My blunders
Here are some recent blunders to keep anybody from thinking I'm good at chess.This is a position from the Sicilian Accelerated Dragon.
I think black was doing quite well until playing f6? Black was threatening a fork with d4, prevented only by the fact the pawn is pinned to the rook. I considered Rb8 breaking the pin and threatening the b2 pawn, but didn't see how to proceed after Na4, which brings a second attacker to the c5 pawn. I don't like responding with d4 because this opens the diagonal his light squared bishop is on and puts a pawn on the diagonal of my dark squared bishop. Maybe that's over thinking it since the Knight on a4 is not well placed in this line.
f6 is a thematic move in this line as it tries to break down the diagonal of the g7 bishop. I thought if I got a little more play on that diagonal before Rb8, then Rb8 would be an even more powerful move. Unfortunately f6 is a blunder. Bxd5! and white picks up plenty of material.
Here is an example where I am overzealous about attacking and forget my defensive responsibilities.
I was so focused on the lonely d5 pawn and the slightly exposed king that I figured it was good to pressure black with Bc3. Oops, the knight on d3 is hanging.
Labels: blunders, diagrams, tactics
posted by Loomis @ 10:00 AM
13 comments
13 Comments:
Thanks for these examples. I think for most players simply avoiding blunders at every move would improve their play quite a bit. The thought process I use in "serious" games helps me to avoid them but I don't think there is a way to avoid them completely.
Ba6!? seems interesting and you might follow that up with d5-d4 if the rook moves. For instance Rfd1 d4 Bxa8 Qxa8. The only problem might be your d7 knight is a little loose.
g6-g5 is another thematic idea to keep in mind to try and open up the g7 bishop, but the timing has to be just right.
Thanks, Braden. Ba6 was on my candidates list. Obviously it's better than f6. I shied off of it because after Rfd1 my d pawn is now pinned along the file as well as the diagonal. I guess that is what you mean by the loose d7 knight.
I don't think I've seen g6-g5, but I see the logic in it, provided I don't over expose the kingside. At least now I can keep it mind when making plans in these positions in the future. Incidentally, this kind of position is quite common when amateurs face the accelerated dragon.
I do just the same sort of thing in my games! I guess that it's only human to make mistakes - even the best players can be guilty sometimes.
All we can do is try to practice a sound thinking process and use a sanity check. Of course, the one time you think you don't need to...
Here are some recent blunders to keep anybody from thinking I'm good at chess.
You are just too worried:)
Loomis: simply helo in lieu of the verboten stealth visits absent comments... busy viewing GM games, the Khanty-Mansiysk world cup matches, and CTS as relief from full on intense NEW job hunting. it is SO time...
i read all these posts, and you are to real chess what wood is to carpentry, or masonry to temples and cathedrals. great faith in you:
Loomis, you just do it!
bravo man. warmest, dk
Dear Loomis,
What program do you use to design the beautiful chess boards and arrows etc. on your blog?
Thanks.
Very nice blog.
Anon,
The latest diagrams are made using DiagTransfer 3.0. You can download it free (I can't remember where, I'm sure a good googling will turn it up). I tried a few different programs and you can see some different looking diagrams in older posts. In the end, this one was the most aesthetically pleasing to me. Although I still like the 'save as picture' feature of Fritz on occasion.
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Getting to 2000
Loomis
Hi. was very interested to see that blunder in the Dragon, because interestingly Cecil Purdey uses this precise blunder as an example in "The Search For Chess Perfection". Apparently he didn't actually play f6 in the game though, but mentioned it later as a possibility. I think you should feel privileged to have rediscovered such a classic blunder
Loomis,
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Getting to 2000
Getting to 2000
very intersting and usefull blog i feel i need to start writing a chess blog.
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