The last refuge

Just a bit of pragmatic advice: tenacity is stronger than lashing out.  So often during recent games have I wanted to simplify the position, but I must resist the urge to do so!  Often opponents (and not just during simuls) will feel the urge to do something and make moves without first calculating their accuracy.

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. - Isaac Asimov

I find that such impulsive-looking moves are often related to the desire to win a spectacular game.  This desire is of course related to the ego's need for recognition.  The difficulty lies in thinking too much about self-satisfaction after the game, and not enough about your opponent's possibilities during it. - GM Jonathon Rowson (The Seven Deadly Chess Sins) on Egoism

GargleBlaster Simul #1 (analysis by chess.com): objectively, I was lost here but my opponent saw an opportunity to simplify which wasn't actually there... and look at all the defensive moves I play even when I'm up material!  I assure you, moves like Bh4, Bh5, and Qh6 were not what I originally intended to play; however, the natural moves I wanted to play all lose!

GargleBlaster Simul #2 (analysis by me): this game severely tested my patience - I got a solid position out of the opening, but every turn I was calculating a4, d4, f4, g4, and h4 and every turn they all looked like bad ideas, until I completed development with Re1...

EDIT: 2 days after the simul, I see that 10. Rb1 Nxc4 11. Rxb7 is clearly better than 10. d3.  During the game I rejected 10. Rb1 which doesn't defend the c-pawn.  Oops! 

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