I would like to receive some tips and suggestions on how to stop blundering. I often blunder winning positions. Any help would be appreciated. (No trolling or unrelated posts, please.) Thank you! :)
Take a game I played today for example: lichess.org/ZHgBWpQv
Take time, recalculate
Be patient
If "winning" stay solid and carefully improve position. Let them make 1 more mistake then you are very comfortable.
When u feel you're leading play great prophylaxis taking away their best efforts. It might force mistakes. Don't push pawns and rush then make an opening for them.
All in theory of course, chess is complicated lol
But when in doubt stay solid, fix weaknesses
Make it hard for them to find an attack.
Be patient
If "winning" stay solid and carefully improve position. Let them make 1 more mistake then you are very comfortable.
When u feel you're leading play great prophylaxis taking away their best efforts. It might force mistakes. Don't push pawns and rush then make an opening for them.
All in theory of course, chess is complicated lol
But when in doubt stay solid, fix weaknesses
Make it hard for them to find an attack.
@drSabrotna said in #3:
> Take time, recalculate
> Be patient
> If "winning" stay solid and carefully improve position. Let them make 1 more mistake then you are very comfortable.
>
> When u feel you're leading play great prophylaxis taking away their best efforts. It might force mistakes. Don't push pawns and rush then make an opening for them.
>
> All in theory of course, chess is complicated lol
> But when in doubt stay solid, fix weaknesses
> Make it hard for them to find an attack.
Thank you!
> Take time, recalculate
> Be patient
> If "winning" stay solid and carefully improve position. Let them make 1 more mistake then you are very comfortable.
>
> When u feel you're leading play great prophylaxis taking away their best efforts. It might force mistakes. Don't push pawns and rush then make an opening for them.
>
> All in theory of course, chess is complicated lol
> But when in doubt stay solid, fix weaknesses
> Make it hard for them to find an attack.
Thank you!
Most people lose winning positions because they are too aggressive. It's important to maximize pressure, while maintaining good position, otherwise you open the door to counterstrikes.
you re focusing always on the attack, you need to watch opponents moves too, if not mark what he does, then you can't catch a sense of his moves, which can be dangerous because you didn't saw their purpose
@Grumpymantooth said in #5:
> Most people lose winning positions because they are too aggressive.
Among less experienced and less skilled players, I also often see the exact opposite: they refrain from any initiative as if they expected that the game will somehow win itself. But yes, watching one's back is always essential.
> Most people lose winning positions because they are too aggressive.
Among less experienced and less skilled players, I also often see the exact opposite: they refrain from any initiative as if they expected that the game will somehow win itself. But yes, watching one's back is always essential.
The Hardest Game to Win is a Won Game - Emanuel Lasker- :]
The technique I always applied many years ago (credited to the late IM Simon Webb) was: always write the move down on the scoresheet first before you play it. Then look round the board, with your move written down, and make sure the move isn't a blunder before you make it.
Two problems with that here. (1) We're online and don't use scoresheets. And (2) it's no longer legal in over the board play either - writing the move down first is only allowed in the specific instance where you're claiming a draw.
But the principle applies, certainly in classical games like the game you showed. Before making your move, always, every time, look around the board first and check it doesn't hang material or a mate.
In the specific game you posted, you took just 3 seconds to play 21.Nc6?? when you had more than 26 minutes left in a totally won position. If you had stopped after deciding on that move and checked, you wouldn't have played it.
That position had one extra feature. Your opponent's previous move had a clear threat which you failed to see. So one other tip for games in classical time controls: when your opponent makes a move, get into the habit of looking to see why your opponent would have made that move. What is its point? What does it threaten? That needs to be a habit too - you need to do it every time.
Two problems with that here. (1) We're online and don't use scoresheets. And (2) it's no longer legal in over the board play either - writing the move down first is only allowed in the specific instance where you're claiming a draw.
But the principle applies, certainly in classical games like the game you showed. Before making your move, always, every time, look around the board first and check it doesn't hang material or a mate.
In the specific game you posted, you took just 3 seconds to play 21.Nc6?? when you had more than 26 minutes left in a totally won position. If you had stopped after deciding on that move and checked, you wouldn't have played it.
That position had one extra feature. Your opponent's previous move had a clear threat which you failed to see. So one other tip for games in classical time controls: when your opponent makes a move, get into the habit of looking to see why your opponent would have made that move. What is its point? What does it threaten? That needs to be a habit too - you need to do it every time.
I would just like to emphasize the word "every". It's important to recheck even in case of "obvious" moves like recaptures and in case you already calculated the line before your previous move so that you believe you know exactly what to do and don't have to think again.
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