Competitor analysis- Profiling

A while back I wrote that lines have no meaning unless we include competitor analysis and this brought out much derision from certain members of the chess community. Let me expand more on it here.

During the 2009 National Junior, I realised that Mark was still some distance away with his technical knowledge compared to the top National Juniors. So I tried to see what I can do with the knowledge I have gathered as a Councellor and Business Coach to help him while he tries to catch up technically. And so I began developing my profiling model.

Do note that Mark's only technical classroom training is the short session with GM Ziaur for Asean in June 2010.

And so I began to help him profile the players and to use the best possible tool from his then limited array of openings. And so with bated breathe we waited for the last National Junior in Dec. 2010 to see if the profiling is effective. As you saw he almost had a perfect run and came in second after a playoff.

We summarised the experience there and then tested it again at the recent NAG. Again he came in second for U18 with our improved profiles.

We continued to improve on that and we went into National Close where he stress tested the new lines we had developed. He lost to 3 strong players, two of which was by a hairline.

I am now confident that the profiling works and we have specific stress tested weapons. We also know what to improve and what new weapons we have to develop. We are now much closer to technical parity with the rest.

It is my belief that without the profiling model that I developed, Mark will still be a long way behind.

Note: The profiling model was first fully tested at the National Junior in December of 2010. It is now March 2011. And we have learned more from National Age Group and National Close.

I am now thinking of sharing this model at our Ruy Lopez Tournament on April 23rd for participants and their parents. Unfortunately this date also clashes with the SEA games playoff. There have been requests to change the date but at first glance I cannot see another suitable weekend.

I will keep you updated.

ps: During National Close, I shared with Sumant my profiling on Eng Chiam and he said to me that he now understands why he loses to Eng Chiam.