip?
Ask yourself: "What was I thinking here? What was my candidate move list?"
Step 3: The Engine Check (The Truth)
Only after you have formed your own conclusions, turn on the engine. (See our guide on Using Engines Correctly).
Compare your thoughts to the machine.
"I thought King Safety was the issue, but the engine says it was a simple hanging pawn." -> This gap is what you need to study.
3. Classifying Your Mistakes
Don't just say "I played bad." Be specific. Categorize your errors to find trends:
- Type A: Tactical Blindness
- You didn't see that your Knight was hanging.
Fix: More Tactics Puzzles and "Blunder Checks" before moving. - Type B: Conceptual Error
- You traded your good Bishop for his bad Knight. You opened the position when your King was unsafe.
Fix: Study Strategy and Master Games. - Type C: Psychological / Time
- You played too fast. You played too slow and got flagged. You got scared of a ghost threat.
Fix: Work on Psychology and clock management.
4. The "One Lesson" Rule
You cannot fix everything at once. From every loss, try to extract one single actionable lesson.
Example: "I will not trade Queens when I am down a pawn."
Write this lesson in a "Chess Diary." If you learn one lesson per game, you will be a Master in a few years.