Build a Personal Decision Database (Turn Mistakes into Patterns)
Most players make the same decision mistakes again and again — missed threats, wrong trades, bad candidate lists, rushed moves. A personal decision database fixes this by turning individual mistakes into clear patterns and simple rules you actually remember during games.
Write down decision lessons, tag them by type, and review them until they become automatic.
This is one of the highest-ROI habits for long-term improvement.
What Is a Decision Database?
A decision database is a personal collection of short lessons extracted from your own games. Each entry answers one question: “What decision mistake did I make here?”
It is NOT:
- a collection of engine-best moves
- a giant PGN archive you never revisit
- a notebook full of long analysis
It IS:
- a list of recurring decision errors
- short, memorable rules
- patterns you want to avoid or repeat
Why This Works Better Than Traditional Review
Reviewing games without extracting patterns leads to temporary insight. A decision database creates transfer — lessons that appear again and again in real games.
Benefits:
- you stop repeating the same type of mistake
- your thinking becomes calmer and more structured
- you build instincts that work under time pressure
- you know exactly what to train next
What Goes Into One Database Entry?
Keep entries short and consistent:
- Game / date: (or link)
- Move #: where the decision happened
- Decision error type: (see list below)
- One-sentence lesson:
If it’s longer than one sentence, it’s too hard to remember.
Use These Decision Error Tags
Tagging entries lets patterns jump out after only a few games.
High-value decision categories:
- Safety: missed threat / no safety scan
- Candidates: didn’t consider the right moves
- Calculation: calculated when quiet / guessed when forcing
- Simplification: wrong trade or timing
- Prophylaxis: ignored opponent’s plan
- Time: rushed decision / panic move
Example Database Entries
- [Safety] “Before improving, check opponent threats first.”
- [Candidates] “Always list 2–3 moves before choosing.”
- [Calculation] “Forcing position → calculate; quiet → improve safely.”
- [Simplification] “When ahead, reduce counterplay before attacking.”
- [Time] “Under 1 minute, safety scan + simplest move.”
These are the kinds of rules that surface naturally during real games.
How to Build the Database (Step-by-Step)
- 1) Play or review a game.
- 2) Identify 2–3 key decision points.
- 3) Classify the decision error.
- 4) Write a one-sentence lesson.
- 5) Add it to your database.
That’s it. No extra analysis required.
How Often Should You Review the Database?
Practical routine:
- review once per week (5 minutes)
- before a tournament or serious session
- when you notice the same mistake appearing again
Re-reading your own lessons is far more powerful than reading generic advice.
What to Train Next (Let the Database Decide)
Your most frequent tag tells you exactly what to train.
- many [Safety] errors → train blunder checks
- many [Candidates] errors → train candidate listing
- many [Calculation] errors → train forcing alarms
- many [Simplification] errors → train conversion skills
Bottom Line
A personal decision database turns experience into improvement. Instead of hoping mistakes disappear, you identify them, name them, and replace them with simple rules that guide your future decisions. Over time, this becomes your strongest improvement engine.