"There is really only one mistake in chess - underestimating your opponent"-- TARTAKOVER
The hope is that these are the sorts of error most easily avoided. This document is subject to two caveats:
1. All chessplayers make mistakes all the time. Moreover, you cannot extract a win from a position by effort alone, or the application of only your genius, your opponent must make a mistake.
2. There are some mistakes that everybody makes. These probably include misjudging (or simply failing to spot) combinations and other opportunities, attacking without justification, inadequate technique, and thinking only for yourself.
So, mistakes are inevitable, but to be worked on - for example, try to eliminate one-move mistakes, then two-movers, and so on. I'm sure becoming more efficient or more consistent would for most of us result in a rise in grade without any great new insights being gained.
I tried to find examples of good ideas typical of each level (e.g. to find a good move by a Major player that a Minor player couldn't have found) but this was much harder. Instead, I have given in the County player section, examples that we might all aspire to, and also offer a 'good' game for each lower level.
The Amateur's Mind, Jeremy Silman
The Improving Annotator, Dan Heisman
Thinkers' Chess, Sergei Gerzadowicz (Correspondence games)
Magazines: Rabbits Review, Chess Circuit, Popular Chess
firstly, Alexander's observation that blunders only occur in losing positions (not always, but more than a grain of truth), and
secondly, that there are other things about their games which could be improved by greater understanding, even while blunders may appear.
In the opening, development is often started well and general rules are followed (e.g. move each piece once) but is at times too straightforward and is not always complete. After this the game may appear episodic, with not all the pieces being used to effect. In the endgame there may be some caution about using the King and theory is often not properly understood, but can win and advance pawns properly.
Too straightforward - the c7 pawn needs to counterattack with c5.
6. e3 h6
7. Bf4?!
again, not very crisp: either Bxf6 or Bh4 are better
7... Nh5 8. Be5 Bd6
[8... Nxe5 9. Nxe5 Nf6]
9. Bxd6 cxd6?! hard to understand 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Nxd5 Qa5+ 12. Nc3 Nf6 13. Bd3 O-O 14. O-O Bg4
15. h3?!
[15. Qe2 is usually the right square for this bit; you can then uncoil with h3 and e4]
15... Bh5 16. a3 a6 17. Be2
score reconstructed from here
17... Rfe8 18. Qc2 Rac8 19. Rac1 Ne7 20. Qd1 Ned5 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 22. Rxc8 Rxc8
White has let Black become very active
23. Qb3 Rc7 24. Qd3 Bg6 25. e4 Nf6
[25... Nf4 26. Qe3 Rc2 27. Qxf4 Rxe2 28. Qxd6]
26. Nd2 Re7 27. Bf3 d5 28. b4?!
this gives Black an extra move to attack e4
28... dxe4?!
[28... Qd8 29. Re1 Qe8 recovers the pawn]
29. Nxe4 Qf5 30. Nxf6+ Qxf6 31. Qc4
from my score
31... Qe6 32. d5 Qd7 33. Rd1 Qc7
34. Qc5
A good-looking move but White did have one stronger.
[34. Qxc7 Rxc7 35. d6 Rd7 36. Bxb7 Rxb7
[36... Bf5 37. Bxa6 is killing]
37. d7 Rxd7 38. Rxd7 Be4 39. Rd6]
34... Rd7
35. Qxc7 Rxc7 36. d6 Rd7 37. g4
[37. Bxb7 is still right. I think Andrew saw it early enough but thought if he waited it would get better]
37... f5 38. a4 Kf7 39. Bxb7! fxg4 40. hxg4 Bc2 41. Bc6 Rd8 42. Rd2 Bb3 43. Rd4 Ke6 44. d7 Ke7 45. a5 Be6 46. b5 axb5 47. Bxb5 Rb8 48. a6 Kd8 49. a7 Ra8
50. Rd6
[50. Rf4 Kc7 51. Re4 Bxd7 52. Re7 Rxa7 53. Rxd7+ Kb6 54. Rxa7 Kxa7 55. f4]
50... Bxg4 51. Rb6 Bxd7 52. Bxd7 Kxd7
53. Rg6
[53. Rb7+ Kc6 54. Rxg7 Kb6 55. Kg2 Rh8
[55... Rxa7 56. Rxa7 Kxa7 57. Kg3 Kb7 58. Kg4 Kc7 59. Kh5 Kd7 60. Kxh6 Ke6 61. Kg6 Ke5 62. Kg5 Ke6 63. f4 Kf7 64. Kf5 Kg7 65. Ke6 Kf8 66. Kf6 Kg8 67. Ke7 Kg7 68. f5]
56. Kg3 Ra8 57. Kg4 Rh8 58. Kh5]
53... Rg8
54. f4
score reconstructed from here
[54. Kf1! Kc7 55. Rxg7+ Rxg7 56. a8=Q wins - a common theme I associate with a Lasker study]
54... Kc7 55. a8=Q Rxa8 56. Rxg7+ Kd6 57. Rg6+ Ke7 58. Rxh6 Rg8+ 59. Kf2 Rf8 60. Kg3 Rg8+ 61. Kf3 Rf8 62. Ke4 Kf7 63. Kf5 Rg8 64. Rh7+ Ke8 65. Ke6 Rg6+ 66. Ke5 Kf8 67. f5 Rg1 68. f6 Re1+ 69. Kf5 Rf1+ 70. Ke6 Rg1 71. f7 Rf1 72. Rh8+ Kg7 73. Rg8+
White lost on time
0-1
Unfortunate, but it shows what Minor players can turn on given the chance - I thought both players fought well.
Chess Openings for Juniors and Attacking the King - John Walker
Logical Chess - Irving Chernev
Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge - Averbach
Winning Endgames - Tony Kosten
Winning Chess - Chernev/Reinfeld
6...Bg7? 7. e5 dxe5 8. fxe5 Ng8 9. Bb5+ Bd7 10. e6 Bxb5 11. exf7+ Kxf7 12.
Qf3+ Nf6 13. Ncxb5!
Quality move
13...Qd7 14. O-O
14...Re8!?
[14... a6 15. Qb3+ Ke8
[15... e6 16. Nxe6 Qxe6 17. Qxe6+ Kxe6 18. Nc7+ Kf7 19. Nxa8]
16. Ne6 axb5 17. Nxg7+]
15. Qb3+ e6 16. Nf3
[16. Bf4! Kg8 17. Nxe6 [17. Rad1]]
16... Nc6 17. Bf4 Kg8 18. Rad1 Qe7 19. Nc7 Ng4 20. Bg3 Kh8 21. Nxa8 Rxa8 22. Rd6 e5 23. Rd2
[23. Re6!? Qc5+ 24. Kh1 Rf8 25. h3
[25. Rd1]
25... Nd4]
23... Re8
[23... Rf8!?]
24. Bh4 Qc5+ 25. Kh1 Rf8 26. Rd5 Qe3 27. Qxb7 Nd4 28. Rd7 Qh6
[28... Nxf3 29. Rf7 Rxf7]
29. Rf7 Nxf3 30. Rxf8+ Bxf8 31. Qxf3 Be7 32. Bxe7??
[32. Qxg4! Qxh4
[32... Bxh4 33. Qc8+ Bd8 34. Qxd8+ Kg7 35. Qf8#]
33. Qxh4 Bxh4 34. g3 Bf6 35. Re1 Kg7 36. c4]
32... Qxh2# 0-1
Tragedy!
Good defence needs active pieces.
Think/Play like a Grandmaster - Kotov
Rate Your Endgame - Mednis/Crouch
Test Your Chess IQ (Book 1) - Livshitz
The Middle Game (I/II) - Euwe and Kramer
Simple Chess - Michael Stean
There are standard plans and "clockwork" attacks which the Major player understands and plays well. Where a solid formation is adopted there is usually also a view to some flexibility and keeping the pieces at least potentially active. They will seek counterplay and know how to limit the play of their opponents. They usually notice all the relevant features of the position even if they choose the wrong move/plan.
White inaugurates the standard attack and Black is crushed without mercy.
12...Nh5 13. Bh6 Ndf6 14. Bxg7 Nxg7 15. h3 Rf8 16. Qh6 Qb6 17. Rab1 Qc7 18. Ng5 Nge8 19. f4 Bd7 20. e5 Bf5 21. exf6 Nxf6 22. Rbd1 Qb6 23. Rd2 Qb4 24. g4 Bc8 25. Nce4 Rd8 26. Nxf6+ exf6 27. Qxh7+ Kf8 28. Qxf7# 1-0
44. Kf4 Ra3 45. Ke5 Kf7
[or 45... Rxc3 46. Kf6 h6 47. Kg6 Kf8 48. f6]
46. Ra7+ Ke8 47. Ke6 Kd8 48. f6
Post-time-control nerves played a part here, but also lack of confidence in the analysis or technique of the endgame. [At each level I looked at I found examples of games just stopping with a draw in a won endgame.]
Practical Chess Endings - Keres
Batsford Chess Endings - Speelman et al.
Secrets of Grandmaster Play - Nunn/Griffiths
Reading as for intermediate players too.
They are beginning to master the art of analysis, being able to sustain assessment of a main line with variations throughout a tactical game, and in complex positions can isolate a theme and crystallise it. They defend much better than weaker players and swindle well.
In the endgame they do know a bit of theory, and can calculate well enough to improvise a strategy for unknown positions. How often I have embarked optimistically on a slightly worse endgame against county-strength players, only to be ground down without mercy. I often feel there are three games to be played at this level before you can secure the whole or half- point: once in the opening, middle and endgame.
Obviously there are still things that separate the lower from the higher (approaching 200) boards of county teams: things like judging positions on their merits rather than by analogy, and the coordination of their pieces. And of course, all the common threads (depth of analysis, thinking for the opponent, knowledge of theory) can all be expected to be stronger in the better player.
a mistake, said Peter
11. O-O Na6 12. f5!
An unobvious move - Agust queried it, but Peter knew it was a winner.
12... Nb4 13. Bg5 Qc7 14. f6 Bf8 15. Qd2 Qd8 16. Bh6 Qxf6 17. e5
17... Rxe5
[17... dxe5 18. Bxf8 Rxf8 19. Ne4]
18. Nxe5 Bxh6 19. Rxf6 Bxd2 20. Nxd7 a6 21. Nb6 1-0
A crush against a strong opponent.
15... Nf4 16. Bxf4 exf4 17. Ne6 Bxe6 18. dxe6 Bxc3 19. bxc3 Qe7 20. Re1 Nc6 and ...Ne5
I think White had seen the Knight coming in to e6 and just jumped at the chance without really thinking it through; Black however anticipated the line in its entirety. When you can regularly see main lines like this and assess the resulting positions properly then you can expect good results against club players.
French,P (1890) - Greely,P (1840)
Major Plate [DR]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.f4 h6?! 8.Bh4 Nc6?! [8...Nxe4! 9.Bxe7 Nxc3 10.Bxd8 Nxd1 11.Bc7 Ne3 12.Bxd6=]
9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.e5 Nd5 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.exd6 Qxd6 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Bb5+ Bd7 15.Bxd7+ Qxd7 16.0-0 Qb5 17.Qd4 Qb6 18.Rad1 Rc8 19.Qxb6 axb6 20.c3 Ke7 21.f5 Rhd8 22.fxe6 fxe6 23.Rf3 Rf8 24.Rdf1 Rxf3 25.Rxf3 e5 26.Kf2 Ke6 27.Ke2 g5 28.g4 Ke7 29.Rf5 Ke6 30.h3 Ra8 31.a3 Rc8 32.h4 Rg8 33.h5 Rc8 34.Rf2 Rc4 35.Rg2 Rf4 36.Ke3 Re4+ 37.Kd3 Rf4 38.a4 Kd6 39.Rg3 Kc6 40.Ke2 Kc5 41.b3 {DIAGRAM} 41...d4 42.cxd4+ exd4 43.Kd3 Kb4 44.Kd2 Re4 45.Kc2 Re3 46.Rg1 Rxb3 47.a5 bxa5 48.Ra1 Rc3+ 0-1
This document (diffrenc.html) was last modified on 6 Sep 96 by
Dr. Dave