20 Minute Exercise - Carlsen Game

Below is a link to the recent World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Astana. If you click on the link and scroll down you will find a game contested by Kazhgaleyev (W) and Carlsen (B). This one is a traditional e4 - e5 opening. If you follow the game through until about move 9. you find yourself deep into the middlegame. This is where you should start thinking about the plan, for your chosen colour. Let's say you choose Black ... Play move 9. for White but don't look at Black's next move. Instead, make a list of all the candidate moves for Black. Choose which you think are the 3 most promising. Now reason through each of the 3 candidate moves in turn to test that a) they are tactically sound and b) that they have a solid goal in mind ... The goal might be tactical - i.e. you can win a pawn or piece or it might be strategical - i.e. you can improve the position of one of your pieces with a further longer-term aim in mind ... Take 20 minutes maximum for this exercise.  Once this technique is perfected then you will become a great player!

http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/events/world-rapid-and-blitz-championships-2012